Bénédicte C
@benecal.bsky.social
Biosciences & Tech policy
Post about research, innovation, public health, politics & policy making, regulation, disinfo
She/Her/Antifacist
Post about research, innovation, public health, politics & policy making, regulation, disinfo
She/Her/Antifacist
Pinned
Whopper of the Week: RFK Jr’s Bogus Attacks on Mifepristone Threaten Abortion Access | Defend Public Health
Secretary Kennedy has repeatedly challenged the safety of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in most abortions. Hundreds of studies using decades of data have conclusively shown that mifepristone is ...
www.defendpublichealth.org
Whopper of the Week: RFK Jr’s Bogus Attacks on Mifepristone Threaten Abortion Access
RFK Jr is not waiting for the FDA study of Mifepristone to come out to cast doubt on its safety. Trump administration is already restricting access to it.
www.defendpublichealth.org/opinion/whop...
RFK Jr is not waiting for the FDA study of Mifepristone to come out to cast doubt on its safety. Trump administration is already restricting access to it.
www.defendpublichealth.org/opinion/whop...
👇 👇 👇THIS!!!👇👇👇
Kennedy’s gift to himself and alt-med grifters:
Kennedy’s gift to himself and alt-med grifters:
2 new MAHA-approved bills would force insurance companies to cover supplements and shield homeopathic manufacturers from liability while allowing them to make more health claims.
This is what Kennedy has always been aiming for.
www.conspirituality.net/episodes/brief-maha-is-a-supplements-grift
This is what Kennedy has always been aiming for.
www.conspirituality.net/episodes/brief-maha-is-a-supplements-grift
Brief: MAHA is a Supplements Grift — Conspirituality
Two new MAHA-approved bills would force insurance companies to cover supplements and shield homeopathic manufacturers from any liability while allowing them to make more health claims. As Derek argues...
www.conspirituality.net
February 12, 2026 at 1:06 PM
👇 👇 👇THIS!!!👇👇👇
Kennedy’s gift to himself and alt-med grifters:
Kennedy’s gift to himself and alt-med grifters:
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Reposted by Bénédicte C
In our new poll with the Boston Globe of NIH funded scientists in Mass ...
- 72% say they have delayed or cancelled projects
- 66% reduced research scope
- 56% paused experiments or students.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
- 72% say they have delayed or cancelled projects
- 66% reduced research scope
- 56% paused experiments or students.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
February 11, 2026 at 12:38 PM
In our new poll with the Boston Globe of NIH funded scientists in Mass ...
- 72% say they have delayed or cancelled projects
- 66% reduced research scope
- 56% paused experiments or students.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
- 72% say they have delayed or cancelled projects
- 66% reduced research scope
- 56% paused experiments or students.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
StatNews reporting that some biotechs are waiting out submissions til post mid term elections when, they fantasize, RFKjr/Makary/Prasad will vaporize under Dem control of Congress.
Dem candidates to Congress should hit up pharma for campaign $$$.
www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/p...
Dem candidates to Congress should hit up pharma for campaign $$$.
www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/p...
February 12, 2026 at 12:41 PM
StatNews reporting that some biotechs are waiting out submissions til post mid term elections when, they fantasize, RFKjr/Makary/Prasad will vaporize under Dem control of Congress.
Dem candidates to Congress should hit up pharma for campaign $$$.
www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/p...
Dem candidates to Congress should hit up pharma for campaign $$$.
www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/p...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
[ Déni scientifique ]
Aujourd'hui, je vous parle d'une grosse revue de recherches sur ce sujet. La question centrale est :
"Qu’est-ce qui conduit certaines personnes à rejeter des preuves scientifiques solides, ou à se méfier de la méthode scientifique elle-même ?"
🧪
LONG thread ci-dessous 👇
1/22
Aujourd'hui, je vous parle d'une grosse revue de recherches sur ce sujet. La question centrale est :
"Qu’est-ce qui conduit certaines personnes à rejeter des preuves scientifiques solides, ou à se méfier de la méthode scientifique elle-même ?"
🧪
LONG thread ci-dessous 👇
1/22
February 12, 2026 at 11:15 AM
[ Déni scientifique ]
Aujourd'hui, je vous parle d'une grosse revue de recherches sur ce sujet. La question centrale est :
"Qu’est-ce qui conduit certaines personnes à rejeter des preuves scientifiques solides, ou à se méfier de la méthode scientifique elle-même ?"
🧪
LONG thread ci-dessous 👇
1/22
Aujourd'hui, je vous parle d'une grosse revue de recherches sur ce sujet. La question centrale est :
"Qu’est-ce qui conduit certaines personnes à rejeter des preuves scientifiques solides, ou à se méfier de la méthode scientifique elle-même ?"
🧪
LONG thread ci-dessous 👇
1/22
Bhattacharya at U Chicago in off the record talk about « scientific inquiry ».
A rehash of his laments for having been censored for his very scientific plans of ideas; revenge fantasies for not having been taken seriously; justifying attempts to destroy large swaths of the biosciences.
A rehash of his laments for having been censored for his very scientific plans of ideas; revenge fantasies for not having been taken seriously; justifying attempts to destroy large swaths of the biosciences.
Hope your hypothetical grad student does not depend on NIH funding. By the way, the head of NIH is coming to a University of Chicago “Free Inquiry” forum next week that’s closed to the press and alumni.
February 12, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Bhattacharya at U Chicago in off the record talk about « scientific inquiry ».
A rehash of his laments for having been censored for his very scientific plans of ideas; revenge fantasies for not having been taken seriously; justifying attempts to destroy large swaths of the biosciences.
A rehash of his laments for having been censored for his very scientific plans of ideas; revenge fantasies for not having been taken seriously; justifying attempts to destroy large swaths of the biosciences.
WSJ is shocked, shocked, that the ideological cranks & their political backers are actually bad for business.
A little slow on the uptake there, financial wizards…
A little slow on the uptake there, financial wizards…
Ok. But the @wsj.com and their covid disinformation/revisionism put people like him in power.
February 12, 2026 at 12:06 PM
WSJ is shocked, shocked, that the ideological cranks & their political backers are actually bad for business.
A little slow on the uptake there, financial wizards…
A little slow on the uptake there, financial wizards…
Reposted by Bénédicte C
My quote of the day
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.
Charles Darwin
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.
Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 11:33 AM
My quote of the day
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.
Charles Darwin
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.
Charles Darwin
Context for Prasad’s political axing of Moderna’s flu vax.
Tennessee & Arizona have introduced bills calling mRNA technologies biological weapons.
The Republican Party is an anti science death cult.
Tennessee & Arizona have introduced bills calling mRNA technologies biological weapons.
The Republican Party is an anti science death cult.
February 12, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Context for Prasad’s political axing of Moderna’s flu vax.
Tennessee & Arizona have introduced bills calling mRNA technologies biological weapons.
The Republican Party is an anti science death cult.
Tennessee & Arizona have introduced bills calling mRNA technologies biological weapons.
The Republican Party is an anti science death cult.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
We keep debating whether government should be in health care.
It already is.
The real question is whether it will ever act like it.
The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Waiting Room
🔗 rootsandmainstreet.substack.com
#HealthPolicy #Oklahoma #Institutions
It already is.
The real question is whether it will ever act like it.
The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Waiting Room
🔗 rootsandmainstreet.substack.com
#HealthPolicy #Oklahoma #Institutions
February 9, 2026 at 3:32 PM
We keep debating whether government should be in health care.
It already is.
The real question is whether it will ever act like it.
The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Waiting Room
🔗 rootsandmainstreet.substack.com
#HealthPolicy #Oklahoma #Institutions
It already is.
The real question is whether it will ever act like it.
The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Waiting Room
🔗 rootsandmainstreet.substack.com
#HealthPolicy #Oklahoma #Institutions
Reposted by Bénédicte C
WHO Talks About Violence – But Not Firearms healthpolicy-watch.news/who-talks-ab...
WHO Talks About Violence – But Not Firearms - Health Policy Watch
Yet one of the most lethal drivers of violence globally, firearms, remains largely absent from the WHO’s governance architecture.
healthpolicy-watch.news
February 10, 2026 at 7:25 AM
WHO Talks About Violence – But Not Firearms healthpolicy-watch.news/who-talks-ab...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
RFK Jr. Says There’s a ‘War on Protein.’ His New Food Website Disagrees #Science #HealthandMedicine #Nutrition #NutritionFacts #FoodScience #HealthPolicy
https://www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr-says-americans-need-more-protein-his-grok-powered-food-website-disagrees/
https://www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr-says-americans-need-more-protein-his-grok-powered-food-website-disagrees/
RFK Jr. Says Americans Need More Protein. His Grok-Powered Food Website Disagrees
The site Realfood.gov uses Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot to dispense nutrition information—some of which contradicts the government’s new guidelines.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:59 PM
RFK Jr. Says There’s a ‘War on Protein.’ His New Food Website Disagrees #Science #HealthandMedicine #Nutrition #NutritionFacts #FoodScience #HealthPolicy
https://www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr-says-americans-need-more-protein-his-grok-powered-food-website-disagrees/
https://www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr-says-americans-need-more-protein-his-grok-powered-food-website-disagrees/
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Even as measles cases rise in the states, the trust in the mmr vaccine is falling. So much disinformation been given about this and other vaccines by Kennedy and his team that one can’t help but wonder if he his denting vaccine confidence… #MMR #HealthPolicy
Annenberg poll shows drop in perceived safety of vaccines
www.cidrap.umn.edu
February 12, 2026 at 6:49 AM
Even as measles cases rise in the states, the trust in the mmr vaccine is falling. So much disinformation been given about this and other vaccines by Kennedy and his team that one can’t help but wonder if he his denting vaccine confidence… #MMR #HealthPolicy
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Missouri lawmakers are raising alarms over proposed budget cuts that threaten crucial tobacco prevention programs and a vital statewide review for fetal and infant mortality.
Read the full story
#MO #MissouriPublicHealth #TobaccoPrevention #CitizenPortal #HealthPolicy
Read the full story
#MO #MissouriPublicHealth #TobaccoPrevention #CitizenPortal #HealthPolicy
Committee weighs cuts to tobacco prevention, local public‑health support and a statewide infant‑mortality review
Lawmakers questioned cuts to youth tobacco prevention and local public health support lines and heard that proposed reductions could prevent a statewide fetal and infant mortality review started in January 2026 from operating statewide.
citizenportal.ai
February 12, 2026 at 10:56 AM
Missouri lawmakers are raising alarms over proposed budget cuts that threaten crucial tobacco prevention programs and a vital statewide review for fetal and infant mortality.
Read the full story
#MO #MissouriPublicHealth #TobaccoPrevention #CitizenPortal #HealthPolicy
Read the full story
#MO #MissouriPublicHealth #TobaccoPrevention #CitizenPortal #HealthPolicy
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Time Magazine loses credibility when it platforms RFK Jr., Dr. Oz, and Marty Makary—individuals who have pushed misinformation, weakened public health, and backed policies that cost lives.
This isn’t recognition.
It’s normalization of harm
time.com/7373386/time...
This isn’t recognition.
It’s normalization of harm
time.com/7373386/time...
TIME Reveals the 2026 TIME100 Health List of the World’s Most Influential Leaders in Health
TIME reveals the third annual TIME100 Health list, recognizing the 100 most influential individuals in health.
time.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:24 AM
Time Magazine loses credibility when it platforms RFK Jr., Dr. Oz, and Marty Makary—individuals who have pushed misinformation, weakened public health, and backed policies that cost lives.
This isn’t recognition.
It’s normalization of harm
time.com/7373386/time...
This isn’t recognition.
It’s normalization of harm
time.com/7373386/time...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Lemme know when major US media outlets grow a pair to start calling this fascism.
"It is totally inappropriate and against the separations of powers for the DOJ to surveil us as we search the Epstein files. (US Attorney General) Bondi showed up today with a burn book that held a printed search history of exactly what emails I searched." - Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).
February 12, 2026 at 3:57 AM
Lemme know when major US media outlets grow a pair to start calling this fascism.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
I've written two @nature.com stories this week looking at whether EU efforts to lure US scientists are working 🧪
They are: the number of US applicants wanting to take up ERC grants has doubled. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
They are: the number of US applicants wanting to take up ERC grants has doubled. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
US applications for prestigious European research grants surge
Rush for funds to relocate laboratories to Europe is latest sign of a US brain drain.
www.nature.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:04 AM
I've written two @nature.com stories this week looking at whether EU efforts to lure US scientists are working 🧪
They are: the number of US applicants wanting to take up ERC grants has doubled. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
They are: the number of US applicants wanting to take up ERC grants has doubled. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 7:38 AM
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
mRNA flu vaccines have better immunogenicity and better efficacy than traditional flu jab, and can be developed, manufactured and updated faster.
By denying US market, Prasad has essentially killed any prospect of a realistic mRNA flu vaccine in any market.
This guy and his RFK army are ghouls.
By denying US market, Prasad has essentially killed any prospect of a realistic mRNA flu vaccine in any market.
This guy and his RFK army are ghouls.
February 11, 2026 at 3:55 PM
mRNA flu vaccines have better immunogenicity and better efficacy than traditional flu jab, and can be developed, manufactured and updated faster.
By denying US market, Prasad has essentially killed any prospect of a realistic mRNA flu vaccine in any market.
This guy and his RFK army are ghouls.
By denying US market, Prasad has essentially killed any prospect of a realistic mRNA flu vaccine in any market.
This guy and his RFK army are ghouls.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
First a trickle, then a flood...like Germany in the 1930s. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Dozens of researchers will move to France from US following high-profile bid to lure talent
Large proportion worked at Columbia University, which had its grants cut and frozen by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
www.nature.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:19 AM
First a trickle, then a flood...like Germany in the 1930s. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Opinion | A New Jersey Primary Shows the Depth of Democratic Fury
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Bénédicte C
🚨 I asked Mastercard about its sponsorship of Trump-branded Freedom 250, the WH's alt birthday celebration
NYT reported Sunday: "While America250 is a stand-alone congressionally authorized nonprofit group, Freedom 250 utilizes opaque corporate structures"
Gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/u...
NYT reported Sunday: "While America250 is a stand-alone congressionally authorized nonprofit group, Freedom 250 utilizes opaque corporate structures"
Gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/u...
February 11, 2026 at 4:31 PM
🚨 I asked Mastercard about its sponsorship of Trump-branded Freedom 250, the WH's alt birthday celebration
NYT reported Sunday: "While America250 is a stand-alone congressionally authorized nonprofit group, Freedom 250 utilizes opaque corporate structures"
Gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/u...
NYT reported Sunday: "While America250 is a stand-alone congressionally authorized nonprofit group, Freedom 250 utilizes opaque corporate structures"
Gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/u...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
We don't know what's happening, but there's no good news here. As long as we keep burning fossil fuels, the world will continue to become more dangerous and chaotic.
Scientists thought they understood global warming. Then the past three years happened.
The fastest warming period since 1880 occurred in the past 30 years, according to a Washington Post analysis of NASA data.
wapo.st
February 11, 2026 at 4:41 PM
We don't know what's happening, but there's no good news here. As long as we keep burning fossil fuels, the world will continue to become more dangerous and chaotic.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
And more reporting on a historic program that is increasingly unsettled, with late-breaking changes to criteria, fewer awards, applications returned without review, and more:
via @jonathanwosen.bsky.social for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/n...
via @jonathanwosen.bsky.social for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/n...
February 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM
And more reporting on a historic program that is increasingly unsettled, with late-breaking changes to criteria, fewer awards, applications returned without review, and more:
via @jonathanwosen.bsky.social for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/n...
via @jonathanwosen.bsky.social for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/n...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Fact Check: Face masks can help reduce transmission of influenza, contrary to online posts www.reuters.com/fact-check/f...
Fact Check: Face masks can help reduce transmission of influenza, contrary to online posts
Face masks can help to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses such as influenza, according to experts and medical evidence, but their effectiveness depends on the type of mask used.
www.reuters.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Fact Check: Face masks can help reduce transmission of influenza, contrary to online posts www.reuters.com/fact-check/f...