Deborah Blum
@deborahb.bsky.social
10K followers 350 following 1.1K posts
Book author, toxicology journalist, fascinated by poison and murder (current book project), and, oh yeah, I'm the former director of the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT.
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Reposted by Deborah Blum
davelevitan.bsky.social
This morning there is one Nobel Peace Prize winner, 8.1 billion or so people who did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, and one Nobel Peace Prize loser.
deborahb.bsky.social
Thanks so much, Melanie. And Lab Dog is a terrific book.
melaniedgkaplan.bsky.social
Terrific @nytimes.com guest essay by @deborahb.bsky.social, who just stepped down as director of @ksjatmit.bsky.social. It's fair to say if she hadn't offered me a fellowship in 2021, my book might not exist.
Opinion | Can Trump End This Impossibly Cruel Practice?
www.nytimes.com
deborahb.bsky.social
This cites seven outbreaks of listeria, salmonella, and cyclospora in food, which have caused dozens of illnesses, since July. In NO case has the contaminated food product been identified. In case you wonder how the reduction of the FDA's food safety labs has been working for us all.
Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
The following is a list of outbreak and adverse event investigations primarily being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams.
www.fda.gov
Reposted by Deborah Blum
thetnholler.bsky.social
GOV. PRITZKER: “This is a convicted felon threatening to jail me? He’s an unhinged, insecure wannabe dictator. Come and get me.”
deborahb.bsky.social
Thank you, George. And agreed.
deborahb.bsky.social
Yes, my understanding is that companies add it in for weight. Leas is basically odorless and lead dust report can taste a little sweet. So it’s a handy descriptive additive if you are dishonest.
Reposted by Deborah Blum
atrupar.com
Pritzker: "He said he was going after the worst of the worst. It's not going after the worst of the worst when you're just literally stopping children who happen to be brown & asking them for papers as if they're gonna have proof they're a citizen. Pull out your phones and film everything you see"
deborahb.bsky.social
That’s what I use too. Also, just a great company.
deborahb.bsky.social
Yes, most toxicologists agree that there is no safe level of lead, in part because it bioaccumulates.
deborahb.bsky.social
My understanding is that it's mostly the ground form and there is some evidence that manufacturers add powdered lead to some of these brands to increase the weight.
deborahb.bsky.social
That is an excellent idea.
tyrannosaurid.bsky.social
I’d like to see someone track down the lead in cinnamon problem and apply the successful interventions Bangladesh did to reduce lead chromate in turmeric. doi.org/10.1016/j.en...
Redirecting
doi.org
deborahb.bsky.social
And for further reference, here is Consumer Reports list from last year on Do Not Buy recommendations. No other spice comes up as risky as often as cinnamon does and I would love to know why.
The 12 Cinnamon Powders You Should Never Use - Consumer Reports
Twelve of the 36 cinnamon powders and spice blends containing cinnamon had high levels of lead, according to Consumer Reports' testing.
www.consumerreports.org
deborahb.bsky.social
I want to live in a kinder world too. So we have to not give up on that.
deborahb.bsky.social
In which I look at animal research for The New York Times and find some surprising answers.
Opinion | Can Trump End This Impossibly Cruel Practice?
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Deborah Blum
emersonwbaker.bsky.social
I'll be giving a rare talk on my book, The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England, Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7:00 PM (eastern) in New Castle, New Hampshire (the setting of the book). Also available online at: tinyurl.com/mtd7jh3v
deborahb.bsky.social
"Secretary Kennedy is entitled to his views. But he is not entitled to put people’s health at risk. He has rejected science, misled the public and compromised the health of Americans."
Opinion | Six surgeons general: It’s our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr.
We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.
wapo.st