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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 1d

MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact

“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

Dear Madam Secretary,
I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters.
I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education.
As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples:
• MIT prides itself on rewarding merit.
Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute
was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions.

• MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available
to any American with an internet
connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly
10%.
• We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree.

These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law.
The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific
funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that tree marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences.
Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.

As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the
U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people.
We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth
CC
Ms. May Mailman
Mr. Vincent Haley

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 1d

SILS faculty says they “were told the new school will be “operational” by July 1, 2026. The University has not released a formal timeline.

The faculty member wrote that Roberts pushed for the new school despite lacking a “cogent idea” as to what the “School of AI” will entail, teach and stand for.”

UNC schools of data science and information science to merge, forming unnamed ‘School of AI’

SDSS Dean Stanley Ahalt will be made dean of the new school while SILS Dean Jeffrey Bardzell will stand as the University’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Vice Provost for AI.

dailytarheel.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 2d

“In 1961, when I was just eight years old, I contracted measles. There was no vaccine available at the time. Like many of my classmates, I suffered through dangerously high fevers — mine reached 106 degrees — and nearly died. The disease left me almost totally deaf.” cc @jackiantonovich.bsky.social

Commentary: A plea to protect our children

Vaccination requirements kept our communities safe. Do not listen to anti-vaccine rhetoric. Do not gamble with your child’s health.

www.orlandosentinel.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Triangle Blog Blog @triangleblogblog.bsky.social · 3d

Breaking: We’ve talked to multiple individuals who have confirmed that UNC-CH is merging SILS (library and information science) and SDSS (data science and society). Announcement will be tomorrow morning. Faculty were not consulted.

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 3d

ICYMI: You're not alone if you're having trouble finding a Covid shot for your child.

A lot of factors are at play. Access through the Vaccines for Children program should open up now that the acting CDC director finally approved the CDC vaccine panel's recommendations, but other barriers remain.

Seeking Covid Shots for Their Children, Some Parents Hit a Wall

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 4d

The acting CDC director has now approved ACIP recs allowing anyone 6 months+ to receive an updated Covid-19 shot after discussing w/ their provider. If you are on the fence about getting an updated shot, read my in-depth take on the evidence we've accumulated on these vaccines. #publichealth

Do additional COVID vaccines really help?

We've accumulated a lot of scientific evidence in the last few years.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 5d

OpenAI’s planned data centers will use more power than New York City & San Diego use at their peak consumption, combined. More power than the entire nations of Switzerland & Portugal combined. And San Altman’s buddies in this administration have been cutting all of our energy infrastructure upgrades

Sam Altman’s AI empire will devour as much power as New York City and San Diego combined. Experts say it’s ‘scary’ | Fortune

Andrew Chien told Fortune he’s been a computer scientist for 40 years but we’re close to “some seminal moments for how we think about AI and its impact on society.”

fortune.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

HELLody SchreiBOO @melodyschreiber.com · 5d

This is a great thread untangling some of the questions around kids' Covid vaccines right now

Elizabeth Lanphier @ethicselizabeth.bsky.social · 5d

Anticipating changes to the 25/26 Covid-19 vaccine regulations @sefyfe.bsky.social & I updated our previous analysis of off-label pediatric Covid-19 vaccination. It is out now in @jamapediatrics.com & accessible here.

Many things happened since we submitted this! I'll touch on a few of them 🧵

Reconsidering Off-Label Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination

This Viewpoint discusses current factors to consider when recommending off-label pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

HELLody SchreiBOO @melodyschreiber.com · 5d

The acting director of the CDC signed recommendations for Covid vaccines -- and this press release is really something www.hhs.gov/press-room/c...

www.hhs.gov

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Elizabeth Lanphier @ethicselizabeth.bsky.social · 5d

Anticipating changes to the 25/26 Covid-19 vaccine regulations @sefyfe.bsky.social & I updated our previous analysis of off-label pediatric Covid-19 vaccination. It is out now in @jamapediatrics.com & accessible here.

Many things happened since we submitted this! I'll touch on a few of them 🧵

Reconsidering Off-Label Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination

This Viewpoint discusses current factors to consider when recommending off-label pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Sam Halpert @samhalpert.bsky.social · 12d

I also loved this observation. The tech’s true “innovation” is its utter disregard for efficiency. It “works” bc it accepts the most irresponsibly resource-intensive production method imaginable. What matters is not what it costs but *who* pays. The apotheosis of a culture built around disposability

Not only is the ratio of Al's resource rapacity to its productive utility indefensibly and irremediably skewed, Al-made material is itself a waste product: flimsy, shoddy, disposable, a single-use plastic of the mind.

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Sophia, MPH @sophiacbess.bsky.social · 11d

“Not only is the ratio of AI’s resource rapacity to its productive utility indefensibly and irremediably skewed, AI-made material is itself a waste product: flimsy, shoddy, disposable, a single-use plastic of the mind.”

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 12d

YES! THIS on GenAI!

Please read this absolutely splendid piece of writing that had me cheering, a little bit weepy, and writing in the margins:

"An extraordinary amount of money is spent by the AI industry to ensure that acquiescence is the only plausible response. But marketing is not destiny."

Large Language Muddle | The Editors

The AI upheaval is unique in its ability to metabolize any number of dread-inducing transformations. The university is becoming more corporate, more politically oppressive, and all but hostile to the ...

www.nplusonemag.com

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Sophia, MPH @sophiacbess.bsky.social · 11d

“Pandemic of the unvaccinated”
“You do you”
“The vulnerable”
“Focused protection”
“Hybrid immunity”
“Like your vaccinated grandma”
“We have the tools”

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 11d

“The growth of vaccine hesitance in America may feel inexplicable… Yet my research suggests that this approach to vaccines is entirely logical in a culture that insists that health is the result of hard work and informed consumer decisions and too often sees illness as a personal failure.”

Opinion | What Really Drives Vaccine Hesitancy

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 12d

Werner Herzog voice:

“I’ve seen movies, short films, completely created by artificial intelligence. Story, acting, everything. They look completely dead. They are stories, but they have no soul…They are empty and soulless.”

Werner Herzog on AI-Generated Movies: 'They Look Completely Dead'

Herzog spoke with Conan O'Brien about the concept of truth and why AI is a

gizmodo.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 15d

This is EXCELLENT.

1) this is spot-on analysis of the problem & a great immediate 1st thing a city can do to improve outcome.

2) as a 2 min clip? He's giving history, hope & change. Speaking to women, to Jewish & Black NYers, saying "abortion." & also naming eugenics in feminism. 100/10 no notes.

Hex Anderson @dexanderson.com · 15d

Cuomo could never.

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 16d

Routine vaccination for COVID-19 reduces hospitalization and deaths much more than vaccinating only high-risk groups.
www.news-medical.net/news/2025092...

Why universal COVID-19 vaccine guidance offers stronger protection than high-risk-only policies

The US Scenario Modeling Hub’s nine-team ensemble projected COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths for April 2024 to April 2025 under six policy and immune-escape scenarios. Burden was similar to the pr...

www.news-medical.net

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Linda Holmes @lindaholmes.bsky.social · 16d

The same pieces that are written as "people are dating A.I. boyfriends!" can still be written as "people are getting very into chatbot gaming and many are turning away from dating; why are they doing that and what can we learn from it, and how do we keep them safe?"

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Linda Holmes @lindaholmes.bsky.social · 16d

This is not a romance. Nobody is "in love" with apps. There are no A.I. boyfriends. You cannot "date" a chatbot. Accepting this framing and treating it as real is tech-industry propaganda. slate.com/technology/2...

She Broke Off Two Engagements. She Couldn’t Commit. Now She’s Dating Chatbots Instead.

As chatbot romance grows more common, women are redefining what they want from a partner—even if they are just ones and zeros.

slate.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 18d

“The biggest US-listed companies keep talking about artificial intelligence. But other than the ‘fear of missing out,’ few appear to be able to describe how the technology is changing their businesses for the better.”

America’s top companies keep talking about AI — but can’t explain the upsides

FT analysis of hundreds of filings suggest the S&P 500 businesses are clearer about the risks than benefits

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Caitlin Rivers @cmyeaton.bsky.social · 19d

So much discussion around student absenteeism blames students and families for not caring enough to show up. But the actual data shows that illness is the leading cause of absenteeism. I'd be very curious to see how these numbers looked before Covid-19 was added to the virus pile.

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Tanvi Misra @tanvi.bsky.social · 19d

All summer, I’ve been speaking to a Nigerian mom of two kids who won fear-based protection in an immigration court. Under a previous admin, she would have likely been released, but ICE refused to let her out and tried to deport her to Ghana -> @motherjones.com www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

They’ve won in court, but ICE is still detaining and trying to deport them

Inside the “psychological torture” regime targeting migrants who can't be sent home.

www.motherjones.com

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Sarah Karlin-Smith @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social · 22d

They just tabled the Hep B vote for now.

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Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) @durhamhealthnc.bsky.social · 25d

The good news: Last week, Governor Stein made it easier for you to get vaccinated at pharmacies (In case you missed it: governor.nc.gov/news/press-r...).

The bad news: We’re not one of those pharmacies, so we have to wait a bit longer. Learn more below:

Any more updates on COVID-19 vaccine appointments? Context: Last week, Governor Stein issued new standing orders (basically, standing orders = rules saying what vaccine providers are allowed to do and how they can do it) allowing pharmacies to vaccinate people 18 and older without prescriptions if they have underlying conditions. As you may have heard, we hope to receive similar standing orders and be able to vaccinate without prescriptions like pharmacies now can, but to clarify: Public health departments aren’t regular pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, so we’re not always allowed to do everything they can, and we can’t get started just yet. We’re still waiting on standing orders we’re allowed to follow. These are usually the same processes as pharmacies, or we’re able to do even more (for example, we’re often able to vaccinate young children when pharmacies are not), but we’re not sure yet. Things are a little different this year. We probably won’t get final answers until after ACIP meets September 18-19 (we don’t promise anything, things are unpredictable, but this is what’s most likely at this point). So long story short:

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Sophia, MPH @sophiacbess.bsky.social · 22d

Thank you for communicating through the chaos!

Reposted by Sophia, MPH

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 22d

Reminder: ACIP does not have authority to vote for testing in pregnancy. However good the idea. They cannot provide insurance coverage for this. It’s not in their province, and all this vote does is show that the current committee doesn’t understand its role.

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