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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 10h

This is the strongest response against “the compact” that I’ve seen. There’s no way for a u over with to give up guaranteed state funds for the promise of possible access to (unknown) federal funds. cc @profmarkovic.bsky.social

CBS19 News: Charlottesville News First @cbs19news.bsky.social · 13h

#JustIn: Democrats in the state Senate say "future budget considerations" could impact UVA if it signs onto the Trump administration's education compact.

State Senate Democrats tell UVA to not consider education compact

Democrats in the state Senate write that if UVA signs the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, “there will be significant consequences in future Virginia budget cycles.”

www.cbs19news.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 1d

These criticisms are predictable but problematic. The guy was forced out under dubious (to be generous) circumstances. It was not a case of someone looking to leverage his FDA position for his next big thing.

STAT @statnews.com · 1d

Peter Marks, the former top vaccine regulator at the FDA, has joined Eli Lilly — a move likely to rile up critics of the revolving door between FDA and industry
www.statnews.com/2025/10/07/p...

Peter Marks, FDA vaccine regulator ousted by RFK Jr., joins Eli Lilly

Peter Marks, the former top vaccine regulator at the FDA, has joined Eli Lilly — a move likely to rile up critics of the revolving door between FDA and industry

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d

My new op-ed with @lkfazio.bsky.social:

Trump sent a 'compact' to our universities. They should reject this devil's bargain.
Any institution that yields to these broad and intrusive demands would forever be subservient to the whims of the government.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 3d

Agreeing to this would be similar to the deals that so many law firms cut.

The main difference was that the law firms were clearly responding to a threat, whereas this "compact" is cleverly – but misleadingly – framed as an offer.

Don't fall for it.

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 3d

The linked blog post is a must-read.

Speaking only for myself: any university that signs this "deal" agrees to be taken hostage by the administration.

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 4d

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 5d

Read the "compact": www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...

Then this spot on analysis: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 5d

It "offers an edge" like a gun wielding mugger offers "an edge" on staying alive if you hand over your $. We're talking about student loans, grants, contracts, visas, nonprofit status - those are the benefits Trump says schools are free to "forego" if they reject the compact. Try surviving w/o them!

Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 5d

More poor framing from @chronicle.com.

Critical to recognize that memo is a sticks not carrots.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 5d

More poor framing from @chronicle.com.

Critical to recognize that memo is a sticks not carrots.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 5d

Terribly pernicious framing from @washingtonpost.com:

"A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities."

It's not a funding advantage, it's utter destruction of schools that refuse.

www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits

A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Aaron Schwartz @aschwartz.bsky.social · 13d

Few topics in health care policy can incite passions like insurer prior authorization. What do researchers know about this practice? I spoke with @dgorenstein.bsky.social and @lesliemwalker.bsky.social for the latest @tradeoffs.org podcast.

tradeoffs.org/2025/09/25/a...

A Closer Look at a Widely Despised Health Insurance Policy

Every year, millions of people’s medical care runs into the roadblock known as prior authorization, which requires a patient’s health insurer to sign off before chemotherapy, surgery or countless othe...

tradeoffs.org

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 15d

Apropos of yesterday's announcements about autism.

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 16d

Sum: pseudoscience, lies, and fearmongering nonsense.

Those with a science background - Makary, Bhattacharya, Oz, etc - MUST know this is harmful BS. They MUST know they are enabling authoritarian BS.

Integrity black hole.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump attacks Tylenol as officials unveil highly contentious conclusions on autism

President says acetaminophen – also known as paracetamol - increases risk when taken by pregnant women, assertion contradicted by research

www.theguardian.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 16d

Hopefully intravenous leucovorin, which is where the shortages have been, will be protected from any new surge in demand driven by this announcement.

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 17d

Leucovorin is essential for preventing toxicity in cancers like certain leukemias and osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

It's also used in treatment, like some colon cancers.

It's been in critical shortage at various times in the recent past.

Endorsement for use in autism makes me very nervous.

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 17d

New: inside Trump’s “very important” autism announcement for Monday

— new warnings on tylenol’s risk for pregnant women

— new endorsement of leucovorin’s potential as autism treatment

— new NIH data science initiatives underway

Trump administration set to tie Tylenol to autism risk, officials say

The Trump administration plans to tie Tylenol to autism risk while touting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential autism treatment.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Alicia Ault @aliciaault.bsky.social · 23d

@sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social it is what I would call fact-free drivel.
Pretty insulting to the dedicated therapists and psychiatrists who try to do more with less.

#Medsky #Psychsky #pediatrics #mentalhealth

Sarah Karlin-Smith @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social · 23d

The head of HHS and the Ed Department have an interesting approach to childhood mental health.... Would love to read any evidence-based responses to this....

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | Linda McMahon and RFK Jr.: Children need natural sources of mental health

Overzealous use of therapy can cause the crises it claims to cure.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · 28d

Adding: the attack on the CDC.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 28d

👇🏽

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Sep 7

This amazing article makes it real. gizmodo.com/the-last-of-...

The Last of the Iron Lungs

Martha Lillard spends half of every day with her body encapsulated in a half-century old machine that forces her to breathe. Only her head sticks out of

gizmodo.com

Reposted by Steve Joffe

Ronit Stahl @ronitstahl.bsky.social · Sep 5

2) Ken Stern via @knightcolumbia.org: "To my great chagrin, most Jewish organizations & leaders, w/some notable exceptions, have cheered on the Trump admin’s assault on universities, not acknowledging the larger agenda of the administration or its impact on democratic norms & thus Jewish security."

A Bad Deal: By Adopting the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, Universities are Sacrificing Academic Freedom

knightcolumbia.org

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Sep 5

Grateful for this recognition, from the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities, of Penn Bioethics's three decades of excellence.

PennMEHP @pennmehp.bsky.social · Sep 5

Delighted to share our Medical Ethics Division is the 2025 recipient of the ASBH Cornerstone Award! For more than 30 years, Penn Bioethics has been a leader in bioethical scholarship, teaching and training, public policy and engagement, and service. We look forward to carrying on this tradition!

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · Aug 22

This is very, very powerful. Please read.

Link here: dbarkhuff.substack.com/p/i-should-b...

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · Aug 22

A veteran US Navy SEAL reflects on Gaza dbarkhuff.substack.com/p/i-should-b...

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Reposted by Steve Joffe

Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics @pennchibe.bsky.social · Aug 18

"This is easily the biggest impact on child survival that I’ve seen from an intervention that was designed to alleviate poverty,” said Harsha Thirumurthy, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania (and CHIBE affiliate!) who was not involved in the work. @hthirumurthy.bsky.social

Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · Aug 18

Of every 1,000 children born in Kenya, 32 don’t make it to their first birthdays. A new stumbled onto a straightforward solution: Giving $1,000 to poor families lowered infant mortality rates by nearly half, and deaths in children under 5 by 45 percent.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/h...

A New Way to Reduce Children’s Deaths: Cash

www.nytimes.com

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Aug 15

This makes no sense.

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Aug 14

But what gets me most is this:
the author's answer to an illegitimate & illegal authoritarian threat to the university is to sacrifice a piece of the institution rather than to call out the threat.

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Steve Joffe @stevejoffe.bsky.social · Aug 14

The caricature here is one that I, as a university professor & the parent of two recent college grads, don't recognize at all.

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