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Are MAGA and MAHA Heading for Divorce
23 days ago
- FDA withdrew a proposed rule requiring talc product asbestos testing, seemingly without Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s knowledge, benefiting Johnson & Johnson in lawsuits.
- The withdrawal was coordinated by White House lawyers and OMB after Johnson & Johnson executives visited, undermining Kennedy's MAHA agenda and exposing his limited influence.
- Kennedy's leadership at HHS is marked by chaos, weak management, high staff turnover, and distractions, such as discussing UFOs, while preventable diseases like measles surge.
- Kennedy purged and replaced the vaccine advisory committee ACIP with controversial appointees, but internal interference, legal challenges, and resignations hampered its independence and effectiveness.
- The MAHA-MAGA alliance, formed for political expediency, is strained, with the White House undermining MAHA priorities on pesticides and vaping, leading to disillusionment and talk of divorce.
Leaded Gas Was a Known Poison the Day It Was Invented (2016)
16 days ago
- Thomas Midgley Jr. discovered tetraethyl lead (TEL) in 1921 as an additive to reduce engine knocking, despite its known toxicity since 1854.
- GM chose TEL over ethanol because ethanol couldn't be patented or controlled, while oil companies saw ethanol as a threat.
- Leaded gasoline first sold in 1923, despite early incidents like lead poisoning in Midgley and worker deaths in 1924 raising safety concerns.
- A 1926 public health report downplayed everyday risks of leaded gasoline, allowing its continued use until the EPA phased it out in the 1970s.
- Lead exposure from gasoline has lasting harmful effects, especially on children, causing lower IQ, behavioral issues, and links to violent crime.
MacKenzie Scott's giving, in quality-adjusted life years
15 days ago
- A model estimates MacKenzie Scott's $26.3B philanthropy buys 70,000 to 200,000 QALYs, depending on evidence stance.
- Key uncertainty is evidence stance, not dollar amount, with skeptical weighting reducing effectiveness estimates.
- The model compares Scott's giving to global health frontier, which is ~1,500x more cost-effective per marginal dollar.
- Most of Scott's giving targets non-health areas like equity and education, so QALY model understates total social impact.
- Model uses Monte Carlo simulation with 13 intervention archetypes, incorporating causal credibility and realization discounts.
Probe into explosive diarrheal cases points to Taco Bell and bad lettuce
13 days ago
- An explosive outbreak of the diarrheal parasite Cyclospora is surging nationwide, with Michigan reporting an extraordinary spike in cases, reaching 3,309 as of July 14, compared to a typical annual count of around 50.
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services indicates that leafy greens, particularly lettuce, are suspected as the source based on interviews with over 1,000 affected individuals, though no definitive product has been identified.
- State and federal officials are investigating Taco Bell restaurants as a potential source of contamination, with local outlets reporting removed items like lettuce and cilantro due to a recalled, though no nationwide recall has been officially announced.
The Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is About to Get Much Bigger
12 days ago
- The US faces a major outbreak of cyclosporiasis, with nearly 7,000 potential cases, over 3,300 in Michigan alone, linked to tainted lettuce.
- Actual case numbers are likely higher due to underdiagnosis, as labs don't routinely test for it and mild cases often go unreported, potentially doubling CDC tallies.
- Cyclospora causes severe, prolonged diarrhea and is hard to eliminate; it lodges in raw produce like lettuce and berries, resisting bleach and common sanitizers.
- Cooking kills the parasite, but contaminated foods are often eaten raw, with recent outbreaks including domestic sources, not just imports.
- The parasite spreads via water supplies used for irrigation, threatening larger outbreaks as infected waste contaminates water, and it resists chlorine in treatment systems.
- Experts warn the outbreak could expand rapidly through food distribution networks, potentially affecting all 50 states.
CO2 overload in blood suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years
8 days ago
- An analysis of NHANES data from 1999 to 2020 shows an increasing trend in average serum bicarbonate levels in the U.S. population, paralleling rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
- Over the same period, average serum calcium and phosphorus levels have decreased, suggesting physiological compensation for elevated CO2 exposure.
- If trends continue, bicarbonate levels could reach the upper healthy limit around 2076, while calcium and phosphorus could hit lower healthy limits by the end of the century.
- Elevated CO2 exposure is linked to potential adverse health effects, including oxidative stress, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and organ calcification, based on animal and some human studies.
- The study highlights that human physiology, evolved under stable atmospheric CO2 levels, may be increasingly strained by current and projected CO2 increases, urging immediate reductions in emissions.
Admin officials kill proposed rules for PFAS-contaminated sewage fertilizer
7 days ago
- The Trump administration cancelled proposed regulations for PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge used as fertilizer on farmland, a practice linked to health and environmental harms.
- The EPA discarded its scientific research supporting the regulations, arguing sludge is not a widespread threat because it is mostly used on farms, despite advising the public to research sludge companies for safety.
- PFAS are 'forever chemicals' associated with serious health issues like cancer and birth defects, and sludge, a mix of human and industrial waste, is rich in nutrients but often contaminated with toxins.
- In its final days, the Biden administration issued a draft health risk assessment finding PFAS levels above 1 ppb in sludge increase cancer risks to farmers, which would have limited sludge use if implemented.
- The EPA's new assessment claims sludge is used on only 1% of farmland, but no agency tracks its spread, and most states do not test contaminated lands, despite evidence of migration and pollution.
- The waste management industry opposes regulations and lobbies the EPA, while public health advocates criticize the decision for prioritizing polluters over farming families and rural communities.
Grocery Shopping in the Age of Explosive Diarrhea
4 days ago
- A major cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US, centered in Michigan, has caused thousands of cases of severe diarrhea.
- The parasite cyclospora contaminates produce via human feces, often from irrigation or flooding, and cannot be cultured in a lab.
- Social media identified Taylor Fresh Foods as a likely source, but the company supplies many retailers under different brand names.
- Federal public health agencies have been severely weakened by DOGE cuts, losing 20-25% of staff and key surveillance teams.
- The Food Traceability Rule, which would have required companies to quickly provide data, was delayed to 2028 due to lobbying.
- Official messaging from HHS Secretary Kennedy was confusing and downplayed the outbreak, while cases continued to rise.
- By late July, Michigan had nearly 7,000 cases, and a new cyclospora outbreak of 72 cases was announced.

public health

Are MAGA and MAHA Heading for Divorce

Leaded Gas Was a Known Poison the Day It Was Invented (2016)

MacKenzie Scott's giving, in quality-adjusted life years

Probe into explosive diarrheal cases points to Taco Bell and bad lettuce

The Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is About to Get Much Bigger

CO2 overload in blood suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

Admin officials kill proposed rules for PFAS-contaminated sewage fertilizer

Grocery Shopping in the Age of Explosive Diarrhea