Tara C. Smith
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aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith
@aetiology.bsky.social
33K followers 2.9K following 5.4K posts

Collector of social media sites. Infectious disease epidemiologist. Writes about vaccine hesitancy, science misinfo, zombies. Probably somewhere on a trail. Views own etc.

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The Smith special counsel investigation was a special counsel investigation that was opened by U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland on November 18, 2022, three days after Donald Trump announced his campaign for the 2024 United States presidential election. The investigation was created to continue two investigations initiated by the Justice Department (DOJ) regarding former U.S. president Donald Trump. Garland appointed Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor, to lead the independent investigations. Smith was tasked with investigating Trump's role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack and Trump's mishandling of government records, including classified documents. .. more

Political science 39%
Economics 19%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Smith

enirenberg.bsky.social
Edward Nirenberg @enirenberg.bsky.social · 8h
In case anyone is wondering about that Noah Wyle clip from Jimmy Kimmel's show—sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the fancy medical term for brain freeze/ice cream headache.

aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 9h
Happy to do anything on infectious disease, vaccines, whatever.

Reposted by Smith

melodyschreiber.com
Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 9h
Here's the updated text and the Africa CDC response from this morning saying it's definitely cancelled and would only happen if it's redesigned to be ethical - which would be a major change, since researchers say the entire question under consideration is unethical.
Officials in Guinea-Bissau say the trial will still happen, according to one journalist on the press call. But Africa CDC officials said the trial would only move forward once it has been redesigned to address ethical issues. There were “still some conversations happening” between Guinea-Bissau officials and the US on how to conduct a trial like this ethically, and Africa CDC, which is not affiliated with the HHS, had assembled a team to make sure Guinea-Bissau officials “receive the adequate support to ensure that this study, if it has to happen, will also fit the ethical regulations”, Boum said. The design of the study has not been made public by the researchers or by health officials, but a leaked version was published by Inside Medicine on Thursday. An HHS official told the Guardian after publication that the protocol is now being updated and the leaked version is not finalized. That would mean the trial would not proceed as it has been described so far. The official did not offer a timeline for when the study would be finalized, but said the US was trying to move as quickly as possible before vaccines roll out to all Guinea-Bissau newborns in 2027. “This study is going to proceed as planned,” the official said.

Reposted by Smith

jessicacalarco.com
Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 11h
RFK is capitalizing on what I've called the myth of the supermom--the idea that kids are under threat, and that only their mothers can keep them safe from harm.

It's the same myth he and his cronies are using to fuel the "parents' rights" movement and the panic over CRT and trans kids in sports.

Reposted by Smith

malar0ne.bsky.social
Mallory Harris, PhD @malar0ne.bsky.social · 12h
This study has been canceled (for now). Instead, as @pauloffit.bsky.social suggested, “take the $1.6m and vaccinate as many children as you can at birth”.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Reposted by Smith

rdmorris.bsky.social
Bob Morris, MD, PhD @rdmorris.bsky.social · 14h
What happens when no one on your staff dares tell you how stupid you look.

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Steve Peers, Sanford F. Schram , and 9 more

factpostnews.bsky.social
FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 15h
HHS Secretary RFK Jr: "This idea that you should trust the experts, a good mother doesn't do that"

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Sanford F. Schram , and 6 more

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 15h
"Officers threw flash bangs and tear gas in my car. I got six kids in the car"
"His wife, Destiny Jackson, told FOX 9 their 6-month-old infant stopped breathing and lost consciousness. She then performed CPR on her baby."

Reposted by Raffaella Ravinetto, Smith, Julia Lynch , and 1 more

melodyschreiber.com
Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 19h
Important to highlight: This move is coming from African health officials. It signals that “the institutions are getting stronger” by pushing back on unethical and exploitative studies in Africa, @boghuma.bsky.social said.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Smith

gavinyamey.bsky.social
Prof Gavin Yamey @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 19h
It is a relief to hear that the trial was halted

Thanks to @melodyschreiber.com for the reporting

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, Leo Lucassen, Smith

crampell.bsky.social
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d
Once again: a far-right president asking Jews to register as Jewish, in the name of protecting the Jews, after he has repeatedly accused Jews of being “disloyal.” What could go wrong?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
UPenn faculty condemn Trump administration’s demand for ‘lists of Jews’
Groups say EEOC demand for names and personal details echoes dark history and threatens safety and civil rights
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Reece Jones, Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer , and 8 more

jcollins.bsky.social
Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 1d
She says ICE agents mocked her: “The ICE agent who had pepper sprayed into the vents of my car said ‘you guys gotta stop obstructing us, that’s why that lesbian b—— is dead,’ verbatim, speaking of Renee Good. Which filled me with absolute rage and shock..."
www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...
‘I was flooded with fear’: Minnesotans describe their encounters with ICE, being detained
From an Uber driver to a school drop off, MPR News spoke with Minnesotans who were stopped or detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
www.mprnews.org

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Reece Jones, Ben H. Ansell , and 13 more

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 1d
This is not the language of the government of a free country.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Virginia Braun, Jason Stajich , and 11 more

walkerbragman.bsky.social
Walker Bragman @walkerbragman.bsky.social · 2d
There’s a big story everyone is missing—but this article hits on it.

We aren’t just seeing public health dismantled bc we’ve been taken over by conspiracy theorists and lunatics.

What we’re really seeing is the giant, predatory, underegulated wellness industry come to Washington.
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies
The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.
arstechnica.com

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Fabián Muniesa, Smith , and 3 more

notlikewe.bsky.social
egg16z 🥚 @notlikewe.bsky.social · 2d
what a legend lmao

aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 2d
Kidnapping children.
newseye.bsky.social News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 2d
A teenage boy was walking home in Minneapolis yesterday when four masked men jumped out of a van & questioned him - with no parent or guardian present.

He was bundled into the van & taken away.

Bystanders heard the boy say: “Can I just go home?”

I don’t know how America comes back from all this.
The boy holding a bag of haribo confectionary is questioned by a masked IcE agent while three others with weapons stand by The boy has head bowed, holding his confectionary, as he is taken away.

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Kim L. Scheppele, Richard E. Lenski , and 22 more

ericumansky.bsky.social
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 2d
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.

A citizen.

Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.

"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.

Agents took and sold his phone

And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.

Reposted by Smith

normcharlatan.bsky.social
Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 2d
Life in Minnesota is getting invited to the house of a lady who you met in a neighborhood signal chat because she said she needed a dozen whistles and then talking for an hour in her kitchen about how to develop an anti-ICE patrol for her kid’s fucking preschool.

Reposted by Smith

kevinault.bsky.social
Kevin Ault @kevinault.bsky.social · 2d
I replied to the original post back when I was active on Twitter. I used @vikilovesfacs.bsky.social 's summary. There is also this 'living' summary of hundreds of studies. www.safeinpregnancy.org/living-syste...
Living Systematic Review Covid-19 – Safe in Pregnancy | Safe in Children
www.safeinpregnancy.org

aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 2d
I mean, who knows what's coming.

Reposted by Richard E. Lenski, John Horgan, Caroline Krafft , and 6 more

newseye.bsky.social
News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 2d
A teenage boy was walking home in Minneapolis yesterday when four masked men jumped out of a van & questioned him - with no parent or guardian present.

He was bundled into the van & taken away.

Bystanders heard the boy say: “Can I just go home?”

I don’t know how America comes back from all this.
The boy holding a bag of haribo confectionary is questioned by a masked IcE agent while three others with weapons stand by The boy has head bowed, holding his confectionary, as he is taken away.

Reposted by Smith

benecal.bsky.social
Bénédicte C @benecal.bsky.social · 2d
Bit of info on Biss. pauloffit.substack.com/p/vaccine-sa...

Reposted by Smith

lymescience.org
LymeScience @lymescience.org · 2d
In an anti-vax video last month (MAHA Media Hub Ep. 19), Robert Malone said he will be advocating against the CDC's recommendation of "cocooning", or vaccinating against whooping cough people who will be close to an infant.

A page to watch:
Vaccinating Pregnant Patients
CDC recommends pertussis vaccine during each pregnancy, preferably during weeks 27 through 36.
www.cdc.gov

Reposted by Smith

jenlucpiquant.bsky.social
Jennifer Ouellette @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social · 2d
Scott Adams Dies: Controversial ‘Dilbert’ Cartoonist Was 68 deadline.com/2026/01/scot...
Scott Adams Dies: Controversial ‘Dilbert’ Cartoonist Was 68
Scott Adams, the controversial creator of the popular Dilbert comic strip and cartoon, has died of prostate cancer. He was 68. His death was announced today by his ex-wife Shelly Miles on his livestre...
deadline.com

Reposted by Philip Nel, Smith, Rebecca Tushnet , and 2 more

leonardpierce.bsky.social
Leonard Pierce @leonardpierce.bsky.social · 2d
Leftists address this constantly. We advocate for universal health care and child care, guaranteed pensions, decommodified housing, and all kinds of other things that would directly address these issues. What we don't do is say "more white babies" which is what is really being asked here

aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 2d
Kennedy just appointed 2 antivax OB/GYNs to ACIP. Adam Urato believes, like Kennedy, that pro-vax groups are top blame for vaccine hesitancy, while Kim Biss claims COVID vaccines cause miscarriage. 2026 continues to suck. They're going after HPV & maternal vaccination next.
www.hhs.gov

Reposted by Nina Jankowicz, Smith, Kate Starbird

noupside.bsky.social
Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 2d
I wonder if Jenin Younes told Jon Stewart about how she did interrogations for Jim Jordan’s Weaponization committee of academics accused of being part of a “censorship industrial complex” that never existed. I wonder if she told him that Jordan then lied about what he heard in those interviews.

Reposted by Smith

elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 2d
Thinking about the destruction of public health and how it boils down to Republicans deciding to experiment with the health of hundreds of millions of us.

Thom Tillis (R, Invertebrate):

“The main reason I supported Kennedy was because Bill Cassidy thought that we should see how it plays out”.

Reposted by Jason Mittell, John R. Hutchinson, Caroline Krafft , and 6 more

tisserand.bsky.social
Michael Tisserand @tisserand.bsky.social · 3d
In Minneapolis
A Baptist church sign reads Blessed Are the Whistle Blowers for They Play the Music of Salvation

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Smith

erinbiba.bsky.social
Erin Biba @erinbiba.bsky.social · 3d
This act of arson was devastating - two torahs were destroyed and the entire library.

Beth Israel is the ONLY synagogue in Jackson.

The synagogue was bombed by the KKK in the 1960s because of its work with the civil rights movement and its fight against racism and segregation.
A photo of the library inside the synagogue. Books are spilled out onto the ground and the entire room is a mess of black ash. Text reads A fire damaged the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss. The fire department said arson was the cause. Hannah Orlansky/Beth Israel Congregation