Joshua Weitz
@joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Professor of Biology & Institute for Health Computing, U of Maryland; explores how viruses impact human and environmental health; 'Asymptomatic' (JHU Press, 10/2024) & 'Quantitative Biosciences' (Princeton U Press, 3/2024) & 'Science Matters' substack.
Pinned
Joshua Weitz
@joshuasweitz.bsky.social
· Sep 24
New from #SCIMaP - analysis of the White House’s Proposed FY 2026 National Science Foundation Budget.
Take-home: Slashing NSF by >50% will lead to ~$11 billion in economic loss and extensive job loss and reduced training opportunities in communities nationwide.
Report: osf.io/e8rnc
a 🧵
Take-home: Slashing NSF by >50% will lead to ~$11 billion in economic loss and extensive job loss and reduced training opportunities in communities nationwide.
Report: osf.io/e8rnc
a 🧵
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
I spoke to CNN about how demoralizing it was to watch Stanford leadership stay silent while contrarians on campus launched unscientific attacks to stifle Stanford researchers. Now, those attacks have gone nationwide and much of MAHA leadership have ties to Stanford.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
The Trump-MAHA-Stanford nexus of US health policy | CNN Politics
In early 2022, Stanford medical student Santiago Sanchez set out to organize a campus debate with Jay Bhattacharya — a professor at the university whose outspoken denunciations of pandemic lockdowns m...
www.cnn.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I spoke to CNN about how demoralizing it was to watch Stanford leadership stay silent while contrarians on campus launched unscientific attacks to stifle Stanford researchers. Now, those attacks have gone nationwide and much of MAHA leadership have ties to Stanford.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/08/p...
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
Canada has just lost measles elimination status. The U.S. will undoubtedly follow shortly.
Elimination means that there is no continuous spreading of measles within the country for a year or longer.
Canada and the U.S. have blown it, and it’s largely the fault of the anti-vaccination movement.
Elimination means that there is no continuous spreading of measles within the country for a year or longer.
Canada and the U.S. have blown it, and it’s largely the fault of the anti-vaccination movement.
Canada loses measles elimination status after three decades, health agency says
Canada has lost its measles elimination status after nearly three decades due to its failure to curb a year-long outbreak, the country's public health agency said on Monday.
www.reuters.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Canada has just lost measles elimination status. The U.S. will undoubtedly follow shortly.
Elimination means that there is no continuous spreading of measles within the country for a year or longer.
Canada and the U.S. have blown it, and it’s largely the fault of the anti-vaccination movement.
Elimination means that there is no continuous spreading of measles within the country for a year or longer.
Canada and the U.S. have blown it, and it’s largely the fault of the anti-vaccination movement.
If you are listening to MAHA when thinking about public health "reform" then really listen to what they want:
"I’ve come to this anti-vax conference with a message that we need to be more boldly anti-vax,” said Mark Gorton, the president of the MAHA Institute.
🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
"I’ve come to this anti-vax conference with a message that we need to be more boldly anti-vax,” said Mark Gorton, the president of the MAHA Institute.
🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Emboldened, Kennedy Allies Embrace a Label They Once Rejected: ‘Anti-Vax’
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
If you are listening to MAHA when thinking about public health "reform" then really listen to what they want:
"I’ve come to this anti-vax conference with a message that we need to be more boldly anti-vax,” said Mark Gorton, the president of the MAHA Institute.
🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
"I’ve come to this anti-vax conference with a message that we need to be more boldly anti-vax,” said Mark Gorton, the president of the MAHA Institute.
🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
*deadpan*
This is particularly enraging because 1) @standupforscience.bsky.social is doing a LOT against RFK Jr/MAHA and we are just getting started and 2) because I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HIS WRITERS AND PRODUCER.
@thedailyshow.com hit me up!
This is particularly enraging because 1) @standupforscience.bsky.social is doing a LOT against RFK Jr/MAHA and we are just getting started and 2) because I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HIS WRITERS AND PRODUCER.
@thedailyshow.com hit me up!
November 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM
*deadpan*
This is particularly enraging because 1) @standupforscience.bsky.social is doing a LOT against RFK Jr/MAHA and we are just getting started and 2) because I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HIS WRITERS AND PRODUCER.
@thedailyshow.com hit me up!
This is particularly enraging because 1) @standupforscience.bsky.social is doing a LOT against RFK Jr/MAHA and we are just getting started and 2) because I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HIS WRITERS AND PRODUCER.
@thedailyshow.com hit me up!
That's not quite what one might call taking responsibility.
Does Sen. Cassidy, a strong proponent of #vaccines, regret voting to confirm RFK Jr. as health secretary? “I just have to quote Kierkegaard — You live life forward,” is his reply.
That's not a "No."
@kathmacphail.bsky.social reports. www.statnews.com/2025/11/08/b...
That's not a "No."
@kathmacphail.bsky.social reports. www.statnews.com/2025/11/08/b...
Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines
Dropping in at the Liver Meeting, Senator Bill Cassidy argues for federally funded Flexible Spending Accounts over ACA subsidies and laments the state of vaccination.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:15 PM
That's not quite what one might call taking responsibility.
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
Any food which has gotten to poor families the states must send agents to reclaim the food before it is eaten or face new federal penalties
“.. The Agriculture Department issued the command in a late-night Saturday memo .. That guidance threatened to impose financial penalties on states that did not “comply” quickly with the government’s new orders.”
@tonyromm.bsky.social #SNAP
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
@tonyromm.bsky.social #SNAP
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
November 9, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Any food which has gotten to poor families the states must send agents to reclaim the food before it is eaten or face new federal penalties
"[P]rocedurally, had she denied the request, the Justice Department could have gone to another justice.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by issuing the order herself, she was able to set the limits."
👇
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by issuing the order herself, she was able to set the limits."
👇
Updated report at Law Dork is published now here:
Justice Jackson temporarily blocks SNAP benefits order to allow appeals court to rule
DOJ asked SCOTUS for a stay as USDA was in the middle of completing its process for making full payments. Update: Jackson's order came a little past 9 p.m.
www.lawdork.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:27 AM
"[P]rocedurally, had she denied the request, the Justice Department could have gone to another justice.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by issuing the order herself, she was able to set the limits."
👇
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by issuing the order herself, she was able to set the limits."
👇
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
BREAKING: DOJ goes to SCOTUS trying to stop a district court order that USDA pay out full SNAP benefits this month.
The First Circuit denied an administrative stay, but has not yet ruled on the stay request. And, CNN reported that USDA is already processing payments.
DOJ went to SCOTUS anyway.
The First Circuit denied an administrative stay, but has not yet ruled on the stay request. And, CNN reported that USDA is already processing payments.
DOJ went to SCOTUS anyway.
November 7, 2025 at 11:50 PM
BREAKING: DOJ goes to SCOTUS trying to stop a district court order that USDA pay out full SNAP benefits this month.
The First Circuit denied an administrative stay, but has not yet ruled on the stay request. And, CNN reported that USDA is already processing payments.
DOJ went to SCOTUS anyway.
The First Circuit denied an administrative stay, but has not yet ruled on the stay request. And, CNN reported that USDA is already processing payments.
DOJ went to SCOTUS anyway.
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
It's definitely a choice @scholars.org
Feel free to dive in:
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
Feel free to dive in:
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
November 7, 2025 at 10:59 PM
It's definitely a choice @scholars.org
Feel free to dive in:
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
Feel free to dive in:
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
Director Bhattacharya decided to weigh in on X/Twitter about the impact of the government shutdown.
He (not surprisingly) focuses on the impact of the MAHA agenda. Of course, delays of research for months (which could be minimized by NIH with planning) will have little effect on MAHA actions
1/5
He (not surprisingly) focuses on the impact of the MAHA agenda. Of course, delays of research for months (which could be minimized by NIH with planning) will have little effect on MAHA actions
1/5
November 7, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Director Bhattacharya decided to weigh in on X/Twitter about the impact of the government shutdown.
He (not surprisingly) focuses on the impact of the MAHA agenda. Of course, delays of research for months (which could be minimized by NIH with planning) will have little effect on MAHA actions
1/5
He (not surprisingly) focuses on the impact of the MAHA agenda. Of course, delays of research for months (which could be minimized by NIH with planning) will have little effect on MAHA actions
1/5
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
GISAID on providing data to @Nextstrain.org: "After consulting with our staff and advisors on the feasibility of keeping your global tree up-to-date, there was a clear consensus that continuing to generate, zip and move big files back and forth is not sustainable and a waste of resources."
🙃
🙃
Nextstrain: Interruption to GISAID-based SARS-CoV-2 sequence analyses
Nextstrain blog post from 2025-11-06; author(s): Trevor Bedford, Richard Neher and the Nextstrain team
next.nextstrain.org
November 6, 2025 at 9:51 PM
GISAID on providing data to @Nextstrain.org: "After consulting with our staff and advisors on the feasibility of keeping your global tree up-to-date, there was a clear consensus that continuing to generate, zip and move big files back and forth is not sustainable and a waste of resources."
🙃
🙃
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
HAPPENING NOW: Judge McConnell is sharply rebuking the Trump administration for what he said was defying his order to make full SNAP payments by Nov. 5. He has ordered USDA to make the *full* payment to states by tomorrow.
November 6, 2025 at 8:53 PM
HAPPENING NOW: Judge McConnell is sharply rebuking the Trump administration for what he said was defying his order to make full SNAP payments by Nov. 5. He has ordered USDA to make the *full* payment to states by tomorrow.
Sometimes we do need another hero.
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Jury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent
Sean Dunn faced single misdemeanor offense after federal grand jurors refused to indict him on the felony charge sought by prosecutors.
www.nbcnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Sometimes we do need another hero.
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
SCIENCE ON THE MOVE!
The march has reached HHS, where stacks of petitions are piling up!
FOLLOW ALONG ➡️
www.youtube.com/live/3Hi18Fv...
The march has reached HHS, where stacks of petitions are piling up!
FOLLOW ALONG ➡️
www.youtube.com/live/3Hi18Fv...
November 5, 2025 at 9:27 PM
SCIENCE ON THE MOVE!
The march has reached HHS, where stacks of petitions are piling up!
FOLLOW ALONG ➡️
www.youtube.com/live/3Hi18Fv...
The march has reached HHS, where stacks of petitions are piling up!
FOLLOW ALONG ➡️
www.youtube.com/live/3Hi18Fv...
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
If you're looking for a faculty position at the intersection of ecology and computing (both broadly defined), please apply to this joint search between the CEE Department and the College of Computing at MIT: cee.mit.edu/people/share...
Faculty Position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Schwarzman College of Computing - cee.mit.edu
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), together with the Schwarzman College of Computing (SCC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge MA, seeks candidate...
cee.mit.edu
November 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
If you're looking for a faculty position at the intersection of ecology and computing (both broadly defined), please apply to this joint search between the CEE Department and the College of Computing at MIT: cee.mit.edu/people/share...
Ok then...
"The institute is now sponsoring and soliciting donations for a movie about Bhattacharya written by author and establishment critic Walter Kirn."
"The institute is now sponsoring and soliciting donations for a movie about Bhattacharya written by author and establishment critic Walter Kirn."
The Brownstone Institute was founded after the Great Barrington Declaration by Jeffrey Tucker, a close advisor of RFK, Jr.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
2/n
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
2/n
Meet the man who built RFK Jr.’s kitchen cabinet
Jeffrey Tucker, who elevated Covid contrarians now working for the health secretary, is building support for Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda.
www.politico.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Ok then...
"The institute is now sponsoring and soliciting donations for a movie about Bhattacharya written by author and establishment critic Walter Kirn."
"The institute is now sponsoring and soliciting donations for a movie about Bhattacharya written by author and establishment critic Walter Kirn."
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
Summarizes what I’ve been trying to pull together in my head. Democrats basically won everywhere, high profile and low profile, usually by more than optimistic predictions
What we know, 12:10am
[Now in 2 parts]
—Prop 50 wins
—VA Dems flip Gov, LG, AG
—Dems flip ≈13 seats in VA House
—Dems defend NJ-Gov + Assembly
—Dems win NJ+VA trifectas
—Mamdani wins
—PA Dems win supreme court
—ME vote-restricting measure loses
—GA Dems flip 2 statewide offices
—Krasner & Bragg win
[Now in 2 parts]
—Prop 50 wins
—VA Dems flip Gov, LG, AG
—Dems flip ≈13 seats in VA House
—Dems defend NJ-Gov + Assembly
—Dems win NJ+VA trifectas
—Mamdani wins
—PA Dems win supreme court
—ME vote-restricting measure loses
—GA Dems flip 2 statewide offices
—Krasner & Bragg win
November 5, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Summarizes what I’ve been trying to pull together in my head. Democrats basically won everywhere, high profile and low profile, usually by more than optimistic predictions
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
There are 133 counties and county-equivalents in Virginia and New Jersey. In 127 of them, the vote shifted to the Democrats since November 2024. On average, the shift was 6 points to the left.
November 5, 2025 at 4:02 AM
There are 133 counties and county-equivalents in Virginia and New Jersey. In 127 of them, the vote shifted to the Democrats since November 2024. On average, the shift was 6 points to the left.
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
New-to-me but very helpful visualizations how all the actions of the past ten months are affecting the CDC www.cdcdataproject.org
The CDC Data Project
In the proposed FY26 budget, programs that help Americans live safer, healthier, longer lives are on the chopping block.
www.cdcdataproject.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:41 PM
New-to-me but very helpful visualizations how all the actions of the past ten months are affecting the CDC www.cdcdataproject.org
Hard to keep elimination status intact amidst community spread and continued attacks on the efficacy and safety of childhood vaccines.
Measles Elimination Status Threatened in U.S. and Canada www.scientificamerican.com/article/meas...
North America May Soon No Longer Be Officially Measles-Free, Experts Say
A meeting of the Pan American Health Organization this week will address the resurgence of measles in the Americas
www.scientificamerican.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Hard to keep elimination status intact amidst community spread and continued attacks on the efficacy and safety of childhood vaccines.
Reposted by Joshua Weitz
Directly defying a court order so that he can withhold food from the poor
Trump says the SNAP money that he’s been ordered by a court to release won’t be released until the government shutdown ends.
November 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Directly defying a court order so that he can withhold food from the poor