Does anyone have recs for good (evidence-based) books about the science of autoimmunity?

Opinion | Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know.

Gift link: "If there hadn’t been an outbreak when Renae was a baby, I don’t think she would have contracted it. She was eligible for the vaccine just seven months later, and I gave it to her, but it was too late."
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o...

Belief in & support for vaccines is normal.

“But that reality is not immune to the stories we tell about it… [Bad polls] change what clinicians say in the exam room, the decisions policymakers & leaders make, and ultimately become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Methods matter for talking points

Highlighted in red: "Political interference is inappropriately shaping or interfering in the conduct, management, communication, or use of science for political advantage or such that it undermines impartiality, nonpartisanship, or professional judgement"

"HHS works to promote a culture of scientific integrity by creating an empowering environment for innovation and protecting scientists and the process of science from inappropriate interference. Scientific findings and products must not be suppressed, delayed, or altered for political purposes and must not be subjected to political interference or inappropriate influence. The responsible and ethical conduct of research and other scientific activities requires an environment that is safe and free from harassment and discrimination" Highlighted in red are "suppressed, delayed, or altered for political purposes", "subjected to political interference", and "inappropriate influence."

"HHS works to promote a culture of scientific integrity by creating an empowering environment for innovation and protecting scientists and the process of science from inappropriate interference. Scientific findings and products must not be subjected to interference or inappropriate influence and must not be inappropriately suppressed, delayed, or altered. The responsible and ethical conduct of research and other scientific activities requires an environment that is safe and free from harassment and discrimination." Highlighted in green are "subjected to interference or inappropriate influence" and "inappropriately suppressed, delayed, or altered."

Text, with "political" highlighted in red to indicate removal: I. Protecting Scientific Processes Scientific integrity fosters "honest scientific investigation, open discussion, refined understanding, and a firm commitment to evidence" (OSTP 2010). It also enables consideration and documentation of differing scientific opinions. Practices that support scientific integrity may include peer review and open science. Science, and public trust in science, thrives in an environment that prevents political interference and inappropriate influence from impacting scientific data and analyses and their use in decision making. It is the policy of HHS to: 1. Prohibit political interference or other inappropriate influence in the design, proposal, conduct, review, management, evaluation, communication about, and use of scientific activities and scientific information. Prohibit inappropriate restrictions on resources and capacity that limit and reduce the availability of science and scientific products (e.g., manuscripts for scientific journals, presentations for workshops, conferences, and symposia) outside of normal budgetary or priority-setting processes or without scientific, legal, or security justification. 3. Require that leadership and management ensure that covered individuals engaged in scientific activities can conduct their work objectively, free from political interference or other inappropriate influence, and free from retaliation.

HHS just published an update to its Scientific Integrity Policy. Notably, it has removed the concept of political interference, and no longer calls it out as something specifically to be prevented.
www.hhs.gov/sites/defaul... (deletions in red, insertions in green)

How 'Bout Them Dawgs

I am putting together a linktr.ee of public resignation letters from NIH staff. tr.ee/7IpKJ_GBId

Please let me know what I've missed!

For years, Jay Bhattacharya has been upset at the MMWR for publishing findings that run contrary to his predetermined conclusions (e.g., on immunity after covid vaccination) and his political agenda. Now he's in a position to prevent those findings from being published.

Decent coverage of the science, but how can you write this story not mentioning the name of the acting CDC director until the 6th paragraph and noting his COVID grievance fixation?

Also, he is not legally the”acting CDC director” anymore.

We're on strike! Don't visit propublica.org on April 8

We’re on strike today! Support our fight for a fair contract by NOT visiting the @propublica.org website or engaging with ProPublica stories today.

Tell ProPublica’s management you won’t cross the picket line: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

5 Calls Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.

🚨🚨🚨 Congress must return from recess and use every tool it can to stop Trump from committing war crimes and unilaterally launching a nuclear war. That includes impeachment.

Call your reps. NOW. 🔥📞🔥

Info, numbers, and script @ 5calls.org

"What are we going to do with NASA? Are we going to have it be revived or shut it down? And I had very little hesitation."
www.space.com/astronomy/de...

Massive budget cuts for US science proposed again by Trump administration Budget proposal would also curb federal payments for scientific publishing.

Concerned about the possible dismantling of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Directorate of NSF?? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Find out what's happening and what we can do to protect behavioral science with @fabbs.org Friday April 10th at 1:30 ET. Register at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Chart showing proposed budget cuts The Trump administration has proposed a plan to reduce funding for many science-related agencies. All figures are in US dollars. Agency 2026 budget 2027 proposed budget NASA 24.4 billion 18.8 billion National Institutes of Health 47.2 billion 41.3 billion National Science Foundation 8.8 billion 4 billion Department of Energy Office of Science 8.4 billion 7.1 billion National Institute of Standards and Technology 1.8 billion 900 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 6.2 billion 4.5 billion Environmental Protection Agency 8.8 billion 4.2 billion Source: American Association for the Advancement of Science, White House Office of Management and Budget, US Department of Commerce

There's plenty of other details (see this quick chart) but the SBE close-down is particularly notable because it is the president's budget request having an impact now—despite the fact that these requests are typically rejected by Congress.

At a meeting in January, Ian Morgan, a postdoctoral researcher at the NIH and a steward of NIH Fellows United-UAW 2750, stood up to ask about a dramatic rise in the costs of health insurance for early-career scientists employed by NIH. With a new baby on the way, he’s worried about making ends meet with his federal job. “What can we do to actually support early-career researchers like myself who are struggling to get by?” he asked, while other employees applauded. Bhattacharya, who has said multiple times that clearing the path for more innovative early-career researchers is a priority for him, didn’t seem aware of the issue. “Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that question,” Bhattacharya said. “Come talk to me, let’s figure it out,” he added, asking Morgan to send an email to schedule a meeting.

But that meeting still hasn’t happened. Morgan says when he emailed to set a time, the director was too busy to meet with him.

Interesting to think in combo w/ his lack of knowledge/action around health insurance costs for NIH postdocs. For someone who spent years railing against the out-of-touch "laptop class," Bhattacharya doesn't even seem to understand basic needs of young scientists.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

I remember hearing this wouldn't happen because they don't have garbage disposals...

🚨 Congress held NIH and NSF budgets roughly flat. Scientists celebrated.

Here is what actually happened.

NIH awarded 4,641 fewer grants in FY2025 than the 4-year avg. New awards dropped 14%. Over $1.3B never reached investigators.

NSF awards fell 22%.

The money was there.

Some science cuts in Trump's proposed FY27 budget

❌ NIH: -$5B, including all of NIEHS, NIMHD, FIC & NCCIH.
❌ EPA: -4.6B
❌ NSF: -3.8B
❌ NASA Science: -3.4 Billion
❌ NOAA: -1.8B, including the entire Oceanic and Atmospheric Research budget ($605M)
❌ AHRQ: All of it. -$296M, 100%

And there's more.

Thank you, it's not serious!!

Congrats!!! But Go Terps 🐢

This podcast has everything I want in a story: Georgia, small town politics, conspiracy theorists, a mystery, and a group of intrepid journalists determined to crack the case.

Listen to “WHO BLEW UP THE GUIDESTONES?” !!!

NIH director’s invocation of Vannevar Bush’s legacy to promote Trump science policies sparks pushback Jay Bhattacharya’s claim that the Trump administration is pursuing the vision articulated by scientific leader, Vannevar Bush, has provoked pushback — and outrage

Read below why Bhattacharya’s invocation of FDR’s science advisor spurred accusations that he’s “hijacking” Bush’s legacy in a way that @nataliebaviles.bsky.social said have him rolling in his grave

www.statnews.com/2026/04/01/j...

Excellent new update at Grant Witness that helps break down how science funding is being slowed down.

Gilead refuses to sell groundbreaking HIV prevention drug to MSF Blocking humanitarian organizations from accessing a medical breakthrough puts vulnerable people across the world in danger.

Today, MSF is going public with something we've been fighting behind closed doors for months: Gilead will not sell us their new HIV drug, lenacapavir.

The sticking point isn't even price, they just refuse to sell.

Open letter linked + explainer 🧵1/

www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gilea...

He said in the recent Appropriations hearing that he envisions a "portal" where institutions can compete to recruit researchers....wait until he learns about the job market

‘No kings, just vaccines!’: demonstrators gather at NIH headquarters to protest against cuts to medical research Protesters decried Trump administration healthcare policies and direction of HHS under leadership of RFK Jr

“You must persevere,” said Bill Bien, a lymphoma survivor. “It means so much to so many people you’ll never meet. It will save their lives.” My report on No Kings: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Crowd walking through tented booths

#NoKings in Austin, TX

AUSTIN thousands marching from City Hall to Lady Bird Lake #NoKings

Rally and vigil in front of NIH.

May be related... bsky.app/profile/mala...

i know i posted this yesterday, but i need to post it again. jay bhattacharya's immediate reaction to the CDC shooting was to repeat more anti-vaccine lies in the media — the very same lies that led to the attack.