Book author, toxicology journalist, fascinated by poison and murder (current book project), and, oh yeah, I'm the former director of the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT.
I've been seeing a lot of people responding to this with "there ought to be a law," but importantly, we haven't needed a law for this sort of thing because no prior president wanted to be known as a leader who would literally kill people in their hour of need for not voting for him
Seth MasketThis is honestly one of the most shocking images coming out of this administration and that’s saying something
"Whoever created and approved this slide did not know where countries in Africa are and did not care to check their work"
Eric Geller"A US government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a state department presentation at a global conference in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attenders who took screenshots and posted them online."
If you find food safety baffling at the moment, so do our underfunded federal agencies. In the FDA investigations list below, you'll see that there are 9 outbreaks (5 cyclospora, 2 salmonella, 1 listeria, 1 E.coli) with no source yet identified.
Investigations of Foodborne Illness OutbreaksThe following is a list of outbreak and adverse event investigations primarily being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams.www.fda.gov“I am running out of ways to explain to my constituents why the service they trusted with their community continues to treat them this way.”
Bipartisan Anger Grows at Pentagon’s Delayed ‘Forever Chemicals’ Cleanups (Gift Article)Hundreds of bases are contaminated with PFAS, which are linked to low birth weight and other risks. Politicians from both parties are demanding explanations.www.nytimes.com“One of the things I’m personally concerned about, we’re starting to have more and more of these outbreaks here in the United States,” said the senior director of food safety and quality at Fresh Express.“I am concerned that we may not have really hit the peak of the outbreaks.”
As Cyclospora Cases Climb, FDA Official Says Food Supply Is Safe (Gift Article)The acting deputy commissioner for food said the agency was taking action even though finding the root cause of the outbreaks is difficult.www.nytimes.com
@sulliview.bsky.social with a brutal critique of the WHCA dinner debacle & the failing coverage of Trump. "Because he's president" is no excuse for any of it. I'd add that 'rethinking' the dinner isn't the answer, rethinking the DC press corps is. A must read: open.substack.com/pub/margaret...
The predictable disgrace of the White House Correspondents DinnerAnd why I reject every specious argument that encourages the media to keep normalizing Trumpopen.substack.com
Happy Shark Week! Want to help these threatened and ecologically important animals? The number one threat to sharks is unsustainable overfishing, which means the best thing that people can do to help is not to support unsustainable fishing practices.
Why Sustainable Seafood MattersMaking Environmentally Conscious Choiceswww.press.jhu.edu
Great take from @sulliview.bsky.social about the cowardly Washington press corps sucking up to Trump. When Trump subpoenaed Times reporters to coerce revealing sources, the dinner should have been canceled in protest. open.substack.com/pub/margaret...
The predictable disgrace of the White House Correspondents DinnerAnd why I reject every specious argument that encourages the media to keep normalizing Trumpopen.substack.comThread. Smart.
Kathleen Bachynski“I’ve tracked more than half a dozen other personal injury lawsuits filed against major food manufacturers… I’ve become increasingly convinced that litigation may be our only path to a healthy food environment… delving into the history of public health litigation [I] started to feel some optimism.”
This is such a smart assessment of the public health failures regarding food safety today. (And I am honored to make a small appearance in it!)
@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze)The Trump admin's handling of the explosive diarrhea outbreak has been appalling. RFK Jr is too busy talking about orange juice while Americans try to figure out what's safe to eat. Thankfully the local & natl news coverage is providing some answers. My latest: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
Sigh.
Another Study Suggests Plastic Particles Strengthen E. coli Biofilms; Researchers Underline Drinking Water Safety ImplicationsAdding to a growing body of evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may enhance the virulence and persistence of pathogens in food and the environment, a new study found that nanoplastics may strengthen...www.food-safety.com