Alicia Ault
Independent journalist for Medscape, Smithsonian, covering all things health and science. Consumer and chronicler of food, music, art and culture. More-than-mediocre tennis player. Beach yogi.
- Sutton touts "our Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program" as a success and yet the DPP, the 30-year trial it is based on, has been cancelled by the Trump admin bec it is managed by #Columbia. #MedSky #EndoSky #diabetes #politics #prevention #HHS #NIH #Medicare #CMS
- Completely lacking in common sense. #MedSky #IDSky #toxic #pollution #RockCreek #DMV #WashingtonDC #HHS
- From #FDA: EnShiShiXiangNiShangMaoYouXianGongSi is recalling one lot of "Endurance Boost with Horny Goat Weed Capsules"; it was found to be tainted with propoxyphenylsildenafil and sildenafil. Sold on Amazon. I'm sure that came as a shock to the company. #MedSky
- Ok now we know what tomorrow’s presidential action related to health care is. And pharma companies thought they had a problem with the Biden administration. #Medsky #drugs #drugprices #pharma #politics
- Former Senator Bob Menendez is going to jail very soon--justly so--for accepting bribes and acting as a foreign agent. How is this different? #politics
- Reposted by Alicia AultThe Department of Agriculture is demanding sensitive data from states about more than 40 million food stamp recipients, as DOGE is amassing data for immigration enforcement.
- Samples—blood, tissue, stool, etc—from Nurse’s Health Study will be lost. #MedSky #womenshealth #nutrition #science #publichealth #NIH #research #epidemiology
- New from @hmkyale.bsky.social, radical transparency on canceled #NIH grants. Largest number of terminated grants administered by Nat Inst of Mental Health (128) and Nat Inst on Minority Health and Health Disparities. #MedSky #PsychSky #politics #science
- Hard to fathom. Property insurance is skyrocketing in many states. Most Americans live under the threat of hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, hail, blizzards, or drought. If you don't tally it does that mean it doesn't exist? #climate #weather #disasters
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- #FDA Commissioner Makary orders use of AI-assisted scientific review agency-wide by June 30. What could go wrong? #MedSky #Pharma #artificialintelligence #HHS
- A registry by another name. #HHS will track people with #autism -at least those on Medicare or Medicaid-to enable research into "root causes". Big datasets can be helpful. But what will informed consent look like? will claims data be de-identified? Many questions. #MedSky #PedsSky
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- Headline a tad misleading since the cats appear to have gone down with the ship and never set paw on US soil. Meow! #feline #cats #science #genetics #anthropology #archaeology #shipwrecks #Florida #history
- WH budget proposal includes eliminating the #CDC umbrella agency responsible for #TBI research, including $8.25 million for brain injury research and public education about the dangers of #concussions. Are the #NHL and #NFL applauding? #MedSky #sports #football #CTE #hockey
- Reposted by Alicia AultUS FDA names agency critic Vinay Prasad as top vaccine official reut.rs/3F2AHL9
- New study via @jama.com "higher intake of butter was associated with increased mortality, while higher plant-based oils intake was associated with lower mortality." This included olive, canola, soybean, safflower and corn oils. #MedSky #CardioSky #nutrition #health #seedoils
- In case #HHS and Congress are looking for actual, actionable savings without gutting programs, the agency's real, hard-working auditors (as long as they still have jobs) have some suggestions. #MedSky #Medicare #Medicaid #politics
- Reposted by Alicia AultIf you're new to covering #Medicaid, I've created a guide for you, explaining the program and policies that could be affected by the looming cuts. journalistsresource.org/health/medic...
- Someone with a grievance against feds. Remember? Per @washingtonpost.com Hatfill was investigated for years as a “person of interest” in the 2001 anthrax mailings. He was formally exonerated in 2008; US paid $4.6 million to settle his suit. #MedSky #IDSky #COVID #politics
- Reposted by Alicia AultNorth Dakota reports first measles case since 2011 Currently North Dakota has an 81% vaccination rate among toddlers. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...
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- Reposted by Alicia AultAgain, they're trying to take away our vaccines. From the head of the FDA, a gross misrepresentation of the annual process of updating a proven vaccine to target new disease strains. His plan would make it impossible to get seasonal flu and Covid shots, and of course he knows this.
- The “mRNA Bioweapons Prohibition Act” references “mRNA injections and products designated as weapons of mass destruction” and prohibits “mRNA injections and products” #MedSky #IDSky #vaccines #infectiousdisease #PedsSky
- The continuing inhumanity. Meals on Wheels provides invaluable services. #MedSky #geriatrics
- Agriculture dept proposing to withdraw Biden-era regulation that prohibited companies from shipping raw poultry products contaminated with salmonella. via @cspinet.org #MedSky #IDSky #food #foodsafety
- Reposted by Alicia AultBreaking news: The United States faces millions of measles cases over the next 25 years if vaccination rates for the disease drop 10 percent, according to new research published Thursday.
- A set of 15 Trump cards is currently on sale for $197, marked down from $297...The $197 set is already just $99 on eBay. #politics #HappyEaster
- Horny Sports Blogging Makes A Bewildering Return To Sports Illustrated. An investigation into a platform associated with SI, but none of the content actually comes from SI journalists. And some of it appears to be AI-generated without any disclosure. #journalism #sports #AI
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- Reposted by Alicia AultToday, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs. It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
- First the #Smithsonian, now the National Gallery of Art. "It was not immediately clear what authority DOGE or the White House might have over the NGA, which was created by an act of Congress." #arts #finearts #culture #museums #politics #DMV #WashingtonDC #tourism
- The US Attorney for DC is reading CHEST???! This is bizarre. #Medsky #pulmonary #criticalcare #freespeech
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- Reposted by Alicia AultUS FDA suspends food safety quality checks after staff cuts reut.rs/42C4h1Z
- This count does not yet include Canada or Mexico, but Europeans are staying away, as are South Americans and people from the Caribbean. #travel #tourism #politics #immigration
- Reposted by Alicia AultPer source, NIH has been instructed to hold off from issuing ALL awards to Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, and Northwestern (including med schools) Agency staff have also been instructed to not speak about this funding freeze to grantees and applicants
- Reposted by Alicia AultThe number of confirmed #measles cases in the US this year — an unknown fraction of the true total — has hit 800, per #CDC, making this the 2nd worst year for measles since the virus was eliminated in 2000. And the year is young. The count in Texas is just under 600. www.cdc.gov/measles/data...
- As discussed at Tuesday afternoon #ACIP meeting, #measles has spread in Ontario and Chihuahua among Mennonite communities. #CDC has been trying to assist authorities in Canada and Mexico. #MedSky #IDSky #infectiousdisease #publichealth
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- My story for @medscape.com from comments made at yesterday's #ACIP meeting. “We are scraping to find the resources and personnel needed to provide support to Texas and other jurisdictions," said a CDC official. #MedSky #PedsSky #measles #IDSky #MMR #CDC #publichealth
- Whoops. That was incorrect. The panel just voted 14-0 with one abstention (due to a perceived conflict from a decade ago) to recommend the RSV vaccine for those age 50 to 59 with CV disease, asthma, immunocompromised, diabetes. #MedSky #IDSky
- CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is postponing until June a vote on whether those aged 50 to 59 at high risk for #RSV should be eligible for vaccination. Panel wanted more time to review the data. #MedSky #ACIP #IDSky #vaccines #geriatrics #publichealth
- Reposted by Alicia AultThirty-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards.
- CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is postponing until June a vote on whether those aged 50 to 59 at high risk for #RSV should be eligible for vaccination. Panel wanted more time to review the data. #MedSky #ACIP #IDSky #vaccines #geriatrics #publichealth
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- This clinician has been praised by RFK Jr for his use of budesonide, clarithromycin and vitamin A. #MedSky #PedsSky #IDSky #Measles #vaccines #MMR #publichealth #infectiousdisease
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- Musk encourages mothers to have c-sections. "Musk has posted on X that vaginal births limit brain size and that C-Sections allow for larger brains" #MedSky #PedsSky #obgyn #science #obstetrics
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- @rmcarpiano.medsky.social Seems that they may be trying to squelch Casey DeSantis' gubernatorial aspirations. For a variety of reasons.
- Musk has had at least 14 children with 4 women...Multiple sources said they believe the true number "is much higher than publicly known." He has used X to recruit potential mothers. Disturbing story. #politics #DOGE #billionaires #eugenics #IVF #MedSky
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- Potential scandal involving Ron and Casey DeSantis, Medicaid dollars, and marijuana slowly unfolding in Florida, driven by...Republican legislators...and diligent journalists. #politics #journalism #cannabis #Florida
- At CDC's #ACIP meeting, Tracy Hoeg from #FDA Commissioner's Office says the agency will soon provide an update on Novovax #COVID19 vaccine that was due to have been approved already but was paused. #MedSky #IDSky #COVID #infectiousdisease
- @medscape.com issues its annual physician compensation report. Orthopedics, cardiology, plastic surgery at top; pediatricians, endocrinologists at bottom. #MedSky #CardSky #PedSky #diabetes
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- Pediatric dermatology continues to struggle to attract clinicians to the subspecialty but those in the field say they love their work. via @medscape.com #MedSky #DermSky #AAD2025 #pediatrics #PedSky #medicine
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- Because of technical issues, CDC's ACIP updated the YouTube link for the meeting that is in session now. #MedSky #ACIP #vaccines #Lyme #flu #HPV #RSV #influenza #immunization
- 53K Medicare beneficiaries had an #opioid OD in 2023; 750K used naloxone. Few are being offered medication, with FL, TX and NV at bottom. #MedSky #addiction #Medicare #geriatrics #PsychSky
- CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently in session. First of the RFK Jr era. Update on the #measles outbreak later today. Votes tomorrow afternoon on RSV, chikungunya, meningococcal vaccines. #ACIP #PedSky #MedSky #IDSky
- Uniformed police lined the bayfront and dozens of Sarasota police cars, a mobile unit and an ambulance parked outside the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall where former NIAID chief Tony Fauci spoke. via @wusf.org #MedSky #IDSky #NIH #science #medicine
- #HHS statement on #Harvard funding freeze. "Harvard’s statement reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws." #MedSky #education
