Bénédicte C
@benecal.bsky.social
Biosciences & Tech policy
Post about research, innovation, public health, politics & policy making, regulation, disinfo
She/Her/Antifacist
Post about research, innovation, public health, politics & policy making, regulation, disinfo
She/Her/Antifacist
Pinned
Whopper of the Week: RFK, Jr. Cloaks Anti-vaxx Quackery in the Language of Informed Consent | Defend Public Health
In 2024, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) concluded that over 70% of peanut allergies could be prevented through early consumption of peanut allergens by infants and c...
www.defendpublichealth.org
The new US immunization schedule radically limits access to vaccines for American children.
RFK wants you to believe that he's just helping parents get needed information. That's a whopper.
American kids will now be vaccinated against fewer diseases.
www.defendpublichealth.org/opinion/whop...
RFK wants you to believe that he's just helping parents get needed information. That's a whopper.
American kids will now be vaccinated against fewer diseases.
www.defendpublichealth.org/opinion/whop...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Trump’s retaliation against top officials at the International Criminal Court has shut them out of American services and made even routine daily tasks a challenge www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/w...
No Amazon, No Gmail: Trump Sanctions Upend the Lives of I.C.C. Judges
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Trump’s retaliation against top officials at the International Criminal Court has shut them out of American services and made even routine daily tasks a challenge www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/w...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
"If you show up for your immigrant neighbors, or even are simply present when those neighbors are taken, your rights will not be protected by the law and your life will be at risk."
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/o...
Opinion | I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You.
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:12 AM
"If you show up for your immigrant neighbors, or even are simply present when those neighbors are taken, your rights will not be protected by the law and your life will be at risk."
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/o...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
I've been planning to write for a long time about how ICE and their allies sure are a bunch of whiny bitches, for all they talk about how tough they are.
I'm sad that this is the occasion.
But by god, these "tough" guys are pathetic cowards.
www.salon.com/2026/01/09/i...
I'm sad that this is the occasion.
But by god, these "tough" guys are pathetic cowards.
www.salon.com/2026/01/09/i...
ICE is not the victim
MAGA lies can’t hide the real damage done to people like Renee Nicole Good
www.salon.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:15 PM
I've been planning to write for a long time about how ICE and their allies sure are a bunch of whiny bitches, for all they talk about how tough they are.
I'm sad that this is the occasion.
But by god, these "tough" guys are pathetic cowards.
www.salon.com/2026/01/09/i...
I'm sad that this is the occasion.
But by god, these "tough" guys are pathetic cowards.
www.salon.com/2026/01/09/i...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Well written summary, shows power of different animal model systems, combined with human epidemiology.
🧪
www.psypost.org/common-pesti...
🧪
www.psypost.org/common-pesti...
Common pesticide damages brain cell recycling system and increases Parkinson's risk
Scientists have identified the specific mechanism by which the insecticide chlorpyrifos kills brain cells. The findings suggest the chemical prevents neurons from clearing out damaged proteins, causin...
www.psypost.org
January 10, 2026 at 9:26 AM
Well written summary, shows power of different animal model systems, combined with human epidemiology.
🧪
www.psypost.org/common-pesti...
🧪
www.psypost.org/common-pesti...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
“The society was not a “dining club” or “political party”, Nurse said, noting that he was sure it had included “murderers” and other criminals in the past.”
Sure seems like a declaration of moral bankruptcy… 🧪
Sure seems like a declaration of moral bankruptcy… 🧪
Elon Musk should keep UK Royal Society membership, says president
Paul Nurse tells FT that national science academy should avoid ‘making judgments’ about ‘character’ of fellows
www.ft.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:55 AM
“The society was not a “dining club” or “political party”, Nurse said, noting that he was sure it had included “murderers” and other criminals in the past.”
Sure seems like a declaration of moral bankruptcy… 🧪
Sure seems like a declaration of moral bankruptcy… 🧪
Reposted by Bénédicte C
@katemanne.bsky.social's vital words: "The scenario is not so far from that deservedly famous line of Margaret Atwood’s: men fear women laughing at them. Women fear men killing them, because she dared to laugh at him."
1/2
1/2
January 10, 2026 at 11:24 AM
@katemanne.bsky.social's vital words: "The scenario is not so far from that deservedly famous line of Margaret Atwood’s: men fear women laughing at them. Women fear men killing them, because she dared to laugh at him."
1/2
1/2
Reposted by Bénédicte C
"This is evidence of an administration that seems to see nutrition guidance as a culture-war emblem rather than a careful public health policy instrument."
The new food pyramid is lying to you
It’s also a contradictory mess.
www.vox.com
January 10, 2026 at 11:25 AM
"This is evidence of an administration that seems to see nutrition guidance as a culture-war emblem rather than a careful public health policy instrument."
Reposted by Bénédicte C
This week: we execute a U.S. citizen.
Next week: we take over elections to stop “fraud.”
It's so transparent what's going on here.
Next week: we take over elections to stop “fraud.”
It's so transparent what's going on here.
January 9, 2026 at 2:23 PM
This week: we execute a U.S. citizen.
Next week: we take over elections to stop “fraud.”
It's so transparent what's going on here.
Next week: we take over elections to stop “fraud.”
It's so transparent what's going on here.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
This piece by @helenbranswell.bsky.social is great. I do have to say I chuckled when she said: "has reducing the number of diseases all children are [...] vaccinated against to 11 from 18 brought the US in line with most other [...] countries? Two words. No and no." www.statnews.com/2026/01/09/c...
When it comes to vaccine schedules, the U.S. is now the outlier
A STAT analysis of vaccine recommendations in 38 countries suggests the U.S. is now an outlier.
www.statnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:58 AM
This piece by @helenbranswell.bsky.social is great. I do have to say I chuckled when she said: "has reducing the number of diseases all children are [...] vaccinated against to 11 from 18 brought the US in line with most other [...] countries? Two words. No and no." www.statnews.com/2026/01/09/c...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Face masks ‘inadequate’ and should be swapped for respirators, WHO is advised
Face masks ‘inadequate’ and should be swapped for respirators, WHO is advised
Experts are urging guideline changes on what health professionals should wear to protect against flu-like illnesses including Covid
www.theguardian.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Face masks ‘inadequate’ and should be swapped for respirators, WHO is advised
Reposted by Bénédicte C
We evacuated our kids out of Minneapolis this weekend and my spouse reports that as she drove them out of town she saw "multiple freeway exits where people are being pulled over." It feels like the Twin Cities is being subjugated by a hostile occupying force.
January 10, 2026 at 1:47 AM
We evacuated our kids out of Minneapolis this weekend and my spouse reports that as she drove them out of town she saw "multiple freeway exits where people are being pulled over." It feels like the Twin Cities is being subjugated by a hostile occupying force.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
I saw the new film Nuremberg. It was based on the life of psychologist Douglas Kelly, who interviewed Nazi war criminals for five months before their trial. His book was not popular when he published it. Kelly's last chapter served as a warning from history, and this passage resonates with us now.
January 10, 2026 at 8:18 AM
I saw the new film Nuremberg. It was based on the life of psychologist Douglas Kelly, who interviewed Nazi war criminals for five months before their trial. His book was not popular when he published it. Kelly's last chapter served as a warning from history, and this passage resonates with us now.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Indonesia blocks Musk’s Grok chatbot due to risk of pornographic content
Indonesia blocks Musk’s Grok chatbot due to risk of pornographic content
Move comes after governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned the AI tool and some have opened inquiries into sexualised content
Indonesia temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot on Saturday due to the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to deny access to the AI tool.
The move comes after governments, researchers and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned and some have opened inquiries into sexualised content on the app. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:06 AM
Indonesia blocks Musk’s Grok chatbot due to risk of pornographic content
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Not an exaggeration at all to say that the feeling in Minneapolis is that the entire metro area is being treated as occupied territory by federal agents. Impossible to overstate how overwhelmingly people here do not like it. This does not feel sustainable.
January 10, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Not an exaggeration at all to say that the feeling in Minneapolis is that the entire metro area is being treated as occupied territory by federal agents. Impossible to overstate how overwhelmingly people here do not like it. This does not feel sustainable.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Make this about whatever murderboat instructions Stephen Miller gave Greg Bovino to implement.
www.emptywheel.net/2026/01/07/t...
www.emptywheel.net/2026/01/07/t...
Time to Ask if Stephen Miller Has Authorized Assault and Murder of Peaceful ICE Observers - emptywheel
Given how consistently Greg Bovino is at the scene of unjustified violence against ICE observers, including today's shooting, and given Bovino's refusal to answer whether Stephen Miller has given him ...
www.emptywheel.net
January 10, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Make this about whatever murderboat instructions Stephen Miller gave Greg Bovino to implement.
www.emptywheel.net/2026/01/07/t...
www.emptywheel.net/2026/01/07/t...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
RFK Jr. has quietly undermined the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which plays a huge role in determining what screenings and other preventive services are available to Americans. From Nina Agrawal, myself and Dani Blum (gift link):
Kennedy Weakens U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:46 PM
RFK Jr. has quietly undermined the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which plays a huge role in determining what screenings and other preventive services are available to Americans. From Nina Agrawal, myself and Dani Blum (gift link):
Oh so the threat of sanctions actually works against Musk?
Too bad the US is too weak & broken to regulate media and tech companies.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Too bad the US is too weak & broken to regulate media and tech companies.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
Editing function to be limited to paying subscribers after X threatened with fines and regulatory action
www.theguardian.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Oh so the threat of sanctions actually works against Musk?
Too bad the US is too weak & broken to regulate media and tech companies.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Too bad the US is too weak & broken to regulate media and tech companies.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
More than a dozen House Republicans joined every Democrat on Thursday to pass a bill to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years — the sharpest rejection by GOP members of the party’s leadership yet.
wapo.st/4jHdJcv
Just wow
wapo.st/4jHdJcv
Just wow
House passes bill extending health care subsidies, bucking GOP leaders
Prospects for passage in the Senate are unclear. The enhanced ACA subsidies expired at the end of 2025, driving costs up for millions.
wapo.st
January 9, 2026 at 2:05 AM
More than a dozen House Republicans joined every Democrat on Thursday to pass a bill to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years — the sharpest rejection by GOP members of the party’s leadership yet.
wapo.st/4jHdJcv
Just wow
wapo.st/4jHdJcv
Just wow
Reposted by Bénédicte C
In exiting from global agreements, Trump has withdrawn the US from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC sets the legal framework for negotiations to address climate change (e.g., the Paris Agreement). Trump's reason? It "operates contrary to US national interests"...
January 9, 2026 at 2:32 AM
In exiting from global agreements, Trump has withdrawn the US from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC sets the legal framework for negotiations to address climate change (e.g., the Paris Agreement). Trump's reason? It "operates contrary to US national interests"...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
My anger at having to stand outside my kid’s school for two hours to ensure none of their classmates, parents, or teachers get kidnapped by my own government is only slightly tempered by the amazing outpouring of support from other parents and especially neighbors who stand against this bullshit.
January 9, 2026 at 12:41 AM
My anger at having to stand outside my kid’s school for two hours to ensure none of their classmates, parents, or teachers get kidnapped by my own government is only slightly tempered by the amazing outpouring of support from other parents and especially neighbors who stand against this bullshit.
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Posts may be a bit more sporadic from me today as my kids are home from school because my city is being brutalized by the federal government to the extent that it's unsafe for schools to be open
January 8, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Posts may be a bit more sporadic from me today as my kids are home from school because my city is being brutalized by the federal government to the extent that it's unsafe for schools to be open
Reposted by Bénédicte C
The man who literally wrote the book on the use of vehicles as ramming weapons says any claim Good used hers as such is false, and that her execution, followed by the false claim, is "death squad behavior."
🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7
January 8, 2026 at 9:36 PM
The man who literally wrote the book on the use of vehicles as ramming weapons says any claim Good used hers as such is false, and that her execution, followed by the false claim, is "death squad behavior."
Reposted by Bénédicte C
Using numerical modeling, researchers determine portable air cleaners remove most particles below ~5 microns, deposition removes most above 10 microns. Ventilation plays minimal role at 0.5/h air changes, but starts to equate to air cleaner at 2 /h.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
January 8, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Using numerical modeling, researchers determine portable air cleaners remove most particles below ~5 microns, deposition removes most above 10 microns. Ventilation plays minimal role at 0.5/h air changes, but starts to equate to air cleaner at 2 /h.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
Reposted by Bénédicte C
The Star Tribune has ID'd the murderer: his name is Jonathan Ross.
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
Star Tribune identifies ICE agent who fatally shot woman in Minneapolis
Jonathan Ross was dragged in a separate incident last year by a fleeing driver, according to court records.
www.startribune.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:10 PM
The Star Tribune has ID'd the murderer: his name is Jonathan Ross.
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...