Caitlin Gilbert
@caitlingilbert.bsky.social
@washingtonpost.com data reporter👩🏻💻
neuroscience/genomics PhD 🧠
caitlin.gilbert@washpost.com ✉️
caitlingilbert.24 on signal
@caitlingilbertdata on tiktok/ig
🎭⚽️🎮 + other intrusive thoughts
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/caitlin-gilbert/
neuroscience/genomics PhD 🧠
caitlin.gilbert@washpost.com ✉️
caitlingilbert.24 on signal
@caitlingilbertdata on tiktok/ig
🎭⚽️🎮 + other intrusive thoughts
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/caitlin-gilbert/
Pinned
RFK Jr. disparaged vaccines dozens of times in recent years and misled on race
A Post examination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements finds the candidate for the nation’s top health post has repeatedly disparaged vaccines, linking them to autism.
www.washingtonpost.com
NEW: @laurenweberhp.bsky.social + I analyzed over 400 of RFK Jr.'s appearances since 2020 and found that he has disparaged vaccines in at least 114 appearances, falsely linked vax to autism in 36, and argued that White + Black people should have separate vaccination schedules
wapo.st/4jwQS2R
wapo.st/4jwQS2R
stellar coverage of the CHD conference this past weekend from @laurenweberhp.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
‘God is an anti-vaxxer’: Inside the conference celebrating RFK Jr.’s rise
An anti-vaccine conference in Austin celebrated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s rise to political power, highlighting his influence in Trump’s Washington.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:04 PM
stellar coverage of the CHD conference this past weekend from @laurenweberhp.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Of the 6 million veterans receiving disability payments last year, about 1.5 million were designated 100 percent disabled — a nearly ninefold increase since 2021. A whole industry has popped up around getting people to 100% by @caitlingilbert.bsky.social, @reinlwapo.bsky.social & Craig Whitlock:
The unregulated industry that coaches veterans to pile on benefits
The number of vets receiving 100 percent disability ratings has surged in recent years. For-profit firms, influencers and the VA play a large role in the trend.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Of the 6 million veterans receiving disability payments last year, about 1.5 million were designated 100 percent disabled — a nearly ninefold increase since 2021. A whole industry has popped up around getting people to 100% by @caitlingilbert.bsky.social, @reinlwapo.bsky.social & Craig Whitlock:
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
my poll site this morning in Brooklyn was the most packed I’ve ever seen it (there were actual lines!) for *any* election in the past five years
November 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM
my poll site this morning in Brooklyn was the most packed I’ve ever seen it (there were actual lines!) for *any* election in the past five years
October 30, 2025 at 2:46 AM
plugging the great Industry soundtracks from Nathan Micay as *excellent* music for coding
October 28, 2025 at 2:45 PM
plugging the great Industry soundtracks from Nathan Micay as *excellent* music for coding
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Such an amazing article and very well-written. Really happy I got to chat with @caitlingilbert.bsky.social about the problems of social media, specifically TikTok. The harm of TikTok constantly engaging its users can be linked to studies showing that overuse of social media decreases well-being.
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Here’s how TikTok ‘power users’ end up scrolling 4 hours a day or more
Washington Post reporters analyzed data from over 800 TikTok users to learn how the app turns people into power users, some of whom spend hours per day scrolling.
wapo.st
October 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Such an amazing article and very well-written. Really happy I got to chat with @caitlingilbert.bsky.social about the problems of social media, specifically TikTok. The harm of TikTok constantly engaging its users can be linked to studies showing that overuse of social media decreases well-being.
third time seeing this beauty for jane krakowski’s debut as mary 😌
October 14, 2025 at 11:20 PM
third time seeing this beauty for jane krakowski’s debut as mary 😌
genuinely fell to the ground when I heard the D’Angelo news. rest in power, king.
October 14, 2025 at 4:43 PM
genuinely fell to the ground when I heard the D’Angelo news. rest in power, king.
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Parlays have become incredibly popular, with many betting apps encouraging these high-stakes multi-leg bets. But as legs are added, the chance of winning drops faster than the growth of the potential payout - which means sportsbooks have the advantage. Explore the math and and try your own bets:
Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
As betting booms, parlays are accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Washington Post analysis of state data.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Parlays have become incredibly popular, with many betting apps encouraging these high-stakes multi-leg bets. But as legs are added, the chance of winning drops faster than the growth of the potential payout - which means sportsbooks have the advantage. Explore the math and and try your own bets:
always read Lauren + Rachel
She left the medical mainstream and rose to be RFK Jr.'s surgeon general pick
Read my and @rachelroubein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com deep dive on Casey Means
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Read my and @rachelroubein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com deep dive on Casey Means
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
She left the medical mainstream and rose to be RFK Jr.'s surgeon general pick
Casey Means, the surgeon general nominee, has criticized the medical establishment. She could be put in position to change it.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:57 PM
always read Lauren + Rachel
Such great work!!!
How America’s favorite sports bet is fueling sportsbook profits
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Parlays are becoming more popular, accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Post analysis of betting data. Bettors lose billions a year on these bets.
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...
Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportbooks are cashing in.
As betting booms, parlays are accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Washington Post analysis of state data.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Such great work!!!
Was so great to talk in-person about our latest TikTok reporting with Tom Llamas last night! Thanks to the great folks at NBC for having me.
Segment at 30:39: youtu.be/4jH6LmHI1UE?...
Segment at 30:39: youtu.be/4jH6LmHI1UE?...
Top Story with Tom Llamas - Oct. 8 | NBC News NOW
YouTube video by NBC News
youtu.be
October 9, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Was so great to talk in-person about our latest TikTok reporting with Tom Llamas last night! Thanks to the great folks at NBC for having me.
Segment at 30:39: youtu.be/4jH6LmHI1UE?...
Segment at 30:39: youtu.be/4jH6LmHI1UE?...
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Today in Reliable Sources:
How TikTok hooks you; Ted Cruz's anti-censorship fight; creative public TV fundraiser; and much more: cnn.it/4nMYIr0
How TikTok hooks you; Ted Cruz's anti-censorship fight; creative public TV fundraiser; and much more: cnn.it/4nMYIr0
October 8, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Today in Reliable Sources:
How TikTok hooks you; Ted Cruz's anti-censorship fight; creative public TV fundraiser; and much more: cnn.it/4nMYIr0
How TikTok hooks you; Ted Cruz's anti-censorship fight; creative public TV fundraiser; and much more: cnn.it/4nMYIr0
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
So grateful to the news engineers, researchers, lawyers and technicians who helped guide us in the proper way to handle folks' personal data. It was a TREMENDOUS lift to deal with this much (15 million unique videos watched 50-some million times!) and to make sure no personal info was compromised
I very rarely have direct contact on newsroom projects anymore, but this is cool because I did work with folks to help with the original collection protocol to make sure this information was handled and stored privately and wouldn't leave us with a re-identifiable dataset.
How does TikTok keep its millions of users scrolling, swiping and staring at their phones?
With readers' help, we collected data from more than 1,000 TikTok users to find out: https://wapo.st/4nC6Nyr
With readers' help, we collected data from more than 1,000 TikTok users to find out: https://wapo.st/4nC6Nyr
October 7, 2025 at 11:52 PM
So grateful to the news engineers, researchers, lawyers and technicians who helped guide us in the proper way to handle folks' personal data. It was a TREMENDOUS lift to deal with this much (15 million unique videos watched 50-some million times!) and to make sure no personal info was compromised
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Here’s how TikTok ‘power users’ end up scrolling 4 hours a day or more
Washington Post reporters analyzed data from over 800 TikTok users to learn how the app turns people into power users, some of whom spend hours per day scrolling.
wapo.st
October 7, 2025 at 11:14 AM
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Here’s how TikTok ‘power users’ end up scrolling 4 hours a day or more
Washington Post reporters analyzed data from over 800 TikTok users to learn how the app turns people into power users, some of whom spend hours per day scrolling.
wapo.st
October 7, 2025 at 11:14 AM
🤳EXCLUSIVE: We analyzed real data from over 800 U.S. TikTok users to reveal how the app transforms casual users into power users.
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Extremely proud of this one, over a year in the making w/ @richardsima.bsky.social Leslie Shapiro @asteckelberg.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social
wapo.st/4obueib
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Taxpayers will spend $193 billion this year to compensate 6.9 million disabled veterans on the presumption that their ability to work is impaired. Yet we found many claims are for minor afflictions like hair loss, acne + varicose veins. By Craig Whitlock, Lisa Rein & @caitlingilbert.bsky.social:
How some veterans exploit $193 billion VA program, due to lax controls
The Department of Veterans Affairs spends billions on dubious and even fraudulent disabilities benefits. Meanwhile, some deserving cases wait.
wapo.st
October 6, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Taxpayers will spend $193 billion this year to compensate 6.9 million disabled veterans on the presumption that their ability to work is impaired. Yet we found many claims are for minor afflictions like hair loss, acne + varicose veins. By Craig Whitlock, Lisa Rein & @caitlingilbert.bsky.social:
EXCLUSIVE: Veterans are swamping the VA with dubious disability claims, including cases of fraud totaling tens of millions of dollars. 100% disability is now the most common rating.
our first story in our series on the VA’s disability program, with Craig Whitlock and Lisa Rein:
wapo.st/3VN0qw9
our first story in our series on the VA’s disability program, with Craig Whitlock and Lisa Rein:
wapo.st/3VN0qw9
How some veterans exploit $193 billion VA program, due to lax controls
The Department of Veterans Affairs spends billions on dubious and even fraudulent disabilities benefits. Meanwhile, some deserving cases wait.
wapo.st
October 6, 2025 at 12:29 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Veterans are swamping the VA with dubious disability claims, including cases of fraud totaling tens of millions of dollars. 100% disability is now the most common rating.
our first story in our series on the VA’s disability program, with Craig Whitlock and Lisa Rein:
wapo.st/3VN0qw9
our first story in our series on the VA’s disability program, with Craig Whitlock and Lisa Rein:
wapo.st/3VN0qw9
have two totally different huge investigations publishing over the next couple of days and I’m five months pregnant so it’s time to re-up the hayao memes
October 5, 2025 at 9:54 PM
have two totally different huge investigations publishing over the next couple of days and I’m five months pregnant so it’s time to re-up the hayao memes
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Trump’s attack on vaccines yesterday — delivered from the White House — “was the most dangerously irresponsible press conference in the realm of public health in American history” @pauloffit.bsky.social told us.
More on Trump’s false claims with @lenasun.bsky.social
More on Trump’s false claims with @lenasun.bsky.social
‘Based on what I feel’: Trump escalates attack on childhood vaccines
Trump promoted long-debunked claims that vaccines can cause autism as he called for changes to the childhood immunization schedule sought by anti-vaccine activists.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 23, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Trump’s attack on vaccines yesterday — delivered from the White House — “was the most dangerously irresponsible press conference in the realm of public health in American history” @pauloffit.bsky.social told us.
More on Trump’s false claims with @lenasun.bsky.social
More on Trump’s false claims with @lenasun.bsky.social
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
New: inside Trump’s “very important” autism announcement for Monday
— new warnings on tylenol’s risk for pregnant women
— new endorsement of leucovorin’s potential as autism treatment
— new NIH data science initiatives underway
— new warnings on tylenol’s risk for pregnant women
— new endorsement of leucovorin’s potential as autism treatment
— new NIH data science initiatives underway
Trump administration set to tie Tylenol to autism risk, officials say
The Trump administration plans to tie Tylenol to autism risk while touting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential autism treatment.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
New: inside Trump’s “very important” autism announcement for Monday
— new warnings on tylenol’s risk for pregnant women
— new endorsement of leucovorin’s potential as autism treatment
— new NIH data science initiatives underway
— new warnings on tylenol’s risk for pregnant women
— new endorsement of leucovorin’s potential as autism treatment
— new NIH data science initiatives underway
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Meet the parents skipping or delaying vaccination: Our @washingtonpost.com @kff.org poll found they are more likely to home-school their children, be White and very religious, identify as Republican or be under 35
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Why 1 in 6 U.S. parents are rejecting vaccine recommendations
A wide-ranging Washington Post-KFF poll details who tends to reject vaccine recommendations and their reasoning.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 15, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Meet the parents skipping or delaying vaccination: Our @washingtonpost.com @kff.org poll found they are more likely to home-school their children, be White and very religious, identify as Republican or be under 35
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Just 6% of U.S. parents say they are "anti-vaccine" and 8%-13% believe RFK Jr.'s false vaccine claims. But larger shares "don't know" enough to reject false claims or have other doubts about childhood vaccines - 26% think the CDC recommends too many shots www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
September 15, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Just 6% of U.S. parents say they are "anti-vaccine" and 8%-13% believe RFK Jr.'s false vaccine claims. But larger shares "don't know" enough to reject false claims or have other doubts about childhood vaccines - 26% think the CDC recommends too many shots www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by Caitlin Gilbert
Exclusive: The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing appears to have confessed to friends in a Discord chat shortly before turning himself in to law enforcement, according to two people familiar with the chat and screenshots obtained by The Post.
‘It was me’: Suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting appears to confess in Discord chat
‘Im sorry for all of this’ read a message from the suspect’s account, according to two people familiar with the message and screenshots obtained by The Post.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 15, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Exclusive: The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing appears to have confessed to friends in a Discord chat shortly before turning himself in to law enforcement, according to two people familiar with the chat and screenshots obtained by The Post.