Bryn Nelson
@seattlebryn.bsky.social
Freelance science, medical + environmental writer and author of “Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure.” PhD in microbiology; also post about misinfo, journalism, oddities, good dogs, bad puns, and Seattle. He/him
✍🏻 💩🧪🧫🦠🔬🌲🏳️🌈
✍🏻 💩🧪🧫🦠🔬🌲🏳️🌈
👀
Meta halted internal research that purportedly showed (young) people who stopped using Facebook became less depressed and anxious, according to an unredacted legal filing released on Friday. www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/m...
Meta halted internal research suggesting social media harm, court filing alleges
Meta is alleged to have halted internal research suggesting social media harm, according to court documents.
www.cnbc.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:15 AM
👀
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 11:16 PM
It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
DHS claims that an accused murderer was released from a Charlotte jail and was “back onto North Carolina’s streets because of sanctuary policies.”
The local paper reported that was false.
So DHS quietly removed that statement—and never admitted they lied. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...
The local paper reported that was false.
So DHS quietly removed that statement—and never admitted they lied. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...
DHS quietly corrects inaccurate information after Charlotte Observer report
As Border Patrol arrived in Charlotte, DHS falsely said a Honduran man charged with murder was released under NC’s “sanctuary policies.”
www.charlotteobserver.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:28 PM
DHS claims that an accused murderer was released from a Charlotte jail and was “back onto North Carolina’s streets because of sanctuary policies.”
The local paper reported that was false.
So DHS quietly removed that statement—and never admitted they lied. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...
The local paper reported that was false.
So DHS quietly removed that statement—and never admitted they lied. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
17 strikes and you’re out. 💀
November 23, 2025 at 4:48 PM
17 strikes and you’re out. 💀
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
“Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a lawsuit by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.”
Meta buried 'causal' evidence of social media harm, US court filings allege - The Economic Times
Meta reportedly halted internal research into the mental health impacts of Facebook and Instagram after finding causal evidence of harm. Internal documents revealed users reported lower depression and...
m.economictimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:46 PM
“Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a lawsuit by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.”
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The skinny on this is that *any* grant can be terminated at *any* time for *any* reason, making planning impossible.
For more background on this, see my thread from a few months ago: bsky.app/profile/kgan...
For more background on this, see my thread from a few months ago: bsky.app/profile/kgan...
November 23, 2025 at 5:08 PM
The skinny on this is that *any* grant can be terminated at *any* time for *any* reason, making planning impossible.
For more background on this, see my thread from a few months ago: bsky.app/profile/kgan...
For more background on this, see my thread from a few months ago: bsky.app/profile/kgan...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
EXCLUSIVE: CDC to end all monkey studies. Decision handed down by recent college grad and former DOGE employee who is now deputy chief of staff at the agency. Animals were being used in studies of HIV prevention. Some may be euthanized. My latest for @science.org
Exclusive: CDC to end all monkey research
Studies related to HIV and other infectious diseases will be phased out, sources say; fate of the agency's animals remains unclear
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:16 PM
EXCLUSIVE: CDC to end all monkey studies. Decision handed down by recent college grad and former DOGE employee who is now deputy chief of staff at the agency. Animals were being used in studies of HIV prevention. Some may be euthanized. My latest for @science.org
Oops!
Grand opening, grand closing.
X quietly disabled a new feature that showed which country an account was posting from when it revealed that lots of popular right wing MAGA accounts were being run from foreign countries like India and Nigeria.
X quietly disabled a new feature that showed which country an account was posting from when it revealed that lots of popular right wing MAGA accounts were being run from foreign countries like India and Nigeria.
November 22, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Oops!
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
In this tough and moving essay, Caroline Kennedy's 35-year-old daughter Tatiana Schlossberg reveals that she is terminally ill with leukemia. She has some choice words about how her cousin Bobby has made the limited time she has left worse. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
www.newyorker.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM
In this tough and moving essay, Caroline Kennedy's 35-year-old daughter Tatiana Schlossberg reveals that she is terminally ill with leukemia. She has some choice words about how her cousin Bobby has made the limited time she has left worse. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The Trump administration sidestepped skeptical lawyers across national security agencies as it pursued a military campaign against alleged narcotraffickers, according to multiple current and former officials familiar with the debates.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
White House blew past legal concerns in deadly strikes on drug boats
The Trump administration sidestepped skeptical lawyers across national security agencies as it pursued a military campaign against alleged narcotraffickers, officials say.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The Trump administration sidestepped skeptical lawyers across national security agencies as it pursued a military campaign against alleged narcotraffickers, according to multiple current and former officials familiar with the debates.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Google defaulting all Gmail users to a setting that enables Google to harvest all your emails into chatbot training is straight-up evil and invasive.
www.huffpost.com/entry/opt-ou...
www.huffpost.com/entry/opt-ou...
If You Use Gmail, You're Going To Want To Turn Off This 1 Automatic Setting ASAP
Plus: a quick guide to the two-step process for opting out.
www.huffpost.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Google defaulting all Gmail users to a setting that enables Google to harvest all your emails into chatbot training is straight-up evil and invasive.
www.huffpost.com/entry/opt-ou...
www.huffpost.com/entry/opt-ou...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
This perfectly encapsulates the "performative neutrality" of which @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social and I accuse the New York Times--with respect to both climate and vaccines--in #ScienceUnderSiege. In fact, it goes beyond that, engaging in outright antiscience pandering:
Breaking News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he personally instructed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism. The move underscores his determination to challenge scientific orthodoxy — in this case, that vaccines save lives — and bend the health department to his will.
RFK Jr. Says He Instructed CDC to Change Vaccines and Autism Language on Website
In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.
nyti.ms
November 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
This perfectly encapsulates the "performative neutrality" of which @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social and I accuse the New York Times--with respect to both climate and vaccines--in #ScienceUnderSiege. In fact, it goes beyond that, engaging in outright antiscience pandering:
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Just an absolutely gutting essay by Tatiana Schlossberg, a writer, mother of two young children, and cousin of RFK Jr who is dying of leukemia.
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
November 22, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Just an absolutely gutting essay by Tatiana Schlossberg, a writer, mother of two young children, and cousin of RFK Jr who is dying of leukemia.
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
On the patently unlawful boat strikes
It's hard for USGs to claim ‘mistake of law’ or ‘advice of counsel’ – when they’re firing lawyers who wouldn't sign off on the strikes.
WaPo's new revelations on firings or removals:
1) CIA General Counsel
2) NSC Legal Adviser
3) CIA Mission Center’s lawyer
🧵
It's hard for USGs to claim ‘mistake of law’ or ‘advice of counsel’ – when they’re firing lawyers who wouldn't sign off on the strikes.
WaPo's new revelations on firings or removals:
1) CIA General Counsel
2) NSC Legal Adviser
3) CIA Mission Center’s lawyer
🧵
White House blew past legal concerns in deadly strikes on drug boats
The Trump administration sidestepped skeptical lawyers across national security agencies as it pursued a military campaign against alleged narcotraffickers, officials say.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
On the patently unlawful boat strikes
It's hard for USGs to claim ‘mistake of law’ or ‘advice of counsel’ – when they’re firing lawyers who wouldn't sign off on the strikes.
WaPo's new revelations on firings or removals:
1) CIA General Counsel
2) NSC Legal Adviser
3) CIA Mission Center’s lawyer
🧵
It's hard for USGs to claim ‘mistake of law’ or ‘advice of counsel’ – when they’re firing lawyers who wouldn't sign off on the strikes.
WaPo's new revelations on firings or removals:
1) CIA General Counsel
2) NSC Legal Adviser
3) CIA Mission Center’s lawyer
🧵
👀
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis found examples of agents lobbing tear gas into crowds of protesters while exclaiming ‘f--- yeah!”, slamming their brakes while being tailed to cause car accidents and using ChatGPT to write their reports.
Judge hands down critical review of federal immigration agents' 'unprecedented' use of force
chicago.suntimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:12 AM
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Reposted by Bryn Nelson
ICYMI Dept of Education will no longer considers these professional degrees:
Nursing
Public health
Social work
Physician assistant
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Audiology
Speech-language pathology
Social work
Counseling & therapy
Health Admin
A smaller health workforce makes us all sicker
Nursing
Public health
Social work
Physician assistant
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Audiology
Speech-language pathology
Social work
Counseling & therapy
Health Admin
A smaller health workforce makes us all sicker
November 21, 2025 at 11:14 PM
ICYMI Dept of Education will no longer considers these professional degrees:
Nursing
Public health
Social work
Physician assistant
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Audiology
Speech-language pathology
Social work
Counseling & therapy
Health Admin
A smaller health workforce makes us all sicker
Nursing
Public health
Social work
Physician assistant
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Audiology
Speech-language pathology
Social work
Counseling & therapy
Health Admin
A smaller health workforce makes us all sicker
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The Dept of Education no longer classifies Nursing or Accounting degrees, among others, as "professional" when considering reimbursement for federal loans.
Two professions where shortages are rampant. Ain't gonna get better with this!
nurse.org/news/nursing...
Two professions where shortages are rampant. Ain't gonna get better with this!
nurse.org/news/nursing...
Nursing Excluded as 'Professional' Degree By Department of Education
The Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill" excludes nursing from graduate degree programs deemed as 'professional.' The move impacts loan funding, healthcare delivery, and patient care access...
nurse.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:47 PM
The Dept of Education no longer classifies Nursing or Accounting degrees, among others, as "professional" when considering reimbursement for federal loans.
Two professions where shortages are rampant. Ain't gonna get better with this!
nurse.org/news/nursing...
Two professions where shortages are rampant. Ain't gonna get better with this!
nurse.org/news/nursing...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
New from me: I talked to CDC staffers about the new vaccines and autism page. They said things like:
“The best way I can put it is it feels like we’re on a hijacked airplane.”
“I think people are starting to see that we can’t fulfill our mission here.”
“The best way I can put it is it feels like we’re on a hijacked airplane.”
“I think people are starting to see that we can’t fulfill our mission here.”
“Embarrassing” and “horrifying”: CDC workers describe the new vaccines and autism page
"The best way I can put it is it feels like we're on a hijacked airplane."
www.motherjones.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:41 PM
New from me: I talked to CDC staffers about the new vaccines and autism page. They said things like:
“The best way I can put it is it feels like we’re on a hijacked airplane.”
“I think people are starting to see that we can’t fulfill our mission here.”
“The best way I can put it is it feels like we’re on a hijacked airplane.”
“I think people are starting to see that we can’t fulfill our mission here.”
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
I had terrifying conversations with four former CDC officials, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Dan Jernigan, and Dr. Nikki Romanik, about the formerly prestigious public health agency.
All of them told me that any information coming out of the CDC can no longer be trusted.
All of them told me that any information coming out of the CDC can no longer be trusted.
November 21, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I had terrifying conversations with four former CDC officials, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Dan Jernigan, and Dr. Nikki Romanik, about the formerly prestigious public health agency.
All of them told me that any information coming out of the CDC can no longer be trusted.
All of them told me that any information coming out of the CDC can no longer be trusted.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
"At this time, I suggest the general public avoid the CDC website." --epidemiologist @kkjetelina.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
One of CDC’s final blows. And what it means for you.
Where to find trusted health information now?
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
"At this time, I suggest the general public avoid the CDC website." --epidemiologist @kkjetelina.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Really important article about how the White House's anti-DEI crusade is cutting off data for new potential breakthroughs for African-Americans who disproportionately suffer from end-stage kidney disease. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-m...
The Trump Admin’s War on Data Is Compromising Major Health Advancements for Black Americans
Thanks to a 2009 medical breakthrough, researchers could be on the precipice...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Really important article about how the White House's anti-DEI crusade is cutting off data for new potential breakthroughs for African-Americans who disproportionately suffer from end-stage kidney disease. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-m...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Stop laying off copy editors and then complaining about errors and lack of reader trust challenge
November 20, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Stop laying off copy editors and then complaining about errors and lack of reader trust challenge
A great new feature in Nature suggests why you shouldn't pooh-pooh #poo. Or #pee! With some comments from me on getting over the "ick factor."
Hannah Docter-Loeb did a nice job describing some of the many critical applications (some of which are in Flush!). 💩🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hannah Docter-Loeb did a nice job describing some of the many critical applications (some of which are in Flush!). 💩🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Waste not: how researchers harness pee and poo for science
It might seem gross, but these materials are treasure troves for research.
www.nature.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:09 PM
A great new feature in Nature suggests why you shouldn't pooh-pooh #poo. Or #pee! With some comments from me on getting over the "ick factor."
Hannah Docter-Loeb did a nice job describing some of the many critical applications (some of which are in Flush!). 💩🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hannah Docter-Loeb did a nice job describing some of the many critical applications (some of which are in Flush!). 💩🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
NEW: Elon Musk's Grokipedia cites a neo-Nazi website 42 times, researchers say www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu...
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia cites Stormfront — a neo-Nazi forum — dozens of times, study finds
An analysis by researchers at Cornell University is the first comprehensive look at Grokipedia since Musk launched his project last month.
www.nbcnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:22 PM
NEW: Elon Musk's Grokipedia cites a neo-Nazi website 42 times, researchers say www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Not to put too fine a point on it, but he called for their execution, which deserves at least to be in the dek.
Trump: Democrats ‘traitors’ for telling military not to follow unlawful orders
The president said lawmakers who appeared in a video committed “seditious behavior” and should be arrested and put on trial for treason.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Not to put too fine a point on it, but he called for their execution, which deserves at least to be in the dek.