William C Phelps, PhD
@wcphelps.bsky.social
Semi-retired consultant with expertise in biology, virology, and molecular oncology. Also, an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction.
Very clear-eyed assessment of the war on science today.
Svasti Haricharan@svasti.bsky.social · 2w ago"The Trump administration hates academic science funding, full stop. They hate where that money goes, and they hate who it goes to. They want to keep all that money for themselves, to hand out to favored cronies". Yuuup! 🧪
The pro-peptide stacked FDA advisory committee voted to lift the ban for BPC-157, as expected. This ban lifting is baseless and will give the public a sense of legitimacy for a peptide with no clinical trial data to support safety or efficacy. Pathetic.
Measles cases reach a 35-year high. Cyclosporiasis cases at record levels. It’s almost like public health matters.
CIDRAP@cidrap.bsky.social · 2w agoMeasles cases reach 35-year high in US. More states are reporting outcomes following measles infection. Read more: https://bit.ly/3RwE839
When RFKJr cut the monitoring, presumably he also eliminated the expertise to oversee and understand the parasite which is likely the reason the public remains unsure what is going on with the cyclospora outbreak.
Steve Marmel@marmel.bsky.social · 3w agoI read this as RFK Jr is the explosive diarrhea parasite and I stand by that.
Very promising results as mRNA based vaccines continue development for cancer. 🧪
Reuters@reuters.com · 2mo agoCancer vaccines based on mRNA advance, despite US cuts reut.rs/43q8ruD
The most blatantly corrupt administration in history.
Robert Reich@rbreich.bsky.social · 3mo agoDonald Trump just stole $1.7B from us — and he's creating a slush fund to reward his political allies. I've never seen anything like this in my 50 years in politics. It makes Nixon look like a boy scout. www.cnbc.com/2026/05/18/t...
The most transparently corrupt administration in the history of this country.https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/18/800040497/community/the-staggering-grift/
The Supreme Court Has Unleashed 'Jim Crow 2.0' As The South Rolls Back Black Representation www.huffpost.com/entry/suprem...
The South Lurches Back To Jim Crow Past After Supreme Court Decision
The decision gutting the Voting Rights Act has commenced the largest rollback of Black representation in the South since the end of Reconstruction.
huffpost.com
Trump Ethics Filing Reveals Thousands Of Trades Tied To U.S. Corporate Securities www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
Trump Ethics Filing Reveals Thousands Of Trades Tied To U.S. Corporate Securities
Examples of large purchases, valued at between $1 million and $5 million each, were an S&P 500 Index fund, Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc.
huffpost.com
This would constitute one of the most brazen, most appalling acts of corruption in U.S. history. I know we’re numb to all of this but this is a seven-alarm fire. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/b...
Justice Dept. Officials Consider Settling Trump Suit Against I.R.S.
nytimes.com
I live in Tennessee and am embarrassed by the Republican dominated state government. It is hard to watch. They are a disgrace.
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3mo agoFact-check: True 😕
#NIH funding saves lives. POTUS has proposed a 12% cut to the budget. This is already when a small percent of the NCI (National Cancer Institute) budget goes to childhood cancers. Research has slowed. Remember, this on Russel Vought. 🧪 www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/o...
Opinion | My Son Never Turned 7. Because of Choices in Washington, Others Won’t Either.
nytimes.com
After the US withdrawing from the WHO, and firing large numbers of infectious disease experts, the CDC is a shell of its former self. Sad and short-sighted. www.huffpost.com/entry/expert...
Experts Wonder 'Where Is The CDC?' As A Hantavirus Outbreak Unfolds On A Cruise Ship
“The CDC is not even a player," said Lawrence Gostin, an international public health expert at Georgetown University. “I've never seen that before.”
huffpost.com
PrEP has changed the HIV epidemic; the greatest challenge is patient delivery. 🧪https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2846615?guestAccessKey=759b6f97-ec88-4d45-bcfd-33d2e2419549&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postup_jn&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=olf-tfl_&utm_term=031326
Nice article in JAMA on where we stand with (primarily) childhood vaccines due to the chaos created by RFK JR's CDC. It covers a number of practical topics. 🧪 jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Navigating Conflicting Vaccination Recommendations
This Perspective discusses how clinicians can navigate conflicting vaccination recommendations following revisions from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and US Centers for Disease Cont...
jamanetwork.com
Influenza kills 15,000-60,000 deaths annually. The mRNA platform can offer more nimble updates of seasonal flu vaccines. Thanks Junior and Vinay. apnews.com/article/mode...
Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine made with mRNA technology.
apnews.com
Important that these vaccine recommendations and scientifically validated information be widely circulated particularly since CDC's information under RFK,jr has become highly suspect. 🧪 www.healthychildren.org/English/safe...
All About the AAP Recommended Immunization Schedule
Here's what to know about the recommended immunization schedule for children and teens. The schedule is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and based on ongoing review of the most recent sc...
healthychildren.org
Incredibly dumb to withdraw from WHO. It is hard to watch this unfolding US disaster driven by a demonstrably ignorant president.
Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist@princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 6mo agoThe United States is the only country to have withdrawn from the WHO since its founding 1948. Of course, Trump’s America didn’t pay the dues. 🧪 www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-healt...
The United States is the only country to have withdrawn from the WHO since its founding 1948. Of course, Trump’s America didn’t pay the dues. 🧪 www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-healt...
US formally withdraws from World Health Organization, leaving debt
cidrap.umn.edu
More short-sighted stupidity from the Trump-RFK, jr administration. www.idsociety.org/news--public...
Statement on U.S. withdrawal from WHO
idsociety.org
It's a good commentary on 2025 that the US President announces a major military attack on a foreign country and even the straightest arrows think, 50% chance it's an attack, 50% chance president is on another cognition bender.
Immunotherapy is already showing great promise for treatment of cancer. Recent advances in CAR-T hold out the hope that the procedure could move from ex vivo to in vivo transduction of T-cells. Very exciting work. 🧪 www.science.org/content/arti...
The first patients have been helped by cancer-fighting cells made directly in their bodies
Novel approach could be faster, and cheaper, than making the cells in the lab—but safety concerns linger
science.org
No matter how long I live after we get through this dark chapter, I will never get over the immorality, the amorality, the corruption, the criminality and the cruelty in service to one of the worst humans to ever walk the earth.
As public health citizens, we rely on agencies like the CDC for science-based guidance. But last night’s change to its “Vaccines & Autism” page - now hinting at a possible vaccine link - deeply undermines that trust. When credible institutions shift in ways that echo anti-vax rhetoric, we all lose.
How many hundreds of times did Republicans claim it was a clean CR! Plain and clear theft from taxpayers.
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 9mo agoNEW INTERVIEW: Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez on the Marsha Money Grab Of the 8 Republican Senators stuffing their pockets with millions of taxpayer dollars, 2 are from Tennessee: @MarshaBlackburn & Hagerty — and blowback to the scam is bipartisan. Full: www.instagram.com/reel/DRAQ3I1...
