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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to unravel decades of evidence-based federal vaccine policy. Today, he is scheduled to testify before the Senate Finance Committee, where questions about the department’s actions on vaccines are sure to arise.
Vaccines based on mRNA technology, which were in development for decades but fast-tracked during the COVID-19 pandemic, have taken an especially heavy hit of misinformation perpetrated by Kennedy and other vaccine skeptics.
“This incorrect information is shaping long-term health policy in the U.S.,” writes microbiologist and vaccine expert Deborah Fuller.
Fuller explains the research behind the safety of mRNA vaccines and their benefits over traditional vaccine technology. Abandoning mRNA vaccine technology is “akin to eliminating all e-bike technology and telling everyone who seeks one to get by with a single brand of a 10-speed bike,” she writes. “Getting to the intended destination may still be possible, but it will be slower and harder.”
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RFK Jr. canceled $500 million of funding for research on mRNA vaccine technology.
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Deborah Fuller, University of Washington
Chaos at the CDC and the sharp move away from mRNA vaccines has public health experts alarmed.
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Ethics + Religion
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Jaime L. Kucinskas, Hamilton College; Yvonne Zylan, University of Calgary
Federal workers face unique challenges. But part of their dilemma is familiar to many Americans who have to wrestle with dramatic changes in the workplace.
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Science + Technology
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Sara Giordano, Kennesaw State University
Cultural ideas are inextricably entwined with the people who do science, the questions they ask, the assumptions they hold and the conclusions they land on.
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Economy + Business
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Soon Hyeok Choi, Rochester Institute of Technology
A new study of 40,000 real estate agents suggests that the first professional connection you make can boost your odds of success by 25%.
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Environment + Energy
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Jeffrey C. Hallo, Clemson University
These sites of national significance hold surprising treasures no less wondrous than the big-name destinations, potentially right around the corner from your home.
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Ruohao Zhang, Penn State; Jiameng Zheng, Louisiana State University ; Wendong Zhang, Cornell University; Xibo Wan, University of Connecticut
PFAS exposure can vary significantly from one community to the next. A close-up view of three Great Lakes states offers some insights for everyone.
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Politics + Society
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Timothy J Lombardo, University of South Alabama
Understanding Rizzo’s career and political popularity can help explain the appeal of President Trump’s identity-based populism today.
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International
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Peter Newman, Curtin University
The deadly derailment has shone a spotlight on this transport relic of the 19th century.
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Sarah Njeri, SOAS, University of London; Christina Greene, University of Arizona
One of the main ways conflict leads to environmental harm is by leaving behind unexploded weapons and ammunition.
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