Lisa Jarvis

Years ago, Harvard's George Whitesides and I had a lengthy chat about non-sexy climate solutions that has stuck with me. (our side chat about whale autopsies has also stuck with me, but I digress). Anyway, I love the basics! Like advances in paint! Check out @lararhiannon.bsky.social's piece:

Bloomberg Opinion@opinion.bloomberg.com

Did you barely make it through the sweltering summer? Something as simple as paint might be the solution to keeping your house up to 20 degrees cooler, says @lararhiannon.bsky.social 🎥

nytimes.comCan Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s Former CEO, Help Fix A.I.’s Gender Problem?Marissa Mayer made her name as a pioneer at Google, then as chief executive at Yahoo. Now Mayer is entering the crowded marketplace for A.I. assistants — and hoping to draw in more women.

What if instead of outsourcing our brains to AI, we strove for gender parity in parenting, lowered societal expectations for things like kids' birthday parties & Halloween, reconsidered our work culture, etc? Just throwing it out there.

thenation.comThe Fall of “Scientific American”When the beloved science publication got too political, its corporate owners stepped in. Now its future is uncertain.

It's been truly depressing to watch the gutting of SciAm--and of course, terrible to watch so many great journalists (and friends) lose their jobs amid the meltdown.

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Francis Wilkinson

@franciswilkinson.bsky.social

Unsure which elements of this story are most grotesque. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/t...

nytimes.comHow Mark Zuckerberg Pushed Meta to Shield Him From California’s Proposed Wealth TaxThe billionaire told Meta’s board that he planned to list his Silicon Valley home for sale. The company remade its stock structure to help him pay the tax if voters pass it.

nytimes.comOpinion | Applying to High School in New York City Is a Soul-Destroying NightmareI thought my worst New York City experience was getting punched in the face. That was before I started trying to get my kid into a public high school.

"Ultimately, I think part of the answer is bringing back neighborhood high schools, not as a replacement for school choice, but as a supplement." --> This. (& would suggest someone look at story of Amundsen HS in Chicago of how to effectively nurture neighborhood schools).

@drtomfrieden.bsky.social

Also: Can't imagine something worse than Chicago's HS selection system, which is its own form of soul-crushing. But goodness, this made me glad to have left NY before having to navigate public school.

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Dr. Tom Frieden

I had no idea that Helen Branswell was ill. I'm deeply saddened to hear of her passing. When I became CDC director, a very astute member of the CDC press office told me that I wasn't ready for a briefing unless I was ready for questions from Helen Branswell.

statnews.comHelen Branswell, whose reporting on infectious diseases and public health drew acclaim, dies at 69Helen Branswell, STAT's infectious disease reporter who earned the respect of experts and public health officials with her accessible, prescient dispatches, has died at age 69.

No!!!!!! This news is heartbreaking.

Rose Broderick@rosebroderick.bsky.social

It's a really sad day here at STAT. www.statnews.com/2026/10/13/h...

If you've ever written about public health, you know there's no greater complement than Helen sharing, commenting on or even just "liking" one of your stories. She was incomparable on her beat. A giant! I can't imagine going through an outbreak without her sober voice. A tremendous loss.

nytimes.comBrooke Eby, Who Brought Humor and Awareness to A.L.S., Dies at 37After her diagnosis in 2022, when she was only 33, she became a vocal, witty advocate for people confronting the disease.

Oh, this is a gut punch.

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Josh Marshall

@joshtpm.bsky.social

share.inquirer.com/s6wwow?utm_s...

share.inquirer.comA 20-year-old Amish woman with leukemia got measles and died in Pa.’s largest outbreak in three decadesAfter measles swept through her household, the young woman wanted to get vaccinated. Her doctor said she couldn't because she had leukemia and the treatments had weakened her immune system.

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Jon Collins

@jcollins.bsky.social

19 Sept

She wanted the second line of her obituary to acknowledge her role as a shop steward for SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents NPR's editorial workers. She wanted the line to say that her "proudest achievement" was helping convince NPR to increase its paid parental leave. www.npr.org/2026/09/18/n...

npr.orgEditor Rose Friedman, who helped shape NPR's cultural coverage, dies at 38Friedman was in her early 20s when she landed her first position as an editorial assistant at NPR. She became an editor and reporter, and a co-creator of the annual Books We Love reading guide.

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Shefali Luthra

@shefali.bsky.social

16 Sept

Big news: The family of Tierra Walker, who died after she couldn't get an abortion, is suing a slate of Texas actors in state court, including AG Ken Paxton. They say the state ban is unconstitutional. This is the first suit of its kind. 19thnews.org/2026/09/texa...

19thnews.orgTierra Walker died after she couldn’t get an abortion. Her family is suing Ken PaxtonThe case, filed Tuesday, argues that Texas’ near-total abortion ban violates the state and U.S. Constitutions, which “prohibit state actors from killing their citizens.”

bloomberg.comErica Schwartz Is Failing Her First Test as CDC HeadA tragedy in Pennsylvania — two measles-related deaths, including that of an infant — has devolved into a political circus led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

14 Sept

On this front (🎁):

Jessica Nix@jessicanix.bsky.social

NEW: For a third week in a row, the CDC hasn’t included the PA measles-associated deaths in its weekly update. The controversy around the deaths has eroded what little trust staff had in the new director. Gift link for @bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comCDC Measles Death Pushback Stokes Staff Fears About New LeaderFor the third week in a row, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t include two Pennsylvania measles deaths in its 2026 outbreak count.

www.cnn.com/2026/09/13/h...

14 Sept

cnn.comAdult woman dies of measles complications in growing Pennsylvania outbreak | CNNA 40-year-old woman who lived in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has died from measles complications, the county coroner confirmed Sunday. It’s the third measles-associated death in a fast-growing out...

15 Sept

A fourth measles death in PA. Horrible.

Dorit Reiss@doritreiss.bsky.social

Another measles death. 18 years old. Unvaccinated. See also: www.pa.gov/agencies/hea... H/T @melodyschreiber.com @tom.medsky.social

statnews.comKennedy to deliver keynote for anti-vaccine group he once ledRFK Jr. worked to distance himself from Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group he once led. Now, he's delivering a keynote at CHD's conference.

14 Sept

Whelp. www.statnews.com/2026/09/14/r...

Lisa Jarvis reposted

bloomberg.comHealthcare Costs Have Small Businesses in an Impossible BindThe healthcare affordability crisis is crushing everyone, but it has become downright calamitous for small businesses. Survey after survey after survey shows that employers expect healthcare costs to ...

Small businesses— a key driver of the US economy — are running out of ways to make the math work on healthcare coverage amid surging costs. They (and the millions of Americans they employ) need relief. My latest @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):

nymag.comThe Other Victims of 9/11Twenty-five years after the attack, tens of thousands of people have gotten sick. I am one of them.

Thinking a lot about this today, too.

washingtonpost.comCancer’s toll on 9/11 survivors is accelerating 25 years laterThe number of victims receiving aid has tripled in recent years, a Post analysis finds, as the illness’s toll becomes more apparent.

And this:

nytimes.com9/11’s Dust and Ash Coated Their Childhood. Is It Still Making Them Ill? (Gift Article)Much of the research on exposure to the World Trade Center residue has focused on emergency workers, but people there when they were young say their health is at risk, too.

And this:

nytimes.comSept. 11 and the Persistence of Memory (Gift Article)Twenty-five years later, fleeting memories and indelible images still haunt those who lived through the attacks and their aftermath.

25 years later and those first terrifying hours, that whole surreal day, are still right there.

nytimes.comThe Generation That’s Never Had to Say ‘Hello?’Now that there’s rarely any mystery to who’s calling, Gen Z has adopted a range of custom phone greetings — including no greeting at all.

9 Sept

My constant confusion when my teen answers her phone and is just...silent. (On the rare occasions she actually answers her phone, that is.)

Julianne McShane@juliannemcshane.bsky.social

"When Myka Meier asked roughly three dozen 15- and 16-year-olds how they answered their phones, “about a third said that they do not give a greeting,” she said." the kids are not alright, this is diabolical behavior

nytimes.comRoger Marshall Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator.Patients sued by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas were routinely charged 18 percent interest, The Times found. Some had bank accounts garnished.

8 Sept

Every last patient story is heartbreaking. Please do read.

Lisa Jarvis@lisamjarvis.bsky.social

"Meischa Zimmerman was arrested three times in six years for missed court dates related to her outstanding C-section bill. The first time, she was eight months pregnant."

8 Sept

"Meischa Zimmerman was arrested three times in six years for missed court dates related to her outstanding C-section bill. The first time, she was eight months pregnant."

wbez.orgAre cicadas louder this year?It's 'inconclusive' but it seems like the male mating call is really loud.

4 Sept

My unscientific assessment: Yes. (also, someone please explain whatever is going on with the intense swarms of sand flies at Lake Michigan this year)

wbez.orgHave you been swarmed by biting flies? Why they're 'no joke'Stable flies could be the culprit and they suck blood crudely through ‘bayonet-like mouthparts’

6 Sept

Thank you, WBEZ! And also: stable flies can pierce through clothing?!?

Lisa Jarvis reposted

4 Sept

Some thoughts on how a tragedy--2 measles-related deaths in PA--has turned into a political circus. So much for new CDC director Erica Schwartz's promise to "speak truth to power." My latest @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):

nytimes.comGloria Steinem, Personification of the Women’s Movement, Dies at 92 (Gift Article)She challenged sexist assumptions, helping women develop a sense of self-worth and gain a measure of equality at work, at home and in society at large.

4 Sept

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Ally Whelan

@amwhelan.bsky.social

3 Sept

Rest in power. Let us all remember one of her many important messages — “Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.”

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Ellie Mae O'Hagan

@elliemaeohagan.bsky.social

3 Sept

I love the dedication in My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinhem

cdc.govInterim Clinical Considerations for the Use of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines in the United StatesClinical considerations concerning the use of seasonal influenza vaccines in the United States.

2 Sept

Good. Grief.

Alicia Ault@aliciaault.bsky.social

The CDC has posted guidance for the flu vaccine w/this message: "Because of legal uncertainties and inquiries, the CDC states the recommendations for seasonal influenza vaccination from the July 2025 immunization schedule remain in effect for the 2026-2027 influenza season."

Lisa Jarvis reposted

bloomberg.comExtreme Heat Is Making It Harder for Kids to LearnEach year, schools around the country spend the last weeks of summer break preparing for the day when promising young minds flood through their doors. Yet educators and policymakers too often overlook...

Dangerous heat & humidity here in Chicago as kids get into week two of the school year. My recent thoughts on how parents, teachers, districts and policymakers need to be more thoughtfully approaching extreme heat & learning:

Aaand my kid came home and said the AC was malfunctioning in part of her high school today. Fun times for kids trying to stay focused...

Lisa Jarvis reposted

bloomberg.comThe White House Can’t Hype Away Healthcare Sticker ShockAny genuine efforts to lower high US prescription drug prices should be embraced. But President Donald Trump’s latest deal with drug manufacturers to lower those prices, announced Monday, falls far sh...

Americans are already struggling to afford healthcare-and survey after survey shows costs will go up by ~10% next year. Will Trump's latest round of drug price deals help alleviate consumers' stress? Who could tell when nobody knows their terms- but seems unlikely. My latest @opinion.bloomberg.com:

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Rachel Sachs

@rachelsachs.bsky.social

This seems to suggest that by putting one product (Jakafi) into GENEROUS (a product that's older (first approved in 2011) and possibly highly rebated under Medicaid already), Incyte expects that itself ("it") and its other products will be exempt from GUARD/GLOBE. Do others read it differently?

Bob Herman@bobjherman.bsky.social

This tells you everything you need to know about the Trump administration's drug price agreements with pharma companies. www.sec.gov/Archives/edg...

politico.comUSDA cyclospora research projects shelved amid funding cuts and relocationsThe shuttering of three projects is expected to hinder vital research at a time when consumers are increasingly worried about the safety of the food supply.

Well this is infuriating. www.politico.com/news/2026/08...

bloomberg.comIs Lettuce Safe? Probably. Will Cyclospora Spur Change? HopefullyFor the last month, Americans have viewed their lunchtime salads or even a single, crisp leaf of iceberg on their burger as a possible threat. Could it harbor cyclospora, the explosive-diarrhea-causin...

As I recently wrote, the goal coming out our national lettuce nightmare should be to learn as much as possible about how to prevent or at least mitigate the impact of the next one. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Apoorva Mandavilli

@apoorvanyt.bsky.social

31 Aug

Erica Schwartz, the new CDC director, ordered agency officials to challenge two measles deaths reported by PA, shunning the agency’s normal procedure of accepting state data and amplifying comments made by her boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/h...

nytimes.comC.D.C. Director Challenges Pennsylvania’s Report of Two Measles Deaths (Gift Article)Questioning a state’s investigation is highly unusual for the public health agency, but reflects tensions between the Trump administration and many states over health issues.

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Susan Rinkunas

@susanrinkunas.com

31 Aug

NEW: A Texas judge paused a lawsuit seeking to revoke FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone until December 1—or FDA finishes its sham mife "review." Judge Reed O'Connor said Texas and Florida *can challenge drug's original approval* @autonomynews.co storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Lisa Jarvis reposted

Eric Klinenberg

@ericklinenberg.bsky.social

27 Aug

Researchers in Chicago tracked neighborhood-level tree canopy over two decades and discovered something startling: “Each year-to-year percent increase in canopy was associated with around a 10 percent reduction in mortality." Keeping mature trees alive can help keep people alive -and cooler, too.

nytimes.comClimate: Saving Old Trees Might Save LivesWe know that trees are good for cities. A new study finds that mature trees are especially good.

inquirer.comA newborn baby was one of Pa.’s two measles-related deaths, state says as RFK questions whether they were ‘fabricated’The measles-related deaths announced Tuesday of two Lancaster County residents were the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years and led to a spat between Josh Shapiro and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

27 Aug

A newborn was one of the 2 measles deaths in Pennsylvania. My god. www.inquirer.com/health/measl...

Lisa Jarvis@lisamjarvis.bsky.social

Two unvaccinated people have died from measles in Pennsylvania, state health officials announced today. Re-upping my recent @opinion.bloomberg.com column on faltering childhood vaccine rates and our growing pockets of vulnerability from entirely preventable diseases:

bloomberg.comNew Kindergarten Vaccine Data Has RFK Jr.’s Stamp All Over ItIn an early but damning gauge of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s impact since his ascent to US health secretary, a growing number of Americans are sending their kids off to kindergarten without crucial vaccin...

Lisa Jarvis reposted

26 Aug

As high temps increasingly encroach upon the school year, not enough districts have a plan for handling extreme heat. Very hot days aren't just a matter of discomfort- they affect kids' cognition, attention, concentration, behavior, & physical & mental health. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com:

26 Aug