Tara C. Smith
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aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith
@aetiology.bsky.social
34K followers 3K following 6.4K posts

Collector of social media sites. Infectious disease epidemiologist. Writes about vaccine hesitancy, science misinfo, zombies. Probably somewhere on a trail. Views own etc.

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The Smith special counsel investigation was a special counsel investigation that was opened by U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland on November 18, 2022, three days after Donald Trump announced his campaign for the 2024 United States presidential election. The investigation was created to continue two investigations initiated by the Justice Department (DOJ) regarding former U.S. president Donald Trump. Garland appointed Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor, to lead the independent investigations. Smith was tasked with investigating Trump's role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack and Trump's mishandling of government records, including classified documents. .. more

Political science 39%
Economics 19%
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aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · Mar 13
Some news, as they say, very relevant for Women's History Month: I'm writing a book!

It will focus on the women who developed the first effective pertussis #vaccine, Pearl Kendrick & Grace Eldering, but also examine what happened with that vaccine in the years since their death. /1
Publishers Marketplace Deal Report MIDNIGHT WORK By Tara C. Smith Imprint: Kensington Professor of epidemiology Dr. Tara C. Smith, PhD's MIDNIGHT WORK: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WOMEN SCIENTISTS WHO HELPED END AN EPIDEMIC, examining the lives of Dr. Pearl Kendrick and Dr. Grace Eldering, the female scientists who developed the first successful whooping cough vaccine despite a culture of unabashed sexism and discrimination, pitched for fans of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS and THE SPIRIT CATCHES YOU AND YOU FALL DOWN, to Leticia Gomez at Kensington, with Denise Silvestro editing, by Cecilia Lyra while at P.S. Literary Agency (world English). Translation: Taryn Fagerness Agency Non-fiction: History February 23, 2026

Reposted by Smith

mattmotta.bsky.social
Matt Motta @mattmotta.bsky.social · 10h
Midterm voters are more concerned about gas prices than vaccines.

BUT, as I discuss with @usatoday.com, vaccines are becoming an increasingly important litmus test for figuring out which candidates will stand up to the Trump admin, and who will not.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Vaccines become a 2026 midterm election issue amid measles outbreak
A measles outbreak and the Trump administration narrowing childhood immunization recommendations have made vaccines a midterm election issue.
www.usatoday.com

Reposted by Smith, Patrick M. Crowley, Richard M. Carpiano , and 2 more

taylordahlin.com
taylr @taylordahlin.com · 1d
if you’re the white woman who was picking up a bat in downtown minneapolis on hennepin ave between washington & 3rd on 9/15 at noon, the minnesota department of health would like to talk to you because that shit was RABID!

i would also like to talk to you because girl, wtf
mi DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH protecting, maintaining and improving the health of il Minesotans RABID BAT FOUND ON SIDEWALK On Tuesday, September 15 at about 12pm, a bat was found on the sidewalk on Hennepin Ave between N. Washington Ave and N 3°St. The bat died and was sent for rabies testing. This bat tested positive for rabies. A woman was seen crouching by the bat and putting it into a bag. She was described as a 25-to-30-year-old white woman, about 5'5", with curly brown hair and a curly-haired golden retriever-like dog. If this was you, please call 911 and ask to be connected to Animal Care & Control. Bites from bats are tiny, may be painless, and may not leave a mark. An person who had physical contact or touched this bat should talk with health care provider this weekend for assessment. During the week, Minnesota Department of Health can also provide rabies assessments at 651-201-5414. If vou did not touch or have any contact with the bat, you have no risk of rabies and do not need shots.

Reposted by Smith

noupside.bsky.social
Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 2d
We all knew who this guy was before Bill Cassidy did the above and confirmed him. Now we are shocked, shocked that the longtime antivaxxer gave an antivax speech at the antivax conference run by his antivax org.

Reposted by Smith

noupside.bsky.social
Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 2d
Person has long, conspicuous record of X → enters respectable institutional role → fellow elites immediately behave as though X might no longer be X → person does X → headline: “In surprising return to X…”

It’s respectability kayfabe. It kills me.

Reposted by Smith

noupside.bsky.social
Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 2d
Is there a formal name for the performative credulity and elite deference that respectable media just can’t seem to abandon? It is clearly illustrated in the case of RFK Jr. Everyone involved is expected to maintain a fiction that nobody knows what everybody knows.

Reposted by Smith, Timothy D. McBride

drjanicekirsch.bsky.social
Jan Kirsch, M.D., M.P.H. @drjanicekirsch.bsky.social · 2d
New surgeon general nominee sells snake oil and invests in tobacco.
She shouldn't be allowed to be within 100 feet of a stethoscope.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
US surgeon general nominee made $270,000 from supplement company
Tobacco investments raise new concerns about Dr Nicole Saphier ahead of confirmation hearing
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Rebecca Solnit, Richard S.J. Tol , and 24 more

bachynski.bsky.social
Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 2d
“On Thursday, Mr. Gorton said that “the success of the polio vaccine was a massive medical fraud” and that widespread vaccination was a “public health disaster.” He received a standing ovation…

Mr. Kennedy spoke next, linking arms with the group even as measles cases continue to rise”
RFK Jr. Assures Vaccine Skeptics They Have a ‘Friend at the White House’
The health secretary spoke at a conference featuring misinformation about vaccines, including a claim that the success of the polio vaccines was a “fraud.”
www.nytimes.com

aetiology.bsky.social
Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 2d
Oh for fuck's sake.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
RFK Jr: "We are also looking at chemtrails"

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Rebecca Solnit, Richard S.J. Tol , and 23 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
RFK Jr: "We are also looking at chemtrails"

Reposted by Smith

maggieastor.bsky.social
Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 2d
I've updated with initial information on the new appointees. At least 2 have denounced gender-affirming care for trans teens. At least 2 have spoken/published on very rare cardiovascular side effects of Covid vaccines. More to come.

I'm reachable on Signal at maggieastor.63 if you have info.
Kennedy Names New Members to Powerful Health Panel Whose Work He Has Blocked (Gift Article)
Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly interfered with the work of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, whose recommendations guide insurance coverage for many Americans.
www.nytimes.com