Meal
@mealmel.bsky.social
Epidemiologist and mom in Baltimore. Global health, measurement, and eval
If you send me an AI rewrite of something I wrote, do not expect me to spend my time reviewing it. 🗑️
August 25, 2026 at 2:59 AM
If you send me an AI rewrite of something I wrote, do not expect me to spend my time reviewing it. 🗑️
👏👏👏
wow — the preprint host, arxiv, is banning authors for a year if they submit papers with hallucinated citations 🤖
May 14, 2026 at 10:24 PM
👏👏👏
Reposted by Meal
Why women? Because neoliberalism and sexism go hand-in-hand. Essentially, the only way for the federal government to spend ~$0 taking care of people (the neoliberal dream) is to create a class of people who can be compelled to care for free (and sexist logic/structures establish women as that class)
April 2, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Why women? Because neoliberalism and sexism go hand-in-hand. Essentially, the only way for the federal government to spend ~$0 taking care of people (the neoliberal dream) is to create a class of people who can be compelled to care for free (and sexist logic/structures establish women as that class)
Reposted by Meal
Or, to put it more bluntly: "Rich people could pay less in taxes if only women would do more unpaid labor at home."
April 1, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Or, to put it more bluntly: "Rich people could pay less in taxes if only women would do more unpaid labor at home."
Reposted by Meal
🧵Feels like shouting into the void, but it is essential to note that the Trump/Rubio gutting of the State Department and blowtorching of US diplomatic capacity and credibility is an accelerant to this spiraling war and will seriously undercut US/allied efforts to pick up the pieces after. 1/
March 6, 2026 at 4:25 PM
🧵Feels like shouting into the void, but it is essential to note that the Trump/Rubio gutting of the State Department and blowtorching of US diplomatic capacity and credibility is an accelerant to this spiraling war and will seriously undercut US/allied efforts to pick up the pieces after. 1/
This is a neocon take in progressive clothing
Universal healthcare for everyone instead of special perks for some would be better.
People who want children need to plan and save in advance for daycare costs, just like the rest of us do for big-ticket wants. It’s hardly an unknown factor. Plan, save, reproduce prudently and within means.
People who want children need to plan and save in advance for daycare costs, just like the rest of us do for big-ticket wants. It’s hardly an unknown factor. Plan, save, reproduce prudently and within means.
March 2, 2026 at 9:13 PM
This is a neocon take in progressive clothing
Reposted by Meal
I will die on this lonely hill, telling every undergraduate that comes to me fretting about what they should major in that they should major in whatever they want, while they learn how to read, write, work with data, & speak a foreign language.
👇🎯 Periodic reminder that the right-wing career/salary talking points about the liberal arts are belied by huge piles of data (e.g., news.wisc.edu/new-data-on-...), & the complicity of Democrats & university administrators in repeating those right-wing talking points is a major part of then problem.
February 13, 2026 at 7:34 PM
I will die on this lonely hill, telling every undergraduate that comes to me fretting about what they should major in that they should major in whatever they want, while they learn how to read, write, work with data, & speak a foreign language.
Reposted by Meal
No children in camps!! Public health and medical colleagues we need to keep speaking up! No camps. No more families torn apart and mistreated. End this now!
NEW: A baby held in immigration detention became so sick, she had to be rushed to a hospital in severe respiratory distress.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention without prescribed medication, lawsuit says
The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a federal lawsuit.
www.nbcnews.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:15 PM
No children in camps!! Public health and medical colleagues we need to keep speaking up! No camps. No more families torn apart and mistreated. End this now!
Reposted by Meal
Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.
"Please get the truth out about our son."
"Please get the truth out about our son."
January 25, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.
"Please get the truth out about our son."
"Please get the truth out about our son."
Reposted by Meal
they summarily executed a fucking VA health researcher. our field cannot just ignore this. or just release angry statements and move on.
and if this is all the same person, was involved in this VA funded study through the Minneapolis VA
www.vacsp.research.va.gov/CSP_2004/CSP...
www.vacsp.research.va.gov/CSP_2004/CSP...
VA.gov | Veterans Affairs
Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.
www.vacsp.research.va.gov
January 24, 2026 at 7:05 PM
they summarily executed a fucking VA health researcher. our field cannot just ignore this. or just release angry statements and move on.
Reposted by Meal
The 5-year-old arrested by ICE In Minnesota is detained at Dilley. We reported on conditions there in the below article.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Analysis by The Marshall Project of ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project found that the Trump administration’s revival of family detention has swept thousands of children into ICE custody. At least 3,800 children under 18, including 20 infants, have been booked since Trump took office.
ICE Threw Thousands of Kids in Detention, Many For Longer Than Court-Prescribed Limit
Former immigration staffers argue ICE is choosing to detain families for prolonged periods to speed deportations and compel them to leave.
www.themarshallproject.org
January 22, 2026 at 8:30 PM
The 5-year-old arrested by ICE In Minnesota is detained at Dilley. We reported on conditions there in the below article.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Parents said the food was contaminated with mold and worms & that children were so under so much stress that they were hitting their own faces & wetting themselves.
Reposted by Meal
🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional!
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
January 21, 2026 at 10:00 PM
🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional!
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
Reposted by Meal
BREAKING: Whistleblower disclosures reveal a formal ICE policy to ignore the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
Every American should be terrified by this secret ICE policy authorizing its agents to kick down your door & storm into your home. 1/
Every American should be terrified by this secret ICE policy authorizing its agents to kick down your door & storm into your home. 1/
Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge's warrant, memo says
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press reveals that the agency allows immigration officers to forcibly enter homes to make arrests without a judicial warrant.
apnews.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:57 PM
BREAKING: Whistleblower disclosures reveal a formal ICE policy to ignore the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
Every American should be terrified by this secret ICE policy authorizing its agents to kick down your door & storm into your home. 1/
Every American should be terrified by this secret ICE policy authorizing its agents to kick down your door & storm into your home. 1/
Reposted by Meal
Eight minutes matters.
A pulse matters.
Denied medical care matters.
Doctors don’t speak out like this for politics or optics. They speak out when a line is crossed, when an oath is violated, when someone who could have been helped is instead left to die.
It’s utterly vile they have to do this.
A pulse matters.
Denied medical care matters.
Doctors don’t speak out like this for politics or optics. They speak out when a line is crossed, when an oath is violated, when someone who could have been helped is instead left to die.
It’s utterly vile they have to do this.
January 21, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Eight minutes matters.
A pulse matters.
Denied medical care matters.
Doctors don’t speak out like this for politics or optics. They speak out when a line is crossed, when an oath is violated, when someone who could have been helped is instead left to die.
It’s utterly vile they have to do this.
A pulse matters.
Denied medical care matters.
Doctors don’t speak out like this for politics or optics. They speak out when a line is crossed, when an oath is violated, when someone who could have been helped is instead left to die.
It’s utterly vile they have to do this.
My 5th grader’s school had to go virtual this week, and it has been SO, SO much easier than virtual preK/K.
I’m feeling bitter all over again at the people who, when we said virtual K was hard, told us we were doing it wrong/didn’t want to spend time with our kid.
I’m feeling bitter all over again at the people who, when we said virtual K was hard, told us we were doing it wrong/didn’t want to spend time with our kid.
January 21, 2026 at 6:13 PM
My 5th grader’s school had to go virtual this week, and it has been SO, SO much easier than virtual preK/K.
I’m feeling bitter all over again at the people who, when we said virtual K was hard, told us we were doing it wrong/didn’t want to spend time with our kid.
I’m feeling bitter all over again at the people who, when we said virtual K was hard, told us we were doing it wrong/didn’t want to spend time with our kid.
Reposted by Meal
Diabetics rationing insulin. Jaundiced babies missing appointments. Appendicitis festering untreated for days. Expectant mothers laboring in hiding.
Minnesota doctors say the immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives. minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/20/m...
Minnesota doctors say the immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives. minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/20/m...
Minnesota doctors say immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives • Minnesota Reformer
Minnesota doctors say the immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives. Diabetics rationing insulin. Jaundiced babies missing appointments. Appendicitis festering untreated fo...
minnesotareformer.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Diabetics rationing insulin. Jaundiced babies missing appointments. Appendicitis festering untreated for days. Expectant mothers laboring in hiding.
Minnesota doctors say the immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives. minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/20/m...
Minnesota doctors say the immigration crackdown is forcing patients to hide, endangering lives. minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/20/m...
Reposted by Meal
Another critical piece of missing context in this story: tax dollars flow from the MSP metro to rural Minnesota. People in the city subsidize the lifestyles of people living in the country minnesotareformer.com/2023/12/04/t...
January 15, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Another critical piece of missing context in this story: tax dollars flow from the MSP metro to rural Minnesota. People in the city subsidize the lifestyles of people living in the country minnesotareformer.com/2023/12/04/t...
Something like 80% of the US population live in urban areas.
Why are rural residents even being interviewed about what’s happening in cities? I don’t see the media talking to city dwellers about rural broadband or BLM leases.
Why are rural residents even being interviewed about what’s happening in cities? I don’t see the media talking to city dwellers about rural broadband or BLM leases.
Republicans control all 3 branches of government. Even when they don't, both parties pump out constant rhetoric about "real Americans" living in rural areas.
The entire premise of this article is a conservative-fluffing myth. Cities have more political power because that's where most people live!
The entire premise of this article is a conservative-fluffing myth. Cities have more political power because that's where most people live!
January 15, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Something like 80% of the US population live in urban areas.
Why are rural residents even being interviewed about what’s happening in cities? I don’t see the media talking to city dwellers about rural broadband or BLM leases.
Why are rural residents even being interviewed about what’s happening in cities? I don’t see the media talking to city dwellers about rural broadband or BLM leases.
Reposted by Meal
An intimate look at the real-life consequences of the Trump admin's cancellation of Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium funding. A Trump voter, pictured, feels "betrayed."
#Medsky #oncology #cancer #pediatrics #grants #research #clinicaltrials
#Medsky #oncology #cancer #pediatrics #grants #research #clinicaltrials
Kids with brain cancer were already in a life and death struggle. Then came Trump
The US president vowed to ‘end childhood cancer’. But his administration is dismantling the search for a cure and sending families scrambling for treatment
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:07 PM
An intimate look at the real-life consequences of the Trump admin's cancellation of Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium funding. A Trump voter, pictured, feels "betrayed."
#Medsky #oncology #cancer #pediatrics #grants #research #clinicaltrials
#Medsky #oncology #cancer #pediatrics #grants #research #clinicaltrials
Reposted by Meal
Somewhere along the way our political coverage became so obsessed with "neutrality" that calling a monstrous policy the monstrosity that it is became a bigger no-no than the monstrous policy itself. Pointing out the cartoon villain levels of racism is more verboten than the racism itself.
January 14, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Somewhere along the way our political coverage became so obsessed with "neutrality" that calling a monstrous policy the monstrosity that it is became a bigger no-no than the monstrous policy itself. Pointing out the cartoon villain levels of racism is more verboten than the racism itself.
Reposted by Meal
Parent and pediatrician here.
All vaccines are still available & recommended. Talk to your pediatrician for more info.
Know this: Even as our government shifts its recommendation language, I would never forgo the RSV, hepatitis A & B, or meningitis vaccines for my own kids.
All vaccines are still available & recommended. Talk to your pediatrician for more info.
Know this: Even as our government shifts its recommendation language, I would never forgo the RSV, hepatitis A & B, or meningitis vaccines for my own kids.
January 5, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Parent and pediatrician here.
All vaccines are still available & recommended. Talk to your pediatrician for more info.
Know this: Even as our government shifts its recommendation language, I would never forgo the RSV, hepatitis A & B, or meningitis vaccines for my own kids.
All vaccines are still available & recommended. Talk to your pediatrician for more info.
Know this: Even as our government shifts its recommendation language, I would never forgo the RSV, hepatitis A & B, or meningitis vaccines for my own kids.
Reposted by Meal
Here is the Department of Homeland Security touting this new ban by describing the (among others) spouses and children of U.S. citizens coming on visas as "foreign invaders."
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
December 16, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Here is the Department of Homeland Security touting this new ban by describing the (among others) spouses and children of U.S. citizens coming on visas as "foreign invaders."
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
If you’re looking for an alternative to doomscrolling, this whole thread is a fun read (read the QTed thread on Cook’s Illustrated drama first)
Folks, I did it. I made the Cooks Illustrated competing pear crisps, and then I made my friends judge them blind.
November 19, 2025 at 3:43 AM
If you’re looking for an alternative to doomscrolling, this whole thread is a fun read (read the QTed thread on Cook’s Illustrated drama first)