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July 6, 2025 Check out STAT+

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By Torie Bosch First Opinion editor

Like half of the country, it seems, I'm heading on vacation this week. Please keep your opinions spicy while I'm out. And I mean that metaphorically, because I'm a wimp and spicy foods just taste like pain to me. Recommendation of the week: The podcast "Criminal" is one of my favorites, and a recent episode, "Tabatha," was particularly special. It's about a woman who — after having been incarcerated herself — is now a doula for pregnant people in prison and jail.

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Jenny Kane/AP Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment is being incorrectly used to justify Medicaid cuts. Amy Finkelstein, who helped lead the study, explains. By Amy Finkelstein RFK Jr. says medical journals are 'corrupt.' As former NEJM editors, we know he's wrong Absent a change in how research is funded, medical journals can only manage conflicts of interest; they can't prevent them. By Marcia Angell, Jerome P. Kassirer, and Robert Steinbrook Protecting pilgrims from infectious disease without diminishing their faith An infectious disease doctor in California is seeing patients who got sick during the Ganges pilgrimage in India. By Jake Scott WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images/STAT STAT+ | Lessons from Duke's nuked mega cord blood deal with Cryo-Cell A failed Duke-Cryo-Cell deal shows the need for more oversight and transparency in the cell therapy field — especially when kids are involved. By Paul Knoepfler I'm a social media scientist with 3.5 million followers. Here's what I've learned about public health communication Building trust on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube requires not just accurate science but sharing your humanity. By Morgan McSweeney The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help The Vaccine Integrity Project to promote integrity and scientific rigor isn't intended to replace government bodies, writes CIDRAP's Michael Osterholm. By Michael T. Osterholm JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images Tariffs can't defeat the fentanyl problem in the US While trade is the right venue to address fentanyl supply, tariffs are the wrong instrument. By Kathleen J. Frydl Medicaid cuts will hurt all American children — not just those publicly insured The funding structure and existence of pediatric health care is wholly dependent on Medicaid — and cuts could topple this house of cards. By Anireddy Reddy STAT+ | RFK Jr.'s intellectually dishonest excuse for defunding Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Former CDC chief says in pulling U.S. funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, RFK Jr. used 'an inaccurate study to justify withholding lifesaving funds.' By Tom Frieden Adobe The U.S. must invest in mRNA vaccines against pandemic influenza viruses now The Trump administration recently canceled contracts to develop and produce mRNA vaccines against pandemic influenza. That could be a disaster. By Steve Osofsky

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