>In early August, soon after joining the FDA, Tidmarsh announced actions that would effectively remove from the market a drug ingredient made by a company associated with Tang. Tidmarsh’s lawyer then sent a letter to Tang proposing that he extend a “service agreement” for “another 10 years,” which would see Tang making payments to a Tidmarsh-associated entity until 2044. The email was seen as attempted extortion, with such payments being in exchange for Tidmarsh rolling back the FDA’s regulatory change.
To be fair, that was always conservative position.
Edit: I do not mean it cynically or as a joke. I think that is exactly what conservative position was for years. The only difference now is that it is not possible to euphemism away or plausible deniality away out of it.
“He had the temerity to reject a drug that had lousy data…”
Was that data really “lousy”? (Referencing the REPL data?)
Was it a trial design issue? (which he has very strong and unconventional opinions on)
Is it the role of his position to overrule his specialist review teams ? (in the absence of any clear safety risks or malfeasance)
Let's be honest for a moment: for all the dubious and erratic decisions of Trump's government, you're reading an article by https://arstechnica.com/author/beth/ who even proudly display her Bluesky account.
Can you clarify your meaning? Genuinely trying to understand. Is it that Beth criticises partisan actions (if you consider FDA's actions partisan, or the CDC's renaming of the mpox), while being partisan herself, which is hypocritical?
Two wrongs don't make a right. Sure, the US decision was certainly ideologically motivated (which isn't to say right or wrong) and one could notice that, but that rabid reaction to an absolute nothing is ridiculous and the arguments presented are questionable in tone and intellectual integrity (e.g. calling your side "the world" to put weight behind your opinion).
Let's be honest, since Ars has been bought by Condé Nast, it has progressively become something between Reddit and Gawkers.
Several times people here on HN dismissed factually accurate articles I posted, that cited all their claims to trusted, non-controversial sources [1], because they thought the article publisher was too right-wing. The only way such dismissals stop, is if they are applied evenly.
[1] E.g. government statistics, or public announcements by a university regarding their programs, in an article about what kind of programs that university offers. I.e. sources nobody disputed for those claims.
And also, if you are democrat or democratic leaning, you are not allowed to criticize republican administration. Criticism, insults and such can flow only one way - from conservatives to democrats. Checkmate.
>In early August, soon after joining the FDA, Tidmarsh announced actions that would effectively remove from the market a drug ingredient made by a company associated with Tang. Tidmarsh’s lawyer then sent a letter to Tang proposing that he extend a “service agreement” for “another 10 years,” which would see Tang making payments to a Tidmarsh-associated entity until 2044. The email was seen as attempted extortion, with such payments being in exchange for Tidmarsh rolling back the FDA’s regulatory change.
Straight up extortion.
it's crazy how much of the current regime's position is "crime is legal if it's my guys doing it."
To be fair, that was always conservative position.
Edit: I do not mean it cynically or as a joke. I think that is exactly what conservative position was for years. The only difference now is that it is not possible to euphemism away or plausible deniality away out of it.
“He had the temerity to reject a drug that had lousy data…”
Was that data really “lousy”? (Referencing the REPL data?) Was it a trial design issue? (which he has very strong and unconventional opinions on) Is it the role of his position to overrule his specialist review teams ? (in the absence of any clear safety risks or malfeasance)
At least clowns can be fun to watch
From another country, it is mildly amusing in one sense of schadenfreude.
It is also incredibly saddening to see great institutions of expertise be treated as playthings by the ignorant.
My ex works in QA for a biotech company and FDA audits are a regular thing and are taken very seriously.
There's plenty to criticize of the org (as with almost all others) but the rank and file are doing good work to help try to keep us safe.
I work in biotech and the FDA is openly reviewing our submissions with LLMs now. The shark has been jumped.
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-anno...
Let's be honest for a moment: for all the dubious and erratic decisions of Trump's government, you're reading an article by https://arstechnica.com/author/beth/ who even proudly display her Bluesky account.
I mean, look at wonderful articles such as https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/09/trumps-cdc-brings-bac...
But yeah, "obvious bias doesn't exist when it goes my way" has always been the overwhelming norm, I shouldn't feign surprise.
Can you clarify your meaning? Genuinely trying to understand. Is it that Beth criticises partisan actions (if you consider FDA's actions partisan, or the CDC's renaming of the mpox), while being partisan herself, which is hypocritical?
Two wrongs don't make a right. Sure, the US decision was certainly ideologically motivated (which isn't to say right or wrong) and one could notice that, but that rabid reaction to an absolute nothing is ridiculous and the arguments presented are questionable in tone and intellectual integrity (e.g. calling your side "the world" to put weight behind your opinion).
Let's be honest, since Ars has been bought by Condé Nast, it has progressively become something between Reddit and Gawkers.
Several times people here on HN dismissed factually accurate articles I posted, that cited all their claims to trusted, non-controversial sources [1], because they thought the article publisher was too right-wing. The only way such dismissals stop, is if they are applied evenly.
[1] E.g. government statistics, or public announcements by a university regarding their programs, in an article about what kind of programs that university offers. I.e. sources nobody disputed for those claims.
She has bluesky account. Checkmate.
And also, if you are democrat or democratic leaning, you are not allowed to criticize republican administration. Criticism, insults and such can flow only one way - from conservatives to democrats. Checkmate.