Whitney Zahnd
@whitneyzahnd.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Health Management and Policy at UIowa| UIUC alumna | Posts about rural health, cancer disparities, access to care, faith, cats, and women’s basketball| Opinions are mine, not my employer’s | Website: https://www.acre-lab.org
They took brisket off the menu. In TEXAS... ...IN TEXAS. 😲 www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
One of Texas’ top smokehouses drops brisket from menu due to soaring beef prices
Several barbecue joints across Texas have been forced to close entirely as owners report being in ‘survival mode’
independent.co.uk
Such a sad and awful situation. Thoughts with the families and the school.
The Gazette@thegazette.com · yesterdayBREAKING: Bodies recovered of student and teacher lost during School of the Wild field trip: https://www.thegazette.com/news/responders-resume-search-for-student-lost-during-school-of-the-wild-fieldtrip/article_df10d74b-ca01-415b-a99e-a22eb66d2db7.html
Roughly twice as many rural voters say Trump’s health care policies have had a negative rather than a positive impact on Medicaid (44% vs. 24%) and Medicare (44% vs. 21%). www.kff.org/public-opini...
NEW exclusive from me: Health officials moved money out of the Office of Minority Health to help pay for the ballooning costs of RFK Jr.'s security gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Exclusive | RFK Jr.’s Enhanced Security Was Funded With Money From Minority Health Office
The cost of the health secretary’s security grew from roughly $10 million in fiscal year 2025 to $17 million in fiscal year 2026.
wsj.com
"[Marketplace] Enrollment fell more than twice as much in rural areas — by 10 percent (roughly 300,000 people) — as in non-rural areas, which declined by 4 percent."
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities@centeronbudget.bsky.social · 2d agoPeople in rural communities are being hit hard by cuts to SNAP and health coverage, higher costs from tariffs, and other policies adopted by the Trump Administration and congressional Republicans. @gbenga-ajilore.bsky.social breaks down the impact: www.cbpp.org/research/eco...
‘Vote of no confidence’ in Center for Intellectual Freedom prompts advisory council mass resignation: https://www.thegazette.com/news/vote-of-no-confidence-in-center-for-intellectual-freedom-prompts-advisory-council-mass-resignation/article_d8af9300-0884-45da-b16c-7ce3071aa0a3.html
It is mind boggling that we have a CMS administrator who doesn't understand how insurance works. Should we kick people off of homeowners' insurance because their house has never caught on fire?
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3d agoDr Oz says the Trump administration will kick more than a million people off health insurance because some of them have "never filed a claim"
So pumped about this first week of fall forecast—gotta continue to find the small joys! 🍂
Short on primary care; heavy on antivax sympathizers, as expected. 🙄
Maggie Astor@maggieastor.bsky.social · last wk.BREAKING: RFK Jr. appointed 8 new members to the US Preventive Services Task Force, after more than a year of stymieing its work. I'm diving into their backgrounds now and will update soon. The selection process was opaque and HHS didn't provide required public access to the nomination materials.
New life goal unlocked: old woman who suddenly appears by the edge of the forest holding her cat. Photo from my collection, no date/info. 
Louisville Counculman couldn’t handle data center noise: hellbendernewsroom.com/news/politic...
Louisville councilman couldn't handle the data center noise - Hellbender Newsroom
A Louisville resident pulled out a phone and played loud data center ambient noise during a Metro Council meeting, prompting Councilman Anthony Piagentini to ask that it be stopped.
hellbendernewsroom.com
Wow. Also, 1000% and 600% increases in non-Senate confirmed political appointees to NIH and CDC, respectively.
Jenna Norton@jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · last wk.The cuts in staff across federal health agencies are staggering. Great analysis from @ourpublicservice.bsky.social. 1 in 5 people gone from NIH. More than 1 in 4 gone from CDC. Nearly 7 in 10 gone from AHRQ. ourpublicservice.org/resource/the...
The cuts in staff across federal health agencies are staggering. Great analysis from @ourpublicservice.bsky.social. 1 in 5 people gone from NIH. More than 1 in 4 gone from CDC. Nearly 7 in 10 gone from AHRQ. ourpublicservice.org/resource/the...
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
ourpublicservice.org
Me with my overcommitment issues, but mine aren’t as cute!
Melissa McCarthy with Bridesmaids Puppies
Alt: Melissa McCarthy with Bridesmaids Puppies
static.klipy.com
Was looking up something on ACA (marketplace) metal levels, "ACA metal" is also the name of a scrapyard in Canada.
One way to save rural health care is to eliminate the need for it. -AI proponents, probably
Adrianna McIntyre@adrianna.bsky.social · 2w agoheckuva split-screen on AI headlines this week
Does anyone else look at their local shelter's/cat cafe's names/pictures of adoptable cats when you need a mood boost?
I have no words. Pew can't even fill in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th-ranked countries for this year because there weren't any. bsky.app/profile/patr...
Patrick Clarkin@patrickclarkin.bsky.social · 2w agoOne of these things is not like the other. Top 5 countries by number of refugees to the U.S. each fiscal year www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Therapy, weight lifting, and seriously contemplating getting an M.Div.
Karen Attiah@karenattiah.bsky.social · 2w agoWhat are you doing with your midlife existential crisis? No wrong answers. Just trying to see something, as the kids say.
Most Data Center Bans Are in Metro Areas, Despite More Facilities Heading for Rural Areas dailyyonder.com/most-data-ce...
Most Data Center Bans Are in Metro Areas, Despite More Facilities Heading for Rural Areas | The Daily Yonder
Building data centers is broadly unpopular across the political spectrum, but so far, banning new development is a mostly metropolitan area phenomenon.
dailyyonder.com
Dolly Parton's take on AI in 2023: “I hope nobody can ever replicate me or what I do. AI is a scary thing. I’m sure it’s a good thing for scientists or medical things. But when it comes to trying to duplicate a human being and every little thing they are, it don’t seem right to me. It’s too much.”
Dolly Parton's Sister Asks People to Stop Posting AI Slop of the Legendary Singer
"I hope nobody can ever replicate me or what I do. AI is a scary thing," said Dolly Parton in 2023.
gizmodo.com
My favorites! Gotta love late bloomers!
Sam@sjberger.bsky.social · 2w ago🤡😳 To hell with systematics, happy Aster Season, y'all.