Ben Howell
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howellben.bsky.social
Ben Howell
@howellben.bsky.social
630 followers 760 following 300 posts
General Internist, Addiction Medicine specialist - faculty SEICHE Center for Health & Justice; Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine. Fan of decarceration & harm reduction & New Haven
https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/benjamin-howell/
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Reposted by Ben Howell
stonekettle.bsky.social
Greenland be like, oh yeah? Guess what? I'm invading YOU!
January 23, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
repdexteror.bsky.social
Despicable. No one should live in fear of being detained while getting medical care for their child. My team is doing everything we can to get this Oregon family out and ensure the child receives the medical care she needs.
ICE detains family seeking emergency care for child at Portland hospital
The Venezuelan parents and their 7-year-old daughter entered the U.S. legally.
www.oregonlive.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:22 PM
howellben.bsky.social
Overdose deaths in Connecticut (and elsewhere) continue to go down; now consistently lower than pre-pandemic rates. All good news & time to focus on understanding what happened, what drove the drops, and how to keep it going.

drive.google.com/file/d/1VF9q...
2019-November 2025_Drug Overdose Deaths Monthly Report_Connecticut_12-30-2025_FINAL.pdf
drive.google.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
mclem.org
“If the person is a U.S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh

www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
January 23, 2026 at 12:25 PM
howellben.bsky.social
This is not a No Sen Blumenthal; I'm disappointed as constituent that you're not taking a harder line here. ICE needs to go, tear it down and rethink immigration enforcement whole cloth.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h
Blumenthal: "I'm a no vote on that spending bill unless there are conditions that require ICE to go to a judge, to get a warrant, as well as other kinds of constraints -- the use of masks, the non-identification, the unmarked cars. These secret police, totalitarian tactics need to be stopped."
January 23, 2026 at 3:24 PM
howellben.bsky.social
This whole thread re the inconsistent & quixotic insistence by SCOTUS the Fed is different than other federal boards and positions that they've let the administration gut.
donmoyn.bsky.social Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 2d
Weird tell on the part of Barrett. There is no legal reason to consider the risk of recession, and they have not accounted for tangible harms to public services when allowing Trump to gut the rest of the administrative state. Does reinforce the concept of an emerging "protect our 401Ks" doctrine.
stevenmazie.bsky.social Steven Mazie @stevenmazie.bsky.social · 2d
Barrett: I'm a judge, not an economist. But doesn't the risk of recession factor into our deliberations, since this is And shouldn't we take the "crime" into account at this stage of the case?
January 21, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
frogandtoadbot.bsky.social
Toad sat on the edge of his bed. “Blah,” said Toad. “I feel down in the dumps.”

“Why?” asked Frog.

“I am thinking about tomorrow,” said Toad.
Toad sits glumly on his bed while Frog looks on. From "Tomorrow" In *Days with Frog and Toad*
January 20, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Ben Howell
boghuma.bsky.social
"Current evidence doesn't indicate a clinically important ⬆️ in the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children of pregnant individuals who use paracetamol as directed, supporting existing recommendations on its safety."
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Current evidence does not indicate a clinically important increase in the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children of pregnant individuals who use paracetam...
www.thelancet.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Ben Howell
melodyschreiber.com
BREAKING: The controversial hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has been *cancelled,* I can now report. A senior official with Africa CDC confirmed the cancellation and said GB officials are working to make sure any research is conducted ethically:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:28 PM
howellben.bsky.social
Is this how the federal government is supposed to work? (rhetorical question) rollcall.com/2026/01/14/h...
January 15, 2026 at 7:35 AM
Reposted by Ben Howell
amersa.org
Last night, billions of dollars in SAMHSA grants were abruptly canceled, erasing critical support for many orgs providing substance use & addiction services. AMERSA shares your concerns and is working with partner organizations to respond.

Join us in taking action.
📞 Call Congress: 202-224-3121
January 14, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
when you're to the right of jim rogan
January 14, 2026 at 6:47 PM
howellben.bsky.social
I want to hear more from CT-based service providers who have had SAMHSA grants cut. Hopefully @ctmirror.org or others can get some reporting out there. Lamont, DMHAS and DPH should step here so people don't shut their doors
chrispolansky.bsky.social Chris Polansky @chrispolansky.bsky.social · 9d
INBOX: The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance says "the Trump Administration overnight notified the state... & nonprofits across the state they are wiping out more than $10 million in grants that fund substance abuse, addiction & mental health services in the state, effective immediately."
Trump Administration Wipes Out Grants for Substance Abuse, Addiction & Mental Health Services in CT (Hartford, CT) – The Trump Administration overnight notified the state of Connecticut and community-based nonprofits across the state they are wiping out more than $10 million in grants that fund substance abuse, addiction and mental health services in the state, effective immediately. The CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, which represents hundreds of nonprofit providers across the state, is still assessing today. But Alliance President and CEO Gian Carl Casa said the impact is a potentially catastrophe for thousands of people who rely on services. "Nonprofit providers have struggled for decades with underfunding. Providers are still evaluating the total impact, but we know that without necessary funding, many programs will simply cease to operate and lives will be lost,” Casa said. Casa continued, "The priority of any government should be the promotion and protection of the wellbeing of the people who live, raise families and pay taxes in its jurisdiction. "It is hard to understand the Administration’s rationale that programs that literally save lives are not a priority and can be eliminated. The grant cuts include an estimated $9 million from frontline substance abuse treatment and mental health awareness, school-based trauma, peer support and family support programs, provided by some of the state’s largest providers. Among them, Wheeler Clinic, McCall Behavioral Health, CHR, Rushford, and Bridges Healthcare. The Trump Administration made additional cuts to other state-funded programs. Casa said the Alliance will ask Governor Lamont to step in to save programs using the emergency fund created by the legislature in November to address federal funding cuts. “The good news for Connecticut is that our legislature has created a $500 million fund that is immediately available to the governor to back fill these vital programs,” Casa said. ###
January 14, 2026 at 8:59 PM
howellben.bsky.social
In other news - judges keep pushing back (which is good), but does this move up the food chain and get squashed via ruling on vibes (or "unitary executive theory") ctmirror.org/2026/01/12/w...
Work can again resume on Revolution Wind, judge orders
Judge Royce Lamberth ruled from the bench Monday that evidence provided by the federal government was not sufficient to justify halting work.
ctmirror.org
January 14, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
chrispolansky.bsky.social
INBOX: The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance says "the Trump Administration overnight notified the state... & nonprofits across the state they are wiping out more than $10 million in grants that fund substance abuse, addiction & mental health services in the state, effective immediately."
Trump Administration Wipes Out Grants for Substance Abuse, Addiction & Mental Health Services in CT (Hartford, CT) – The Trump Administration overnight notified the state of Connecticut and community-based nonprofits across the state they are wiping out more than $10 million in grants that fund substance abuse, addiction and mental health services in the state, effective immediately. The CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, which represents hundreds of nonprofit providers across the state, is still assessing today. But Alliance President and CEO Gian Carl Casa said the impact is a potentially catastrophe for thousands of people who rely on services. "Nonprofit providers have struggled for decades with underfunding. Providers are still evaluating the total impact, but we know that without necessary funding, many programs will simply cease to operate and lives will be lost,” Casa said. Casa continued, "The priority of any government should be the promotion and protection of the wellbeing of the people who live, raise families and pay taxes in its jurisdiction. "It is hard to understand the Administration’s rationale that programs that literally save lives are not a priority and can be eliminated. The grant cuts include an estimated $9 million from frontline substance abuse treatment and mental health awareness, school-based trauma, peer support and family support programs, provided by some of the state’s largest providers. Among them, Wheeler Clinic, McCall Behavioral Health, CHR, Rushford, and Bridges Healthcare. The Trump Administration made additional cuts to other state-funded programs. Casa said the Alliance will ask Governor Lamont to step in to save programs using the emergency fund created by the legislature in November to address federal funding cuts. “The good news for Connecticut is that our legislature has created a $500 million fund that is immediately available to the governor to back fill these vital programs,” Casa said. ###
January 14, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
jcollins.bsky.social
ICE's "presence is terrifying medical staff and raising concerns about patient care, according to five nurses at HCMC hospital in Minneapolis who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their jobs."

Via reporter @ericazurek.bsky.social www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
ICE agents appear at Twin Cities hospitals, alarming health care workers
Health care workers in the Twin Cities report that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are entering hospitals with detained individuals, leaving some medical staff terrified and concerned ...
www.mprnews.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:22 PM
howellben.bsky.social
Something I can't understand re: Medicaid and now SAMHSA cuts. This is real $$ going into communities across the country (red/blue, urban/rural) - besides the horrible public health impacts - this is horrible politics. Punishing red state/regions when the admin is already extremely popular.
January 14, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
prisonpolicy.org
"This cruelty will be measured in lives lost... We are witnessing the dismantling of our recovery infrastructure in real-time."

In another disastrous move, Trump is yet again gutting proven solutions that keep communities safe. What happens next? 🧵
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants
The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services.
www.npr.org
January 14, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
mjsdc.bsky.social
The Supreme Court only cleared the way for Kavanaugh Stops four months ago and ICE now openly engages in violent racial profiling, snatching anyone who looks non-white and treating them as presumptively guilty of a crime. Remarkable how quickly our liberties can be crushed when courts go along.
ericholthaus.com Eric Holthaus @ericholthaus.com · 12d
Can confirm I have personally seen three attempts just today of agents in a convoy of ICE vehicles trying to snatch random POCs along Central Ave - and then being chased off by neighbors with whistles. It's blatant racial profiling.

Minneapolis city council member says POC should stay home:
jchavezmpls.bsky.social Jason Chavez @jchavezmpls.bsky.social · 12d
Dear neighbor,

HIGH ALERT‼️ If you are vulnerable to deportation please stay home today. I’m sorry to say this but it’s not safe to be outside. ICE is tearing families apart.

Children of immigrants please keep your family safe.

Jason Chavez 1/
January 14, 2026 at 4:29 PM
howellben.bsky.social
What a dumpster fire - not only did HHS cut $2B of SAMHSA's outgoing grants, they didn't even bother to tell SAMHSA that they were doing it. www.statnews.com/2026/01/14/s...
January 14, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
gregggonsalves.bsky.social
Great. Now two billion dollars in addiction and mental health services cut overnight. Good work #JDVance in riding the opioid epidemic to power and then screwing those facing addiction when you get what you want. www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants
The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services.
www.npr.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
jesspish.bsky.social
This has been the fantasy of law enforcement and why they supported Trump. They wanted to exercise unfettered violence because even the whiff of regulation offended the rules of their Baronial Class.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Former members of ICE say recent violence is "by design"
"What has changed is there has been an encouragement from the top to be much more aggressive in enforcement."
www.motherjones.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:47 PM
howellben.bsky.social
CBS news pushing alcohol consumption is not good. Also, Trump tarriffs & trade war on Canada demolished the Kentucky whiskey market.
premthakker.bsky.social Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 10d
Update — Here is what the new apparent CBS News segment "Whiskey Fridays with Tony Dokoupil" may look like:
January 14, 2026 at 3:03 PM
howellben.bsky.social
No, law enforcement does not have immunity from criminal prosecution for their actions, though this does telegraph that Trump will pardon them if they do in fact doing illegal things. Immunity from litigation is different. Miller knows this and he knows what he is saying is wrong and inflammatory.
thebulwark.com The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 9d
Miller:  "To all ICE officers: You have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties, and anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony."
January 14, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Ben Howell
editorialboard.bsky.social
The Trump regime has taken the next step in its plan to harass and intimidate journalists. Administrations have investigated leaks in the past, but have not searched reporters' homes. The warning is clear: do not tell the public what you learn or else.

wapo.st/4pFh6lw
FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home amid investigation into government contractor The reporter, Hannah Natanson, was at her home in Virginia at the time of the search on Wednesday. The warrant said that law enforcement was investigating Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a system administrator in Maryland who has a top secret security clearance and has been accused of accessing and taking home classified intelligence reports, according to an FBI affidavit.
January 14, 2026 at 2:14 PM