Dania Palanker
@ipersist.bsky.social
Health insurance, disability equity, pain policy. I will not sit quietly while they try to take health care and health research away from us.
Never share a screenshot of text w/out the entire text in alt text so it's actually accessible.
Never share a screenshot of text w/out the entire text in alt text so it's actually accessible.
Pinned
Dania Palanker
@ipersist.bsky.social
· Jun 13
My grandmother was a young pregnant Jewish woman alone on a train in Poland during WWII when a German soldier told her to get off at the next stop because there wouldn't be any soldiers waiting at the station. She survived because, in that moment, a soldier chose the right thing over obeying orders.
One way to reduce health insurance premiums is to make most prescription drugs over-the-counter so most currently prescribed medication is no longer covered under the prescription drug coverage.
FDA Chief Makary just said that most drugs should be sold over the counter and not require a prescription, unless it’s “unsafe, you need laboratory tests to monitor…or if it could be used for some nefarious purpose or it's addictive”.
Bacteria celebrate as antibiotic resistance enters the chat.
Bacteria celebrate as antibiotic resistance enters the chat.
FDA chief Marty Makary says 'everything should be over the counter' unless drug is unsafe or addictive
Makary said the FDA is looking at prescription drugs like nausea medications and vaginal estrogen, and hopes to make changes this year.
www.cnbc.com
February 19, 2026 at 5:42 PM
One way to reduce health insurance premiums is to make most prescription drugs over-the-counter so most currently prescribed medication is no longer covered under the prescription drug coverage.
Putting pregnant people's health at risk is hysterical!
On a recent podcast appearance, Bhattacharya said the funniest experience he's had with Trump was standing next him while the President gave misleading medical advice to pregnant people.
February 19, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Putting pregnant people's health at risk is hysterical!
Reposted by Dania Palanker
In the concentration camp universe, this is what's known as a filtration camp. A government preemptively takes a whole class of people to interrogate and detain extrajudicially in order to inflict duress on them while arbitrarily assessing their (supposed) culpability.
This is a truly horrifying memo. It says that the policy of the US government will now be to proactively seek out and arrest likely tens of thousands of refugees who entered legally under Biden and subject them to detention, where they will be interrogated about their status.
February 19, 2026 at 2:20 AM
In the concentration camp universe, this is what's known as a filtration camp. A government preemptively takes a whole class of people to interrogate and detain extrajudicially in order to inflict duress on them while arbitrarily assessing their (supposed) culpability.
Just a brief 18 day Kavanaugh stop detention
The horror stories rolling in from Minnesota are just the tip of the iceberg. This 20-year-old, who's lawfully present in the country, was arrested for being Latino, then jailed in a filthy cell where he couldn't even sit down. 18 days of illegal detention. democracyforward.org/wp-content/u...
February 18, 2026 at 2:42 AM
Just a brief 18 day Kavanaugh stop detention
We deported a 2 month old baby with bronchitis less than a day after he was unresponsive and treated at the hospital
“His life is in danger,” Rep. Joaquin Castro said Tuesday about Juan Nicolás, the 2-month-old baby who was hospitalized with bronchitis overnight — and is being held at Dilley Family Detention Center, which reported a measles outbreak earlier this month.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/17/2...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/17/2...
2-Month-Old Baby Juan Nicolás Was ‘Unresponsive’ at the Hospital Hours Before He Was Sent Back to ICE Facility, Castro Says
“His life is in danger,” Congressman Castro said Tuesday about the baby.
thebarbedwire.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:59 AM
We deported a 2 month old baby with bronchitis less than a day after he was unresponsive and treated at the hospital
Public health is as American as Paul Revere. Literally. Paul Revere was Boston's first health officer.
February 14, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Public health is as American as Paul Revere. Literally. Paul Revere was Boston's first health officer.
Reposted by Dania Palanker
I can sort of deal with “bitch-ass”? But a reminder that calling women you hate “bitches” just makes it ok for anyone to call a woman they hate a bitch!
Not a defense of Pam! She’s evil! Just a reminder that gendered insults entrench the word further into use.
Not a defense of Pam! She’s evil! Just a reminder that gendered insults entrench the word further into use.
It explains perfectly Pammy Jo's bitch-ass attitude.
February 14, 2026 at 4:58 PM
I can sort of deal with “bitch-ass”? But a reminder that calling women you hate “bitches” just makes it ok for anyone to call a woman they hate a bitch!
Not a defense of Pam! She’s evil! Just a reminder that gendered insults entrench the word further into use.
Not a defense of Pam! She’s evil! Just a reminder that gendered insults entrench the word further into use.
For @reprolawyer.bsky.social and all my other health policy nerds who miss #HealthPolicyValentines but don't know how to start in this pit of despair
February 14, 2026 at 2:18 AM
For @reprolawyer.bsky.social and all my other health policy nerds who miss #HealthPolicyValentines but don't know how to start in this pit of despair
The lack of humanity is sickening.
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
February 14, 2026 at 1:45 AM
The lack of humanity is sickening.
Both of these are very bad ideas
The Trump administration proposed two new ACA ideas this week:
1. Catastrophic plans with deductibles of $15,600 per person.
2. Qualification of non-network plans, where insurers determine how much to pay and patients shop for providers that accept it or face a balance bill.
1. Catastrophic plans with deductibles of $15,600 per person.
2. Qualification of non-network plans, where insurers determine how much to pay and patients shop for providers that accept it or face a balance bill.
February 13, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Both of these are very bad ideas
Reposted by Dania Palanker
Repost if you love people who have abortions 🩷 (that’s all of you)
February 12, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Repost if you love people who have abortions 🩷 (that’s all of you)
Reposted by Dania Palanker
Proud to join my colleagues yesterday to push for a fair contract. We just want the same rights as our peers in other unionized newsrooms.
(That's not me in the mouse (rat?) costume, though I wish it was.)
(That's not me in the mouse (rat?) costume, though I wish it was.)
February 12, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Proud to join my colleagues yesterday to push for a fair contract. We just want the same rights as our peers in other unionized newsrooms.
(That's not me in the mouse (rat?) costume, though I wish it was.)
(That's not me in the mouse (rat?) costume, though I wish it was.)
Reposted by Dania Palanker
Do you ever think about how so many other Gen Xers have became the villains from the movies of our youth?
Thee white men are standing in a room and one of them is talking to another man in a suit and tie .
Alt: Three white men in suits and ties are on the floor of the stock exchange and appear upset. An older man in the middle hunches over while making a face that looks like some distress or crying. A taller man is speaking to the third man. The words "This is an outrage, I demand an investigation" appear at the bottom of the screen.
(from Trading Places)
media.tenor.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Do you ever think about how so many other Gen Xers have became the villains from the movies of our youth?
Do you ever think about how so many other Gen Xers have became the villains from the movies of our youth?
Thee white men are standing in a room and one of them is talking to another man in a suit and tie .
Alt: Three white men in suits and ties are on the floor of the stock exchange and appear upset. An older man in the middle hunches over while making a face that looks like some distress or crying. A taller man is speaking to the third man. The words "This is an outrage, I demand an investigation" appear at the bottom of the screen.
(from Trading Places)
media.tenor.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Do you ever think about how so many other Gen Xers have became the villains from the movies of our youth?
Reposted by Dania Palanker
We have a groundbreaking technology that could prevent untold death and suffering.
But its development is being hindered because HHS is led by a eugenicist roadkill enthusiast and an assortment of cranks and quacks who think their own self-serving contrarianism trumps established health science.
But its development is being hindered because HHS is led by a eugenicist roadkill enthusiast and an assortment of cranks and quacks who think their own self-serving contrarianism trumps established health science.
“They are refusing to review a new vaccine with a more flexible technology, while creating a real risk we will not have traditional vaccines for next year," @doritreiss.bsky.social said.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
FDA declines to review Moderna application for new flu vaccine
Moderna requests meeting to discuss refusal as decision could have implications for all new and updated vaccines
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:20 AM
We have a groundbreaking technology that could prevent untold death and suffering.
But its development is being hindered because HHS is led by a eugenicist roadkill enthusiast and an assortment of cranks and quacks who think their own self-serving contrarianism trumps established health science.
But its development is being hindered because HHS is led by a eugenicist roadkill enthusiast and an assortment of cranks and quacks who think their own self-serving contrarianism trumps established health science.
It should not surprise people that the fascists are ableist and believe disability should be punished
"they did not bring her cane with her and when she was asked about accommodations, they told her if she were 'normal,' this would not have happened."
"they did not bring her cane with her and when she was asked about accommodations, they told her if she were 'normal,' this would not have happened."
I spoke with Aliya Rahman, the autistic woman whom ICE ripped out of her car, about her experience of being in a viral video, what she experienced in detention and why she thinks we might be in bigger trouble in the future.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
ICE dragged me from my car after I told them I’m autistic.
Exclusive Details: Aliya Rahman speaks to Eric Garcia about her ordeals — on the streets of Minneapolis, in a grim ICE detention center where she was mocked over her condition and through the public t...
www.independent.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 4:55 PM
It should not surprise people that the fascists are ableist and believe disability should be punished
"they did not bring her cane with her and when she was asked about accommodations, they told her if she were 'normal,' this would not have happened."
"they did not bring her cane with her and when she was asked about accommodations, they told her if she were 'normal,' this would not have happened."
Our kids who live with chronic pain are extraordinarily strong. But they are in pain. Their smiles, their laughter, their focus does not mean they're pain free.
February 5, 2026 at 5:37 AM
Our kids who live with chronic pain are extraordinarily strong. But they are in pain. Their smiles, their laughter, their focus does not mean they're pain free.
Symphony jobs are very hard to come by, especially after years of cuts to symphony orchestras across the country. I grew up the kid of a symphony orchestra musician and I remember what it was like when there were strikes. That's what I'm thinking of now.
I have friends that play in the National Symphony. This is catastrophic for them. They’re all going to be out of work.
February 2, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Symphony jobs are very hard to come by, especially after years of cuts to symphony orchestras across the country. I grew up the kid of a symphony orchestra musician and I remember what it was like when there were strikes. That's what I'm thinking of now.
In honor of Lady Gaga's Grammy, I bring you Abracadabra as performed in Miami on Sept 1 2025 & captured on video by my favorite 11 year old cinematographer doing her best to have a fabulous fun time with no regard for making Lady Gaga visually beautiful—or her own scream singing voice beautiful
February 2, 2026 at 2:40 AM
In honor of Lady Gaga's Grammy, I bring you Abracadabra as performed in Miami on Sept 1 2025 & captured on video by my favorite 11 year old cinematographer doing her best to have a fabulous fun time with no regard for making Lady Gaga visually beautiful—or her own scream singing voice beautiful
One huge tell that Trump doesn’t have any appreciation for art is the repeated use of the word entertainment in this announcement
Trump: "I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time, with a scheduled Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything."
February 2, 2026 at 1:28 AM
One huge tell that Trump doesn’t have any appreciation for art is the repeated use of the word entertainment in this announcement
Reposted by Dania Palanker
The post-Me Too era has really taught me that the underlying issue with the persistence of sexual violence isn’t exactly women’s credibility, as the “believe women” slogan suggested, but rather with rape’s moral status. It’s not that people think it doesn’t happen. They think it doesn’t matter.
It's disturbing to see many of the the major figures in moral cognition all over the Epstein files
He was friendly with a huge number of the leading figures in the field, including giving millions to their labs, long after he pled guilty to sexually abusing young girls
www.justice.gov/epstein
He was friendly with a huge number of the leading figures in the field, including giving millions to their labs, long after he pled guilty to sexually abusing young girls
www.justice.gov/epstein
www.justice.gov
January 31, 2026 at 10:48 PM
The post-Me Too era has really taught me that the underlying issue with the persistence of sexual violence isn’t exactly women’s credibility, as the “believe women” slogan suggested, but rather with rape’s moral status. It’s not that people think it doesn’t happen. They think it doesn’t matter.
Reposted by Dania Palanker
This is a good point re: Portland today
This wasn't on federal land
It wasn't when agents were claiming to do any enforcement activity
It was federal agents shooting gas at children and union families in the streets
Im not a lawyer, but I dont see how qualified immunity counts here
It's assault
This wasn't on federal land
It wasn't when agents were claiming to do any enforcement activity
It was federal agents shooting gas at children and union families in the streets
Im not a lawyer, but I dont see how qualified immunity counts here
It's assault
People need to understand that this protest was approved by city. The fact that the public still got gassed & flash bangs shows that city does NOT have the public’s back.
February 1, 2026 at 3:25 AM
This is a good point re: Portland today
This wasn't on federal land
It wasn't when agents were claiming to do any enforcement activity
It was federal agents shooting gas at children and union families in the streets
Im not a lawyer, but I dont see how qualified immunity counts here
It's assault
This wasn't on federal land
It wasn't when agents were claiming to do any enforcement activity
It was federal agents shooting gas at children and union families in the streets
Im not a lawyer, but I dont see how qualified immunity counts here
It's assault
The lack of gun policy changes after Sandy Hook told us a lot more about the GOP than their positions on gun regulation.
And it became quite clear to me when there was no change after Columbine.
And it became quite clear to me when there was no change after Columbine.
Today I saw ICE gas little white kids in the streets of Portland with chemical weapons. Imagine what they're doing to brown and black kids in the detention camps
February 1, 2026 at 3:46 AM
The lack of gun policy changes after Sandy Hook told us a lot more about the GOP than their positions on gun regulation.
And it became quite clear to me when there was no change after Columbine.
And it became quite clear to me when there was no change after Columbine.
Liam's release will not undo the trauma already caused by our government. There is no way to erase that trauma.
This is a victory for Liam and his father, but we must never forget the harm done in our name.
This is a victory for Liam and his father, but we must never forget the harm done in our name.
Federal judge has ordered the release of Liam Ramos (the bunny hat boy) and his father. A brief and rather remarkable order. Clearly written to be shared widely, so please do. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 31, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Liam's release will not undo the trauma already caused by our government. There is no way to erase that trauma.
This is a victory for Liam and his father, but we must never forget the harm done in our name.
This is a victory for Liam and his father, but we must never forget the harm done in our name.