Heather Walter-McCabe
@profwaltermac.bsky.social
Law Professor at SLU - JD/MSW - fueled by coffee and anxiety while working at the intersection of law, social work, & public health. My emphasis is on LGBTQ health equity. My work is intersectional. #TransRights is non-negotiable. Legal Epi.🏳️🌈
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people. n.pr/453QS51
19 states sue HHS over a move that could curtail youth gender-affirming care
A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.
n.pr
December 24, 2025 at 6:55 AM
A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people. n.pr/453QS51
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
A coalition of 19 states and DC have filed a lawsuit challenging the Kennedy declaration seeking to ban gender affirming care for trans youth by fiat by creating a federal "standard of care" based on pure pseudoscience.
ag.ny.gov/press-releas...
ag.ny.gov/press-releas...
Attorney General James Leads Lawsuit Challenging Federal Attack on Gender-Affirming Care
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 18 other states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit to stop the U.S
ag.ny.gov
December 24, 2025 at 4:01 AM
A coalition of 19 states and DC have filed a lawsuit challenging the Kennedy declaration seeking to ban gender affirming care for trans youth by fiat by creating a federal "standard of care" based on pure pseudoscience.
ag.ny.gov/press-releas...
ag.ny.gov/press-releas...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
1 - the exec branch can't decline to spend $ Congress appropriated
2- the fed govt can't use federal $ to extort states over policy/political disagreements
3-the fed govt can't use federal $ to impose conditions unrelated to the funding program
4-the fed govt can't use federal $ to coerce states
2- the fed govt can't use federal $ to extort states over policy/political disagreements
3-the fed govt can't use federal $ to impose conditions unrelated to the funding program
4-the fed govt can't use federal $ to coerce states
Sean Duffy on blue states: "What I can do is I can pull their money. That's the leverage I do have ... I guarantee you that the federal taxpayer is not going to fund their roads and bridges and their systems when they are putting illegals on the roads."
December 23, 2025 at 2:32 PM
1 - the exec branch can't decline to spend $ Congress appropriated
2- the fed govt can't use federal $ to extort states over policy/political disagreements
3-the fed govt can't use federal $ to impose conditions unrelated to the funding program
4-the fed govt can't use federal $ to coerce states
2- the fed govt can't use federal $ to extort states over policy/political disagreements
3-the fed govt can't use federal $ to impose conditions unrelated to the funding program
4-the fed govt can't use federal $ to coerce states
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Here’s my last story of the year.
“They are trying to do something that CMS simply isn’t empowered to do,” a former senior Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official from the Biden administration told me, about limiting medical care of trans kids.
www.advocate.com/politics/hhs...
“They are trying to do something that CMS simply isn’t empowered to do,” a former senior Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official from the Biden administration told me, about limiting medical care of trans kids.
www.advocate.com/politics/hhs...
Health policy expert to RFK Jr.: You can't ban trans youth care this way
“They are trying to do something that CMS simply isn’t empowered to do,” a former senior Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official from the Biden administration told The Advocate.
www.advocate.com
December 19, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Here’s my last story of the year.
“They are trying to do something that CMS simply isn’t empowered to do,” a former senior Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official from the Biden administration told me, about limiting medical care of trans kids.
www.advocate.com/politics/hhs...
“They are trying to do something that CMS simply isn’t empowered to do,” a former senior Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official from the Biden administration told me, about limiting medical care of trans kids.
www.advocate.com/politics/hhs...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
“These [HHS] rules are not in effect. They are merely proposals with a notice and comment process ahead. We encourage all to use the comment portals [that will be] provided to let HHS know just how dangerous these regulations are.” – Sasha Buchert, Senior Attorney
Read more: tinyurl.com/brdy37e
Read more: tinyurl.com/brdy37e
December 18, 2025 at 8:54 PM
“These [HHS] rules are not in effect. They are merely proposals with a notice and comment process ahead. We encourage all to use the comment portals [that will be] provided to let HHS know just how dangerous these regulations are.” – Sasha Buchert, Senior Attorney
Read more: tinyurl.com/brdy37e
Read more: tinyurl.com/brdy37e
HHS moves to limit evidence based healthcare (even when MD & parents believe it is in child’s best interest) for children they have chosen based on ideology not science. Fixed it. Expect court challenges.
HHS moves to cut federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/h...
HHS moves to cut federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors
The Trump administration announced a series of sweeping regulatory actions Thursday to ban hospitals from offering gender-affirming care to minors. | Under the proposals, unveiled by Health and Human ...
www.fiercehealthcare.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:48 PM
HHS moves to limit evidence based healthcare (even when MD & parents believe it is in child’s best interest) for children they have chosen based on ideology not science. Fixed it. Expect court challenges.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Prof. Lawrence Gostin and I wrote about the threat to states school immunization requirements from both litigation and legislation, especially worrying given federal actions undermining vaccine access
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
State Vaccine Law and Policy—A New Threat to Public Health
This Viewpoint discusses the importance of understanding the evolution and current trajectory of state-level vaccine requirements for assessing the stability of the nation’s immunization infrastructur...
jamanetwork.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Prof. Lawrence Gostin and I wrote about the threat to states school immunization requirements from both litigation and legislation, especially worrying given federal actions undermining vaccine access
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
"These rules now face a 60-day “comment period,” where YOU can weigh in.
A large number of comments can slow it down, force changes, or lay the groundwork for future litigation. YOUR comments are where that starts."
Comment period starts tomorrow
A large number of comments can slow it down, force changes, or lay the groundwork for future litigation. YOUR comments are where that starts."
Comment period starts tomorrow
🧵 The Trump administration just proposed two rules that would effectively ban best-practice health care for trans youth.
Here’s what you need to know:
Here’s what you need to know:
December 18, 2025 at 6:16 PM
"These rules now face a 60-day “comment period,” where YOU can weigh in.
A large number of comments can slow it down, force changes, or lay the groundwork for future litigation. YOUR comments are where that starts."
Comment period starts tomorrow
A large number of comments can slow it down, force changes, or lay the groundwork for future litigation. YOUR comments are where that starts."
Comment period starts tomorrow
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
To me the guiding question has to be: What is a politics that is directed and singularly focused at the source of people's pain and suffering? - That is not a question of interest to the abundance Dems or the fascists.
I mean NYC is about the embark on a project of trying to implement some major policies intended to support regular people. Folks could focus on that to see what might be possible to achieve in similar positioned cities. Can NYC deliver universal childcare?
December 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM
To me the guiding question has to be: What is a politics that is directed and singularly focused at the source of people's pain and suffering? - That is not a question of interest to the abundance Dems or the fascists.
Dems who are willing to throw communities under the bus, including trans communities, we see you. I won’t forget come election time.
December 18, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Dems who are willing to throw communities under the bus, including trans communities, we see you. I won’t forget come election time.
Great write up of @profgoldberg.bsky.social important work!
This is a really humbling write-up of my work from @cobioethics.bsky.social but what I want to draw attention to is how excellent the #sci and #public #comms are in explaining key ideas in #LegalEpi and #StigmaStudies #YouShouldntHave #YouReallyShouldntHave
This Law May be Hazardous to Your Health
What if laws were treated like exposures—just like lead or unsafe housing? Daniel Goldberg leads the way in legal epidemiology and public health ethics.
news.cuanschutz.edu
December 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Great write up of @profgoldberg.bsky.social important work!
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
"The meeting made explicit what was already becoming apparent: The iconoclasts are in charge and pursuing a campaign against public health guidance, as such."
via @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social thedispatch.com/article/vacc.... .
via @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social thedispatch.com/article/vacc.... .
The Iconoclasts vs. Public Health
The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel takes full aim at the childhood vaccine schedule.
thedispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:27 PM
"The meeting made explicit what was already becoming apparent: The iconoclasts are in charge and pursuing a campaign against public health guidance, as such."
via @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social thedispatch.com/article/vacc.... .
via @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social thedispatch.com/article/vacc.... .
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Here's why the measles outbreak just took a dangerous new turn: the U.S. is about to lose its measles elimination status under RFK Jr.'s leadership. www.axios.com/2025/12/09/m... via @herbscribner.bsky.social @axios.com
Here's why the measles outbreak just took a dangerous new turn
Measles outbreaks seen in Utah and Arizona remain the biggest in the country.
www.axios.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Here's why the measles outbreak just took a dangerous new turn: the U.S. is about to lose its measles elimination status under RFK Jr.'s leadership. www.axios.com/2025/12/09/m... via @herbscribner.bsky.social @axios.com
Thankful.
🚨BREAKING: More than 300,000 Missourians have signed a petition demanding that the gerrymander be put to a statewide referendum, advocacy organization People Not Politicians announced as it delivered those signatures to the state government Tuesday. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
300,000 Missouri Voters Sign Petition To Put GOP Gerrymander to Statewide Vote
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Thankful.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
"ACIP shouldn’t be this lively, interesting, or funny. These people make decisions that impact people’s lives. Given that, the members’ lack of expertise, incompetence, and blatant anti-vaccine biases were dismaying. Our nation’s public health is not in good hands." - @doritreiss.bsky.social
"Our nation’s public health is not in good hands." — Public health lawyer @doritreiss.bsky.social breaks down this week's gobsmacking meeting of #CDC's vaccine advisory panel, #ACIP.
The #hepatitisB birth dose is gone. Kennedy's ACIP isn't done yet. www.statnews.com/2025/12/06/a...
The #hepatitisB birth dose is gone. Kennedy's ACIP isn't done yet. www.statnews.com/2025/12/06/a...
RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel is beset by incompetence, bias, and procedural chaos
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) meetings used to be a geek’s dream: hours of long, maybe dreary presentation of extensive data
www.statnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:33 AM
"ACIP shouldn’t be this lively, interesting, or funny. These people make decisions that impact people’s lives. Given that, the members’ lack of expertise, incompetence, and blatant anti-vaccine biases were dismaying. Our nation’s public health is not in good hands." - @doritreiss.bsky.social
As a lifelong Hoosier until last year, I see many (R & D) who have never been involved in politics standing up against this right now and it is awful to see how their leaders are ignoring them.
Indiana has rapidly become the latest flashpoint in the GOP’s national push to engineer aggressive mid-decade gerrymanders. Few states illustrate the immense costs to voters and how far lawmakers are willing to go to appease President Donald Trump. www.democracydocket.com/analysis/ind...
Indiana’s GOP Shows Us the Future of Gerrymandering — And It’s Grim: A Conversation With Election Law Expert Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:54 PM
As a lifelong Hoosier until last year, I see many (R & D) who have never been involved in politics standing up against this right now and it is awful to see how their leaders are ignoring them.
If you aren’t following @doritreiss.bsky.social regarding all that is happening with vaccines, you should. Well researched expertise.
One thing I should have included in my op-ed is that Dr. Middleman, an actual hepatitis B expert, was silenced in the meeting when she tried to provide the committee the benefit of her expertise. Dr. Malone silenced her very aggressively, while letting anti-vaccine speakers go over time repeatedly.
December 6, 2025 at 8:25 PM
If you aren’t following @doritreiss.bsky.social regarding all that is happening with vaccines, you should. Well researched expertise.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
"All is lost" narratives are popular because people generally do not want to take action. Taking action is tiring so if all is lost, you are off the hook. Nothing is more seductive than not having to do anything.
December 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
"All is lost" narratives are popular because people generally do not want to take action. Taking action is tiring so if all is lost, you are off the hook. Nothing is more seductive than not having to do anything.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
The Trump administration's decision to roll back universal Hepatitis B vaccine schedule recommendations will leave children vulnerable to unnecessary exposure and preventable illness. Read APHA's statement: www.apha.org/news-and-med...
December 5, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The Trump administration's decision to roll back universal Hepatitis B vaccine schedule recommendations will leave children vulnerable to unnecessary exposure and preventable illness. Read APHA's statement: www.apha.org/news-and-med...
I’m writing a law review article and it would be nice if SCOTUS would just stop making it so that I don’t know what to even write besides well back when we had any idea what the rule of law was I would assert X but now who knows…
December 5, 2025 at 12:57 AM
I’m writing a law review article and it would be nice if SCOTUS would just stop making it so that I don’t know what to even write besides well back when we had any idea what the rule of law was I would assert X but now who knows…
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
People's actions this World AIDS Day are not lessened because President Donald Trump says the government doesn’t commemorate the day any longer.
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
December 2, 2025 at 4:43 AM
People's actions this World AIDS Day are not lessened because President Donald Trump says the government doesn’t commemorate the day any longer.
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
This World AIDS Day we are grateful for the heroic folks at Takalani Sesame and @sesameworkersunion.bsky.social for helping children remember parents and siblings lost to AIDS.
This is the humanities at its best.
This is the humanities at its best.
Making a Memory Box
YouTube video by Sesame Workshop
youtu.be
December 2, 2025 at 4:37 AM
This World AIDS Day we are grateful for the heroic folks at Takalani Sesame and @sesameworkersunion.bsky.social for helping children remember parents and siblings lost to AIDS.
This is the humanities at its best.
This is the humanities at its best.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
South Carolina’s measles outbreak shows chilling effect of vaccine misinformation missouriindependent.com/2025/11/28/r...
South Carolina’s measles outbreak shows chilling effect of vaccine misinformation • Missouri Independent
Spartanburg County, in South Carolina’s Upstate region, has been fighting a measles outbreak since early October, with more than 50 cases identified.
missouriindependent.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:26 PM
South Carolina’s measles outbreak shows chilling effect of vaccine misinformation missouriindependent.com/2025/11/28/r...
I am appalled by this agreement. There are so many ways that diversity of any kind can be weaponized here. Shame on the universities that are conceding.
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
www.northwestern.edu
November 29, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I am appalled by this agreement. There are so many ways that diversity of any kind can be weaponized here. Shame on the universities that are conceding.
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Read this piece by @drjudystone.bsky.social and then take action.
New: What Is A “Professional Degree” And Why Does It Matter? via @forbes www.forbes.com/sites/judyst... #Nursing #PT #OT #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #SocialWork w thanks to @gregggonsalves.bsky.social @michelemanos.bsky.social and Russ Francis @defendpublichealth.bsky.social for comments.
What Is A “Professional Degree” And Why Does It Matter?
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Dept of Education proposes redefining "professional degrees" to exclude degrees in nursing, NP/PA, Public Health, PT/OT and more
www.forbes.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Read this piece by @drjudystone.bsky.social and then take action.