Mark Abraham
@markabraham.bsky.social
Collecting and sharing data on community-level health and well-being. Personal account: Posts here do not represent the views of my employer. #NHV resident.
Even if the shutdown ends, "5.3 million American families, including 58,000 Connecticut families, will lose at least $25/month in #SNAP benefits due to policy changes in H.R.1. These 58,000 Connecticut families will lose an average of $194 in benefits each month." www.ctdatahaven.org/reports/food...
Food Assistance and Local Economies at Risk: Projected Federal SNAP Cuts by Connecticut Town and District | DataHaven
www.ctdatahaven.org
November 11, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Even if the shutdown ends, "5.3 million American families, including 58,000 Connecticut families, will lose at least $25/month in #SNAP benefits due to policy changes in H.R.1. These 58,000 Connecticut families will lose an average of $194 in benefits each month." www.ctdatahaven.org/reports/food...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Some states got full benefits out after the courts ordered them to. The White House is saying that was illegal. But it would also be illegal to claw back those benefits. The net result is that some SNAP users got full benefits, and some did not depending on how aggressively their state acted.
November 9, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Some states got full benefits out after the courts ordered them to. The White House is saying that was illegal. But it would also be illegal to claw back those benefits. The net result is that some SNAP users got full benefits, and some did not depending on how aggressively their state acted.
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Low-income households denied SNAP due to administrative barriers suffer downstream consequences. Process-related denials increase debt, delinquencies, and decrease credit scores, from Tatiana Homonoff, Min S. Lee, and Katherine Meckel www.nber.org/papers/w34434
November 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Low-income households denied SNAP due to administrative barriers suffer downstream consequences. Process-related denials increase debt, delinquencies, and decrease credit scores, from Tatiana Homonoff, Min S. Lee, and Katherine Meckel www.nber.org/papers/w34434
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Dem gains in this week's elections erased the inroads Trump made with non-white, young, and low-income voters in 2024. In fact, the R-to-D shift from 24 to 25 is double Trump's gains from 20-24. Claims of a GOP political realignment have been highly exaggerated
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-win...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-win...
Trump's winning 2024 coalition has evaporated
Claims of a conservative realignment of non-whites, the working class, and young voters have been highly exaggerated
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Dem gains in this week's elections erased the inroads Trump made with non-white, young, and low-income voters in 2024. In fact, the R-to-D shift from 24 to 25 is double Trump's gains from 20-24. Claims of a GOP political realignment have been highly exaggerated
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-win...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-win...
New data from @datahaven.bsky.social ’s large annual survey in #Connecticut collected from August through October 2025, including on SNAP, healthcare, housing, evictions, immigration, and quality of life www.ctdatahaven.org/blog/2025-da...
2025 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey Highlights Trust, Resilience, and Economic Challenges Across Connecticut | DataHaven
www.ctdatahaven.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:41 AM
New data from @datahaven.bsky.social ’s large annual survey in #Connecticut collected from August through October 2025, including on SNAP, healthcare, housing, evictions, immigration, and quality of life www.ctdatahaven.org/blog/2025-da...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
SNAP surveys SNAP users. Already half of them are saying they are skipping meals.
November 6, 2025 at 9:21 PM
SNAP surveys SNAP users. Already half of them are saying they are skipping meals.
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Yesterday Trump said he’d violate court orders and continue holding SNAP benefits hostage, forcing Americans to go hungry.
Thankfully, members of his own administration ignored his rant and are issuing partial payments as directed by courts.
Trump is out of control.
Thankfully, members of his own administration ignored his rant and are issuing partial payments as directed by courts.
Trump is out of control.
November 6, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Yesterday Trump said he’d violate court orders and continue holding SNAP benefits hostage, forcing Americans to go hungry.
Thankfully, members of his own administration ignored his rant and are issuing partial payments as directed by courts.
Trump is out of control.
Thankfully, members of his own administration ignored his rant and are issuing partial payments as directed by courts.
Trump is out of control.
Reposted by Mark Abraham
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Tracking Anticipated Deaths from USAID Funding Cuts
Brooke Nichols has launched online tracking tools that capture estimated increases in mortality and disease spread for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases as a result of the near-total...
www.bu.edu
November 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
The One Big Beautiful Bill dedicates $170 billion to immigration enforcement, or $12,142 per unauthorized immigrant. By comparison, the federal government spends $8,990 per child each year.
Money talks; Congress is saying kids aren't as important.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Money talks; Congress is saying kids aren't as important.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
That Extra ICE Funding Could Buy a Lot of School Meals
Whatever their views on America’s immigration laws, most Americans probably have no idea how much the US is spending to enforce them. That’s in part because congressional Republicans and President Don...
www.bloomberg.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The One Big Beautiful Bill dedicates $170 billion to immigration enforcement, or $12,142 per unauthorized immigrant. By comparison, the federal government spends $8,990 per child each year.
Money talks; Congress is saying kids aren't as important.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Money talks; Congress is saying kids aren't as important.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Lockheed Martin, Raytheon/RTX, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman spent $89 billion on stock buybacks and dividends over the last four years.
Two-thirds of that came from US taxpayers:
Two-thirds of that came from US taxpayers:
November 4, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Lockheed Martin, Raytheon/RTX, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman spent $89 billion on stock buybacks and dividends over the last four years.
Two-thirds of that came from US taxpayers:
Two-thirds of that came from US taxpayers:
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Well, this story is a dystopian sci-fi scenario made real www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/m...
A Harrowing Escape From the Drone-Infested Hellscape of Ukraine’s Front Lines
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Well, this story is a dystopian sci-fi scenario made real www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/m...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Universal swing in action: "What we saw last night was a directional shift toward Democrats in 99.8% of counties that held partisan elections." www.gelliottmorris.com/p/seven-data...
November 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Universal swing in action: "What we saw last night was a directional shift toward Democrats in 99.8% of counties that held partisan elections." www.gelliottmorris.com/p/seven-data...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
In light of the stunning size of the blue wave, I’m also thinking of all the important races that Dems left on the table by not running a candidate:
Now 8 days to go before the deadline fully passes for local candidates to run in Virginia — and there still only are Republican candidates running for sheriff in the state's two biggest cities, as sheriffs ramp up their cooperation with ICE and federal immigration authorities.
Background:
Background:
“It Blows My Mind That There’s No Opposition”: When ICE Allies Run Unchallenged - Bolts
In a populous city in southeast Virginia, a Republican sheriff who calls himself “Detain ’Em Dave” faces a race to the right against a GOP challenger who wants more immigration enforcement. No Democra...
boltsmag.org
November 5, 2025 at 1:28 PM
In light of the stunning size of the blue wave, I’m also thinking of all the important races that Dems left on the table by not running a candidate:
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Trump confirms he is weaponizing hunger
November 4, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Trump confirms he is weaponizing hunger
Reposted by Mark Abraham
"[Chicago mom] Andrea Soria... overheard her 6-year-old whisper to her dolls: 'We have to be good or ICE will get us.'"
apnews.com/article/chic...
apnews.com/article/chic...
Chicago's children are getting caught in the chaos of immigration crackdowns
In Chicago, children and families have been traumatized by an immigration enforcement action involving tear gas.
apnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:42 PM
"[Chicago mom] Andrea Soria... overheard her 6-year-old whisper to her dolls: 'We have to be good or ICE will get us.'"
apnews.com/article/chic...
apnews.com/article/chic...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Yesterday when I was teaching health policy, I told them that SNAP payments are not being made on November 1 and that while there is a contingency fund, they’re not using it.
My students naturally asked why they wouldn’t use these funds to help people eat.
Tough thing to answer in PG language.
My students naturally asked why they wouldn’t use these funds to help people eat.
Tough thing to answer in PG language.
To recap: Trump is spending money Congress never appropriated to pay federal employees with guns, and cutting programs and grants even when Congress has appropriated funds.
They literally have a contingency fund for SNAP that they are refusing to use.
No Speaker has done more to weaken Congress.
They literally have a contingency fund for SNAP that they are refusing to use.
No Speaker has done more to weaken Congress.
October 30, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Yesterday when I was teaching health policy, I told them that SNAP payments are not being made on November 1 and that while there is a contingency fund, they’re not using it.
My students naturally asked why they wouldn’t use these funds to help people eat.
Tough thing to answer in PG language.
My students naturally asked why they wouldn’t use these funds to help people eat.
Tough thing to answer in PG language.
Reposted by Mark Abraham
For the first time in the history of the U.S., the President is allowing SNAP funding to lapse.
I knew Trump was cruel, but letting tens of millions of Americans starve when you have the resources to feed them is a new low.
I knew Trump was cruel, but letting tens of millions of Americans starve when you have the resources to feed them is a new low.
October 30, 2025 at 2:12 PM
For the first time in the history of the U.S., the President is allowing SNAP funding to lapse.
I knew Trump was cruel, but letting tens of millions of Americans starve when you have the resources to feed them is a new low.
I knew Trump was cruel, but letting tens of millions of Americans starve when you have the resources to feed them is a new low.
Reposted by Mark Abraham
NEW: The Trump admin just ended the practice of automatically extending work permits when people file to renew them — meaning that if USCIS takes too long to process a renewal the applicant loses their authorization to work legally.
The interim final rule applies to renewals filed after tomorrow.
The interim final rule applies to renewals filed after tomorrow.
![This document is scheduled to be published in the
Federal Register on 10/30/2025 and available online at
https://federalregister.gov/d/2025-19702, and on https://govinfo.gov
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Removal of the Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Documents AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ACTION: Interim final rule (“IFR”) with request for comments. ______________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY: This IFR amends DHS regulations to end the practice of automatically extending the validity of employment authorization documents (Forms I-766 or EADs) for aliens who have timely filed an application to renew their EAD in certain employment authorization categories. The purpose of this change is to prioritize the proper vetting and screening of aliens before granting a new period of employment authorization and/or a new EAD. This IFR does not impact the validity of EADs that were automatically extended prior to [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER] or which are otherwise automatically extended by law or Federal Register notice.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2vtbmhmrwzbqcfv4we4uxzzt/bafkreicxgrb4jgjk3455qn4mjcjyz24ysxwf3ri2j5gzlqe4uuq67m746a@jpeg)
October 29, 2025 at 1:43 PM
NEW: The Trump admin just ended the practice of automatically extending work permits when people file to renew them — meaning that if USCIS takes too long to process a renewal the applicant loses their authorization to work legally.
The interim final rule applies to renewals filed after tomorrow.
The interim final rule applies to renewals filed after tomorrow.
This might explain why so many car washes have been built recently
From a city planning perspective, these tax issues matter as they are incentivizing car washes and gas stations, which have been expanding recently, and aren’t really good for creating nice places. Car washes, like drive thrus, kill a street for walkability.
Private Jets and Car Washes Are the Latest Tax Shields for the Ultrarich
Trump’s tax overhaul solidifies write-offs of certain assets — setting off soaring demand from wealthy Americans.
www.bloomberg.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM
This might explain why so many car washes have been built recently
Reposted by Mark Abraham
“.. In the first half of this year, the Trump Organization’s income soared 17-fold to $864 million ..
“.. more than 90% .. came from Trump crypto ventures, including sales of World Liberty tokens.”
@reuters.com $WLFI
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
“.. more than 90% .. came from Trump crypto ventures, including sales of World Liberty tokens.”
@reuters.com $WLFI
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
October 28, 2025 at 10:37 AM
“.. In the first half of this year, the Trump Organization’s income soared 17-fold to $864 million ..
“.. more than 90% .. came from Trump crypto ventures, including sales of World Liberty tokens.”
@reuters.com $WLFI
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
“.. more than 90% .. came from Trump crypto ventures, including sales of World Liberty tokens.”
@reuters.com $WLFI
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
"For more than a year, Russian operators have routinely flown drones into Kherson and dropped hand grenades on civilians on sidewalks or working in backyard gardens...with drones sometimes hovering over burning buildings, waiting to drop grenades on arriving firemen." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/w...
Russia Aims Drone Attacks at Civilians, a War Crime, U.N. Inquiry Says
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
"For more than a year, Russian operators have routinely flown drones into Kherson and dropped hand grenades on civilians on sidewalks or working in backyard gardens...with drones sometimes hovering over burning buildings, waiting to drop grenades on arriving firemen." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/w...
Reposted by Mark Abraham
Fun fact. Trump destruction of soybean exports (rightfully) gets lots of attention. But you know what we sell even more of to China? Education.
2024 soybean exports to China: $13B.
Higher Ed: $14B.
Yes, all those internat’l students count as *exports.* Trump is STILL actively destroying that market.
2024 soybean exports to China: $13B.
Higher Ed: $14B.
Yes, all those internat’l students count as *exports.* Trump is STILL actively destroying that market.
Bessent says China to delay rare earths rules by a year, buy U.S. soybeans reut.rs/42YJMO9
Bessent says China to delay rare earths rules by a year, buy U.S. soybeans
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that he anticipates that China will revive substantial purchases of U.S. soybeans for several years and will delay its expanded licensing regime for rare earths by a year and re-examine it after two days of trade talks in Malaysia.
reut.rs
October 27, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Fun fact. Trump destruction of soybean exports (rightfully) gets lots of attention. But you know what we sell even more of to China? Education.
2024 soybean exports to China: $13B.
Higher Ed: $14B.
Yes, all those internat’l students count as *exports.* Trump is STILL actively destroying that market.
2024 soybean exports to China: $13B.
Higher Ed: $14B.
Yes, all those internat’l students count as *exports.* Trump is STILL actively destroying that market.
“Federal officials are relying on racial profiling in a country where 20% of the population is Latino, most of whom are legal residents or citizens…. able to do so because of Congress’s acquiescence on the topic and a wrongheaded SCOTUS ruling last month” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/o...
Opinion | Being Latino in the United States Should Not Be a Crime
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 PM
“Federal officials are relying on racial profiling in a country where 20% of the population is Latino, most of whom are legal residents or citizens…. able to do so because of Congress’s acquiescence on the topic and a wrongheaded SCOTUS ruling last month” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/o...
“There’s now 17 times as much investment in AI as there was in internet companies before the dotcom bust. Nvidia has been valued at almost as much as Canada’s entire economy.”
"AI may not simply be 'a bubble,' or even an enormous bubble. It may be the ultimate bubble. What you might cook up in a lab if your aim was to engineer the Platonic ideal of a tech bubble. One bubble to burst them all." - @bcmerchant.bsky.social
AI Is the Bubble to Burst Them All
I talked to the scholars who literally wrote the book on tech bubbles—and applied their test.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:53 AM
“There’s now 17 times as much investment in AI as there was in internet companies before the dotcom bust. Nvidia has been valued at almost as much as Canada’s entire economy.”
Reposted by Mark Abraham
In a nearly illiterate editorial, WaPo defends Trump's ballroom project, without revealing the fact that the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos, is a principal funder of the project. Shameful conduct all around. bsky.app/profile/bgru...
Here’s a free link to a house editorial that illustrates the collapse of the new Washpost Opinion page.
It’s important to read it, because it is so poorly written and reasoned, and it shows how quickly an editorial institution can fall completely apart under spineless leadership.
wapo.st/3J2IdIh
It’s important to read it, because it is so poorly written and reasoned, and it shows how quickly an editorial institution can fall completely apart under spineless leadership.
wapo.st/3J2IdIh
Opinion | In defense of the White House ballroom
Donald Trump vs. the NIMBYs
wapo.st
October 26, 2025 at 2:43 AM
In a nearly illiterate editorial, WaPo defends Trump's ballroom project, without revealing the fact that the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos, is a principal funder of the project. Shameful conduct all around. bsky.app/profile/bgru...