Penelope Wang
@pennywriter.bsky.social
Freelance writer/editor. Focus: personal finance, consumer protection, preserving civilization. Priors: Consumer Reports, Money mag.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
When a politician says: we’ll deregulate health insurance and send you a “freedom account” check, ask: freedom to buy what? If insurers don’t offer real policies or can cherry-pick only healthy people, that money is a coupon for a store that’s not open.
November 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
When a politician says: we’ll deregulate health insurance and send you a “freedom account” check, ask: freedom to buy what? If insurers don’t offer real policies or can cherry-pick only healthy people, that money is a coupon for a store that’s not open.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Here's the thread we need today. The history of US immigration law is... not so good.
U.S. immigration law started with laws explicitly & entirely designed to discriminate against & exclude arrivals from specific countries. Which is to say, federal immigration policy has from its outset been about defining certain communities as "illegal."
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2018/05/cons...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2018/05/cons...
Considering History: The Chinese Exclusion Act and the Origins of “Illegal” Immigration | The Saturday Evening Post
Ben Railton discusses The Chinese Exclusion Act and its impact on Chinese-American families throughout the 20th century.
www.saturdayeveningpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Here's the thread we need today. The history of US immigration law is... not so good.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Gift article.
Heartbreaking. I’m not too far from Middletown, Ohio — that little town that JD Vance left behind.
“I actually had a customer, who had not received their SNAP, ask for a credit in tears. I made sure they had what they needed… I was crying with her as she kept apologizing.”
Heartbreaking. I’m not too far from Middletown, Ohio — that little town that JD Vance left behind.
“I actually had a customer, who had not received their SNAP, ask for a credit in tears. I made sure they had what they needed… I was crying with her as she kept apologizing.”
When Every Cent Counts: What Shopping for Thanksgiving Is Like on SNAP
www.nytimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Gift article.
Heartbreaking. I’m not too far from Middletown, Ohio — that little town that JD Vance left behind.
“I actually had a customer, who had not received their SNAP, ask for a credit in tears. I made sure they had what they needed… I was crying with her as she kept apologizing.”
Heartbreaking. I’m not too far from Middletown, Ohio — that little town that JD Vance left behind.
“I actually had a customer, who had not received their SNAP, ask for a credit in tears. I made sure they had what they needed… I was crying with her as she kept apologizing.”
Reposted by Penelope Wang
www.nbcnews.com/news/educati...
Trump administration’s plan to redefine what constitutes a professional degree would exclude nursing and limit access to student loans — outraging national health care groups and leaving nursing students questioning how they will pay for graduate degrees.
Trump administration’s plan to redefine what constitutes a professional degree would exclude nursing and limit access to student loans — outraging national health care groups and leaving nursing students questioning how they will pay for graduate degrees.
Trump administration says nursing isn't a professional degree amid new limits on loans
The new student loan caps take effect in July. Here's what that means for students looking to pursue advanced nursing degrees.
www.nbcnews.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:32 PM
www.nbcnews.com/news/educati...
Trump administration’s plan to redefine what constitutes a professional degree would exclude nursing and limit access to student loans — outraging national health care groups and leaving nursing students questioning how they will pay for graduate degrees.
Trump administration’s plan to redefine what constitutes a professional degree would exclude nursing and limit access to student loans — outraging national health care groups and leaving nursing students questioning how they will pay for graduate degrees.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
The "DOGE is gone" articles are clickbait but this one gets it closer to the truth: DOGE is not gone, it just claims to have "no centralized leadership" anymore -- in other words, its leadership is hiding in an attempt to avoid blame.
DOGE no longer has ‘centralized leadership’ under White House tech team, personnel head says
The team that was altered to house DOGE — formerly the U.S. Digital Service — is also still doing its own technology work across agencies.
www.nextgov.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 AM
The "DOGE is gone" articles are clickbait but this one gets it closer to the truth: DOGE is not gone, it just claims to have "no centralized leadership" anymore -- in other words, its leadership is hiding in an attempt to avoid blame.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
They did it again! NYC subway Thanksgiving 2025, via @scootercaster.com!
November 27, 2025 at 4:19 PM
They did it again! NYC subway Thanksgiving 2025, via @scootercaster.com!
Reposted by Penelope Wang
A beautiful yellow Roman glass pitcher with a splash of light blue appliqué for extra decoration. The small relief depicts a bacchant, follower of Bacchus, god of wine.
ca. AD 50-75. The Corning Museum of Glass www.museumofglass.org?gad_source=1...
ca. AD 50-75. The Corning Museum of Glass www.museumofglass.org?gad_source=1...
November 27, 2025 at 2:48 PM
A beautiful yellow Roman glass pitcher with a splash of light blue appliqué for extra decoration. The small relief depicts a bacchant, follower of Bacchus, god of wine.
ca. AD 50-75. The Corning Museum of Glass www.museumofglass.org?gad_source=1...
ca. AD 50-75. The Corning Museum of Glass www.museumofglass.org?gad_source=1...
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Reposted by Penelope Wang
“Gawande noted that the toll will continue to grow and may go unseen because it can take months or years for people to die from lack of treatments or vaccine-preventable illnesses—and because deaths are scattered.“
Public man-made death: The dismantling of USAID “has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children.”
That’s 1000+ excess dead children every day. Every day.
hsph.harvard.edu/news/usaid-s...
That’s 1000+ excess dead children every day. Every day.
hsph.harvard.edu/news/usaid-s...
USAID shutdown has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition, accord...
hsph.harvard.edu
November 27, 2025 at 1:11 PM
“Gawande noted that the toll will continue to grow and may go unseen because it can take months or years for people to die from lack of treatments or vaccine-preventable illnesses—and because deaths are scattered.“
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Reposted by Penelope Wang
“It’s insane to have them rip our family apart,” Mr. Paul said. “Whoever is directing this has completely lost touch with their mission to the country.”
Unconscionable ⬇️
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Unconscionable ⬇️
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:08 PM
“It’s insane to have them rip our family apart,” Mr. Paul said. “Whoever is directing this has completely lost touch with their mission to the country.”
Unconscionable ⬇️
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Unconscionable ⬇️
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Reposted by Penelope Wang
SCOOP: The Trump administration has instructed employees and grantees not to use U.S. funds to commemorate World AIDS Day — because the observance was started by the World Health Organization.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
Trump Administration Cancels U.S. Observance of World AIDS Day
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
SCOOP: The Trump administration has instructed employees and grantees not to use U.S. funds to commemorate World AIDS Day — because the observance was started by the World Health Organization.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
Reposted by Penelope Wang
“The seven tiers of stacks in which many of the books of the New York Public Library are shelved”: the splendid front cover of May 27th 1911’s Scientific American.
November 26, 2025 at 4:48 PM
“The seven tiers of stacks in which many of the books of the New York Public Library are shelved”: the splendid front cover of May 27th 1911’s Scientific American.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Research shows that volunteering can be helpful for retirees’ health and well-being. For @motherjones.com, I spoke to four retirees about how they’re giving back to their communities to resist current happenings. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Turns out fighting fascism helps you live longer
Retirees are mobilizing to defend democracy—and the benefits literally show up in their DNA.
www.motherjones.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Research shows that volunteering can be helpful for retirees’ health and well-being. For @motherjones.com, I spoke to four retirees about how they’re giving back to their communities to resist current happenings. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Penelope Wang
In 2024 (and now apparently) there was an interesting debate over "cheapflation." A study found the price of generic-brand food increased faster than premium, as more affluent customers substituted into generic.
Standard to assume this is a welfare loss.
www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
Standard to assume this is a welfare loss.
www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
November 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
In 2024 (and now apparently) there was an interesting debate over "cheapflation." A study found the price of generic-brand food increased faster than premium, as more affluent customers substituted into generic.
Standard to assume this is a welfare loss.
www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
Standard to assume this is a welfare loss.
www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Ok one more video. the most beautiful fluke I've seen. edited for EXTRA BEAUTY!!!
November 24, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Ok one more video. the most beautiful fluke I've seen. edited for EXTRA BEAUTY!!!
Reposted by Penelope Wang
When I was in Belarus a few years ago, I met a guy who loved Americana and excitedly told me about taking his family on vacation to the USA, including various national parks. Just getting the tourist visa was a huge ordeal, but worth it to him. Lots of people like that. We should WELCOME them FFS
National parks have SO MANY people from other countries (since they get real vacations!)
And they spend a lot of money on hotels, food, souvenirs, etc.
This is unbelievably dumb, it will destroy entire tourist towns
And they spend a lot of money on hotels, food, souvenirs, etc.
This is unbelievably dumb, it will destroy entire tourist towns
November 26, 2025 at 4:05 AM
When I was in Belarus a few years ago, I met a guy who loved Americana and excitedly told me about taking his family on vacation to the USA, including various national parks. Just getting the tourist visa was a huge ordeal, but worth it to him. Lots of people like that. We should WELCOME them FFS
Reposted by Penelope Wang
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Wait’ll you see insurance premiums.
Average electricity cost increase since Jan:
Missouri ⬆️ 37%
Iowa ⬆️ 30%
North Dakota ⬆️ 30%
Oklahoma ⬆️ 30%
New Jersey ⬆️ 27%
Nebraska ⬆️ 25%
Montana ⬆️ 25%
Wyoming ⬆️ 23%
NATIONWIDE ⬆️ 11%
Instead of working to lower costs, Trump is boosting power-hungry AI data centers.
Missouri ⬆️ 37%
Iowa ⬆️ 30%
North Dakota ⬆️ 30%
Oklahoma ⬆️ 30%
New Jersey ⬆️ 27%
Nebraska ⬆️ 25%
Montana ⬆️ 25%
Wyoming ⬆️ 23%
NATIONWIDE ⬆️ 11%
Instead of working to lower costs, Trump is boosting power-hungry AI data centers.
November 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Wait’ll you see insurance premiums.
Reposted by Penelope Wang
November 25, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Penelope Wang
No bailouts. The US should extort these companies when the crash happens so they get minimal compensation in return for nationalizing the entire panopticon industry and then destroying it once harvested for socially useful parts. It won’t happen but it should
November 25, 2025 at 4:22 PM
No bailouts. The US should extort these companies when the crash happens so they get minimal compensation in return for nationalizing the entire panopticon industry and then destroying it once harvested for socially useful parts. It won’t happen but it should
Reposted by Penelope Wang
Thanksgiving costs climbed about 10% this year over last year, according to new research from @groundwork.bsky.social @tcfdotorg.bsky.social & @aft.org.
That’s an increase of more than 3X the overall inflation rate. Explore the research👇
https://bit.ly/4rj7Rtf
That’s an increase of more than 3X the overall inflation rate. Explore the research👇
https://bit.ly/4rj7Rtf
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Thanksgiving costs climbed about 10% this year over last year, according to new research from @groundwork.bsky.social @tcfdotorg.bsky.social & @aft.org.
That’s an increase of more than 3X the overall inflation rate. Explore the research👇
https://bit.ly/4rj7Rtf
That’s an increase of more than 3X the overall inflation rate. Explore the research👇
https://bit.ly/4rj7Rtf
Reposted by Penelope Wang
The Fed can lower interest rates — but can they lower the mortgage application REJECTION rate?
(via Ben Emons)
(via Ben Emons)
November 25, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The Fed can lower interest rates — but can they lower the mortgage application REJECTION rate?
(via Ben Emons)
(via Ben Emons)
Reposted by Penelope Wang
I am stuck between how much I hate all this for the people who have their work stolen and how much I am frustrated by people who believe they should be able to do absolutely nothing to verify where something is coming from and still be confident it’s going to work.
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet -- And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I am stuck between how much I hate all this for the people who have their work stolen and how much I am frustrated by people who believe they should be able to do absolutely nothing to verify where something is coming from and still be confident it’s going to work.