Rick Weinmeyer
@rickweinmeyer.bsky.social
Assistant Professor - Loyola University Chicago Law • PhD - Northwestern, JD - Minnesota • I study public health law, public health ethics & health policy • A blend of serious and humor • Like, super gay 🏳️🌈
"Alberta’s top government doctor was stopped from speaking publicly about [the escalating measles outbreak], according to interviews. Emails obtained through a public records request show the doctor urging the government to ramp up its messaging weeks before the virus arrived."
Canada Is About to Lose Its Status as Having Eliminated Measles
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:56 AM
"Alberta’s top government doctor was stopped from speaking publicly about [the escalating measles outbreak], according to interviews. Emails obtained through a public records request show the doctor urging the government to ramp up its messaging weeks before the virus arrived."
"Both fears roused by Dobbs — about classification analysis and standard of review — have been vindicated by Skrmetti."
Out today in HLR, my piece Skrmetti Beyond Scrutiny. What happened, what it means for trans rights and sex equality more broadly: harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-13...
Skrmetti Beyond Scrutiny - Harvard Law Review
In United States v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a state law that prohibits transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming care.
harvardlawreview.org
November 11, 2025 at 1:49 AM
"Both fears roused by Dobbs — about classification analysis and standard of review — have been vindicated by Skrmetti."
It is such a stain on this nation that people are still contracting HIV through injection drug use. And to make matters worse, the federal government has now abandoned local communities in their efforts to address this public health crisis.
Maine sought federal help amid its largest HIV outbreak in state history. It’s still waiting
After initially approving Penobscot County's request for CDC aid, the agency put it on hold. Meanwhile, the virus spreads.
www.statnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 AM
It is such a stain on this nation that people are still contracting HIV through injection drug use. And to make matters worse, the federal government has now abandoned local communities in their efforts to address this public health crisis.
Another story that directly mirrors my life.
"She’s a Millennial Baroness, but There’s More to Her Story" www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/s...
"She’s a Millennial Baroness, but There’s More to Her Story" www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/s...
She’s a Millennial Baroness, but There’s More to Her Story
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Another story that directly mirrors my life.
"She’s a Millennial Baroness, but There’s More to Her Story" www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/s...
"She’s a Millennial Baroness, but There’s More to Her Story" www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/s...
Today, I don a label previously anathema to me: Weather Coward.
November 10, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Today, I don a label previously anathema to me: Weather Coward.
"Argentina has emerged as a surprisingly prominent, if geographically distant, haven for L.G.B.T.Q. Russians escaping President Vladimir V. Putin’s escalating anti-gay crackdown."
Gay Russians Find a Haven on the Other Side of the World
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:42 PM
"Argentina has emerged as a surprisingly prominent, if geographically distant, haven for L.G.B.T.Q. Russians escaping President Vladimir V. Putin’s escalating anti-gay crackdown."
Just sayin': This might have been prevented if there were more bathrooms available.
youtu.be/Was0csZwHgg?...
youtu.be/Was0csZwHgg?...
Odessa Police respond to weekend fight at Bass Pro Shops, no arrests made
YouTube video by NewsWest 9
youtu.be
November 8, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Just sayin': This might have been prevented if there were more bathrooms available.
youtu.be/Was0csZwHgg?...
youtu.be/Was0csZwHgg?...
Did I buy a bottle of @lastweektonight.com Cabernet SauvignJohn? Indeed I did.
November 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Did I buy a bottle of @lastweektonight.com Cabernet SauvignJohn? Indeed I did.
Pelosi's "reputation was shaped by how she stepped forward at the earliest and most terrifying moment of a local crisis and how she fought to help her constituents deal with the AIDS epidemic and fight for L.G.B.T.Q. rights."
A Light in Very Dark Days: Nancy Pelosi and AIDS
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Pelosi's "reputation was shaped by how she stepped forward at the earliest and most terrifying moment of a local crisis and how she fought to help her constituents deal with the AIDS epidemic and fight for L.G.B.T.Q. rights."
Reposted by Rick Weinmeyer
The killjoys on the Fifth Circuit have upheld Texas's ban on drag shows--a ban clearly aimed at speech
Federal appeals court says Texas can enforce ban on 'sexually oriented' drag shows
A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas can enforce Senate Bill 12, which restricts "sexually oriented performances" in front of kids. The judges said drag shows aren't necessarily sexual, and th...
www.kut.org
November 7, 2025 at 12:46 AM
The killjoys on the Fifth Circuit have upheld Texas's ban on drag shows--a ban clearly aimed at speech
Reposted by Rick Weinmeyer
In this Stanford Law School podcast with Michelle Mello, the professor of law and of health policy says the amount of chaos introduced into the federal health policy landscape is unprecedented, leaving major gaps in expertise, trust, and leadership. The states are now are rushing to fill the void.
Navigating Uncertainty and Unprecedented Shifts in Federal Health Policy
Stanford Law’s Michelle Mello—also a professor of health policy—discusses how sweeping changes in federal health policy are reshaping public health—and leading states to fill the void
healthpolicy.fsi.stanford.edu
November 6, 2025 at 9:52 PM
In this Stanford Law School podcast with Michelle Mello, the professor of law and of health policy says the amount of chaos introduced into the federal health policy landscape is unprecedented, leaving major gaps in expertise, trust, and leadership. The states are now are rushing to fill the void.
What a powerful testament to public health, biomedical research, civil rights, emergency services, labor, environmentalism, feminism, urbanism, and most of all, the importance of government working for the people.
youtu.be/xE4DFdxheqM?...
youtu.be/xE4DFdxheqM?...
WATCH: Nancy Pelosi announces she won't seek reelection, urges Americans to fight for ideals
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 8:00 PM
What a powerful testament to public health, biomedical research, civil rights, emergency services, labor, environmentalism, feminism, urbanism, and most of all, the importance of government working for the people.
youtu.be/xE4DFdxheqM?...
youtu.be/xE4DFdxheqM?...
Reposted by Rick Weinmeyer
Voters in Maine approved a “red flag” law on Tuesday, giving families the option to petition a judge to order weapons removed temporarily from a troubled relative. nyti.ms/4oyMMJF
Maine Voters Approve ‘Red Flag’ Gun Law
The law is set to take effect in January, allowing families to directly seek a judge’s order removing weapons from a relative shown to be dangerous.
nyti.ms
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Voters in Maine approved a “red flag” law on Tuesday, giving families the option to petition a judge to order weapons removed temporarily from a troubled relative. nyti.ms/4oyMMJF
What an incredible night!*
*I'm guessing because I have yet to watch tonight's episode of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
*I'm guessing because I have yet to watch tonight's episode of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
November 5, 2025 at 4:22 AM
What an incredible night!*
*I'm guessing because I have yet to watch tonight's episode of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
*I'm guessing because I have yet to watch tonight's episode of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
I‘m here for @profmmurray.bsky.social’s rant against hurricanes with her name. In line with:
www.tiktok.com/@binge/video...
www.tiktok.com/@binge/video...
November 3, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I‘m here for @profmmurray.bsky.social’s rant against hurricanes with her name. In line with:
www.tiktok.com/@binge/video...
www.tiktok.com/@binge/video...
Reposted by Rick Weinmeyer
FDA has fallen so far, so quickly.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/h...
F.D.A. Drug Unit Chief Is Placed on Leave, and Cites a ‘Toxic’ Environment
www.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:53 PM
FDA has fallen so far, so quickly.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/h...
"Paduchowski’s journey into unproven and sometimes risky treatments highlights how parents of autistic children frequently navigate a confounding mix of conflicting advice, purported 'miracle' treatments and false hope in a bid to improve symptoms of a mostly genetic disorder that has no cure."
Over the past few years, Dana Paduchowski estimates, she and her husband have spent at least $30,000 on unproven alternative treatments for her three children with autism.
This mom has three children with autism. She’s spent thousands on ‘false hope.’
With three autistic children, a Michigan mother has been lured into spending thousands on unproven and sometimes risky treatments to ease their symptoms.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:41 PM
"Paduchowski’s journey into unproven and sometimes risky treatments highlights how parents of autistic children frequently navigate a confounding mix of conflicting advice, purported 'miracle' treatments and false hope in a bid to improve symptoms of a mostly genetic disorder that has no cure."
"We'd like a second home, in the same area we currently live, and we definitely don't want a mortgage."
Just a typical American story!
Just a typical American story!
Portland or Seattle? A Senior Couple Wanted an Urban Getaway for About $725,000.
After years of driving to a California home for vacations, two 'committed Pacific Northwesterners' wanted to be in a downtown area with shops and restaurants.
www.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
"We'd like a second home, in the same area we currently live, and we definitely don't want a mortgage."
Just a typical American story!
Just a typical American story!
“I feel like so much of the coverage of Vought is about how he’s some evil genius, . . . . But all he’s doing is just breaking the law. All he’s doing is saying 'I’m just not going to follow the law.' You don’t have to be a genius to say ‘I don’t think the law counts anymore.’” @jamellebouie.net
Opinion | This Is What Happens When No One Wants to Govern
www.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:35 PM
“I feel like so much of the coverage of Vought is about how he’s some evil genius, . . . . But all he’s doing is just breaking the law. All he’s doing is saying 'I’m just not going to follow the law.' You don’t have to be a genius to say ‘I don’t think the law counts anymore.’” @jamellebouie.net
"[I]mmigration raids are scaring away workers at dairy and poultry farms who might otherwise seek help for their symptoms. And the nation is on the cusp of the fall flu season, which may further complicate efforts to distinguish cases of bird flu, some experts said."
Bird Flu Is Back
www.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:32 AM
"[I]mmigration raids are scaring away workers at dairy and poultry farms who might otherwise seek help for their symptoms. And the nation is on the cusp of the fall flu season, which may further complicate efforts to distinguish cases of bird flu, some experts said."
My parents live just outside Charleston, so I know this airport well. It is so small and convenient that I can't think of a time that I've had to wait in a security line, even during the busiest travel days.
www.wired.com/story/nancy-...
www.wired.com/story/nancy-...
Nancy Mace Curses, Berates Confused Cops in Airport Meltdown: Police Report
At an airport in South Carolina on Thursday, US representative Nancy Mace called police officers “fucking incompetent” and berated them repeatedly, according to an incident report.
www.wired.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:58 PM
My parents live just outside Charleston, so I know this airport well. It is so small and convenient that I can't think of a time that I've had to wait in a security line, even during the busiest travel days.
www.wired.com/story/nancy-...
www.wired.com/story/nancy-...
I just heard someone say "the golden days of Gchat" and I'm telling ya, I went--for but a moment--to a beautiful place.
October 31, 2025 at 10:44 PM
I just heard someone say "the golden days of Gchat" and I'm telling ya, I went--for but a moment--to a beautiful place.
Gov. Pritzker asked to suspend “Operation Midway Blitz” during Halloween.
"He made the request just days after ICE conducted a raid on the Northwest side that saw federal agents tackle detainees to the ground & deploy tear gas near children who were on their way to a Halloween parade."
Noem: "No."
"He made the request just days after ICE conducted a raid on the Northwest side that saw federal agents tackle detainees to the ground & deploy tear gas near children who were on their way to a Halloween parade."
Noem: "No."
Immigration enforcement operations will continue in Chicago this weekend, says Kristi Noem, even as the city celebrates Halloween and the Day of the Dead and hundreds of thousands of families are expected to be out on the streets. trib.al/e3s4Rz9
Feds say immigration blitz will continue amid Halloween festivities
Families and city leaders are scrambling to make Halloween and the Day of the Dead celebrations safe for children caught up in the debate over aggressive immigration raids.
trib.al
October 31, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Gov. Pritzker asked to suspend “Operation Midway Blitz” during Halloween.
"He made the request just days after ICE conducted a raid on the Northwest side that saw federal agents tackle detainees to the ground & deploy tear gas near children who were on their way to a Halloween parade."
Noem: "No."
"He made the request just days after ICE conducted a raid on the Northwest side that saw federal agents tackle detainees to the ground & deploy tear gas near children who were on their way to a Halloween parade."
Noem: "No."
There are two food banks in my neighborhood (a middle and upper middle class part of town, BTW!) and the lines everyday are already so so long.
dhttps://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/30/food-pantries-brace-for-huge-increase-in-need-as-feds-cut-off-snap-funding/
dhttps://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/30/food-pantries-brace-for-huge-increase-in-need-as-feds-cut-off-snap-funding/
Food Pantries Brace For Huge Increase In Need As Feds Cut Off SNAP Funding
“It’s making a big impact, choosing between bills and foods," said Charlene Echoles, a Humboldt Park mother of three who is trying to figure out how to survive without SNAP during the shutdown.
blockclubchicago.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:08 PM
There are two food banks in my neighborhood (a middle and upper middle class part of town, BTW!) and the lines everyday are already so so long.
dhttps://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/30/food-pantries-brace-for-huge-increase-in-need-as-feds-cut-off-snap-funding/
dhttps://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/30/food-pantries-brace-for-huge-increase-in-need-as-feds-cut-off-snap-funding/