Samantha Bent Weber
@sambent.bsky.social
learner - teacher - researcher | health policy - public health law | opinions my own | social media hesitant | "did i hit enter?"
This is helpful analysis for making sense of today’s SNAP whiplash: www.stevevladeck.com/p/190-snap-w...
190. SNAP WTF?
A very quick explainer on what (and why) Justice Jackson issued an "administrative stay" in the SNAP case late on Friday night, and on what's likely to happen next
www.stevevladeck.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:50 AM
This is helpful analysis for making sense of today’s SNAP whiplash: www.stevevladeck.com/p/190-snap-w...
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
“The US Government Accountability Office found that more than 2/3 of Georgia’s spending on a demonstration project to include work requirements in Medicaid expansion was spent on administrative costs, almost all of it going to contractors…
(1/2)
(1/2)
Medicaid Work Requirements and the Political Facts of Life
This JAMA Forum discusses the ramifications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Medicaid and the backlash that Republicans may experience after the cuts go into effect.
jamanetwork.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:09 AM
“The US Government Accountability Office found that more than 2/3 of Georgia’s spending on a demonstration project to include work requirements in Medicaid expansion was spent on administrative costs, almost all of it going to contractors…
(1/2)
(1/2)
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
If SNAP benefits vanished tomorrow, feeding 42 million Americans for a month would cost about $7.8 billion.That’s less than 1% of the combined net worth of the three richest men in the U.S. A reminder of how obscene inequality has become and how easily hunger could be solved if we chose to.
October 29, 2025 at 11:55 AM
If SNAP benefits vanished tomorrow, feeding 42 million Americans for a month would cost about $7.8 billion.That’s less than 1% of the combined net worth of the three richest men in the U.S. A reminder of how obscene inequality has become and how easily hunger could be solved if we chose to.
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
So many of you asked if would be possible to view the full panels from our extraordinary Vision & Justice Now convening. Voila’! These conversations are SO rich. One every couple of days will get your thinking in high gear.
@the14thcenter.bsky.social
www.visionandjusticenow.com/panels
@the14thcenter.bsky.social
www.visionandjusticenow.com/panels
Vision & Justice Now: Panels
Explore the two-day agenda for Vision & Justice Now, co-organized by Sarah Lewis and Sherrilyn Ifill, featuring presentations, conversations, and performances. Engage with pressing topics from citizen...
www.visionandjusticenow.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:23 PM
So many of you asked if would be possible to view the full panels from our extraordinary Vision & Justice Now convening. Voila’! These conversations are SO rich. One every couple of days will get your thinking in high gear.
@the14thcenter.bsky.social
www.visionandjusticenow.com/panels
@the14thcenter.bsky.social
www.visionandjusticenow.com/panels
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
I don’t know how many times I have to say this but here we go again.
If you are standing in arms reach of me with a cute baby, I am allowed and OBLIGATED to try to take that baby.
Every legitimate court in the nation recognizes this right. Please be for real, gatekeeping cute babies.
If you are standing in arms reach of me with a cute baby, I am allowed and OBLIGATED to try to take that baby.
Every legitimate court in the nation recognizes this right. Please be for real, gatekeeping cute babies.
October 26, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I don’t know how many times I have to say this but here we go again.
If you are standing in arms reach of me with a cute baby, I am allowed and OBLIGATED to try to take that baby.
Every legitimate court in the nation recognizes this right. Please be for real, gatekeeping cute babies.
If you are standing in arms reach of me with a cute baby, I am allowed and OBLIGATED to try to take that baby.
Every legitimate court in the nation recognizes this right. Please be for real, gatekeeping cute babies.
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Not to be THAT dictionary, but…
It’s ‘per se,’ not ‘per say.’
It’s ‘dog-eat-dog world,’ not ‘doggy-dog world.’
It’s ‘hunger pangs,’ not ‘hunger pains.’
It’s ‘one and the same,’ not ‘one in the same.’
It's 'buck naked,' not 'butt naked.'
It’s ‘per se,’ not ‘per say.’
It’s ‘dog-eat-dog world,’ not ‘doggy-dog world.’
It’s ‘hunger pangs,’ not ‘hunger pains.’
It’s ‘one and the same,’ not ‘one in the same.’
It's 'buck naked,' not 'butt naked.'
October 20, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Not to be THAT dictionary, but…
It’s ‘per se,’ not ‘per say.’
It’s ‘dog-eat-dog world,’ not ‘doggy-dog world.’
It’s ‘hunger pangs,’ not ‘hunger pains.’
It’s ‘one and the same,’ not ‘one in the same.’
It's 'buck naked,' not 'butt naked.'
It’s ‘per se,’ not ‘per say.’
It’s ‘dog-eat-dog world,’ not ‘doggy-dog world.’
It’s ‘hunger pangs,’ not ‘hunger pains.’
It’s ‘one and the same,’ not ‘one in the same.’
It's 'buck naked,' not 'butt naked.'
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
From Gaza to Ukraine to South Sudan, children play to deal with the stress — and find a moment of joy.
With makeshift jump ropes and hide and seek, kids play to cope with crisis
From Gaza to Ukraine to South Sudan, children play to deal with the stress — and find a moment of joy.
n.pr
October 5, 2025 at 2:53 PM
From Gaza to Ukraine to South Sudan, children play to deal with the stress — and find a moment of joy.
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
NEW: Psychiatric hospitals — increasingly owned by for-profit corporations — are illegally turning away patients during crises.
Yet only a handful face penalties, with fines that are trivial, a ProPublica investigation found.
By @emcahan.bsky.social
Yet only a handful face penalties, with fines that are trivial, a ProPublica investigation found.
By @emcahan.bsky.social
For-Profit Corporations Are Buying Up More Psychiatric Hospitals. Some Flout Federal Law With Scarce Repercussions.
Psychiatric hospitals — increasingly owned by for-profit corporations — are illegally turning away patients during crises. Yet only a handful face penalties, with fines that are trivial, a ProPublica ...
www.propublica.org
September 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM
NEW: Psychiatric hospitals — increasingly owned by for-profit corporations — are illegally turning away patients during crises.
Yet only a handful face penalties, with fines that are trivial, a ProPublica investigation found.
By @emcahan.bsky.social
Yet only a handful face penalties, with fines that are trivial, a ProPublica investigation found.
By @emcahan.bsky.social
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Book bans don’t “protect” kids; they erase perspectives, silence voices, and narrow our shared imagination. A free society thrives on stories that challenge, unsettle, and expand our thinking.
Let’s keep our shelves full, not empty.
#FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom #LetKidsRead
Let’s keep our shelves full, not empty.
#FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom #LetKidsRead
September 22, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Book bans don’t “protect” kids; they erase perspectives, silence voices, and narrow our shared imagination. A free society thrives on stories that challenge, unsettle, and expand our thinking.
Let’s keep our shelves full, not empty.
#FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom #LetKidsRead
Let’s keep our shelves full, not empty.
#FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom #LetKidsRead
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
CA Central Coast workers are harvesting peas. They're paid piece rate. On this day, they began at 7am & were still working at 5pm. A worker shared in order not to use time taking bathroom breaks they try to drink less, so they have the opportunity to harvest more. #WeFeedYou
September 9, 2025 at 8:00 PM
CA Central Coast workers are harvesting peas. They're paid piece rate. On this day, they began at 7am & were still working at 5pm. A worker shared in order not to use time taking bathroom breaks they try to drink less, so they have the opportunity to harvest more. #WeFeedYou
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children
Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children
The state’s elimination of vaccine mandates is a courageous first step toward decluttering itself of any excess kids.
www.theatlantic.com
September 4, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
My mother always told me that if I was feeling bad about myself, I should go help somebody. I’ll have to tell her about these findings.
Self-care is overrated—helping others has the biggest benefits for everyone involved
A new 2-week intervention finds that helping others improves well-being more than "self-kindness", with benefits for depressed mood, anxiety, and loneliness due to social connection psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...
A new 2-week intervention finds that helping others improves well-being more than "self-kindness", with benefits for depressed mood, anxiety, and loneliness due to social connection psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...
September 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
My mother always told me that if I was feeling bad about myself, I should go help somebody. I’ll have to tell her about these findings.
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Daskalakis: There is a program called Vaccines for Children. It is the safety-net program that gets vaccines to kids. Over 50% of kids in the U.S. get their vaccines through this. If the ACIP says this vaccine should not be given to six-month-olds through 12-year-olds, the VFC won’t buy it
September 4, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Daskalakis: There is a program called Vaccines for Children. It is the safety-net program that gets vaccines to kids. Over 50% of kids in the U.S. get their vaccines through this. If the ACIP says this vaccine should not be given to six-month-olds through 12-year-olds, the VFC won’t buy it
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits
September 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
🚀 I made a tracker that shows when the Census Bureau adds or removes datasets from their APIs.
Dashboard at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d... and follow @censusapitracker.bsky.social for major updates.
I've been wanting to build this for years but now seemed an especially important time to keep track.
Dashboard at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d... and follow @censusapitracker.bsky.social for major updates.
I've been wanting to build this for years but now seemed an especially important time to keep track.
Tracking Census Dataset Changes
See when the U.S. Census Bureau adds or removes datasets.
www.hrecht.com
August 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
🚀 I made a tracker that shows when the Census Bureau adds or removes datasets from their APIs.
Dashboard at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d... and follow @censusapitracker.bsky.social for major updates.
I've been wanting to build this for years but now seemed an especially important time to keep track.
Dashboard at www.hrecht.com/census-api-d... and follow @censusapitracker.bsky.social for major updates.
I've been wanting to build this for years but now seemed an especially important time to keep track.
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
🌊 Flood underinsurance in the US
A new study finds 70% of annual flood losses (about $17B) are uninsured. Most at-risk households are underinsured, with the burden falling hardest on low-income communities.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Floods 🧪
A new study finds 70% of annual flood losses (about $17B) are uninsured. Most at-risk households are underinsured, with the burden falling hardest on low-income communities.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Floods 🧪
Measuring flood underinsurance in the USA - Nature Climate Change
Homeowners could benefit from flood insurance to offset the negative impacts of climate-induced natural disasters. However, with detailed micro-level data, researchers find substantial protection gaps...
www.nature.com
August 17, 2025 at 12:42 PM
🌊 Flood underinsurance in the US
A new study finds 70% of annual flood losses (about $17B) are uninsured. Most at-risk households are underinsured, with the burden falling hardest on low-income communities.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Floods 🧪
A new study finds 70% of annual flood losses (about $17B) are uninsured. Most at-risk households are underinsured, with the burden falling hardest on low-income communities.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Floods 🧪
Not my area of expertise but worth reposting: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/o...
Opinion | Quick! Get the Wind and Solar Discounts Before It’s Too Late!
www.nytimes.com
August 16, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Not my area of expertise but worth reposting: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/o...
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”
The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
(Published April 2024)
The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
(Published April 2024)
The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”: Climate Change is Already Forcing People From Their Homes
The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
www.propublica.org
August 11, 2025 at 11:10 PM
The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”
The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
(Published April 2024)
The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
(Published April 2024)
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Thread: Senate Republicans released initial bill language for their #Medicaid cuts. I am reading the bill now and will highlight key changes from House-passed bill. Topline is provider tax restrictions are worse, will devastate expansion state finances (1/x) www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
www.finance.senate.gov
June 16, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Thread: Senate Republicans released initial bill language for their #Medicaid cuts. I am reading the bill now and will highlight key changes from House-passed bill. Topline is provider tax restrictions are worse, will devastate expansion state finances (1/x) www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
Shade is an essential solution for hotter cities - Nature www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Shade is an essential solution for hotter cities
One of the most effective ways to keep people cool is often neglected in urban planning. Cities must work to provide cover and reverse the ‘shade deserts’ common in low-income communities.
www.nature.com
June 2, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Shade is an essential solution for hotter cities - Nature www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy.
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
grist.org/energy/calif...
#Solar #Energy #Renewable #CA #California #Climate
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
grist.org/energy/calif...
#Solar #Energy #Renewable #CA #California #Climate
California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy
Are renewables reliable? A new study says California ran on renewables alone for a record number of days last year.
grist.org
May 28, 2025 at 7:35 PM
California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy.
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
grist.org/energy/calif...
#Solar #Energy #Renewable #CA #California #Climate
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
grist.org/energy/calif...
#Solar #Energy #Renewable #CA #California #Climate
Reposted by Samantha Bent Weber
By @alejandrabee.bsky.social
The House and Senate both voted to loosen regulations on air pollutants like dioxin and mercury, which are associated with higher cancer risk.
The House and Senate both voted to loosen regulations on air pollutants like dioxin and mercury, which are associated with higher cancer risk.
Congress moves to loosen toxic air pollution rules
The House and Senate both voted to loosen regulations on air pollutants like dioxin and mercury, which are associated with higher cancer risk.
www.npr.org
May 22, 2025 at 7:44 PM
By @alejandrabee.bsky.social
The House and Senate both voted to loosen regulations on air pollutants like dioxin and mercury, which are associated with higher cancer risk.
The House and Senate both voted to loosen regulations on air pollutants like dioxin and mercury, which are associated with higher cancer risk.