AnnMarie Johnson
selphiras.bsky.social
AnnMarie Johnson
@selphiras.bsky.social
Midwest middle aged woman who loves reading and the color green. And her husband, daughter, and pets.
Here’s me in April featuring my Spring Break trip to Framingham and Cape Cod, MA.
April 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM
For the first time, a flower lasted overnight! Our cat Sweetie loves to eat plants (then throw up), including pulling over flower vases. But I made this little, heavy vase at the wheel throwing place in town, put a daffodil in yesterday, and voila!
April 17, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
My husband has taught human reproduction and development to the Cambridge medics for over three decades. When people start banging on about "only two biological sexes" he starts with "which sex: genetic, hormonal, or gonadal"?

Biological sex is not binary. www.scientificamerican.com/article/sex-...
Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic
Biologists now think there is a larger spectrum than just binary female and male
www.scientificamerican.com
April 16, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
Reposting with alt text
April 15, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
100 billionaire families spent $2.6 billion in the 2024 election.

70% of these donations went to Republicans.

Now, Republicans in Congress are gearing up to slash essential programs to pay for another round of tax cuts for the rich.

This is what oligarchy looks like.
April 13, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
BREAKING: The country of Norway just entered a bill to give transgender Americans asylum in the country of Norway…

LGBTQ+ STRONG! 🌈✨
April 10, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
If there’s one goal “Rooted In” Incorporated has for the NFL Draft come April 24, it’s to make sure no one questions where their next meal will come from.
Local non-profit plans to combat food insecurity during the Draft
A local non-profit is planning to make a difference during the NFL Draft, as they aim to recover food that would go to waste and help those in our area struggling to find their next meal.
www.wbay.com
April 10, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
A recently released study by Kurt Hager and colleagues found that Massachusetts’ nutrition-focused Flexible Services Program saved $2,502 in health care costs per adult, exceeding its delivery cost and generating $1.8 million in net savings.
www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10....
Medicaid Nutrition Supports Associated With Reductions In Hospitalizations And ED Visits In Massachusetts, 2020–23 | Health Affairs Journal
The Massachusetts Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program launched the Flexible Services Program to address food insecurity through partnerships with social service organizations under its Section 1115 demonstration waiver. We evaluated the effects of Flexible Services Program nutritional services (or Food Is Medicine programs) on health care use and costs during the first three-year program cycle (January 2020–March 2023). Our analyses pooled data on 20,403 Flexible Services Program participants from seventeen accountable care organizations. In propensity score–weighted analyses, program participation was associated with a 23 percent reduction in hospitalizations and a 13 percent reduction in emergency department visits compared with the number of hospitalizations and visits for 2,108 eligible nonparticipants. Modestly lower health care costs for Flexible Services Program participants were not statistically significant. Health care costs were $1,721 lower among participants after the COVID-19 emergency (2022–23) and $2,502 lower among adults with more than ninety days of enrollment during all study years (2020–23). These findings are important for Medicaid policy nationwide as other state Medicaid programs pursue similar Section 1115 demonstrations.
www.healthaffairs.org
April 9, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
New report: Forcing states to pay for SNAP benefits would cripple state budgets and increase hunger. States can't afford this burden without cutting food assistance. We must protect SNAP's federal funding. #ProtectSNAP #EndHunger

www.cbpp.org/research/foo...
Imposing SNAP Food Benefit Costs on States Would Worsen Hunger, Hurt States’ Ability to Meet Residents’ Needs | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Requiring states to pay even a modest portion of SNAP benefits would radically change the program’s funding structure, abandoning the long-standing national commitment to provide low-income households...
www.cbpp.org
April 4, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
In 2024, four women held four-star ranks in the military — the highest levels of the armed forces. Only 10 women have held the highest rank in their military branches in history. Now, there are none.

Of the four women, two of them retired and two were ousted. bit.ly/4i1EWUO
April 2, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
Among the survey results:

➡️ 78% of teachers feel concerned about food insecurity in their communities

➡️ 61% of teachers have firsthand knowledge of students who experienced hunger

➡️ 54% of teachers see students come to school hungry at least a few time a week
78% of Teachers Say They’ve Spent up to $100 of Their Own Money To Address Student Hunger
Food insecurity is a growing issue, and teachers are taking personal responsibility to address it in their classrooms. But they need help.
www.parents.com
April 2, 2025 at 6:09 PM
WE WON!!!!
Just a WI voter here.
Didn’t win them all, but pretty close, from local to state elections.
So relieved.
April 2, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
Pushback works, part gazillion:

"Here are the facts: DOGE moved forward with plans to close multiple field offices. Then, without public notice or explanation, they reversed their plans. Now they are trying to pretend like they were never planning to close the offices."
popular.info/p/how-the-so...
How the Social Security Administration and DOGE are gaslighting Americans
The Social Security Administration (SSA) sent an email on March 27 to beneficiaries saying that reports that field offices were closing was an invention of fake news media.
popular.info
March 31, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Me in March.
March 31, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
Bella Bautista would have made history competing as the first openly trans contestant in the Miss Georgia USA competition. She recently made the difficult decision to relinquish her crown and withdraw from the pageant, saying the organization doesn’t align with her values.

Read more here ⤵️
Miss Georgia USA's First Trans Contestant Reveals Why She Withdrew From the Pageant
Bella Bautista spoke to Teen Vogue about making history, and then walking away from it.
www.teenvogue.com
March 29, 2025 at 7:56 PM
I got an #axolotl hat and it fits adults!!!
March 29, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
@catsofyore.bsky.social Could I beg a small favour?

A friend of mine made a lovely text game about a sand cat. It's free, a few minutes long, and is full of squee and d'aww. Could I please ask you to retweet this so your followers can enjoy the loveliness?

sahil-bajaj.itch.io/meena
Meena by Sahil Bajaj
What does a sand cat dream about?
sahil-bajaj.itch.io
March 28, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
all of these things work together to fight childhood hunger, and disrupting any of them has a massive ripple effect:

1) programs that help kids get food at home
2) programs that help kids get food at school
3) emergency food supports that help kids get food wherever they are
March 24, 2025 at 3:21 PM
All good. Any food. Just not opened or long expired please!
Let’s work together. If you have any extra food, please consider donating it to your local food bank.
March 23, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Loki the rainbow cat.
March 11, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Sweetie the cats toe beans. #cats
March 7, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by AnnMarie Johnson
The CBO found that the paying for the extended Trump Tax Cuts would REQUIRE cuts to Medicaid.

That's money straight out of the health care for vulnerable Americans including children & seniors.

If anyone is curious to read the non-partisan, non-news article report:
www.cbo.gov/publication/...
Mandatory Spending Under the Jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
CBO provides information about projections of mandatory spending for the 2025–2034 period for programs, excluding Medicare, that are under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerc...
www.cbo.gov
March 6, 2025 at 11:45 PM