Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ... A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy

These assholes have got 18 of my papers and a book. Sign up for the settlement. Let’s get what we’re owed.

Six amazing books in the @nyupress.bsky.social series, Health, Society, and Inequality are out! And more are coming soon. So proud to be a part of this work. @ralmeling.bsky.social @katemasonsociology.bsky.social @andreabeckerphd.bsky.social @ilenekalish.bsky.social nyupress.org/series/healt...

You’re allowed to argue that black people and women are genetically inferior. But you’re NOT allowed to argue they are NOT inferior because that’s divisive. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/u...

As a former child junior olympic-level runner, I have a few thoughts on the attacks on trans girls in sports. I ran for one of the most competitive teams in Southern California, and people who ran for my have gone on to become professional athletes. And these bans: they're fucking NONSENSE. 🧵

This statement is nearing 1600 signatories. Have you signed? Have you sent to your friends & colleagues? Your department or university list-serve? Your alumni network? if not, can you? bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEd or to go right to signing bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign

Please take a few minutes (before 3/17) to comment and register your objection to three proposed rule changes that would make it harder for trans Americans to get, renew, or update their passports. transequality.org/news/freedom...

This kind of personal vindictiveness is exactly what bureaucracy is designed to avoid. www.axios.com/2025/02/24/m...

Over half the answers AI gave couldn’t be trusted. Not even after the AI was given access to the BBC’s website and prompted to use BBC News articles and sources. The BBC tested: - OpenAI’s ChatGPT - Microsoft’s Copilot - Google’s Gemini - Perplexity

Tonight’s antifascist movie, once again selected by my six year old, features ADHD queen Maria dodging literal Nazis. #thesoundofmusic

I just watched a movie with my six-year-old about a weak king who comes to power after blaming his own misdeeds on his rivals and backed by a bunch of resentful nazi-types to whom who he promises power. #thelionking

Our family knows CHOP well. It’s a place that offers hope and life to kids who need extra help and serves a lot of low income families. The doctors there are some of the best I’ve ever met. That’s the face of these cuts when you get down to it.

EPA, CDC, USAID and other data sites of federal government are all down or being scrubbed of long-term data that WE THE TAXPAYERS paid for. I teach with these tools! Why are our universities saying nothing about loss of access to information and research implications? I cannot believe the silence 🧪

The fact that Trump has literally invaded women’s spaces (E. Jean Carroll, Miss Universe contestants) to ogle and assault them is beyond ironic. We could literally protect a lot more women by subbing in the words “Donald J Trump” anywhere trans women are referenced in this executive order.

Trump launching a cryptocurrency right before taking office, Musk making a verrrrry familiar hand gesture... what they have in common is a sort of edge-lordy testing of the waters of normlessness: "How much can I get away with?" Unsettling not just in themselves but as a preview of what's to come.

Trump’s new executive orders - withdrawing from the Paris climate treaty, ending the program for reuniting families separated at the southern border, halting refugee admissions - are a case study in necropolitics. Which people—which kids— are worth protecting, and which will suffer and die.

I’m starting research on my new project on how people in various careers navigate health and wellness issues at work. Does your job encourage you to get healthy (however you define that)? Have you ever had to leave a job for health or disability reasons? I want to hear from you! tinyurl.com/2p956vx3

Tucked into the Cass Report, deep in the appendices, you'll find that they reviewed thousands of patient records and found no one who'd been harmed by puberty blockers and fewer than 10 detransitions.

Last day of commuting in to teach until August! Naturally, there was a snowstorm.

So proud to see @chasestrangio.bsky.social and the ACLU arguing this case before SCOTUS today! www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/o...

IRB approval arrived today!!! Two more days of classes to teach before the semester ends, and then it's time to GET GOING!

The irony of making this the person in charge of public health. Spoken like someone who has never taken a class on public health, never heard of concepts like "stereotype threat" or "John Henryism" and their demonstrated effects on health.

Why write "uncomfortability" when "discomfort" is right there?

Social science research demands an often surprising range of skills. Take this week, for instance, when I—not a graphic designer—have spent far too much of my time trying to craft a recruitment flyer for a new project. Right now I'm shooting for "readable, doesn't give you a headache."

Academic book authors! Are you trying to figure out how to keep track of the many moving parts of your book? Here’s my favorite tool: “book questions / chapter answers.” (A 🧵, originally from Twitter last year, reposted in honor of The Dissertation-to-Book's birthday this month.)

Concierge medicine = private school = business class airline seats. Each responds to real shortcomings in the way a public service is provided. Not by fixing those problems for everyone but by letting the most privileged buy their way out.

Republicans keep playing this game where they go after some marginalized group or another and basically dare Democrats to defend that group. If D's defend that group, they get tarred as "radical," if they don't, nobody will. It's stupid and obvious and it keeps happening.

Rep Jasmine Crockett bringing the fire.

Worth reading to the end.

A note to future me when I forget the minutia of kid milestones: a sick day with a 5-year-old was 100% hands on, 0% time for work (other than the work of childcare). This year, a sick day with a 6.5-year-old is about 30% independent play/reading/TV, 70% snuggling on the couch. Very good ratio.

What are your favorite movies about work - the ones that get something really right about what a job is like?

Finally made a #Blackademics starter pack! Let continue to build community here. This is part of #Blacksky so please show your appreciation to the architect, @rudyfraser.com

Yesterday I donated blood in between classes. When I mentioned it later—explaining why I was sitting down to lecture—I learned that several of my students and colleagues are regular donors. It was a very sweet reminder that there are people all around me, quietly doing selfless things, all the time.

This skeet is for the Sociology folks! Sociology has officially arrived. In an effort to re-live the early days of academic twixxer we now have a 3 volume starter pack(s) posted below. Feel free to add any areas of interest starter packs to this feed too and reqs to be added! Here We Go!

It strikes me that for Trump, Matt Gaetz’s ethical and legal issues—which should have been disqualifying—are a pro, not a con. He’ll be personally loyal to Trump because he depends on him for his career, maybe even his freedom.

I’m developing a new research project, and I’ve been surprised at how much joy I feel about it. As a grad student, I defined myself as a teacher first, researcher second. Partly because I loved teaching, but also because I worried no one would think my topic was interesting or important enough.

I’m revisiting this platform because it seems like many others are, too - I’m looking for community on my social media and other platforms are increasingly serving me apolitical ads instead.

Last day of fall semester teaching! Loaded up with coffee and munchkins from Dunkin, and headed off to watch some final presentations!

What a weirdly accessible and inaccessible health care visit: - go in to radiology for an X-ray, get seen right away. Tech volunteers that if I want a copy of the images I can go pick it up right away. 👍 - copy of X-rays available right away. On cd-rom.👎

I’ll never forget the time I was quarantining in the basement with Covid and my Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-obsessed 4-year-old started writing me notes like this one to keep my spirits up:

For my first post on this app, I’m going to celebrate a brand new achievement I unlocked today: laminated pie crust!