As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company. No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.

Before and after: enormous zucchini edition

Pleased to announce, after a nine month gestation period, the arrival of my first “knitting during zoom meetings” cardigan

After literal YEARS of trying, I finally managed to write a bioethics-themed crossword! Available now in @science.org: www.sciencenews.org/article/cold... (thanks to @norahsharpe.bsky.social and @bewilderingly.bsky.social for excellent editing!)

"First do not harm" is not a suggestion it is a core feature of the job. If you can't check your biases at the door when you provide healthcare, find another job. Calling ICE on a patient is some disgusting behavior. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Headed to NYC for Lollapuzzoola — will this be the year I finally remember how to solve on paper?? TIME WILL TELL (…the odds are not good tho) @lollapuzzoola.bsky.social

Thank you Dr. @alyssaburgart.com for the opportunity to talk about immigrant patients & medicine on the hottest Substack in #bioethics. We discuss what it means to be in the healing professions in our current toxic climate, check it out! #immigration www.poppiesandpropofol.com/p/sanctuary-...

#Breaking: Trump administration blocks NIH from awarding any research grants and contracts www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/t...

New paper out in Milbank Quarterly on State Public Coverage of Pregnant Undocumented Immigrants and Prenatal Insurance Uptake: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author... @milbankfund.bsky.social @meghanbellerose.bsky.social @laurawherryr.bsky.social @maria-steenland.bsky.social

Went mountain biking for the first time today and let me just say, you are never too old to slam into a tree or tip over into a deep rut (it was awesome and I will be doing it again) 🚵‍♀️

This is, and please forgive my use of technical jargon here, deeply fucked. I’m sure I’ll have more intelligent things to say about this at some point but right now that’s all I can manage. www.statnews.com/2025/07/17/i...

If you're interested in trying out cryptic crosswords, consider checking out this free (!!) set of puzzles from the folks at Cryptic Crossweird, including one by me 🤓 www.patreon.com/posts/new-ye... @crossweirdtv.bsky.social

Here’s a park I walked in this morning, in case you (like me) needed to see something beautiful today

Appreciate this! We’re an independent puzzle outlet, we send out content almost every day, we don’t harvest your data, we pay creative people fairly, and we are not connected to any (any!) craniometric cults. Subscribe at avxwords.com

Motion to broadcast the average grade of the road wherever the peloton is right under where they show the average speed 🚴🚴🚴💨

If you are attending the Am Soc for Bioethics and Humanities 2025 conference, come listen to our panel on law, immigration and healthcare . Lots to discuss with co-panelists Sabrina Derrington , Rachel Fabi @fabioethics.bsky.social and @cathylively.bsky.social Friday at 9am PST

Live footage of me "updating" my lecture on "how government works" for my med school class on health law and advocacy

Our new @thelancet piece seeks to answer the question, is it ever ethically *obligatory* for a clinician to engage in public advocacy? So, not just a good idea but a requirement that stems from being a medical professional… www.thelancet.com/action/showP...

Live footage of me "updating" my lecture on "how government works" for my med school class on health law and advocacy

Please read the July 4 Declaration from the leaders of SUNY University Faculty Senate, Faculty Council of Community Colleges, Student Association, and the CUNY University Faculty Senate, and become a signatory. Petition link in comments. www.sunyufs.us/uploads/1/1/...

Sophia Xian, Elizabeth Dietz, and @fabioethics.bsky.social examine the Cass Review as an example of testimonial injustice for Voices In Bioethics. Such injustice involves dismissal of marginalised people's views and experiences; and in Cass, reliance on experts who do not believe trans kids exist.

I've added FOUR new peer-reviewed academic articles to my round-up post, "What's wrong with the Cass Review?" Together, these highlight serious ethical issues with the Cass Review's design, recommendations, and implementations. It's important to keep this story live! ruthpearce.net/2024/04/16/w...

Just reminiscing about how exciting the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Supreme Court Sweeps Weeks™️ were. NFIB v Sebelius! King v Burwell! Obergefell v Hodges! Whole Womens Health v Hellerstedt! What a time to be in a health policy PhD program! (I no longer celebrate Supreme Court Sweeps Week 😢)

Tomorrow! Open to the public! I'm moderating! Should be really informative and useful. "When Immigration Enforcement Comes to Our Hospitals and Schools: Considerations for Ethics and Policy": us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

puzzle with @e-a-rly.bsky.social ! justgridding.blogspot.com/2025/06/t7-p...

This a gross privacy violation. For years, people have been told they can sign up for Medicaid, knowing their data will only be used for determining eligibility. This administration continues to throw health care under the bus to achieve it's anti-immigrant agenda

Grateful to the folks at the Center for Public Health Law Research (@templelegalepi.bsky.social‬) for their excellent MonQcle software, and for the opportunity to speak with them about how we used it on our recent project examining postpartum care for immigrants: phlr.temple.edu/news/2025/06...

Please join us for the upcoming ASBH webinar "When Immigration Enforcement Comes to Our Hospitals and Schools: Considerations for Ethics and Policy" on June 24 at 1pm ET/12pm CT. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Thank you for your message. I will be out of office and unavailable June 7-22 and will respond to your email when I return. In the meantime, please enjoy this (new!) "out of office" crossword. Thanks for your patience! -Rachel justgridding.blogspot.com/2025/06/out-...

Did a little philosophy of science with Liz Dietz in this American Journal of Bioethics OPC: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @devilinthedietz.bsky.social

A TRANS PERSON MADE YOUR PUZZLE is LIVE !!!! donate at least $10 USD to an American trans charity and receive 10 puzzles by trans constructors edited by me and @cantorlope.bsky.social beautiful cover art by @pseudonymjones.bsky.social happy pride :) tinyurl.com/transxwords

We are less than $700 away from our goal, with one day left! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has helped us get here!! Fundraising ends tomorrow, Saturday, May 31. Don’t wait until the last minute! fund.nnaf.org/tpfa

Only three days left to support These Puzzles Fund Abortion, a labor of love that has raised over $300,000 for abortion access since 2020. Please chip in to help us meet our goal of $35,000 for this year — we are only $1000 away! fund.nnaf.org/campaign/the...

Only three days left to support These Puzzles Fund Abortion, a labor of love that has raised over $300,000 for abortion access since 2020. Please chip in to help us meet our goal of $35,000 for this year — we are only $1000 away! fund.nnaf.org/campaign/the...

Anyone interested in two tickets to see Rilo Kiley in New Haven in September? I'm gonna do the Northampton show instead so I'm happy to sell my tickets at cost and would love for them to go a friend (or internet friend)!

I do love this likeness of me. More important tho, @tpfa.bsky.social is a crucial initiative and I hope all crossword fans will buy their latest collection (and support reproductive rights in the process)

I'm sure absolutely everyone in the country knows that the monster bill would strip Medicaid coverage from LAWFULLY PRESENT IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN? www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

Only 10 days left to support 5 abortion funds and receive crossword puzzles as a thank you! fund.nnaf.org/campaign/the...

apropos of nothing

Thread. 33 of 40 #Medicaid expansion states (+DC) will now face a 10 point cut in their expansion match rate under House GOP reconciliation bill. Latest language penalizes not only states using own funds to cover undocumented kids but also states covering legal immigrant kids/pregnant women (1/x)

🫠

New key reading in my physician advocacy course just dropped: The Power of Physicians in Dangerous Times | New England Journal of Medicine www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Want to hear a cool story about reproductive justice, mutual aid, and crossword puzzles? Let me tell you about These Puzzles Fund Abortion (www.abortionpuzzles.com / @tpfa.bsky.social), a crossword puzzle fundraiser that has raised over $350,000 in five years for abortion funds. 1/9

✨Clue of the Week✨ This week’s clue is from a themeless collaboration by TPFA editors @clr-xw.bsky.social and @fabioethics.bsky.social! There are a couple 4-letter birth control options, but not many that have been around since the 1960s! Test your knowledge when you donate at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa

bliss

Not only are these puzzles phenomenal, but you get to do something meaningful (and easy!) to help your fellow humans in the face of all this

Cannot recommend supporting this project enough if you have any interest at all in crossword puzzles

Super proud to have written puzzles for this and previous editions of @tpfa.bsky.social! If you value reproductive justice and are looking for great crosswords for a solid cause, check this out. 🙌