Who says books can’t be inspiring? Baby demanded apple after reading about Newtonian physics.

🚨🚨🚨 The jury has reached a verdict. Sean Dunn, aka the DC Sandwich Guy, has been found NOT GUILTY of assault.

I think I have a chance at this one, guys...

Overall social media use is declining. Between 2020 and 2024, more Americans — especially the youngest (18–24) and oldest (65+) — report using no social media at all. A small group of heavy users remains, but the middle is thinning out.

New from me: After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. www.npr.org/sections/sho...

I haven't been all that active on this site - but maybe publishing a new book is a good time to change that. with @drjoshs.bsky.social and l. Morales. We write about the intertwined crisis of the decline of the US news industry -- and the rise of misinformation and mistrust of public health. I

understatement of year, perhaps l'epoque.

When is the point of no return for extending ACA tax credits? They expire 12/31, so that’s a drop dead date. Open enrollment starts November 1. If they’re not extended by then, enrollees may start dropping out. Even if open enrollment is extended, people could be hard to reach.

Had a claim denied by Aetna but joke’s on them because I’m a health economist on furlough. Bet they’ve never seen an appeal with a “methods” section before.

Are you... 1) a person, who 2) has used a chatbot as an "AI therapist," and, 3) had an interesting experience they'd like to talk about with me? Hit me up by DMs or on email at DariusT at kff dot org

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been at agencies protecting public health this year (eg CDC, HHS, HRSA, HUD, NIH, OSHA). Privacy respected. Signal is AmyMaxmen.25 🧵Here's a thread of some of my stories this year on the impact of the Trump administration on America's public health.

How many browsing tabs do you typically have open?* 1: 6% 2-5: 54% 6-10: 14% 11-20: 8% 21-30: 2% More than 30: 3% *across all windows, on desktop/laptop yougov.co.uk/topics/techn...

Latest Economist/YouGov poll shows only 11% of respondents think tylenol is a cause of autism. 54% say no: d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/ec...

Interesting tidbit from the new Washington Post poll on the VA governor's race: at least in this poll's records, Trump's approval ratings in the state are the best they've ever been.

😬

Kinda strange for a Anderson movie to conclude with a happy needle drop!

For @nbcnews.com/ @kffhealthnews.org, Lauren Sausser and I looked at the government’s confusing two-step: Simplify prior authorization for private insurance Add AI-powered prior authorization for Medicare: www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...

Tylenol is addressing the autism issue with a pop up on its website. www.tylenol.com

Our tracking polls on health misinformation and trust have found a large muddled middle. Confused and unsure who and what to believe they are up for grabs. Yesterday’s announcement on Tylenol and autism will add significantly to it.

NEWS: Scientists say the president of the United States and his health secretary distorted the facts behind Tylenol and autism, potentially setting back research and causing real harm to mothers and kids. By @amymaxmen.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Guy at a DC park concert addressing audience as “citizens” … getting some distinct historical vibes here…

EXPERT: it's called having infants

LINK ROT: 38% webpages that existed in 2013 were no longer available 10 years later. Even among pages that existed in 2021, 22% no longer accessible just two years later. This is often because individual page was deleted or removed on otherwise functional website. Many implications for knowledge 🧪

I have discovered a truly unhinged quesadilla recipe: “2-3 tablespoons salt…Every 30 minutes, turn the tortillas over and salt the upturned side,…salting every 30 minutes for 3 hours…NOTE: This is an excellent appetizer for a Mexican dinner.” Bonus: avocado ring mold, best served with chicken salad

surprisingly, the sentence involving the words "Epic...is headed to discovery" does not involve a stunning Star Trek-themed addition to the campus.

Google when people worry AI is killing the open web: "The web is thriving." Google when it's on trial for monopolizing web search: "The open web is already in rapid decline." www.seroundtable.com/google-open-...

Social Security praises its new chatbot. Ex-officials say it was tested but shelved under Biden. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

We previously reported that the number of people receiving treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center - known as America's research hospital - declined from February-April. Since then, I obtained newer data through mid-August. And it's gotten worse. youtube.com/shorts/yT5Vc...

As 40 states get ready to roll out Medicaid work requirements by 2027, the man in charge of Michigan’s former system says it would be “more honest” if Republicans just kicked people off insurance. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

but who's going to transition from discussing the Jacobins to "And next week...slime mold" now?!? www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

Social Security rolled out a new AI chatbot -- and beneficiaries don't entirely like it. My latest, with @kffhealthnews.org: how the agency's tech plans are leaving techies and beneficiaries lukewarm: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Folks… found the new media business model

My latest, for @latimes.com & @kffhealthnews.org: Social Security has a new AI bot. It got rushed out. Customers don't like its glitches. How the agency's technology push might get sidetracked: www.latimes.com/business/sto...

More work on the embedded-bias problem: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

When football "trumps" health? Football has serious long-term health consequences, and in our novel survey of 1988 pro players with ESPN out today, the pain and suffering comes pouring out, even as the players also say they would do it all over again.

Only 5% of social media users overall say there is a particular social media influencer they trust for health information and advice, including Oprah Winfrey, Charlamagne tha God, Ben Shapiro, Joe Rogan, and several health care providers, among others. on.kff.org/3JmVlHD

Math issue aside, the Trump Administration hasn’t actually cut drug prices.

Scientists are driving around in white Chevys, releasing thousands of specially engineered mosquitoes from tubes — part of a pioneering project to reduce the spread of dengue, a terrible disease.

a super unnerving thing is installing a carbon dioxide detector in your house, opening all the windows and it's *still* above 420ppm because that's just life on planet earth now

Parenthood “is a sport that you have to be prepared for,” Kola Jegede, a NYU spinal surgeon, told me. He and others offered tips to minimize injuries from baby lifting, toddler play and other activities that can risk pain. (Might not save you from a toddler jumping on your head, though)

Veteran Post journo gives one last kick to beleaguered DC United before his buyout 🫡

Our poll shows most social media users (78%) say they’ve seen info about the new tax and spending law online. About half say the content they saw was mostly in opposition to the law, while 1 in 10 say it was mostly in support. on.kff.org/453Ozhc

Meeting planners "basically said they’re no longer considering Washington, D.C. or no longer considering the United States.”

My latest for @npr.org and @kffhealthnews.org: Researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs have one of the biggest genomic databases in the world at their fingertips. They’re worried they won’t be able to use it if key agreements go unsigned by Trump officials: www.npr.org/sections/sho...

🧵Billions in opioid settlement💰is meant to help curb addiction—but what happens if it’s misspent? Some advocates say state attorneys general should be paying closer attention. Until they do, a crowdsourced database tracking potential misuse could help. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

"It's a crap show" "People will die" The Trump administration’s broadsides against scientific research are causing unprecedented upheaval at the National Cancer Institute, which has spearheaded advances against the disease for decades. Me + @arthurallen202.bsky.social www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/h...

someone on craigslist claims they have...an engine from the ill-fated Columbia space shuttle? no export restrictions? washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/for/d/po...

Our homepage rn -- if you wanna know more about the health implications of this thing: kffhealthnews.org

Should the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ reach President Trump’s desk, “it would represent the biggest rollback in federal support for health coverage ever,” writes KFF’s @larrylevitt.bsky.social. For @nytopinion.nytimes.com, Larry writes about the potential impact of the bill:

Among the thousands of federal workers that HHS fired this year: CDC researchers who advised clinicians on how to prescribe contraception safely for millions of women with underlying medical conditions. My latest on @cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy @kffhealthnews.org www.cbsnews.com/news/hhs-cdc...