Maria Town
@mariatown.bsky.social
đ€ 9257
đ„ 81
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Disability Advocate. Cat Mom.
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Maria Town
NPR
3 days ago
Homeless women face unique health challenges with few dedicated resources. And as the number of women experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles continues to grow, Dr. Mary Marfisee hopes to bring them lifesaving resources.
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Unhoused women on Skid Row face dire health outcomes. This doctor wants to change that
Homeless women face unique health challenges with few dedicated resources. And as the number of women experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles continues to grow, Dr. Mary Marfisee hopes to bring them lifesaving resources.
https://n.pr/4bEOSUH
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Eric Michael Garcia
7 days ago
This was my big concern with RFK Jr.'s fearmongering about autism: That it would lead to the rationalization of draconian quack "treatments" for autism.
arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
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FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.âs allies
The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/01/warning-about-bogus-autism-treatments-vanishes-from-fdas-website/
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David M. Perry
19 days ago
You've probably been following the story about fraud in MN. I wrote about the people who provide services who are being driven into bankruptcy, thanks to the Walz' administration decision to hire Optum AI to screen all payments. It's a disaster.
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Perry: Trusted providers are being unfairly swept up in Minnesotaâs fraud crackdown
As the state's new anti-fraud screening system went into effect, the Holland Center expected to receive $212,000 in payments. It instead received $22,000, David M. Perry writes. If nothing changes soo...
https://www.startribune.com/mn-daycare-fraud-accusations-medicaid-funding-social-services/601555391
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Stacey Abrams
18 days ago
... thatâs Step Three in the autocrat's playbook. In our democracy, actions of this magnitude and decisions about what happens next, must go through Congress - not be dictated by a president who admires authoritarians and rules like one.
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Stacey Abrams
18 days ago
Foreign policy is not the personal domain of a president. Congress has a constitutional role to serve as the voice of the people and a restraint on power. One of the oldest moves in the authoritarian playbook is to sideline the legislature and strip away checks and balances...
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Stacey Abrams
18 days ago
NicolĂĄs Maduro is a brutal dictator who has caused immense suffering. However, the way to fight authoritarianism abroad is not to embrace it at home.
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Mother Jones
21 days ago
âIâm honored to be your ancestor and believe that disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Donât let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.â
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Hero of 2025: Alice Wong
The disability justice icon's last message: "Donât let the bastards grind you down."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/12/hero-of-2025-alice-wong-disabled-oracle/
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Julia Métraux
21 days ago
For my hero of 2025 at
@motherjones.com
, I wrote about the late great disabled disability justice oracle Alice Wong, including her work with Disability Visibility Project, Crips for eSims for Gaza, and
#CripTheVote
.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
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Hero of 2025: Alice Wong
The disability justice icon's last message: "Donât let the bastards grind you down."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/12/hero-of-2025-alice-wong-disabled-oracle/
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Maggie Astor
21 days ago
Some work Iâm proud of from this year (all of the links are gift links)⊠I joined street-medicine teams in Phoenix in July as they tried to help unhoused people cope with increasingly extreme heat:
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Homeless and Burning in Americaâs Hottest City
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/well/homeless-heat-phoenix.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AVA.l_-C.PfTzC5cnPrQx&smid=url-share
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Maria Town
NPR
24 days ago
Bob Kafka was an organizer with ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today), a group which advocates for policy change to support people with disabilities.
n.pr/4pWshr5
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Disability rights advocate Bob Kafka dead at 79
Bob Kafka was an organizer with ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today), a group which advocates for policy change to support people with disabilities.
https://n.pr/4pWshr5
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Eric Michael Garcia
24 days ago
The caregiving industry could not survive without immigrants. But a third of the staff at one Miami nursing home lost their jobs after the Trump administration ended the programs letting them work legally.
www.notus.org/immigration/...
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âA Demographic Ticking Time Bombâ: Trumpâs Immigration Crackdown Comes for Seniorsâ Caretakers
Thirteen percent of immigrants providing long-term care in peopleâs homes are noncitizens.
https://www.notus.org/immigration/trump-immigration-crackdown-tps-elder-caretakers
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s. e. smith
25 days ago
Also worth noting that it doesn't seem to account for family caregivers, e.g. a parent who may have left the workforce, and is not at school, in order to care for another family member!
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s. e. smith
25 days ago
Critiquing social programs and thinking about how they can do better is good, actually. NM is clearly moving toward making this program more inclusive and easier to access over time. I hope that those involved in implementation are thinking about how to incorporate disablity into the future.
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s. e. smith
25 days ago
IÂ want to be clear that I'm not saying this program is bad, or that the state is acting in bad faith, or that other states shouldn't take this example and run with it. I AM saying that anyone advocating for universal childcare needs to be thinking about how it connects with disablity.
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s. e. smith
25 days ago
The other is the work/school requirements. This kind of means testing in general isn't great. NM waives in some settings (such as grandparents or housing unstable families), but there does not appear to be a carveout for disabled parents, who I guess don't exist or matter.
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s. e. smith
25 days ago
One is the fact that some disabled children need medical daycare, which is a really scarce resource. Some childcare facilities will also exclude disabled children even when they don't need specialized care because they're worried about liablity. I'm not seeing much discussion on addressing this!
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s. e. smith
25 days ago
Not to be That Person but watching the discourse around New Mexico's universal free childcare program, which, to be clear, is a really good start, I don't see a lot of engagement with two pretty significant disablity issues...
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Chris Geidner
3 months ago
BREAKING: Federal judge rules that the Trump administration likely illegally suspended SNAP benefits, ruling that at least reduced distribution is required to go forward under law using the $6 billion reserve fund. Judge gives the Trump admin until Monday to respond as to whether it will act.
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Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network
3 months ago
âGiven how many people with disabilities rely on benefits from government programs, this shutdown is especially harmful for the disability communityâ -
@mariatown.bsky.social
,
@aapd.com
#DisabilityJustice
www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/10/28/g...
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Government Shutdown Has Disability Providers 'Running On Fumes'
Nearly a month into the federal shutdown, some organizations aiding people with disabilities are starting to scale back services as the effects begin to mount.
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/10/28/government-shutdown-has-disability-providers-running-on-fumes/31701/
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Maria Town
NPR
3 months ago
Judge Indira Talwani acknowledged this will leave millions of people without assistance starting Saturday. Two dozen Democratic-led states had sued over the administration's decision to suspend SNAP.
n.pr/3JxdjHW
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Judge gives Trump administration until Monday to have a plan for SNAP benefits
Judge Indira Talwani acknowledged this will leave millions of people without assistance starting Saturday. Two dozen Democratic-led states had sued over the administration's decision to suspend SNAP.
https://n.pr/3JxdjHW
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The Associated Press
3 months ago
BREAKING: Judges order the federal government to use contingency funds for SNAP food aid payments during the shutdown.
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Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Two federal judge have ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund the SNAP food aid program using contingency funds during the government shutdown.
https://bit.ly/4nqOETj
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AAPD - The American Association of People with Disabilities
3 months ago
2026 Applications for the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leaders Award close TOMORROW at 5 PM ET! Recipients receive $25,000 for leadership development and to advance a bold idea for people with disabilities. Go to our website to apply and learn more:
www.aapd.com/paul-g-hearn...
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Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leaders Award - AAPD
The AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awards recognizes outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader cross-disability community.
https://www.aapd.com/paul-g-hearne-emerging-leaders-award/
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Maria Town
Interfaith Alliance
3 months ago
This week on The State of Belief: Rev.
@raushenbush.bsky.social
is joined by
@thecelinafactor.bsky.social
, CEO of
@lwvus.bsky.social
!
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League of Women Voters CEO Celena Stewart: Courage is Not the Absence of Fear
Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush to talk about the organization's history, as well as its role in this challenging time for many voters.
https://www.interfaithalliance.org/post/league-of-women-voters-ceo-celena-stewart-courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear
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ProPublica
3 months ago
The programs will continue to receive grant funding, but only for one year. âIt is still a disruption to families,ââ Lisa McConachie of the Oregon DeafBlind Project said. âIt creates this mistrust, that you are gone and back and gone and back.â
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Education Dept. Reverses Decision to Halt Funds for Deafblind Student Programs
Following public outcry, the Department of Education has reversed its decision to cut funding for students who have both hearing and vision loss, opting instead to reroute grants to an organization th...
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-education-department-deafblind-students-funding-reversal?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1760734322&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
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Edwin Park
3 months ago
This seems troubling. Itâs not a situation like when the physician payment formula was in flux in 2015 & all Medicare physician claims were temporarily held (or paid at lower rates and then later reprocessed). Most payments should flow normally with only certain telemedicine/other claims held.
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Today is a Disability Mentoring Day, a day that puts a focus on national effort on promoting career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships.
3 months ago
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The government shutdown shows no signs of ending soon. Social Security & Medicaid benefits will keep going out, but, people could be w/o other benefits, like SNAP & WIC very soon. AAPD created a resource that explains whatâs at stake if the shutdown doesnât end soon.
www.aapd.com/explainer-wh...
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Explainer: What the Government Shutdown Means for SNAP, WIC, and Disability Programs - AAPD
On Wednesday, October 1, at 12:01 AM, part of the federal government shut down because Congress could not agree on a funding plan. As of now, the government has been shut down for two weeks. Congress...
https://www.aapd.com/explainer-what-the-government-shutdown-means-for-snap-wic-and-disability-programs/?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwNb6OpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp0SL3fqHKLHlijnFhHIdHW-5KgeXkjS8nIrZXfxN5o4oLR_5cPWE14Uq2iyx_aem_YVscrBxiaswf2dmFLXtKEw
3 months ago
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Catherine Rampell
3 months ago
Per CDC source: At internal leadership meeting this afternoon, it was shared that 1,257 people were RIF'd at CDC. Number may not be final. Apparently, chief of staff was unaware that RIFs were going to occur so not clear who is making decisions. (Short đ§”)
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Eric Michael Garcia
3 months ago
If you work in the Office of Special Education for the Department of Education and have been RIF'ed or if you work in a school that has been notified about it, please message me. My Signal is emgarcia.85. I'll protect your identity.
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The 51st
4 months ago
Two opportunities to get involved in the city this week, from
@colleengrablick.bsky.social
's Civics Roundup: âą Tuesday, Oct. 7:
@freedcproject.bsky.social
's Ward 3 campaign orientation âą Wednesday, Oct. 8: "Angry" hour for pissed-off optimists benefiting
@peacefordc.bsky.social
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Your weekly roundup of ways to get involved in D.C.
Plus, plenty of chances to plug into Free DC this week.
https://51st.news/dc-civic-engagement-roundup-october-1
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Maria Town
The 51st
4 months ago
ICYMI, the federal government is still shut down. Here's what that means for the people of D.C.
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The federal government has shut down. Hereâs what it means for D.C.
You canât legally get married, for one, and the cityâs economy will take a hit.
https://51st.news/the-federal-government-has-shut-down-heres-what-it-means-for-d-c/
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Maria Town
Andy Imparato
4 months ago
#FF
@jasmineeharris.bsky.social
@mariatown.bsky.social
@crenny75.bsky.social
@akwyz.com
@neilmilliken.bsky.social
@debraruh.bsky.social
@judgewren.bsky.social
@sabrinaep.bsky.social
@xoulwing.bsky.social
@icarszoey.bsky.social
@yep4rights.bsky.social
@disabilityrightsca.bsky.social
@aapd.com
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Fatima Goss Graves
4 months ago
And will be in excellent hands with the brilliant
@ashleyallison.bsky.social
đđœđđœđđœhttps://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/02/media/the-root-go-media-ashley-allison
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The Root returns to Black ownership | CNN Business
Ashley Allison, a Democratic political strategist and CNN commentator, said Thursday that she is acquiring The Root from G/O Media.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/02/media/the-root-go-media-ashley-allison
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Maria Town
Matthew Borus
4 months ago
If you havenât worked in the federal government during a past shutdown, it may be hard to know how drastically this breaks from past practice and the law. I was furloughed from HHS in 2013, and our out-of-office messages were studiously neutral. To do otherwise would have violated the Hatch Act.
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Julia Métraux
4 months ago
Ridiculously, Medicare Telehealth coverage keeps are getting tied to continuing resolutions. Bills could be passed separately. But political bureaucracy. This means Medicare Telehealth waivers are kaput as of today. My latest for
@motherjones.com
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
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Another shutdown casualty: Medicare telehealth coverage
It's got bipartisan supportâand millions of Americans need it. But Congress keeps failing to lock in funding for Medicare telehealth services.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/congress-medicare-telehealth-shutdown-funding-waivers/
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Jacquelyn Gill
4 months ago
This will be an essential resource, and my hope is that it makes it easier for academics who are called to public scholarship as a way to fight the encroaching darkness.
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As we await news of a government shutdown, Iâm thinking back to my time as a federal employee. In 2013, the government shutdown for a little more than two weeks. I was confused, frustrated, and scared.
4 months ago
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s. e. smith
4 months ago
The work of disabled scholars counting on federal funding for their projects and access needs is evaporating in a haze of Trump, after we fought SO HARD for equitable access. Many of these scholars are in the ADA Generation!
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Assault on Accessibility Initiatives Hits Early Career Scientists Hard
The Trump administrationâs cuts to programs supporting people with disabilities are part of a broader assault on DEI.
https://capitalandmain.com/assault-on-accessibility-initiatives-hits-early-career-scientists-hard
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Matthew Borus
4 months ago
So, a project that Iâm working on is getting some media attention, and that feels pretty cool. I should note: this article lets at least one highly dubious claim from administration brass go unchallenged. So bad as this picture of Trumpâs SSA looks, the realityâs probably worse. Gift link below.
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A Diminished Social Security Work Force, and Its Customers, Feel the Strain
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/business/social-security-customer-service.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oU8.1krn.idUmd8OBqacs&smid=url-share
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Maria Town
NPR
4 months ago
In making unsupported claims about autism, the Trump administration is "pointing the finger" at parents and making them feel guilty, says autism community advocate Colin Killick.
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Trump admin 'seems to care very little about autistic people,' says advocate
In making unsupported claims about autism, the Trump administration is "pointing the finger" at parents and making them feel guilty, says autism community advocate Colin Killick.
https://n.pr/4pFew04
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ProPublica
4 months ago
Citing concerns about DEI, the Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states. âHow low can you go?â one advocate asked. âHow can you do this to children?â By
@jodiscohen.bsky.social
@jsmithrichards.bsky.social
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Programs for Students With Hearing and Vision Loss Harmed by Trumpâs Anti-Diversity Push
Citing concerns about DEI, the U.S. Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states. âHow low can you go?â one advoc...
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dei-students-education-deaf-blind-grant-funding?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1757636106&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
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Emily Ramshaw
4 months ago
This is what she lives with every day now: âThe fear of leaving your family and letting them know, âIf I donât return, itâs not because I am abandoning you.ââ Powerful story by
@chabeli.bsky.social
for
@19thnews.org
.
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âThey are hunting us:â Child care workers in D.C. go underground amid ICE crackdown
In Washington, D.C., where close to 40 percent of child care workers are immigrants, fear has taken hold amid a crime crackdown that has raised ICE presence. Many are missing work, deepening a staffin...
https://19thnews.org/2025/09/child-care-workers-ice-dc-immigration/
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Muriel Bowser is worse than the mayor from Jaws. This executive order is like putting chum into the water to welcome sharks to your beach.
#FreeDC
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
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Bowser to provide indefinite coordination with federal law enforcement
Bowser issued an executive order Tuesday requiring local coordination with federal law enforcement âto the maximum extent allowable by law.â The order gives no expiration date.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/02/bowser-dc-federal-law-enforcement-trump-takeover/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwMkbtFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpwXcn4dxeezng8DgBxmYvECx74gGB2ET7jIqazqzkpISE8NTN8h2L1avLRgd_aem_sV3Gpo9mBpuWrz8fwpJ4ow
5 months ago
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Darren Bates
5 months ago
ICYMI: On Friday the Department of Labor extended the comment period on rescissions to Section 503. The new deadline is Sep 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM EDT. Submit your comment today!
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Darren Bates
5 months ago
"The move to drop the 7% goal for federal contractors...will only make it harder for people with disabilities â a traditionally underemployed population â to find work, said
@mariatown.bsky.social
, president and CEO of the
@aapd.com
.
www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/08/29/l...
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Labor Department Seeks To Roll Back Disability Hiring Mandate
Federal officials are looking to walk back a decade-old rule designed to compel businesses to employ people with disabilities in greater numbers.
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/08/29/labor-department-seeks-to-roll-back-disability-hiring-mandate/31602/
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Julia Métraux
5 months ago
Cw assisted suicide I've been chatting to people recently on how Switzerland's assisted suicide, including w/ medical tourism, is much lower than Canada's bc it's a country that seems to get it's people's needs met, and that includes housing.
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Maggie Astor
5 months ago
NEWS: CVS, the largest pharmacy chain in the country, is currently not offering Covid vaccines in 16 states and DC â even to people who meet the new FDA criteria â because the CDC hasn't signed off and isn't expected to do so (if it does so) for at least three weeks.
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CVS Holds Off on Offering Covid Vaccines in 16 States
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/well/cvs-pharmacy-covid-vaccine-16-states.html?unlocked_article_code=1.h08.ZbqO.J0zqW9EKEoml&smid=url-share
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Meghan Bartels
5 months ago
Hi friends, here's my attempt to offer clarity on the COVID vaccine situation, I hope there's something helpful in there for you: đ§Ș
www.scientificamerican.com/article/who-...
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COVID Vaccines Are Still Saving LivesâBut They Will Be Harder to Get This Year
Many questions still surround COVID vaccine access this fall, but hereâs what we know so far
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/who-is-eligible-for-the-covid-vaccine-in-2025-and-how-to-get-it/
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