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Karen Benjamin Guzzo

@karenguzzo.bsky.social

4.1K followers 1.2K following 2.3K posts

Demographer and Sociologist. Director of the Carolina Population Center. LEGO Karen

Videos

Sociology 28%

Political science 28%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 38m

“The administration is considering whether to spend up to $50m in foreign aid to protect polar bears in Greenland & $25m for snow leopards in Nepal, proposals strikingly at odds w/ a parallel initiative to slash humanitarian & wildlife programs deemed incompatible w/ the “America First” agenda.”

Trump’s new foreign aid plan eyes $50 million for Greenland’s polar bears

Documents reviewed by The Post show the administration may spend millions to protect vulnerable wildlife, proposals that stunned critics of its moves to gut foreign assistance.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

UM SRC @um-src.bsky.social · 7h

@cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy reports on a new study from @ncoaging.bsky.social: using the Health and Retirement Study, the authors find low-income people over 60 years old die an average of nine years earlier than high-income older Americans myumi.ch/5kXQ9

For older Americans, the cost of poverty is 9 years of life, study finds

Low-income older Americans on average die nearly a decade earlier than wealthier people, a new analysis finds.

myumi.ch

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Reposted by Caroline Krafft, Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Chris Uggen @chrisuggen.bsky.social · 11h

Jobs! ISRDI @minnpop.bsky.social is searching for 2 full-time staff for a new National Institute on Aging Demography and Economics Coordinating Center (NIA DECC).

1. DECC Coordinator, JO 370494: hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EM...

2. Communications Manager, JO 370497 - hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EM...

About the NIA DECC

Demography & Economics of Aging Coordinating Center (DECC) Contact us at [email protected] Co-Directors: Gina Rumore, Cathy Fitch, and Rob Warren We aim to increase the efficiency, productivity, and impac...

z.umn.edu

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, John Hogan , and 3 more Anna O. Law, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, John Hogan, Eric D. Knowles, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Southern Africa

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 14h

It is simply accurate to call this regime segregationist.

Trump Fires Black Officials From an Overwhelmingly White Administration

www.nytimes.com

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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 14h

Hey, little girl, want a balloon? It floats! We all float down here… #legokaren

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Bryce Covert @brycecovert.bsky.social · 1d

Georgia's Medicaid work requirement increased neither Medicaid enrollment nor employment www.bmj.com/content/390/...

Insurance coverage and employment after Medicaid expansion with work requirements: quasi-experimental difference-in-differences study

Objective To understand how health insurance coverage and employment changed among working age adults with low incomes in Georgia, the first state to implement Medicaid expansion with work requirement...

www.bmj.com

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Steven Schmidt

Raj Nayak @rdnayak.bsky.social · 1d

Fantastic report by the SHIFT Project team + @profsheenalives.bsky.social and @juliesulabor.bsky.social

Amazon Drives Low Wages: The Unraveling of Workplace Protections for Delivery Drivers - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article Amazon has revolutionized shopping and challenged traditional brick-and-mortar retail. But at the heart of this logistics […]

shift.hks.harvard.edu

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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Lisa W. Fazio, Elizabeth Saunders , and 11 more Kim L. Scheppele, Lisa W. Fazio, Elizabeth Saunders, James Q. Wilson, Will Jennings, Gavin A. Schmidt, Simon Chapman, Juan Cole, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, David R. Miller, Scott A. Imberman, Brian Keegan, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Clark Gray

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

The elimination of USAID is a moral atrocity and all involved made a choice to enable, and then lie about, ending the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) - Mohammed Taher clutched the lifeless body of his 2-year-old son and wept. Ever since his family's food rations stopped arriving at their internment camp in Myanmar in April, the father had watched helplessly as his once-vibrant baby boy weakened, suffering from diarrhea and begging for food.
On May 21, exactly two weeks after Taher's little boy died, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat before Congress and declared: "No one has died" because of his government's decision to gut its foreign aid program. Rubio also insisted: "No children are dying on my watch."
That, Taher says, "is a lie."

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Aaron Sojourner

Gideon Lukens @gidlukens.bsky.social · 1d

Idaho’s 2026 ACA marketplace open enrollment begins Oct 15. People are already window shopping, seeing next year’s premiums spike due to expiring tax credit enhancements. A typical 60-year-old couple making $85,000 in Idaho will face a $17,900 increase in annual premiums. (1/4)

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Devex @devex.com · 1d

Former USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore highlights the strategic value of U.S. foreign assistance, asserting that it is essential soft power, not just charity.

Watch the full conversation⬇️
www.devex.com/news/early-pr...

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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 1d

The mad scientist is hard at work! He’s successfully managed to turn living beings inside out…which maybe isn’t that much of a success. #legokaren

Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Arrianna Marie Planey, PhD MA @arrianna-planey.bsky.social · 2d

"On the other hand, precisely because one million additional votes would create a changed electorate, the voting patterns of that electorate cannot be easily estimated from the voting patterns of the electorate in which Black lifespans are cut short." www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

Three Ways of Looking at Black–White Mortality Differences in the United States

Everyone agrees that US Black deaths happen earlier than white deaths on average, but it is surprisingly challenging to find the best ways to summarize, quantify, and compare this gap. This review arg...

www.annualreviews.org

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Reposted by Philip N. Cohen, Valerie Mueller, Karen Benjamin Guzzo , and 1 more Philip N. Cohen, Valerie Mueller, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Lauren Hersch Nicholas

Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

The acting CDC director has now approved ACIP recs allowing anyone 6 months+ to receive an updated Covid-19 shot after discussing w/ their provider. If you are on the fence about getting an updated shot, read my in-depth take on the evidence we've accumulated on these vaccines. #publichealth

Do additional COVID vaccines really help?

We've accumulated a lot of scientific evidence in the last few years.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Caroline Krafft, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Julia Lynch , and 2 more Caroline Krafft, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Julia Lynch, Christina Ho, Evan Roberts

Elizabeth Wrigley-Field @wrigleyfield.bsky.social · 2d

New podcast episode where I talk about what's going on with mortality in the US

A wide-ranging discussion of what happened before the pandemic & what's happened since then; racial disparities and how to get our heads around their scope; why things might be going so badly for Millennials & Gen Zers

Prof. Elizabeth Wrigley-Field Discusses Excess Deaths

Because the US death rate has exceeded that of 21 other high income countries for over four decades, an estimated 14.7 million US lives have been lost since1980.

www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com

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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 2d

Research by @uncpopcenter.bsky.social Fellow Ross Boyce!

NPR @npr.org · 2d

Inspired by a military strategy to ward off disease-carrying mosquitoes, researchers see if the technique will help cut malaria infections in little ones. n.pr/3IwwWQc

Babies take a lesson from soldiers in the war against malaria

Inspired by a military strategy to ward off disease-carrying mosquitoes, researchers see if the technique will help cut malaria infections in little ones.

n.pr

Reposted by Jennifer Bussell, Karen Benjamin Guzzo

NPR @npr.org · 2d

Inspired by a military strategy to ward off disease-carrying mosquitoes, researchers see if the technique will help cut malaria infections in little ones. n.pr/3IwwWQc

Babies take a lesson from soldiers in the war against malaria

Inspired by a military strategy to ward off disease-carrying mosquitoes, researchers see if the technique will help cut malaria infections in little ones.

n.pr

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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 2d

“You’re a vampire??? Really? And you sparkle in the sun. Huh. Sparkle, not combust. That’s a new one.” #legokaren

Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Christina J. Cross @christinajcross.bsky.social · 3d

Why do Black kids in nuclear families struggle to succeed while white kids in these families flourish?

What do these inequalities tell us about the power & limits of the two-parent family?

Check out my new piece in @harpersbazaar.com.web.brid.gy to learn more www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/feat...

Why Black Families Fall Through the Safety Net

For most of the last 20 years, policymakers and researchers have stressed the importance of a two-parent home for children’s success. New research complicates conventional wisdom.

www.harpersbazaar.com

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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 3d

The real trick of billionaires isn't how they get wealthy - it's what they do to maintain & growth their wealth by engaging w/ the "wealth defense industry," buying political influence to protect against systemic changes, & using private equity funds to buy out businesses to extract more wealth.

Boom time for US billionaires: why the system perpetuates wealth inequality

As the super rich grow even richer, inequality expert Chuck Collins says the system is broken – but it can be fixed

www.theguardian.com

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 3d

Museum Monday! What interesting little trinkets might the tour guide introduce LEGO Karen to?

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 4d

“For some military spouses, a part-time job is the best route for I.V.F. coverage when the government is unwilling to cover the procedure. One option is to turn to Starbucks… [because it] covers up to $25,000 in fertility care for employees who work 20 hours a week or more.”

Push for Military Coverage of I.V.F. Faces Challenge in Congress

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.bsky.social · 4d

lol society hates moms and then gets mad and surprised when women are like "nah, motherhood ain't for me". 🤷🏿‍♀️

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 4d

All 45 staffers at the "Department of Government Efficiency" were apparently too valuable to lose, as the agency was completely unscathed by the temporary employment suspension. trib.al/xPElaZu

Meanwhile, he furloughed 89% of the EPA, 87% Dept. of Ed, and 71% of HUD.

Trump Sure Picked Some Interesting People Not to Furlough for Shutdown

A key team will stay up and running during the shutdown.

trib.al

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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 4d

Adulthood, to me, is seeing some issue (big or small), thinking “someone should do something about that,” and realizing that *you’re* that someone. And then having to figure it out even when you have no clue bc no one will do it for you.

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 4d

Watch out behind you, LEGO Karen!!!

Reposted by Megan L. Ranney, Cathy N. Davidson, Karen Benjamin Guzzo , and 1 more Megan L. Ranney, Cathy N. Davidson, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, David Darmofal

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 4d

Exclusive: The Trump administration is preparing a plan that will make it harder for older Americans to qualify for Social Security disability payments, part of an overhaul that could result in hundreds of thousands of people losing benefits.

Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans

Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Anders Nilsson, Karen Benjamin Guzzo

ProPublica @propublica.org · 4d

In the spring, the Trump administration abruptly cut $500 million from an emergency food assistance program that delivered meat, dairy, eggs and produce to food banks across the country.

Thousands of planned deliveries were canceled without warning.

Trump Canceled 94 Million Pounds of Food Aid. Here’s What Never Arrived.

ProPublica obtained records from the Department of Agriculture that detail the millions of pounds of food, down to the number of eggs, that never reached food banks because of the administration’s cut...

projects.propublica.org

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Reposted by Cas Mudde, Jan W. Mueller, Will Jennings , and 12 more Cas Mudde, Jan W. Mueller, Will Jennings, Scott L. Greer, Serge Guimond, Jonathan M. Gilligan, Daniel W. Drezner, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Michael W. Kraus, Bessma Momani, Steven Schmidt, Prakash Kashwan, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Dan Immergluck, S. Laurel Weldon

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 5d

About 1 in 4 U.S. adults worry they or someone close to them could be deported, according to a June @pewresearch.org survey.

About 1 in 4 U.S. adults worry they or someone close to them could be deported

About four-in-ten immigrants (43%) say they worry a lot or some, up from 33% in March.

www.pewresearch.org

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 5d

You can find all @pewresearch.org openings here pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Center...

We currently have searches for term-limited LLM analytics lead & assistant audience editor positions.

Salary info is included in all our job ads.

Please share this with anyone who might be interested!

This is a term-limited, grant-funded position expected to extend 15 months.

The Assistant Audience Editor will help connect Pew Research Center’s work with the public by supporting content creation, community engagement, and the day-to-day execution of our audience strategy. This junior role will focus on producing and adapting research content to text, graphics and short-form video for a variety of digital platforms and ensuring that the Center’s findings reach and resonate with broad and diverse audiences. The position will also play a key role in moderating conversations, fostering respectful engagement, and spotting opportunities to bring the Center’s research into discussions of current events. This position reports to the associate director, digital outreach.

The ideal candidate is an adaptable, curious, and detail-oriented collaborator with strong communication and task management skills, driven by a passion for providing nonpartisan information to the public.

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Reposted by Benjamin Mason Meier, Diane Ravitch, Peter Jacobs

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 5d

I missed this earlier this week, but the Directors of NIAID, NICHD, NIMHD, & NINR were all fired. The NIAID Director, Mazzaro, was likely fired in retaliation for speaking out against the anti-vaccine moves made by the administration.

Kennedy Fires N.I.H. Scientist Who Filed Whistle-Blower Complaint

www.nytimes.com

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