Heather Walter-McCabe
@profwaltermac.bsky.social
Law Professor at SLU - JD/MSW - fueled by coffee and anxiety while working at the intersection of law, social work, & public health. My emphasis is on LGBTQ health equity. My work is intersectional. #TransRights is non-negotiable. Legal Epi.🏳️🌈
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
"ACIP shouldn’t be this lively, interesting, or funny. These people make decisions that impact people’s lives. Given that, the members’ lack of expertise, incompetence, and blatant anti-vaccine biases were dismaying. Our nation’s public health is not in good hands." - @doritreiss.bsky.social
"Our nation’s public health is not in good hands." — Public health lawyer @doritreiss.bsky.social breaks down this week's gobsmacking meeting of #CDC's vaccine advisory panel, #ACIP.
The #hepatitisB birth dose is gone. Kennedy's ACIP isn't done yet. www.statnews.com/2025/12/06/a...
The #hepatitisB birth dose is gone. Kennedy's ACIP isn't done yet. www.statnews.com/2025/12/06/a...
RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel is beset by incompetence, bias, and procedural chaos
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) meetings used to be a geek’s dream: hours of long, maybe dreary presentation of extensive data
www.statnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:33 AM
"ACIP shouldn’t be this lively, interesting, or funny. These people make decisions that impact people’s lives. Given that, the members’ lack of expertise, incompetence, and blatant anti-vaccine biases were dismaying. Our nation’s public health is not in good hands." - @doritreiss.bsky.social
As a lifelong Hoosier until last year, I see many (R & D) who have never been involved in politics standing up against this right now and it is awful to see how their leaders are ignoring them.
Indiana has rapidly become the latest flashpoint in the GOP’s national push to engineer aggressive mid-decade gerrymanders. Few states illustrate the immense costs to voters and how far lawmakers are willing to go to appease President Donald Trump. www.democracydocket.com/analysis/ind...
Indiana’s GOP Shows Us the Future of Gerrymandering — And It’s Grim: A Conversation With Election Law Expert Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:54 PM
As a lifelong Hoosier until last year, I see many (R & D) who have never been involved in politics standing up against this right now and it is awful to see how their leaders are ignoring them.
If you aren’t following @doritreiss.bsky.social regarding all that is happening with vaccines, you should. Well researched expertise.
One thing I should have included in my op-ed is that Dr. Middleman, an actual hepatitis B expert, was silenced in the meeting when she tried to provide the committee the benefit of her expertise. Dr. Malone silenced her very aggressively, while letting anti-vaccine speakers go over time repeatedly.
December 6, 2025 at 8:25 PM
If you aren’t following @doritreiss.bsky.social regarding all that is happening with vaccines, you should. Well researched expertise.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
"All is lost" narratives are popular because people generally do not want to take action. Taking action is tiring so if all is lost, you are off the hook. Nothing is more seductive than not having to do anything.
December 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
"All is lost" narratives are popular because people generally do not want to take action. Taking action is tiring so if all is lost, you are off the hook. Nothing is more seductive than not having to do anything.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
The Trump administration's decision to roll back universal Hepatitis B vaccine schedule recommendations will leave children vulnerable to unnecessary exposure and preventable illness. Read APHA's statement: www.apha.org/news-and-med...
December 5, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The Trump administration's decision to roll back universal Hepatitis B vaccine schedule recommendations will leave children vulnerable to unnecessary exposure and preventable illness. Read APHA's statement: www.apha.org/news-and-med...
I’m writing a law review article and it would be nice if SCOTUS would just stop making it so that I don’t know what to even write besides well back when we had any idea what the rule of law was I would assert X but now who knows…
December 5, 2025 at 12:57 AM
I’m writing a law review article and it would be nice if SCOTUS would just stop making it so that I don’t know what to even write besides well back when we had any idea what the rule of law was I would assert X but now who knows…
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
People's actions this World AIDS Day are not lessened because President Donald Trump says the government doesn’t commemorate the day any longer.
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
December 2, 2025 at 4:43 AM
People's actions this World AIDS Day are not lessened because President Donald Trump says the government doesn’t commemorate the day any longer.
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
If anything, communities are further animated because of his administration’s failure to act.
Some thoughts on Dec. 1:
www.lawdork.com/i/180455096/...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
This World AIDS Day we are grateful for the heroic folks at Takalani Sesame and @sesameworkersunion.bsky.social for helping children remember parents and siblings lost to AIDS.
This is the humanities at its best.
This is the humanities at its best.
Making a Memory Box
YouTube video by Sesame Workshop
youtu.be
December 2, 2025 at 4:37 AM
This World AIDS Day we are grateful for the heroic folks at Takalani Sesame and @sesameworkersunion.bsky.social for helping children remember parents and siblings lost to AIDS.
This is the humanities at its best.
This is the humanities at its best.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
South Carolina’s measles outbreak shows chilling effect of vaccine misinformation missouriindependent.com/2025/11/28/r...
South Carolina’s measles outbreak shows chilling effect of vaccine misinformation • Missouri Independent
Spartanburg County, in South Carolina’s Upstate region, has been fighting a measles outbreak since early October, with more than 50 cases identified.
missouriindependent.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:26 PM
South Carolina’s measles outbreak shows chilling effect of vaccine misinformation missouriindependent.com/2025/11/28/r...
I am appalled by this agreement. There are so many ways that diversity of any kind can be weaponized here. Shame on the universities that are conceding.
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
www.northwestern.edu
November 29, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I am appalled by this agreement. There are so many ways that diversity of any kind can be weaponized here. Shame on the universities that are conceding.
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
www.northwestern.edu/president/do...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Read this piece by @drjudystone.bsky.social and then take action.
New: What Is A “Professional Degree” And Why Does It Matter? via @forbes www.forbes.com/sites/judyst... #Nursing #PT #OT #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #SocialWork w thanks to @gregggonsalves.bsky.social @michelemanos.bsky.social and Russ Francis @defendpublichealth.bsky.social for comments.
What Is A “Professional Degree” And Why Does It Matter?
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Dept of Education proposes redefining "professional degrees" to exclude degrees in nursing, NP/PA, Public Health, PT/OT and more
www.forbes.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Read this piece by @drjudystone.bsky.social and then take action.
As we head into Thanksgiving, I would also like to take a moment and ask — if you're thankful for my work this year and aren't yet a paid subscriber — to consider subscribing or upgrading to a paid subscription. For $60 a year or $6 a month, you can help to make Law Dork possible.
Law Dork | Chris Geidner | Substack
The Supreme Court, law, politics, and more. Click to read Law Dork, by Chris Geidner, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.
www.lawdork.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
The House announced just days before a major holiday that they will vote next week on a bill that hasn't been filed — to redraw maps that haven't been released. This is bad governance in the extreme. Hoosiers deserve fair maps. And they deserve transparency.
November 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The House announced just days before a major holiday that they will vote next week on a bill that hasn't been filed — to redraw maps that haven't been released. This is bad governance in the extreme. Hoosiers deserve fair maps. And they deserve transparency.
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
UPDATE: Another judge just dinged DOJ in another trans care subpoena case, with Judge Joun finding that DOJ missed a deadline, and, accordingly, their motion to alter the judgment in the Boston Children's Hospital case was "untimely." And, because DOJ also appealed, Joun has no further jurisdiction.
![Judge Myong J. Joun: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered re 35
Motion to Alter Judgment.
On September 9, 2025, I entered an order granting Boston Children Hospital's ("BCH") Motion to Quash. [Doc. No. 33 4 1. On October 7, 2025, the Department of Justice ("DOJ") filed a Motion to Alter (the "Motion"). [Doc. No. 35 A]. On November 7, 2025, the DOJ filed a Notice of Appeal of my September 9 Order. [Doc. No. 46 4 ]. That appeal has been assigned USCA Case Number 25-2092.
[Doc. No. 48 ]. The parties have completed briefing of the merits of the Motion, however, after DOJ filed its Notice of Appeal, BCH filed a Notice indicating that this court no longer has jurisdiction to decide the Motion. [See Doc. No. 50
"The filing of a notice of appeal is an event of jurisdictional significance — it confers jurisdiction on the court of appeals and divests the district court of its control over those aspects of the case involved in the appeal." Griggs v. Provident Consumer Disc. Co., 459 U.S. 56, 58 (1982). However, "in order to prevent unnecessary appellate review, the district court was given express authority to entertain a timely motion to alter or amend the judgment under Rule 59, even after a notice of appeal had been filed." Id.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreifq6fozblxq5uz7vczjqf7rlnysombau2eo65u4s4yizeim57t5xm@jpeg)
![As such, Rule 4(A)(iv) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure provides that "[ilf a party files in the district court" a motion "to alter or amend the judgment under Rule 59" and
"does so within the time allowed by those rules--the time to file an appeal runs for all parties from the entry of the order disposing of the last such remaining motion." Fed. Rule App. Proc. 4(A)(iv). Rule 59(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that "[a] motion to alter or amend a judgment must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of the judgment." Here, DOJ filed the Motion around
10:30 P.M. on October 7, 2025, or the 28th day following the entry of the judgment on September 9. However, an electronic filing made on the last day is timely if filed by midnight in the court's time zone, "[unless a different time is set by a... local rule." Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(4). Our district's local rules state that, "[a]ll electronic transmissions of documents must be completed prior to 6:00 p.m. to be considered timely filed that day." L.R. 5.4(d). Accordingly, to have timely filed a Motion to Alter in this district, DOJ was required to file its Motion by 6:00 P.M. on October 7, 2025, but did not do so until about 10:30 P.M. [Doc. No. 44 4 at 4]. Contrary to DOJ's suggestion that our local rules may not apply to a "miscellaneous proceeding to quash an administrative subpoena," [Doc. No. 44 A n.2], the local rules clarify that they "apply to all proceedings in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts." L.R. 1.2(a). As such, the Motion is untimely. See, e.g., Sneade v. Rojas, 11-cv-40061, 2014 WL 949635, at *2 n.2 (D. Mass. Mar. 10, 2014) ("[T]he motion to impound was filed after the 6:00 p.m. deadline and therefore, is deemed filed the next business day, i.e., it was untimely");
Romero v. McCormick & Schmick Rest. Corp., No. 18-cv-10324, 2020 WL 1430530, at *1 (D. Mass. Mar. 24, 2020) ....](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiajuyjmijndvebfdxnxd6vcregnwlvrlab7vfohli53ul44n7hm4q@jpeg)
!["District courts enjoy broad latitude in administering local rules." Air Line Pilots Ass'n v. Precision Valley Aviation, Inc., 26 F.3d 220, 224 (1st Cir. 1994). DOJ asks that I exercise such discretion here to find that the four-hour delay be deemed timely because BCH does not identify any prejudice from the late filing, and other courts in this district have excused similar delays. See, e.g., Soo v. Bone Biologics Corp., No. 19-cv-11520, 2021 WL 1391458, at *4 (D. Mass. Apr. 13, 2021) (excusing four-hour delay in filing an amended complaint and citing cases). However, DOJ has not pointed to any case finding such a motion timely where a subsequent notice of appeal has also been filed, divesting the court of its jurisdiction. "To deviate from a local rule, the district court (1) must have a sound reason for doing so, and (2) must ensure that no party's substantial rights are unfairly jeopardized." Belanger v. BNY Mellon Asset Mgmt., LLC, No. 15-cv-10198, 2017 WL 1160570, at *6 (D. Mass. Mar. 28, 2017) (cleaned up).
DOJ has not provided any "sound reason" for its late filing or for deviating from the local rules.
Carpenter v. Rivera, 10-cv-40233, 2014 WL 4928963, at *2 n.2 (D. Mass. Sept. 30, 2014)
("Accordingly, even if the Court had the power to extend the deadline, I would not find that Plaintiff has established cause for doing so."). Because the Motion was untimely and the notice of appeal has not been tolled, jurisdiction is now vested with the First Circuit Court of Appeals. As such, I do not have jurisdiction to rule on the merits of the Motion to Alter. See Malek v. Feigenbaum, 116 F.4th 118, 127-128 (2d Cir. 2024) (finding appeal untimely where Rule 59(e) motion was filed late and did not toll the deadline for appeal). The Motion to Alter, [Doc. No. 35 4 ], is thus DENIED.
(SKY) (Entered: 11/24/2025)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreihzoo745gjwg3eszwqelpb4c7zwr2jmjxh6hgvrvejqa76myhufgu@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 12:00 AM
UPDATE: Another judge just dinged DOJ in another trans care subpoena case, with Judge Joun finding that DOJ missed a deadline, and, accordingly, their motion to alter the judgment in the Boston Children's Hospital case was "untimely." And, because DOJ also appealed, Joun has no further jurisdiction.
An important read
Big report at Law Dork tonight on this decision — and much more on DOJ’s anti-trans attacks: www.lawdork.com/p/judges-doj...
BREAKING: Federal judge rejects DOJ's effort to subpoena the names and medical records of children who have received gender-affirming medical care from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 24, 2025 at 5:26 AM
An important read
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Abrego's attys just supplemented his motion to dismiss for vindictive prosec. with evidence of the govt's "brazen & misleading conduct" in his civil case—claiming Costa Rica wouldn't take him—& urging the need to hear testimony from DAG Blanche et al. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
#230 in United States v. Abrego Garcia (M.D. Tenn., 3:25-cr-00115) – CourtListener.com
NOTICE of Supplemental Information by Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia re 104 MOTION to Dismiss for Vindictive and Selective Prosecution (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A - Zamora Cordero statement to Washingto...
storage.courtlistener.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Abrego's attys just supplemented his motion to dismiss for vindictive prosec. with evidence of the govt's "brazen & misleading conduct" in his civil case—claiming Costa Rica wouldn't take him—& urging the need to hear testimony from DAG Blanche et al. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
What a sad but touching essay. And what an indictment of her horrible cousin, RFK, Jr.
Finally, an observation I'm onboard with:
"I have never encountered a group of people who are more competent, more full of grace and empathy, more willing to serve others than nurses. Nurses should take over."
Finally, an observation I'm onboard with:
"I have never encountered a group of people who are more competent, more full of grace and empathy, more willing to serve others than nurses. Nurses should take over."
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
www.newyorker.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:45 AM
What a sad but touching essay. And what an indictment of her horrible cousin, RFK, Jr.
Finally, an observation I'm onboard with:
"I have never encountered a group of people who are more competent, more full of grace and empathy, more willing to serve others than nurses. Nurses should take over."
Finally, an observation I'm onboard with:
"I have never encountered a group of people who are more competent, more full of grace and empathy, more willing to serve others than nurses. Nurses should take over."
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
BREAKING: Federal judge rejects DOJ's effort to subpoena the names and medical records of children who have received gender-affirming medical care from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
BREAKING: Federal judge rejects DOJ's effort to subpoena the names and medical records of children who have received gender-affirming medical care from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Excited to be part of tomorrow’s Fordham Law symposium on my amazing colleague @dsc250.bsky.social’s important new book with the wonderful Carole Joffe about how abortion providers have navigated the challenges of the post-Dobbs landscape. Join us! fordham.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
November 20, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Excited to be part of tomorrow’s Fordham Law symposium on my amazing colleague @dsc250.bsky.social’s important new book with the wonderful Carole Joffe about how abortion providers have navigated the challenges of the post-Dobbs landscape. Join us! fordham.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Harming trans kids - using art to capture the impacts of the Sussex ICB investigation on trans adolescents and families.
Please read and share.
The art is not mine - the artist wishes to remain anonymous.
growinguptransgender.com/2025/11/19/h...
Please read and share.
The art is not mine - the artist wishes to remain anonymous.
growinguptransgender.com/2025/11/19/h...
Harming trans kids – Using art to capture the impacts of the Sussex ICB investigation
When puberty blockers were banned in June 2024, the legislation included a clause stating that those currently on blockers would not be medically detransitioned, and could continue care if adopted …
growinguptransgender.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Harming trans kids - using art to capture the impacts of the Sussex ICB investigation on trans adolescents and families.
Please read and share.
The art is not mine - the artist wishes to remain anonymous.
growinguptransgender.com/2025/11/19/h...
Please read and share.
The art is not mine - the artist wishes to remain anonymous.
growinguptransgender.com/2025/11/19/h...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
It's been 3 years since a mass shooting claimed the lives of 5 people at Club Q, the LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We send our condolences to the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act of hate. ❤️
We send our condolences to the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act of hate. ❤️
November 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM
It's been 3 years since a mass shooting claimed the lives of 5 people at Club Q, the LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We send our condolences to the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act of hate. ❤️
We send our condolences to the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act of hate. ❤️
World toilet day is a great day to remind folks of the fantastic work of @rickweinmeyer.bsky.social If you aren’t already familiar with his research, take a look!
November 19 is World Toilet Day — officially declared by the United Nations to bring attention to the the 3.4 billion people who live without "safely managed sanitation." n.pr/3X1BB07
World Toilet Day is today! Um .. is that really the best name?
November 19 is World Toilet Day — officially declared by the United Nations to bring attention to the the 3.4 billion people who live without "safely managed sanitation."
n.pr
November 19, 2025 at 2:09 PM
World toilet day is a great day to remind folks of the fantastic work of @rickweinmeyer.bsky.social If you aren’t already familiar with his research, take a look!
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Calling all concerned friends of public health!!!
The next ACIP meeting is on Dec 4-5, 2025.
They will likely be voting on newborn Hep B vaccination.
Take action by submitting public comments opposing changes to the schedule. Comments close on Nov 24, 2025!
www.regulations.gov/docket/CDC-2...
The next ACIP meeting is on Dec 4-5, 2025.
They will likely be voting on newborn Hep B vaccination.
Take action by submitting public comments opposing changes to the schedule. Comments close on Nov 24, 2025!
www.regulations.gov/docket/CDC-2...
Regulations.gov
www.regulations.gov
November 18, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Calling all concerned friends of public health!!!
The next ACIP meeting is on Dec 4-5, 2025.
They will likely be voting on newborn Hep B vaccination.
Take action by submitting public comments opposing changes to the schedule. Comments close on Nov 24, 2025!
www.regulations.gov/docket/CDC-2...
The next ACIP meeting is on Dec 4-5, 2025.
They will likely be voting on newborn Hep B vaccination.
Take action by submitting public comments opposing changes to the schedule. Comments close on Nov 24, 2025!
www.regulations.gov/docket/CDC-2...
Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe
Re-upping my piece from yesterday on the Deputy Attorney General's "war" against federal courts—including why it's wanting for both quantitative and qualitative support; why it's especially dangerous coming from the number-two official at DOJ; and why the silence of folks on the right is deafening:
193. The "War" on Judges
Deputy Attorney General Blanche's attack on lower courts is an impressive combination of light on substance; shamelessly hypocritical; and profoundly dangerous. More people should be condemning it.
www.stevevladeck.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Re-upping my piece from yesterday on the Deputy Attorney General's "war" against federal courts—including why it's wanting for both quantitative and qualitative support; why it's especially dangerous coming from the number-two official at DOJ; and why the silence of folks on the right is deafening: