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Callie Freitag (she/her)

@calliefreitag.bsky.social

610 followers 460 following 45 posts

Mixing methods and metaphors. Assistant Professor of Social Work at UW-Madison. Scholar of policies relating to aging, disability, and poverty. Views = own.

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Callie Freitag (she/her) @calliefreitag.bsky.social · Feb 21

I am feeling rage and grief over the federal administration's proud "slashing" of these research agreements that have cut hundreds of projects aimed at understanding how $1.5 trillion of annual SSA spending affects everyday older & disabled folks.

To save...*checks notes*

$15 million.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Feb 21

Statement from the Musk-appointed head of SSA celebrating the deletion of research grants studying the financial security of the older adults and the disabled. Just one way that the richest man in the world is dictating societal priorities.
www.ssa.gov/news/press/r...

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Callie Freitag (she/her) @calliefreitag.bsky.social · Aug 21

My job market paper is PUBLISHED! I'm so happy I could cry. I'll theoretically do a more detailed thread with findings later, but for now, here you go!
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....

Reposted by Callie Freitag (she/her)

Trevon Logan @trevondlogan.bsky.social · Aug 5

This is so important. The focus on job numbers ignores the fact that the BLS computes inflation (the CPI) which is directly linked to many government and non-government benefits. Any attempt at politicizing inflation numbers is very, very, very bad…

Tim Bresnahan @timobres.bsky.social · Aug 4

Looming problems from BLS statistics politicization. Social security benefits and many long term labor market contracts are indexed to the CPI. BLS makes the CPI. Recipients care about indexed cost of living increases, a lot.
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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · Jul 24

What do the other 35% of people think is going to happen to them?

Drew Altman @drewaltman.bsky.social · Jul 24

65% of Medicaid beneficiaries say the new tax and spending law will hurt them.

From our latest tracking poll:

KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Views on Recent Tax and Budget Legislation | KFF

KFF's Health Tracking Poll looks at awareness and perceived impact of the tax and budget law signed by Trump in July 2025. Nearly half of the public says that they expect the new law to generally hurt...

on.kff.org

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Reposted by Callie Freitag (she/her)

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Jul 21

A core problem in American health is inequality. The richest 1% live 12 more years than the poorest 1%. Racial disparities cause Black Americans to die 4 years sooner than White Americans.

Now remember: Trump's policies which will *worsen* inequality.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-trumps...

map showing racial disparities in mortality

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Jul 21

If you had a sense that kicking people off of Medicaid would be bad for their health, that is only scratching the surface of how bad Trump's policies will be for public health in America.

@jbarofsky.bsky.social‬ & @pamherd.bsky.social do a deep dive. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-trumps...

How Trump’s Big Bad Bill Will Kill Americans

What research tells us about how Trump policies are bad for your health

donmoynihan.substack.com

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Bat 🦇 Borus @matthewborus.bsky.social · Jul 21

I learned today that researchers estimated that these rules, when implemented, would save 13,000 lives a year.

But under Trump's bill, they're blocked until 2034.

So that's 13,000 unnecessary deaths each year as a direct policy choice. Plus all the daily indignities that understaffing inflicts.

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Monkeytime @tmorman.bsky.social · Jul 6

Gift link: wapo.st/3IcNOLa

Text screenshot: Homicides and nonfatal shootings dipped slightly from 2021 to 2022, but then fell off precipitously after that. In 2023, homicides fell nearly 24 percent compared with 2022, then fell another 23 percent in 2024, according to city data. In 2021, there were 726 nonfatal shootings in the city. In 2024, there were 412.

Beyond those trends, carjackings are down 15 percent so far this year, robberies are down 22 percent, and auto thefts are down 34 percent.

Scott, who recalled that “people laughed at me” when he first advocated for a community-based approach, doesn’t see it as unusual.

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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · Jul 1

Final vote. 50-50. VP breaks the tie.

One single GOP Senator could have stopped this abomination. Saved millions of parents from watching their child go hungry. Saved the lives destroyed when Medicaid disappears.

They will all live forever with the horror of this bill.

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Lena Bilik @lbilik.bsky.social · Jul 1

I spent the first 8 years of my career trying to convince elected officials to care about children. I wish I could tell you it was an easy sell. It wasn't.

It's hard to imagine US public policy being even LESS pro-kids than it already is, but OBBB truly will make things worse.

shorturl.at/77c0m

What children in poverty could lose from the 'Big Beautiful Bill'

Republicans want to change or reduce key social safety net programs that provide health care, food benefits and financial assistance for millions of children.

shorturl.at

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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · Jul 1

Trump promised not to touch Medicare—but that’s exactly what this “big beautiful bill” will do, to the tune of $535 billion in cuts. CAP’s Don Berwick explains the harm:

You Thought Medicare Was Safe? Think Again.

Sequestration threatens more than $530 billion in cuts to the program over nine years. The results will be catastrophic.

contrarian.substack.com

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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · Jul 1

New from me at @motherjones.com: the Senate just voted to take $930 billion from Medicaid, which could greatly impact optional Medicaid expansion and also lead to cuts of "optional" Medicaid benefits...which keep people functional. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Senate votes to cut $930 billion from Medicaid

"This bill is about caviar over kids and hedge funds over health care."

www.motherjones.com

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Robin Rudowitz @robinr.bsky.social · Jun 26

We used monthly survey data to take a closer look at the potential implications of #Medicaid work requirements for adults without dependent children. Adults ages 50-64 are at greater risk of losing Medicaid coverage for not meeting the new requirements. www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

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Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · Jun 25

They’re USAIDing NSF

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · Jun 24

NEW: NSF will be kicked out of their building. Announcement will be made tomorrow by HUD Sec. and Governor of VA. HUD will take over the NSF building over the next two years.

NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."

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Jenny Hunter @jennyhunter.bsky.social · Jun 25

Can you believe the NYT best movies thing does not have Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar as an option 🤯

My ballot for the New York Times 10 best movies of the 21st century: Crazy Rich Asians, Get Out, Children of Men, Ocean’s Eleven, Inside Out, Boyhood, The Fall Guy, Arrival, Barbie, and a blank space where Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar should be

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Callie Freitag (she/her) @calliefreitag.bsky.social · Jun 25

That's sacrilege! It's the perfect film!!!

Reposted by Callie Freitag (she/her)

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · Jun 24

I said what I said:

"The Trump Admin has undertaken a radical restructuring [of Social Security &] claim it won’t cause damage [to] customer service. If they really believe they can serve a growing customer base w/fewer staff, they should put up or shut up."

www.marketwatch.com/story/how-lo...

How long is the wait for Social Security customer service? No one knows.

The Social Security Administration has stopped publishing key customer-service metrics, which will make it more difficult to track whether performance is improving or eroding over time.

www.marketwatch.com

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Bat 🦇 Borus @matthewborus.bsky.social · May 19

This Republican budget bill is SO bad. What it would do to health care, to education, while enshrining Trump's abuses of power...

It'd legit be the worst legislation since the Patriot Act era.

PLEASE, call your Rep, whoever they are. Use the link to find out who they are. Tell them to vote no.

Find Your Representative

Find your representatives. Learn how to find and connect with them. Stay informed about their bills, committees, and contributions.

reps.fyi

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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · May 19

It's silly to act like disabled people will be spared from Medicaid work requirements. Many disabled people are on Medicaid solely because they are poor, not because they're on SSI.

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Cynthia Cox @cynthiaccox.bsky.social · May 20

NEW: Many workers, especially those who work shifts or gigs, have volatile incomes.
ACA #obamacare enrollees with less predictable incomes could face coverage barriers and bigger penalties under the House GOP reconciliation package & other expected policy changes @kff.org www.kff.org/affordable-c...

Marketplace Enrollees with Unpredictable Incomes Could Face Bigger Penalties Under House Reconciliation Bill Provision | KFF

This analysis illustrates how provisions included in the House budget reconciliation bill could expose Marketplace enrollees with unpredictable incomes to higher penalties when filing taxes if they un...

www.kff.org

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Brock Hrehor @brockhrehor.bsky.social · May 19

The Worker Protection Act received unanimous support from Colorado's Democratic legislators and was backed by the state's labor movement. On Friday, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed it. My latest with @prospect.org:

prospect.org/labor/2025-0...

The Democrats’ One and Only Union-Busting Governor

Colorado’s Democratic legislature voted to repeal the state’s de facto right-to-work law. On Friday, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed it.

prospect.org

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Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · May 14

New @centeronbudget.bsky.social analysis of the draft GOP tax plan released yesterday:

Unsurprisingly, it provides enormous tax cuts for the wealthy—including an average annual $65k cut for the top 1%—while doing little for low- and moderate-income families in 2027 (and even less by 2029).

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Heba Gowayed هبة جويد @hebagowayed.bsky.social · May 14

“An emphasis on lifestyle ultimately assigns structural and institutional problems to individual Americans to solve for themselves. In a country where wealth buys health, how many Americans can afford to insulate themselves and their families from risks of disease and disability?”

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Catherine Tan @catherinetan.bsky.social · May 12

Check out my new @newsweek.com op-ed on the nominee for surgeon general!

"Their brand of health care is for people who can choose to be healthy, people with the time and money to pursue health optimization, and people comfortable enough to be fussy over food dyes."
www.newsweek.com/casey-means-...

Casey Means and MAHA Remove the 'Public' From Public Health | Opinion

On Wednesday, Donald Trump nominated Casey Means, a holistic doctor and wellness influencer, to be the next U.S. surgeon general.

www.newsweek.com

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Max Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · May 13

In a functional democracy, a policy which 85% of Americans don’t support would never have a chance of passing.

In the US, our political system is extremely bad at representing popular opinion or translating our preferences into law. It’s just an entirely broken system.

Data for Progress @dataforprogress.org · May 13

There is not a single congressional district in the U.S. where more than 15% of voters support cuts to Medicaid.

Map of the U.S. showing voter support for Medicaid cuts by congressional district. Support for Medicaid cuts ranges from 5% to 11%. Created by Data for Progress and Caring Across Generations.

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Data for Progress @dataforprogress.org · May 13

There is not a single congressional district in the U.S. where more than 15% of voters support cuts to Medicaid.

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