Rachael Blandau
@maryrblandau.bsky.social
Avid reader, sports fan, Political Science PhD.
Mostly post about UK basketball, the USWNT, the Colts, and women's sports.
Mostly post about UK basketball, the USWNT, the Colts, and women's sports.
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
Of course I caught the flu during Lexington pizza week...
September 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Of course I caught the flu during Lexington pizza week...
Daniel Jones is going to break the Week 1 curse! Let's go Colts!!
September 7, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Daniel Jones is going to break the Week 1 curse! Let's go Colts!!
This penalty shootout between Sweden and England is so ugly
July 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
This penalty shootout between Sweden and England is so ugly
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
I want to be clear: this is what American prisons are like.
I spent years posting about the humanitarian crisis in U.S. prisons. The criminal legal system consigns Americans who are incarcerated to live like this FOR YEARS. DECADES.
I spent years posting about the humanitarian crisis in U.S. prisons. The criminal legal system consigns Americans who are incarcerated to live like this FOR YEARS. DECADES.
July 16, 2025 at 11:02 PM
I want to be clear: this is what American prisons are like.
I spent years posting about the humanitarian crisis in U.S. prisons. The criminal legal system consigns Americans who are incarcerated to live like this FOR YEARS. DECADES.
I spent years posting about the humanitarian crisis in U.S. prisons. The criminal legal system consigns Americans who are incarcerated to live like this FOR YEARS. DECADES.
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
It’s a terrible bill. It will literally kill people. The most vulnerable among us will suffer as the wealthiest benefit. It’s perverse. I wish there were something I could do. But alas, I am only a U.S. Senator from Alaska whose “no” vote would kill the bill. So I voted yes. You get it.
July 1, 2025 at 9:56 PM
It’s a terrible bill. It will literally kill people. The most vulnerable among us will suffer as the wealthiest benefit. It’s perverse. I wish there were something I could do. But alas, I am only a U.S. Senator from Alaska whose “no” vote would kill the bill. So I voted yes. You get it.
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
Don't just say it's unconstitutional, remind people that the constitution is full of very good ideas designed to prevent authoritarianism, and most people who want to ignore it want that specifically because they are authoritarian.
June 11, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Don't just say it's unconstitutional, remind people that the constitution is full of very good ideas designed to prevent authoritarianism, and most people who want to ignore it want that specifically because they are authoritarian.
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
I've seen folks talk about how "in four years" they'll be able to get back to their planned projects and I really don't think that's going to work out. People & projects losing funding now will not be able to hit pause and come back once funding is restored. Hard-won progress & capacity will be lost
I worry that not enough of a big deal is being made about how long-term the devastation of these budget cuts to our scientific and health agencies will be, beyond the absolute ruin they will cause in the acute period.
June 3, 2025 at 8:51 PM
I've seen folks talk about how "in four years" they'll be able to get back to their planned projects and I really don't think that's going to work out. People & projects losing funding now will not be able to hit pause and come back once funding is restored. Hard-won progress & capacity will be lost
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
We should be investing in rural communities and making them better places to build a life & raise a family - not shutting down rural hospitals by choking off their funding.
Saving rural hospitals is one more reason to call your Representative and speak out against this GOP attempt to cut Medicaid.
Saving rural hospitals is one more reason to call your Representative and speak out against this GOP attempt to cut Medicaid.
Hundreds of rural hospitals are at risk of closing, threatening critical care
Hospital officials told CBS News the closure was driven by the same factors that have closed other rural hospitals: low reimbursement rates.
www.cbsnews.com
May 21, 2025 at 5:16 PM
We should be investing in rural communities and making them better places to build a life & raise a family - not shutting down rural hospitals by choking off their funding.
Saving rural hospitals is one more reason to call your Representative and speak out against this GOP attempt to cut Medicaid.
Saving rural hospitals is one more reason to call your Representative and speak out against this GOP attempt to cut Medicaid.
What a strike from Taylor Flint! Go Big Purp
May 10, 2025 at 1:31 AM
What a strike from Taylor Flint! Go Big Purp
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
what booker is doing right now is an example of what i mean when i say things like “we need more ambition right now.” there is room in american politics right now for people with ambition to take big stands and reap the rewards. he’s doing it!
April 1, 2025 at 8:24 PM
what booker is doing right now is an example of what i mean when i say things like “we need more ambition right now.” there is room in american politics right now for people with ambition to take big stands and reap the rewards. he’s doing it!
I'll never forget this team. Had more joy watching Kentucky basketball this year than in a long time. Great group of players that took a chance on a program in transition and exceeded all expectations #BBN
March 29, 2025 at 1:57 AM
I'll never forget this team. Had more joy watching Kentucky basketball this year than in a long time. Great group of players that took a chance on a program in transition and exceeded all expectations #BBN
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
Unidentified men grabbing someone off the street and putting her in a car because she wrote an op-Ed. This as flatly authoritarian as anything we’ve seen in this country in a very long time.
Video of the international student at Tufts being arrested by "federal authorities" in Massachusetts has been released and it's terrifying.
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
March 26, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Unidentified men grabbing someone off the street and putting her in a car because she wrote an op-Ed. This as flatly authoritarian as anything we’ve seen in this country in a very long time.
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
Republicans control every part of the federal government.
They’re unpopular people who have been doing unpopular things — if you can’t make the obvious case that any shutdown is yet another misstep of their own making, you should get the hell out of politics
They’re unpopular people who have been doing unpopular things — if you can’t make the obvious case that any shutdown is yet another misstep of their own making, you should get the hell out of politics
"they're gonna make us look bad"
go fucking make them look bad. they're fascists. how hard can this be.
go fucking make them look bad. they're fascists. how hard can this be.
March 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Republicans control every part of the federal government.
They’re unpopular people who have been doing unpopular things — if you can’t make the obvious case that any shutdown is yet another misstep of their own making, you should get the hell out of politics
They’re unpopular people who have been doing unpopular things — if you can’t make the obvious case that any shutdown is yet another misstep of their own making, you should get the hell out of politics
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
ABC News has now fully taken down the old 538 website, including all interactive projects since 2014. Aside from erasing history this prevents access to publicly released data, including raw polls, averages, model estimates & story dta. Totally unacceptable for a company (allegedly) doing journalism
March 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
ABC News has now fully taken down the old 538 website, including all interactive projects since 2014. Aside from erasing history this prevents access to publicly released data, including raw polls, averages, model estimates & story dta. Totally unacceptable for a company (allegedly) doing journalism
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
In case you need a teaching example of the social construction of quantitative data...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/u...
DOGE’s Only Public Ledger Is Riddled With Mistakes (Gift Article)
The figures from Elon Musk’s team of outsiders represent billions in government cuts. They are also full of accounting errors, outdated data and other miscalculations.
www.nytimes.com
February 22, 2025 at 2:17 PM
In case you need a teaching example of the social construction of quantitative data...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/u...
What a golazo from Sentnor! Just wow
February 21, 2025 at 2:31 AM
What a golazo from Sentnor! Just wow
Reposted by Rachael Blandau
Nearly every medicine we benefit from started with NIH-funded research. Early discovery work starts in academia.
Immunotherapies?
Gene therapy for rare diseases?
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s medicines?
Vaccines?
Novel cancer treatments?
Psychiatric medicines?
You betcha.
1/
Immunotherapies?
Gene therapy for rare diseases?
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s medicines?
Vaccines?
Novel cancer treatments?
Psychiatric medicines?
You betcha.
1/
February 12, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Nearly every medicine we benefit from started with NIH-funded research. Early discovery work starts in academia.
Immunotherapies?
Gene therapy for rare diseases?
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s medicines?
Vaccines?
Novel cancer treatments?
Psychiatric medicines?
You betcha.
1/
Immunotherapies?
Gene therapy for rare diseases?
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s medicines?
Vaccines?
Novel cancer treatments?
Psychiatric medicines?
You betcha.
1/