Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 2d

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC, will run out of federal money within two weeks unless the government shutdown ends, experts say. The food aid program helps more than 6 million low-income mothers and young children.

Government shutdown threatens food aid program relied on by millions of families

Experts say a food aid program that helps 6 million low-income mothers and young children will run out of federal money unless the government shutdown ends within two weeks.

bit.ly

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

J. Nathan Matias @natematias.bsky.social · 4d

Are you a scientist, journalist, or civil society researcher studying New York State's distraction-free school policy, the one that bans internet-enabled devices in schools from bell to bell?

If so, I want to hear from you, as I refine a project to archive & classify published school policies.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 6d

Pick one or two lanes and keep at it. You are one person and cannot do everything or take 10 actions a day.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 7d

We are thrilled to welcome @rogerfigphd.bsky.social of Cornell University to the network! Figueroa’s research examines the role of social services & policies (such as childcare & food assistance), as well as sustainable food systems.

Learn more from his member profile: scholars.org/scholar/roge...

Graphic introducing new SSN member Roger Figueroa. On the left, text reads: 'NEW SSN MEMBER. Roger Figueroa, Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioral Science in Nutrition, Cornell University. Expertise: Inequality, Children & Families, Public Health.' On the right, a photo of Roger Figueroa smiling, wearing glasses, a dark blazer, and light blue shirt, with arms crossed.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

NPR @npr.org · 7d

Federal employees across the government reported seeing similar messages. Experts say the messages may violate ethics laws meant to keep partisan politics out of day-to-day governing.

Trump administration uses taxpayer dollars to blame Democrats for government shutdown

Federal employees across the government reported seeing similar messages. Experts say the messages may violate ethics laws meant to keep partisan politics out of day-to-day governing.

n.pr

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Neil Lewis, Jr. @neillewisjr.bsky.social · 9d

"Data manipulation by the US Gov...makes crucial datasets untrustworthy and unusable. If the US Government secretly changes datasets for political reasons, researchers relying on the data might erroneously recommend ineffective or counterproductive interventions."
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Data manipulation within the US Federal Government

A US Department of Veterans Affairs dataset compiling veteran health-care use in 2021 was quietly amended on March 5, 2025. A column titled gender was renamed sex, and the words were also switched in ...

www.thelancet.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 13d

URGENT! Write your Democratic Senators and Reps with a plea to stand firm in the budget negotiations. If we don’t prevail now, we will end up with huge budget cuts to public health programs and workforce and loss of health care access for millions.
actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...

Tell Democrats to Stand Up for Public Health in the Budget

With negotiations on a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open past September 30th at a standstill, Defend Public Health believes that House and Senate Democrats MUST play ha...

actionnetwork.org

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Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc. @rogerfigphd.bsky.social · 13d

Thanks for the incredible support. Couldn’t have done it without Dominik and Rachel on your team!

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 13d

"When countries spend more on social services like Head Start, everyone’s health outcomes are better."

@rogerfigphd.bsky.social (Cornell) writes on the precarious future of Head Start in NY & urges state policymakers to treat it not only as an education program, but also as a public health one. ⤵️

Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc. @rogerfigphd.bsky.social · 14d

Pleased to share my latest Op-Ed published in @timesunion.com. In this piece, I examine how funding cuts to public assistance programs may impact Head Start and eligible families. Huge S/O to @scholars.org for their guidance editing and pitching the article.

www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

Commentary: As feds cut public assistance, New York can act to protect Head Start eligibility

Changing how families become eligible can keep them in the program. And that's important, because Head Start boosts not only kids' learning, but their lifelong health.

www.timesunion.com

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Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc. @rogerfigphd.bsky.social · 14d

Pleased to share my latest Op-Ed published in @timesunion.com. In this piece, I examine how funding cuts to public assistance programs may impact Head Start and eligible families. Huge S/O to @scholars.org for their guidance editing and pitching the article.

www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

Commentary: As feds cut public assistance, New York can act to protect Head Start eligibility

Changing how families become eligible can keep them in the program. And that's important, because Head Start boosts not only kids' learning, but their lifelong health.

www.timesunion.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Colin Carlson @colincarlson.bsky.social · 21d

🚨 NEW: Climate change is already causing 30,000 deaths per year - a global annual economic loss of $100-350B USD - but the true damage is probably 10x higher. Out TODAY in Nature Climate Change: the first systematic look at the science of "health impact attribution" 🔓 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

"Health losses attributed to anthropogenic climate change," a brief communication in the journal Nature Climate Change. There's a map showing regions of the world, and pie charts of relevant studies as they apply to different health impacts like "heat-related deaths" and "maternal and child health"

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · 20d

When the state can bully organizations to cancel television shows and fire people for speech, we don’t live in anything close to a functioning democracy.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

AAUP @aaup.org · 22d

BREAKING:

A historic coalition of national & California labor unions led by the AAUP filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the illegal & coercive use of civil rights laws to attack the University of California system & the rights of their members.

UC employees, not waiting on leaders, sue Trump for 'financial coercion' over UCLA cuts

University of California faculty, students and staff on Tuesday sued President Trump over a $1.2-million penalty against UCLA and federal demands over campus changes. They argued that the actions camp...

www.latimes.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 22d

Happy Mexican Independence Day, Illinois.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

NPR @npr.org · 27d

Inflation accelerated in August as Americans paid more for gasoline and groceries. Over the last 12 months, consumer prices have risen 2.9%.

Inflation climbs in August as grocery and gas prices jump

Inflation accelerated in August as Americans paid more for gasoline and groceries. Over the last 12 months, consumer prices have risen 2.9%.

n.pr

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

PBS News @pbsnews.org · 27d

One of the country's foremost food policy experts said Tuesday that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again report is "a report about intentions. It's not about actions."

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Kevin Hall @kevinh-phd.bsky.social · 28d

Today in @nytimes.com , @juliabelluz.bsky.social and I share our thoughts on our toxic food environment, what to do about it, & how MAHA leadership is falling short by promoting wellness products & industry cooperation instead of better science, policy & regulation. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/o...

Opinion | It’s Not You, It’s the Food

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Dr Ellie Murray, ScD @epiellie.bsky.social · Sep 6

Public health is under attack. It’s not enough to fight back, we need to make our field better for everyone.

Today’s E is for Epi guest post by @jessieish.bsky.social & Nadia Abuelezam asks “what would a solidarity-based epidemiology look like?”

Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/epiellie...

Solidarity-based Epidemiology: A guest post

Re-distributing power inside and outside of the field

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Richard M. Carpiano, PhD, MPH @rmcarpiano.medsky.social · Aug 31

At this point, I know of NM & New England states. I'm sure we'll see more... "Health officials from MA, ME, VT, CT, RI, NY, NJ, and PA met this week to consider coordinating their own vaccine recommendations, separate from the federal govt."
🛟😷 Lawsky Medsky health policy

Northeastern states consider regional approach to vaccine guidance after CDC changes

Shifting national vaccine policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has Massachusetts and other states exploring a regional approach.

www.nbcboston.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

David Anderson @dmaanderson.bsky.social · Aug 31

I am chairing the search for two (2) Tenure Track positions at the Department of Health Services, Policy and Management at
@uscarnoldschool.bsky.social

We are looking to move relatively fast so please get your applications in quickly

#HealthPolicy
#AcademicSky

uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/194...

Assistant/Associate Professor (2 Vacancies)

uscjobs.sc.edu

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Jin X. Goh | 吴晋勋 @jinxungoh.bsky.social · Aug 26

#Psychjobs
My former institution Colby College is hiring a tenure track in intergroup relations, broadly defined & open to many psych areas (not just social). This is my replacement line. I truly enjoyed my time at Colby and it's a great dept! Happy to answer Qs if I can.
apply.interfolio.com/172552

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · Aug 24

The @NYTimes has done a fantastic job on explaining what the Trump administration’s savage
cuts to biomedical research mean: cures that won’t happen. Please share this widely. This is a catastrophe. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...

Opinion | America First? Not When It Comes to Your Health.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · Aug 21

It's publication day for our first paper out of the www.csinequality.org lab completed entirely at NU. To write it, we asked: what research in the social psychology of inequality do we like and why do we like it? The answer is this paper:

Nature Reviews Psychology @natrevpsychol.nature.com · Aug 21

A functional approach to the psychology of inequality

Perspective by Michael W. Kraus (@mwkraus.bsky.social‬), Daniel J. Sanji, Megan E. Burns, Aline da Silva Frost, Iseul Cha-Ju, A. Chyei Vinluan, LaStarr Hollie & Cydney H. Dupree (‪@cydneydupree.bsky.social‬)

go.nature.com/4fMVfVV

a, An example of the deficit-based model of the psychology of inequality, in which psychological processes related to cognition, emotion and motivation influence desirable behavioural patterns that sort people and groups into different levels of resources and opportunities in society. b, An example of a functional model of inequality as domination and resistance. Psychological processes that arise from the structural context promote actions that either support and reproduce structures of inequality or dismantle those structures.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · Aug 17

This administration’s treatment of immigrants is cruel and inhumane. May we never forget the callousness of those responsible.

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Reposted by Roger Figueroa, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Aug 12

Article in Nature from a former NIH employee and Bethesda Declaration signer...

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘A whole body of health-equity research is being disappeared’ — why I resigned from the NIH

As federal support vanishes for research addressing the root causes of health disparities in the United States, we are left with a dangerous void and an urgent need to rethink science funding.

www.nature.com

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