Becca Thorsness
@beccathorsness.bsky.social
outdoor enthusiast and health services researcher, personal account (she/her)
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
My pedagogical philosophy begins with the premise that I am helping students become better thinkers than they were before and that doing this effectively will best prepare them for whatever life throws at them, intellectually, economically, and otherwise.
The idea that classrooms are chiefly spaces for product testing, and that it is irresponsible pedagogy not to enforce this, is both cynical and vile, and “fuck off” is a cogent response from any professional educator to any non-teaching salescreep or tech-but-not-subject-matter expert who voices it.
September 6, 2026 at 5:43 PM
My pedagogical philosophy begins with the premise that I am helping students become better thinkers than they were before and that doing this effectively will best prepare them for whatever life throws at them, intellectually, economically, and otherwise.
I love how many little (and even big!) kids wave at me when I’m biking. One of the easiest and most joyful ways to feel connected to my community is to ride my bike around town.
And obviously there are lots of other good reasons to bike! It's safer for my community. It's environmentally-friendly, etc. But the things that make biking most worth it are waving to little kids or saying hi to a neighbor or taking a beautiful shortcut. Things that don't happen when I'm driving.
September 3, 2026 at 6:13 PM
I love how many little (and even big!) kids wave at me when I’m biking. One of the easiest and most joyful ways to feel connected to my community is to ride my bike around town.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
This is a related and expanded graphic which emphasizes an important point: Higher speeds reduce your visibility and reaction time, making it more likely you'll hit someone or something, and then when you *do* hit them, it's more likely to be fatal.
August 24, 2026 at 12:58 AM
This is a related and expanded graphic which emphasizes an important point: Higher speeds reduce your visibility and reaction time, making it more likely you'll hit someone or something, and then when you *do* hit them, it's more likely to be fatal.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
tl,dr; Scientists no longer allowed to use federal funding to publish, attend meetings, or talk to the public. They cannot collaborate internationally. Grants can be cancelled for any reason, at any time, political appointees have a final say over what gets funded, and who gets funded.
The White House today announced it plans to make major changes in how the U.S. government manages research funding. https://scim.ag/43HgW4s
White House seeks to tighten political oversight of grantmaking
Sweeping proposed rule, now open for comments, would also restrict foreign collaborations and remove federal funding for open-access fees
scim.ag
May 29, 2026 at 11:04 PM
tl,dr; Scientists no longer allowed to use federal funding to publish, attend meetings, or talk to the public. They cannot collaborate internationally. Grants can be cancelled for any reason, at any time, political appointees have a final say over what gets funded, and who gets funded.
as a former fed, I’ve held off withdrawing my unvested pension contributions because I would love to go back and help rebuild. but the path to do so is far from obvious
The task of de-Trumpification of science and public health will take a generation and a "Marshall Plan" to rebuild. Without a bold, expansive vision to guide us, there is no coming back. Small-bore, poll-tested versions of the future will not help us. www.thenation.com/article/soci...
We Need to Prepare for the Mammoth Task of De-Trumpification
The damage he and his cronies have wrought could take decades to repair, particularly when it comes to science and public health.
www.thenation.com
April 21, 2026 at 1:06 AM
as a former fed, I’ve held off withdrawing my unvested pension contributions because I would love to go back and help rebuild. but the path to do so is far from obvious
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
I can't believe Katherine Johnson used to do these sorts of calculations and simulations BY HAND. I'm flabbergasted.
If all goes according to plan, in a few hours, a crew of astronauts will begin a journey that will take them on a loop around the moon. Here's a video that NASA put together to help people visualize the journey through space, first orbiting the earth before looping around the moon and flying home 🔭
April 2, 2026 at 12:11 AM
I can't believe Katherine Johnson used to do these sorts of calculations and simulations BY HAND. I'm flabbergasted.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Oh did you want 3300 words from me on today's IOC sex testing rules? An essay on the nature of evidence and why we can't seem to stop getting stuck in the same traps around sex and gender in sports? Wow lucky you!! www.coyotemedia.org/the-olympics...
The Olympics Has a New Sex Testing Policy. The Evidence Doesn’t Add Up
I’ve spent over 10 years obsessed with so-called “gender verification” tests. Proponents claim they have history and science on their side. They don’t.
www.coyotemedia.org
March 26, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Oh did you want 3300 words from me on today's IOC sex testing rules? An essay on the nature of evidence and why we can't seem to stop getting stuck in the same traps around sex and gender in sports? Wow lucky you!! www.coyotemedia.org/the-olympics...
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Vaccination isn’t just an individual choice
"Her stepmother, Ashley Skjerva, told ABC News that Makayla was vaccinated against measles but, because she is immunocompromised, it left her at high risk for infection and serious complications."
A teen girl's harrowing journey with measles highlights how serious the virus can be for the immunocompromised
Makayla Skjerva, a North Dakota 14-year-old, contracted measles after being exposed at school in February. Makayla, who is immunocompromised, fell seriously ill.
abcnews.com
March 14, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Vaccination isn’t just an individual choice
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
“I don’t want to be in this place I want to go to my school.”
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
February 17, 2026 at 7:31 PM
“I don’t want to be in this place I want to go to my school.”
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
AS A PROFESSOR, I AM ASKING
HOW ARE OUR STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO LEARN IN THESE CONDITIONS?
HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TAKE EXAMS KNOWING SOMEONE MIGHT JUST SHOW UP WITH AN EASY TO ACQUIRE AUTOMATIC WEAPON?
HOW??????????
HOW ARE OUR STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO LEARN IN THESE CONDITIONS?
HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TAKE EXAMS KNOWING SOMEONE MIGHT JUST SHOW UP WITH AN EASY TO ACQUIRE AUTOMATIC WEAPON?
HOW??????????
Longer statement from Brown University:
"We are very sorry to share that we have confirmed reports of multiple shooting victims, but we are not able to share their condition. They have been transported to local hospitals."
"We are very sorry to share that we have confirmed reports of multiple shooting victims, but we are not able to share their condition. They have been transported to local hospitals."
December 13, 2025 at 11:23 PM
AS A PROFESSOR, I AM ASKING
HOW ARE OUR STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO LEARN IN THESE CONDITIONS?
HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TAKE EXAMS KNOWING SOMEONE MIGHT JUST SHOW UP WITH AN EASY TO ACQUIRE AUTOMATIC WEAPON?
HOW??????????
HOW ARE OUR STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO LEARN IN THESE CONDITIONS?
HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TAKE EXAMS KNOWING SOMEONE MIGHT JUST SHOW UP WITH AN EASY TO ACQUIRE AUTOMATIC WEAPON?
HOW??????????
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Five years after the VA launched a new computer system in Spokane, Desmond Butler and I found the $10 billion Oracle EHR is still beset with problems, as the Trump administration gears up to launch it at 13 more hospitals in 2026.
1/
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
1/
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
VA staff flag dangerous errors ahead of new health records expansion
A multibillion-dollar electronic system seeks to boost medical care for veterans across VA’s network. Some users say glitches and errors put patients at risk.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Five years after the VA launched a new computer system in Spokane, Desmond Butler and I found the $10 billion Oracle EHR is still beset with problems, as the Trump administration gears up to launch it at 13 more hospitals in 2026.
1/
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
1/
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
if you are insured, in all likelihood.. you got a SUBSIDY to buy health insurance.
WE ALL GET TAX SUBSIDIES TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE
Those with employer insurance (60% of us) get subsidies TEN TIMES higher than the costs of the ACA subsidies.
So why only attack the ACA/Obamacare subsidies?
WE ALL GET TAX SUBSIDIES TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE
Those with employer insurance (60% of us) get subsidies TEN TIMES higher than the costs of the ACA subsidies.
So why only attack the ACA/Obamacare subsidies?
A complaint: extending ACA/marketplace enhanced premium tax credits would be expensive.
It would cost $35 billion/year to extend marketplace credits.
In contrast the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance cost $299 billion/year in 2022
taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-boo...
It would cost $35 billion/year to extend marketplace credits.
In contrast the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance cost $299 billion/year in 2022
taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-boo...
November 8, 2025 at 9:21 PM
if you are insured, in all likelihood.. you got a SUBSIDY to buy health insurance.
WE ALL GET TAX SUBSIDIES TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE
Those with employer insurance (60% of us) get subsidies TEN TIMES higher than the costs of the ACA subsidies.
So why only attack the ACA/Obamacare subsidies?
WE ALL GET TAX SUBSIDIES TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE
Those with employer insurance (60% of us) get subsidies TEN TIMES higher than the costs of the ACA subsidies.
So why only attack the ACA/Obamacare subsidies?
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
The VA is down 600 doctors and about 1,900 nurses so far this year, the first time the agency has seen net losses in years.
At several facilities, more than a third of the positions for doctors are unfilled.
By @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social
At several facilities, more than a third of the positions for doctors are unfilled.
By @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social
Veterans’ Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals
Amid concerns about the stability of the agency, records show nearly 40% of the doctors offered jobs at the VA from January through March of this year turned them down — quadruple the rate of rejectio...
www.propublica.org
September 19, 2025 at 1:30 AM
The VA is down 600 doctors and about 1,900 nurses so far this year, the first time the agency has seen net losses in years.
At several facilities, more than a third of the positions for doctors are unfilled.
By @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social
At several facilities, more than a third of the positions for doctors are unfilled.
By @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social
I am not a podcast person, but Tested carried me driving across the midwest last summer, and Reo's evidence-driven reporting on the absurdity of sex testing in women's sports remains too relevant, unfortunately.
I wrote up what the new World Athletics policy actually means, who is exempt, and what might come next, along with a little *hot take* about the financial piece of this. buttondown.com/tested/archi...
World Athletics is indeed going back to mandatory sex testing.
In unsurprising, but still pretty unfortunate news: Yesterday, World Athletics announced that it would indeed be bringing back genetic sex testing for all...
buttondown.com
August 1, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I am not a podcast person, but Tested carried me driving across the midwest last summer, and Reo's evidence-driven reporting on the absurdity of sex testing in women's sports remains too relevant, unfortunately.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
I will never forget @davidepstein.bsky.social's incredible 2016 story on the DIY scientist, the Olympian, and the mutated gene. www.propublica.org/article/musc...
You won't want to miss the postcript posted today. Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
You won't want to miss the postcript posted today. Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
The Most Interesting Email I Ever Received: Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
In 2013, ProPublica reporter David Epstein was contacted by a woman with a wild story and a batch of photos she believed were clues to the mystery of her condition. Turns out, she was right.
www.propublica.org
July 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I will never forget @davidepstein.bsky.social's incredible 2016 story on the DIY scientist, the Olympian, and the mutated gene. www.propublica.org/article/musc...
You won't want to miss the postcript posted today. Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
You won't want to miss the postcript posted today. Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Rümeysa is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever met. Many of you came to know her first and foremost as an ICE abductee, seized by a state that wanted to strip her of her humanity. I would like for you to know her in her own words, which are resoundingly human.
“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison
Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk opens up about her 45 days in a South Louisiana processing facility—and the generous and compassionate women she met.
www.vanityfair.com
July 17, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Rümeysa is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever met. Many of you came to know her first and foremost as an ICE abductee, seized by a state that wanted to strip her of her humanity. I would like for you to know her in her own words, which are resoundingly human.
My few followers are all very familiar with the science and scientists we're losing with NIH and other federal cuts, but take the time to read about Dr. López's path and her work. Spectacular profile of an incredible clinician and scientist.
An Interview With A Psychiatric Nurse Whose Research Funding Was Cut By The Trump Administration | Defector
Laura Mata López was born and raised in a low-income community in San José, Costa Rica. Some of her earliest memories were of the impact poverty and a lack of support for mental health had on her neig...
defector.com
June 12, 2025 at 5:17 PM
My few followers are all very familiar with the science and scientists we're losing with NIH and other federal cuts, but take the time to read about Dr. López's path and her work. Spectacular profile of an incredible clinician and scientist.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
If you’re in Minneapolis for @academyhealth.bsky.social ‘s #arm25, come see PEPReC presentations on methods, the health care workforce, and more
June 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM
If you’re in Minneapolis for @academyhealth.bsky.social ‘s #arm25, come see PEPReC presentations on methods, the health care workforce, and more
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Just wondering if you knew that kids too young for COVID vaccines have COVID hospitalization rates that are similar to people 65-74?
Just wondering if you knew over 1000 people a week died from COVID while we were celebrating winter holidays and the New Year?
Does FDA Administrators know?
Just wondering if you knew over 1000 people a week died from COVID while we were celebrating winter holidays and the New Year?
Does FDA Administrators know?
May 20, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Just wondering if you knew that kids too young for COVID vaccines have COVID hospitalization rates that are similar to people 65-74?
Just wondering if you knew over 1000 people a week died from COVID while we were celebrating winter holidays and the New Year?
Does FDA Administrators know?
Just wondering if you knew over 1000 people a week died from COVID while we were celebrating winter holidays and the New Year?
Does FDA Administrators know?
Public health's shift to using person-first language is an improvement over past ways, but when communities tell us how we should refer to them we need to listen (otherwise, we're still being paternalistic). And the autistic community has been clear and consistent about this.
People posting about RFK:
For many years, autistic people have discussed what we want people to call us.
In endless surveys, about 90% of autistics prefer being called autistic or autistic people, not "people with autism."
It's not a trivial matter. "Person with autism" subtly implies... 1/x 🧵
For many years, autistic people have discussed what we want people to call us.
In endless surveys, about 90% of autistics prefer being called autistic or autistic people, not "people with autism."
It's not a trivial matter. "Person with autism" subtly implies... 1/x 🧵
April 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Public health's shift to using person-first language is an improvement over past ways, but when communities tell us how we should refer to them we need to listen (otherwise, we're still being paternalistic). And the autistic community has been clear and consistent about this.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
A friend (and disgruntled former HHS staffer) just summed up the situation at HHS as best as I've heard so far:
"They are just systematically committed to ruining anyone’s ability to understand anything."
"They are just systematically committed to ruining anyone’s ability to understand anything."
April 2, 2025 at 7:56 PM
A friend (and disgruntled former HHS staffer) just summed up the situation at HHS as best as I've heard so far:
"They are just systematically committed to ruining anyone’s ability to understand anything."
"They are just systematically committed to ruining anyone’s ability to understand anything."
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Viewpoint from former VA employees, including former Veterans Health Administration Undersecretary for Health and former director of the Health Services Research program
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Veterans Affairs Research Under Threat
This Viewpoint discusses the critical importance of continued funding for the intramural research program in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
jamanetwork.com
March 29, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Viewpoint from former VA employees, including former Veterans Health Administration Undersecretary for Health and former director of the Health Services Research program
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
The reason the current federal administration wants to cut the VA is because it’s the closest thing to universal healthcare in the US -publicly funded, government-run, no insurance middlemen. In fact, racial health inequities, though still present, are less in the VA than in the private sector.
March 9, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The reason the current federal administration wants to cut the VA is because it’s the closest thing to universal healthcare in the US -publicly funded, government-run, no insurance middlemen. In fact, racial health inequities, though still present, are less in the VA than in the private sector.
Reposted by Becca Thorsness
Literally all they’re doing is a private equity play. They need these offices so they’ll have to rent them back putting further strain on the budget and justifying further cuts (while their friends make money on the deal)
NEW: The General Services Administration, staffed at its upper levels by Elon Musk associates, plans to sell 500-plus buildings—some of which house government agencies and the offices of US senators.
The GSA Plans to Sell Hundreds of Its Federal Government Buildings
The General Services Administration, staffed at its upper levels by Elon Musk associates, plans to sell 500-plus buildings—some of which house government agencies and the offices of US senators.
www.wired.com
February 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Literally all they’re doing is a private equity play. They need these offices so they’ll have to rent them back putting further strain on the budget and justifying further cuts (while their friends make money on the deal)