Sign in

Arielle Zionts

@ajzionts.bsky.social
534 followers 671 following 340 posts

✏️: Rural Health Reporter @KFFHealthNews.org 📍: Rapid City ✉️: ariellez@kff.org 🚨 Signal: Zionts_RuralHealthNews.22 😍: Story ideas, outdoors, animals, reading, history, art, gravel+mtn biking ❗️: RT means worth reading/knowing, not agreement

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 14h
There are new and specific numbers in this story, so it’s worth reading. I continue to resent the lack of credit to Nick Schwellenbach at @pogo.org, Dan Friedman at @motherjones.com, and me, who have previously reported every other aspect of this story, including that the sale prices were very high.
Kristi Noem's Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She
Left
The Homeland Security Department signed a multi-million dollar agreement to buy five aircraft from a company owned by a political contributor of the secretary on her last day, documents show.
71699443
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
About 68% of rural Make America Healthy Again supporters say President Donald Trump’s health policies have had a negative impact or no impact where they live, per a new KFF-Associated Press rural voter poll.
010
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
One of the more annoying trends is that some states are posting which organizations got funding and their award amounts — but not what the orgs are going to do with their money!
021
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
The Objective @objectivejournos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEW COMMENTARY: Prison media access is piecemeal across states, meaning incarcerated journalists are best positioned to shine transparency on prisons and jails. But they worry a potential FCC policy to jam cellphones could cut off their line of reporting. objectivejournalism.org/2026/09/pote...
objectivejournalism.org
Cellphone jamming threatens to silence incarcerated journalists
Free press advocates must rally against the Federal Communications Commission effort to limit incarcerated journalists’ ability to report.
104
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Andrés Pertierra @andrespertierra.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The story came out, Netenyahu denied it, now new sources are confirming it; he was warned about the imminent attack that became October 7th and failed to inform subordinates because he worried it would jeopardize Saudi Arabian recognition of Israel www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/w...
nytimes.com
Netanyahu Said to Have Been Warned by Emirati Leader About Hamas Attack Before Oct. 7 (Gift Article)
The warning from the leader of the United Arab Emirates, which lacked specific details about the nature of an attack, never reached the chiefs of Israel’s security establishment, Israeli officials sai...
411445
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Sara Margarita Medina Ramos @sarammedinaramis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Doctors in Pennsylvania estimate at least six babies have been born with measles
share.google
Doctors in Pennsylvania estimate at least six babies have been born with measles
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
01012
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 21/09/2026
We don’t try to predict car accidents; we use seat belts and guardrails. Some experts say it’s time to treat suicide prevention with the same universal safety mindset. kffhealthnews.org/mental-health/sui…
kffhealthnews.org
It's Hard To Predict Who Will Be Suicidal. It's Easier To Ensure People Can't Shoot Themselves. - KFF Health News
Some mental health experts favor suicide prevention steps that are applied broadly, with protections that aren't tied to an individual's specific risk.
0199
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 22/09/2026
“It’s nerve-racking,” says Joshua Durham, a primary care physician who is going uninsured, along with his family. “It just takes, you know, one little accident, and then you got a big fat bill.”
kffhealthnews.org
As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel the Pinch - KFF Health News
Like many Americans, Joshua and Ashley Durham saw their health insurance premiums rise by hundreds of dollars a month this year. Despite being healthcare practitioners all too aware of the risks, they chose to go uninsured. Others, though, can't afford ...
267
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Liz Essley Whyte @lizessleywhyte.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
NEW exclusive from me: Health officials moved money out of the Office of Minority Health to help pay for the ballooning costs of RFK Jr.'s security gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Exclusive | RFK Jr.’s Enhanced Security Was Funded With Money From Minority Health Office
The cost of the health secretary’s security grew from roughly $10 million in fiscal year 2025 to $17 million in fiscal year 2026.
1012971
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 14/09/2026
Turkish police on Sunday raided gay bars and the homes of LGBTQ activists, arresting at least 60 people. Turkey's LGBTQ community has frequently been targeted by the government, with President Erdogan calling it a "deviant movement" of "perverts" u.afp.com/SjmJ
12223
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
The Washington Sun @washingtonsun.com · 04/09/2026
HHS is canceling infant mortality and postpartum grants to focus instead on research related to what the department says are “root causes” like sperm counts and erectile dysfunction. www.notus.org/health-science/hhs-ca…
notus.org
HHS Cancels Infant Mortality, Postpartum Grants to Focus on Sperm Counts, ED
Officials at the Office of Minority Health told grantees that they’re prioritizing “root causes” of infertility and promoting exercise.
1861365816
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
The NewsGuild-CWA @newsguild.org · 11/09/2026
Yesterday, McClatchy laid off more than 90 unionized media workers across 17 publications. The departure of these talented reporters, visual journalists & writers will immediately leave gaping holes in local coverage for dozens of communities across the US.
35945
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
ProPublica @propublica.org · 09/09/2026
NEW: Our analysis found that from 2020 to 2025, the rate of deaths involving ectopic pregnancies nearly doubled compared with the previous six-year period. The uptick was steeper in states with abortion bans.
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
34776174458
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 27/08/2026
Many states have rolled out dashboards tracking Rural Health Transformation Program spending. But not all share how the money will be used. By @ajzionts.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/rura…
kffhealthnews.org
$50B Rural Health Transformation Program Needs More Transparency, Groups Say - KFF Health News
States must submit Rural Health Transformation Program progress reports to the federal government, but they aren’t required to proactively post those reports, or related information, publicly.
032
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
“The Times interviewed 8 people Mr. Marshall sued between 2003 &2015. Most described themselves as living paycheck to paycheck, often deciding between paying medical bills or buying groceries. Two said that the bills Mr. Marshall pursued in court stemmed from late miscarriages that required surgery”
nytimes.com
Roger Marshall Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator.
Patients sued by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas were routinely charged 18 percent interest, The Times found. Some had bank accounts garnished.
5298148
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Also, drought, which causes crop failures, animal deaths and financial losses which in turn can trigger mental health issues. The South Dakota ag department made a post about this, with general and ag-related mental health resources: www.facebook.com/SDDANR/posts...
facebook.com
0115
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The $50B Rural Health Transformation Program lacks transparency, which could make it difficult to protect against fraud, identify successful projects+ensure the program delivers on its promise to transform the system. Groups are calling for CMS to post more info. kffhealthnews.org/rural-health...
kffhealthnews.org
$50B Rural Health Transformation Program Needs More Transparency, Groups Say - KFF Health News
States must submit Rural Health Transformation Program progress reports to the federal government, but they aren’t required to proactively post those reports, or related information, publicly.
195
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Great Plains Youth Club, a white supremacist group, hung up recruitment posters in downtown Rapid City. Some of their posters make their ideology clear but others mention issues (anti-zionism, anti-flock cameras) meant to draw non-white supremacists into their movement.
121
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Billy Binion @billybinion.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
This is Karyann Parkinson and her five kids. She just received a 6-month suspended jail sentence and is now on Virginia's child abuse registry. Her crime: letting her 5-year-old, Sam, walk a half-mile alone in their gated community. She's not the first. A thread.
54524
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Local angle: South Dakota rejected my public records request+appeal to release its unredacted RHTP budget. But it (likely accidentally) shared a letter from an SD official to CMS saying that he hoped the agency would keep SD's application from public view: kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/u...
kffhealthnews.org
000
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The $50B Rural Health Transformation Program lacks transparency, which could make it difficult to protect against fraud, identify successful projects+ensure the program delivers on its promise to transform the system. Groups are calling for CMS to post more info. kffhealthnews.org/rural-health...
kffhealthnews.org
$50B Rural Health Transformation Program Needs More Transparency, Groups Say - KFF Health News
States must submit Rural Health Transformation Program progress reports to the federal government, but they aren’t required to proactively post those reports, or related information, publicly.
195
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
People who’ve read The Gales of November, a newish book about the Edmund Fitzgerald: Me, my dad, my husband, my husband’s dad, my former editor, my kayaking guide.
000
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Ronan Farrow @ronanfarrow.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Georgia audited its own data center tax breaks and found that the state gave up $474 million in sales taxes in one year—and got back just $41 million from the industry. At least 38 states have deals like this. #AI #News #US
311432673
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Dhruv Mehrotra @dmehro.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
NEW: Flock has said for years its cameras don’t identify or track people. We obtained the code for its police AI and rebuilt parts of it. The tool can find witnesses, surface associates, search people by race or physical description, and flag vehicles by how they move. W/ @dell.bsky.social
wired.com
Flock Has a Powerful New AI Tool for Police. We Got Its Code
Flock’s surveillance cameras have already sparked outrage. WIRED reconstructed its next-generation AI system, already in use by some police, to confirm it goes much further than tracking license plate...
141580784
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
CNN @cnn.com · 19/08/2026
The Israeli military acknowledged firing on a car carrying 5-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza after earlier denials as it opens a criminal probe into the January 2024 killing. cnn.it/3U6I6jU
26304133
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Dr. Céline Gounder @celinegounder.com · 15/08/2026
Japan split its MMR shot in the 1990s. Mumps coverage fell to a third of kids. I spoke with New York magazine's Nia Prater. Save and send: nymag.com/intelligencer/article/tru… Read & subscribe for free: celinegounder.com
image
215078
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The feds+states are pushing AI through the Rural Health Transformation Program despite the lack of studies on AI in rural health settings. It's unclear how many states will be collecting+sharing outcomes. And rural people I spoke w/ were skeptical of AI. kffhealthnews.org/rural-health...
kffhealthnews.org
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution - KFF Health News
The $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program is set to flood rural America with new AI health tools. That’s despite little evidence on whether health-related AI can improve access to ca...
12214
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Historically, the NIH funded studies evaluating the health impacts of policies like Medicaid expansion, firearm regulations, and abortion limits. Now, top officials are flagging dozens of these grants as "lobbying" and leaving them in administrative limbo.
310430
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 11/08/2026
“I get artificial intelligence for certain things, but for personal healthcare — no,” said Tara Haffner, who lives in rural South Dakota. kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/rura…
kffhealthnews.org
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution - KFF Health News
The $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program is set to flood rural America with new AI health tools. That's despite little evidence on whether health-related AI can improve access to care and patient health in those communities.
0113
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally starts today. Yesterday, 5 motorcyclists died in 3 crashes. 2 of the crashes were caused by riders losing control through turns: One rider hit+killed another motorcyclist. Another hit a car, killing himself+his passenger; neither were wearing helmets.
000
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
What Israel did to activists who tried to go to Gaza: Detained activists were beaten, shot w/ rubber bullets & Tasered One woman said she was raped Medical records show "fractured ribs, a fractured vertebrae, a broken coccyx, a firearm wound and a collapsed lung" www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/w...
11615
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 07/08/2026
Opioid settlement money is set to fund part of Washington, D.C.'s budget, rekindling debates about how the dollars should be used. kffhealthnews.org/public-health/was…
kffhealthnews.org
Budget Battle Erupts in Nation's Capital Over Opioid Settlement Money - KFF Health News
Washington, D.C.'s 2027 fiscal-year blueprint reflects a debate playing out around the U.S.: whether opioid settlement money should be used to free up taxpayer dollars by paying for existing responsibilities instead of new programs.
023
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Katheryn Houghton @k-hought.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The fed's list of exemptions for Medicaid work requirements is shorter than many expected. One group left out: people without housing. Tywon has seizures that make it hard to work and has been homeless since his wife's death last year. Read (or listen to) his story: @npr.org, @kffhealthnews.org
kffhealthnews.org
Medicaid Work Rule Leaves Homeless People in the Cold - KFF Health News
Conservatives who have long pushed for Medicaid work requirements often said vulnerable people would get a pass. But the federal government’s list of exemptions left off homeless people.
42620
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“At least four states — Montana, Arizona, Kentucky, and Utah — previously proposed policies that included homelessness as an exemption. But federal officials have said that’s not allowed.”
020
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 04/08/2026
Public health nurses are painstakingly tracing the path of the cyclospora outbreak, combing through fast-food orders and grocery purchases as they listen to people’s lengthy, messy stories about their illness.
kffhealthnews.org
Nurses Chase Cyclospora, Aided by Interviews, Fast-Food Receipts — And the Messy Details - KFF Health News
Yes, they’ve heard all the poop jokes. Public health staffers are painstakingly tracing the sources of this massive outbreak, combing through fast-food orders and lettuce purchases as they listen to p...
12112
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Whitney Zahnd @whitneyzahnd.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution via @ajzionts.bsky.social and @dariustahir.bsky.social dailyyonder.com/patients-war...
dailyyonder.com
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution | The Daily Yonder
This story was originally published by KFF Health News. Two of the nation’s most powerful health officials predict artificial intelligence will play a key
111
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 01/08/2026
A $50B federal program is pushing AI into rural clinics. There is quite a bit that could go wrong here with rusher deployment. Urban-trained models struggle in areas with poor broadband and models are often not tuned for these communities. (Story 🔗 in the post below) #MedSky 🛟
141
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 27/07/2026
A tiny federal agency that tracks consumer product safety wants patient records from emergency room visits, including details about injuries that have nothing to do with consumer products, documents reveal. Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld & @dariustahir.bsky.social report ⤵️
kffhealthnews.org
Trump Administration Demands Hospitals Share Emergency Room Records - KFF Health News
The tiny federal agency that tracks consumer product safety is pressuring hospitals to turn over patient records from emergency room visits, including about injuries that have nothing to do with consumer products.
63232
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Lauren Kaori Gurley @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This week: Nursing homes terminated hundreds of Haitian workers with TPS. Major airports fired Haitian janitors, cabin cleaners and wheelchair attendants. Schools let go of drivers and landscapers. My reporting on the fallout of Haiti TPS termination. t.co/vCyqrl7hK3
37761
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Darius Tahir @dariustahir.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
My colleagues and I look into rural healthcare and AI:
021
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
@janprobst.bsky.social @janprobst.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Rural residents are appropriately wary of “robots for the rubes, actual care for us,” urban-centric health care policy, hisses Sam the rural health advoCATe. #PowerOfRuralCats dailyyonder.com/patients-war...
dailyyonder.com
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution | The Daily Yonder
This story was originally published by KFF Health News. Two of the nation’s most powerful health officials predict artificial intelligence will play a key
001
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
It's unclear how many states will collect and share outcomes of the AI-programs they fund. Meanwhile, I spoke with six rural residents about AI as a rural health solution. Four were outright against this idea. The other two had doubts but think AI could help in some areas.
131
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 31/07/2026
The Lumbee Tribe won federal recognition last year, ending a 137-year struggle and opening the door to building its own health system. Living in North Carolina’s sickest county, its people are divided on how to do it.
kffhealthnews.org
The Newest Federally Recognized Tribe Wants Better Healthcare. It May Be On Its Own. - KFF Health News
North Carolina's Robeson County, where most of the tribe's citizens live, ranks as one of the worst counties in the U.S. for health disparities. After securing federal recognition, Lumbee tribal leaders will have to decide how to address them.
095
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Every doctor should ask female abdominal-area surgery patients about their reproductive plans, and if they don't want any/more kids, educate them about the benefits of fallopian tube removal+offer to remove them during the planned surgery. But most don't. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/h...
nytimes.com
There’s a Way to Prevent Ovarian Cancer. Few Know About It.
The vast majority of cases begin in the fallopian tubes — and removing them can reduce the risk by nearly 80 percent.
020
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
A @kffhealthnews.org team has collected most states' approved plans and first-year budgets for the #RuralHealthTransformationProgram! #RHTP #RuralHealth Team: Me, @sjtribble-reports.bsky.social + Nate Payne kffhealthnews.org/rural-health...
kffhealthnews.org
Tracking State Rural Health Transformation Plans - KFF Health News
KFF Health News is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
2910
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
BREAKING NYT: Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states "based solely" on whether they backed Trump in the 2024 election.
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.
16919021005
Arielle Zionts @ajzionts.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"The complaint further alleges ChatGPT adopted the language and cadence of Christian ministry, quoting scripture and portraying Winters’ illness as a spiritual journey." nypost.com/2026/07/23/b...
nypost.com
ChatGPT kept Florida pastor from seeking emergency care before near-fatal medical crisis, lawsuit alleges
The complaint, filed Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Court by Scott Winters, alleges ChatGPT-4o spent months acting as an unlicensed physician.
000
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 23/07/2026
A year after Thomasville, Georgia, lost a nearly $20 million federal environmental health grant, residents in a predominantly Black neighborhood are left facing conditions dangerous to their health.
kffhealthnews.org
Public Health Improvements Stall Amid Trump's DEI Crackdown - KFF Health News
A year after the Environmental Protection Agency stripped grant money from dozens of communities nationwide during Trump's DEI crackdown, a small Georgia city is struggling to address environmental health concerns.
043
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 20/07/2026
Doctors worry they’ll get pulled into proving that some Medicaid enrollees are “medically frail,” or too sick or disabled to be subject to the program’s new work rule, and they aren’t happy about it. kffhealthnews.org/medicaid/med...
kffhealthnews.org
Doctors ‘Cringe’ at Possibility of Documenting Which Medicaid Enrollees Too Sick To Work - KFF Health News
Final regulations on Medicaid work requirements say enrollees must regularly obtain documentation — possibly from medical professionals — to prove that they’re too sick to work. Doctors say the rules ...
32015
Reposted by Arielle Zionts
KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 21/07/2026
Advocates are demanding accountability for how local officials spend tens of billions in opioid settlement cash. But whose job is that? Many state agencies are punting to one another. kffhealthnews.org/public-health/opi…
kffhealthnews.org
Leadership Vacuum: Agencies in New York and Beyond Pass the Buck on Opioid Cash Oversight - KFF Health News
The opioid settlements are a multibillion-dollar windfall with only loose spending suggestions rather than strict requirements. Some people directly affected by the crisis want stronger guardrails. But New York state's experience highlights the challeng...
044