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Karen Benjamin Guzzo

@karenguzzo.bsky.social
4.9K followers 1.3K following 3.8K posts

Demographer and Sociologist. Director of the Carolina Population Center. LEGO Karen

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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 2h
The takeaway from Bo French suggesting Asian students are “foreigners” and the tepid GOP response is that the Trump-era Republican Party is increasingly explicit about its belief that the only good immigrants, and the only real Americans, are white. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/1...
The Afrikaner policy is illuminating, because it proves the catch-22 facing nonwhite immigrants: If you are poor, you are a moocher, and if you are gainfully employed, you are taking a job from a hardworking American. The only way to be a good immigrant is to be white and Christian.

Bo French, who is running for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, has taken this idea a step further, suggesting that the only way to be an American is to be white and Christian.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 1h
I'm getting my flu & COVID shots today!
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 1h
There is nothing this administration does that is not, in some way, shape, or form, self-serving. Case in point: Trump Accounts.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 4h
A circus with clowns? What could go wrong? 🎪 🤡 #legokaren
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 22h
The fact that this is based on 17 people is, um, an interesting thing to highlight.
nytimes.com
At Nearly $300,000, Some Recent Duke Graduates Out-Earned All Their Peers (Gift Article)
Federal data show Duke math majors earning a bigger median income four years after graduation than any other majors from any school. It’s a small cohort.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 22h
How do people decide how many children to have and when to stop? It's complicated! Lots of sociologists/demographers in this piece, including yours truly & @srhayford.bsky.social.
theatlantic.com
She Wanted to Have Three Kids. Then Life Happened.
Many women start out with a notion of their ideal number of children—but a variety of obstacles can get in the way.
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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Finally a proper working paper for this study that produced one of the most astounding figures I've ever seen. Basically economics is different from every other field, empirically. This paper looks at the concentration of university affiliations for award winners. www.nber.org/papers/w35875
Figure 2 from the paper: institutional concentration of university affiliation at time of award correlated with institutional concentration of phd granting university. Economics is the most concentrated of any field. 
Figure 2 from the paper: institutional concentration of university affiliation at time of award correlated with institutional concentration of lifetime employment. Economics is the most concentrated of any field.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 23h
Everyone's the enemy, I guess. (Which we already knew).
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 23h
“Without physically removing a single person, these rules would bureaucratically disappear millions of people from the national count. They would also strip away an important reference point against which claims of unequal treatment can be measured.”
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Census Counts Everyone. Trump Doesn’t Want That. (Gift Article)
Rewriting the rules for counting the population is yet another way to marginalize minorities.
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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
Alex Merz 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇦 @merz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The goal of this rule change is to make grant review impact and percentile scores opaque, so that political interference with grant funding decisions by Trump apparatchiks is harder to detect or document. I submitted my comment in opposition last night. You should submit yours today.
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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It’s simply unimaginable that CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz has just bowed to RFK Jr. and approved funding for an utterly unethical clinical trial that will withhold the birth dose of HepB vaccine in Guinea Bissau. It is to be conducted by researchers accused of academic misconduct.
rollingstone.com
CDC Is Moving Forward With a Previously Shelved Controversial Hepatitis B Vaccine Study
“It’s a wholly unethical trial, and it shouldn’t be allowed,” says Dr. Paul Offit of Guinea-Bissau study
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 08/10/2026
Q: How do you define socialism personally? JD VANCE: I think in reality what it actually means in the American context is you want to replace American workers with foreigners workers, and you want boys to play in girls' sports
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Who’s up for a movie night? #legokaren
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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
Jonathan Mijs @jonathanmijs.com · 08/10/2026
We're hiring 📣 Assistant Professor in the sociology of Health & Aging as part of @bostonu.bsky.social cluster hire on 'The Future of Healthy Aging' Pref for someone with expertise in quantitative or computational approaches More info & apply: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32925
academicjobsonline.org
Boston University, Office of Research
Job #AJO32925, Assistant Professor Faculty Position in the Department of Sociology at the College of Arts and Sciences, with a focus on the Future of Healthy Aging, Office of Research, Boston Univers...
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Nearly a third of long-term care workers are (or were, before this administration deported so many) foreign born, and the last of the Baby Boomers has yet to turn 65. The impending care crisis needs creative solutions, not reactive nationalism.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I effing hate that there is a need for a product like this.
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Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Arithmetic in the "New Golden Age of Science" at NSF: Reduce $600M in STEM funding between FY25 and FY26 grantwitness.org/nsf/analyses... Propose to reduce NSF GRFP fellowships by $180M in FY27 nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/FY-202... Declare "success" w/a $100M "push" for US scientists.
bloomberg.com
White House Makes $100 Million Push to Train American Scientists
The Trump administration is injecting more than $100 million into education programs for American researchers in STEM fields, as federal policies stanch the flow of foreign scientists to the US and po...
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Once again, this administration seems to exhibit a goal of ending as many successful, lifesaving scientific endeavors as possible.
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Delays Threaten Funding for HIV Research (Gift Article)
The networks also develop treatments and preventions for other infectious diseases and were instrumental in testing the Covid vaccine.
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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
Stephen Vaisey 🇺🇦 @stephenvaisey.com · 07/10/2026
BTW this means no funding for GSS, ANES, or PSID. GSS 2026 is in the field now, but then it looks like that's it. Devastating for social science.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"Black women are used as symbols to be deployed rather than citizens to be served."
wapo.st
Opinion | The new welfare queen is Brad. Right-wing pundits are furious.
An Arkansas campaign ad reveals how race still shapes the politics of welfare.
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Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo
David Brady @davebrady72.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Terrible news for higher education. This will effectively kill OPT, which is major incentive for international students. $70k fee university must pay. Seems like game over for OPT. Will go into effect after 30 day public comment and 60 day implementation delay.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
What a lovely tribute to the life of demographer Reynolds Farley, who passed away in September. I didn't know him personally, but his impact on demography is profound.
psc.isr.umich.edu
Remembering Reynolds Farley: An Expert on Detroit, the Census, and America’s Racial Divide
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Reynolds (Ren) Farley, a sociologist and demographer who used Census data to illuminate the persistence of racial segregation in American cities, died on September 12, at 88. He was...
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
These monster hunters have found their targets! But will they be able to apprehend them? #legokaren
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Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 07/10/2026
lol the rules shift every time achievement isn't cloaked in white.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Parenting win: my 19 yr old told me that she took herself and her boyfriend to go get flu and COVID shots today.
static.klipy.com
Vaccines For All: Global Equality
ALT: Vaccines For All: Global Equality
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Brooke Harrington @ebharrington.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
There it is: one man with more courage than the entirety of the US Congress.
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Jane Coaston @janecoaston.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
they're all just lying, it is tremendous lying, but it is just lying
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Exciting news from the Center for Institutional Courage! They launched a DARVO database, which tracks peer-reviewed academic studies about the concept. DARVO is an acronym that describes the way perpetrators respond to confrontations about their violence: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
institutionalcourage.org
The Courage Brief - October 2026 Article Two | Center for Institutional Courage
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Garnet Henderson @garnethenderson.com · 06/10/2026
SCOOP: Nearly $9 million in federal family planning funds will go to organizations with anti-abortion ties. One org, which received almost $4.3 million, has never taken in more than $50k in a single year. Read more @autonomynews.co:
autonomynews.co
Nearly $9 Million in HHS Grants Go to Groups With Anti-Abortion Ties
Millions in family planning funds are earmarked to create training centers, including one dedicated to infertility. The recipients have links to crisis pregnancy centers, the Heritage Foundation, and ...
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The IFS folks have never met a correlational relationship they weren't willing to claim is causal. Their advice in this piece "don't live in sin" something something "success sequence." ifstudies.org/blog/is-the-...
Ultimately, policymakers concerned about the future of the American family must grapple with both the popularity of cohabitation and its incompatibility with forming strong families. Perhaps the “success sequence” is the best vehicle to equip Gen Z and Alpha with this information. It is important for young people to know that they can virtually guarantee a life free from poverty if they finish high school, get a job, and get married before having children. But they should also learn about the risks associated with cohabitation.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Then there's Megyn Kelley saying she probably wanted it b/c she was homely, and Matt Walsh saying *she* raped *them* b/c they were too drunk to consent. I hate it here.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I look at this graph, and I see the benefits of worldwide public health efforts and investments. It's hard not to wonder what this figure will look like in 10 years because of DOGE.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
A few weeks ago, US Citizenship and Immigration Services released quarterly data on the legal immigration system through June. The data presents a stark picture of an agency going through a period of total dysfunction. As of June, net application backlogs have risen by 80% since Trump took office.
Chart showing total net USCIS immigration application backlog, from Q4 Fiscal Year 2023 through Q3 Fiscal Year 2026. The data shows backlogs were slowly dropping from net 4.3 million applications in Q4 FY 2023 to 3.8 million in Q3 FY 2024, after which applications began to rise again, increasingly every single month until Q3 FY 2026, where they stand at 7.7 million.
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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 06/10/2026
White men under 30 show the highest support for white nationalism, at 13% — more than double women their age. A study of nearly 8,000 white Americans also found stronger support among those whose closest friendships are online only and not in person.
theconversation.com
White nationalism’s appeal runs deeper than partisan politics
Nearly 1 in 7 white men under 30 in the US support white nationalism, and partisanship alone doesn’t explain who’s drawn to it.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
If you need to remember that there are still good people out there, and that most humans still care about others, then here’s a story for you.
wapo.st
He volunteered at a food bank. What he saw surprised him.
Michael Jensen’s social media post struck a chord and led to an outpouring of donations to the nonprofit in Washington state.
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Jennifer Clark @jclarkcrp.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
“Corporate-owned utilities charged the average household $823 a year, compared with $494 for publicly owned systems – a difference of $329, or 67%.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US households pay 62% more for water than they did a decade ago, study finds
For-profit water corporations, federal cuts and climate crisis are ‘supercharging water rate hikes’, study co-author says
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
LEGO Karen woke up on the way, way wrong side of the bed today.
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Spooky Back From The Dead Lazarus @jlazarus.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
This has been on my feed all day so I'm going to give it as fair as treatment as I can. Prof. Wolfers is well meaning & I get the intuition, but he's speaking outside his area of expertise and he's just wrong. Having lunch with someone you disagree with isn't going to "cure ideological bias." 🧵
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The cruelty of these words just crushes my soul, not just that the sentiment exists (and from a woman!) but is being put out into the world.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I honestly don't have words for what I am feeling.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Investigating pediatricians for following evidence-based best-practices, designed to protect the most vulnerable among us, to score political points with a bunch of grifters and narcissists. Texas folks, today's the last day to register to vote. You know what needs to be done.
nytimes.com
Texas Pediatricians Face Paxton Investigations for Vaccinating Children (Gift Article)
Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate, has alleged a sprawling profit-driven conspiracy. Pediatricians say the accusations are an attempt at intimidation.
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Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · 05/10/2026
Less than a year in, New Mexico's universal childcare program is already changing who's working. @brycecovert.bsky.social reports on a new study from @chrismherbst.bsky.social finding employment among low-income mothers is up 18%, and full-time work is up 23%.
the74million.org
Nearly a Year In, Universal Childcare Is Reshaping Work for Moms in New Mexico
A new study highlights some early impacts of universal childcare on labor supply for mothers in New Mexico.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Kudos! That's awesome!
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Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
***NEW REPORT*** Using a large (23,000 people) national survey collected in 2026 by @kettering.org & @gallup.com, I wrote this expansive report on Christian nationalism and Americans' views of democracy. As we head toward Nov., this report shows us what is at stake. kettering.org/christian-na...
kettering.org
Christian Nationalism and the State of American Democracy in 2026
What do Christian nationalists mean by "democracy"? New Democracy for All Project survey data reveals competing visions of power, citizenship, and democratic values.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"...parenthood significantly reduces women’s PhD completion rates, citation impact, and academic job retention, while leaving men’s trajectories largely unaffected."
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Bryce Covert @brycecovert.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
There is nothing at all abstract about forced, unwanted pregnancy inthesetimes.com/article/what...
inthesetimes.com
What It's Like to Have an Abortion Denied by Dobbs
Dobbs will throw many lives into disarray. Lationna Halbert’s is one of the first.
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Monday morning means back to school for all the little witches! #legokaren
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Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Sundays are for snacking, even if your tastes run to the unusual. #legokaren
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Love to see Republicans embrace automatic enrollment. Boosts participation from 5% to 100%. Now let’s just do it with actual safety net programs. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/b...
nytimes.com
Most American Children Are Being Auto-Enrolled in Trump Accounts. What to Know.
The Trump administration may have just signed up your child — and more than 60 million others — for a 530A savings account (if you haven’t already done so).
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BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Appropriated funding for HIV research is currently being held by HHS. Several research programs will stop if these funds are not released including clinical trials. Please take 2 mins to sign this letter and demand congress act to release these funds. savehivfunding.org/organization...
savehivfunding.org
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