Allegheny Independent Media

Allegheny Independent Media

Why Trump’s War on Statistics Matters

I am a longtime reader of The Nation Magazine. Recently, I came across an article by Eric Reinhart in the magazine titled Destroy the Metrics, Destroy the Truth. It details how the Trump Administration’s firings of scientists and statisticians at the CDC and other agencies are really cover for their misdeeds. In the article, ReinhartContinue reading “Why Trump’s War on Statistics Matters”

Delay in SNAP Benefits

Imagine your fridge is empty, your mailbox is quiet, your children are waiting — and the federal safety net you depend on is just… paused. That’s the reality for many families right now. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Propel’s 2023 report, about 26% of SNAP participants identify as Black/African American, 16% asContinue reading “Delay in SNAP Benefits”

Empowering Communities: Put People First! PA Takes a Stand for Healthcare Rights

Lyrical Capo attended a recent Put People First healthcare rights meeting to discuss medicaid and food stamp cuts. In the heart of Oakhurst, a beacon of hope shines bright. Put People First! PA (PPF-PA), a member-led organization driven by everyday working-class people, is on a mission to fight for healthcare rights, community welfare, and humanContinue reading “Empowering Communities: Put People First! PA Takes a Stand for Healthcare Rights”

How Downtown Johnstown Compares to Pennsylvania

When looking at the Unmet Need Score (UNS) from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) data tool, Downtown Johnstown (zip code 15901) had the highest UNS in Pennsylvania of 96.07 out of a possible 100. The UNS is a composite of 33 statistics. These statistics are in the table below for the 15901 zipContinue reading “How Downtown Johnstown Compares to Pennsylvania”

Other Factor Differences Between Pennsylvania and the Alleghenies

Last week I posted on 2 factor analyses of the health resources and services administration’s unmet need score map tool for zip codes in the Alleghenies and Pennsylvania as a whole. There were minimal differences between the regions on the two largest factors (health behaviors and mortality). For this post I am taking a lookContinue reading “Other Factor Differences Between Pennsylvania and the Alleghenies”

Unmet Needs in Pennsylvania

After looking at the unmet need scores (UNS) in the Alleghenies, I thought that I should backtrack and look at unmet needs in Pennsylvania. There are 1,945 zip codes in the state. As you can see in the image above, some of these cross state lines. One hundred and forty nine zip codes have aContinue reading “Unmet Needs in Pennsylvania”

Rage Against Unmet Needs

Last Saturday I went to the Rage Against the Regime protest in downtown Johnstown. I interviewed some of the participants in the video above. Groups like Indivisible organized the rally. Previously I posted on the unmet need score (UNS) for 708 zip codes in the Alleghenies. These zip codes are seen in the map below.Continue reading “Rage Against Unmet Needs”

Unmet Need Scores in the Alleghenies

I have looked at County Health Rankings variables in Pennsylvania correlating them with Trump’s vote at the county level. This time I am looking at the Health Resources and Services Administration Unmet Need Score online tool. You can see where your zip code stands at this tool. This tool provides health data at the zipContinue reading “Unmet Need Scores in the Alleghenies”

Local Pharmacy Desert: Johnstown, PA – A Community in Crisis

As a follow-up to my post on pharmacy deserts in Pennsylvania, Lyrical Capo has written a post on the local pharmacy desert in Johnstown. “When the pharmacy closes, the community suffers.” Emphatically, this harsh reality has hit home in Johnstown, PA, where Rite Aid has abandoned numerous locations, leaving residents struggling to access essential healthcareContinue reading “Local Pharmacy Desert: Johnstown, PA – A Community in Crisis”

Rite Aid and Pharmacy Deserts

On this page we have written about news deserts, food deserts, and legal deserts. Now we can add pharmacy desert to this list. At the end of June, Rite Aid has closed all of its stores in the Johnstown area. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has published a fact sheet on Pharmacy deserts in RuralContinue reading “Rite Aid and Pharmacy Deserts”