Elizabeth Lanphier

@ethicselizabeth

Philosopher & Clinical Ethicist | she/her | peds ethics, repro ethics, TIC, narrative med, feminist philosophy | Cincinnati (it’s cool despite Ohio) | Thoughts my own unless I am re-posting yours

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Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jul 11

As of almost 24 hours ago, over 98,000 public comments have been submitted in response to the OMB Proposed Rule that would upend the allocation of over a trillion dollars of annual federal funding. I just added mine. Since they are public, might as well post them here!

Dear Mr. Vought:

I am writing as a scholar working within the humanities and academic medicine, and as a concerned citizen, community member, and parent, to provide comment on Proposed Rule: Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance (OMB-2026-0034; FR Doc. 2026-10817).

The proposed rule would usher in sweeping changes to the allocation of over a trillion dollars in federal grants. This would impact not only our academic research enterprises, but also essential shared goods that are important to the well-being of all Americans, like our public schools, public roads, and public assistance programs for basic needs like food and housing.

I am the parent of a child in a Title I public school. I am concerned about the impact of the proposed rule changes on my child’s school, and that of many other children across the country whose families rely on schools to provide trusted education, safety, and meals to our children daily. Proposed rules in Section § 200.300 that would prohibit activities the administration deems related to “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” undermines the very idea of Title I funding. As defined by existing policy, Title I is designed specifically so that all children have an “opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.” Equity is central to the role and function of Title I, as a matter of fairness and equal opportunity. If Title I funds are compromised, this would be a major loss to public schools in Ohio, where I reside, and where most children attend public school. Yet in Ohio the state budget will cover less than a third of public-school costs, already pushing a huge burden onto property owners to finance public education. Eroding Title I would only put further pressure on Ohio’s working middle-class property owners to fund public education, a public good that is owed to and expected of all children in the United States.

Considerations of fairness and equality are core to my expertise and work as a philosopher working within an academic medical setting to support accessible, fair, and just healthcare delivery. I see every day the existing barriers to these goals. I am concerned that these proposed rules will deepen the gap in providing high quality healthcare to all Americans. Health and illness are non-partisan issues, experienced by all individuals, regardless of political affiliation, ideological views, or voting record.

I am particularly concerned that provisions in Section § 200.300 and Section § 200.340 that prohibit funding “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” would disproportionately harm Americans served by rural hospitals that often treat those most excluded from healthcare access. These rural hospitals rely on federally funded programs like Medicaid that are specifically designed to address inequities in resources, including healthcare resources. Such facilities that function specifically to enhance equity, inclusion, and accessibility of healthcare would be vulnerable to the application of Section § 200.300. Under Section § 200.340, they could face discretionary termination of federal funding that keeps healthcare flowing to rural populations, effectively cutting off parts of the population from even emergency healthcare services, let alone the kinds of preventative and ongoing care necessary to keep healthcare costs low, and populations healthy.

As a researcher and scholar, I am also concerned about Sections § 200.300 and § 200.340 as they relate to research and scholarship. The proposed revision indicates that Section § 200.300 is “intended to prevent discrimination on the basis of federally protected characteristics,” something already upheld by existing research ethics and regulations, which must adhere to anti-discrimination policies. Introducing the thinly defined concept of “Unlawful DEI” in Section § 200.300 creates unnecessary confusion about ac…

I am also deeply concerned about Section § 200.205, which contradicts core principles of academic freedom by permitting political appointees, not expert peer-review, to guide funding decisions; Section § 200.218, which disallows federal funding of certain research methodologies, allowing ideology rather than expertise to inform research topics and frameworks; and Section § 200.461, which directly contradicts existing federal requirements that federally funded research be open-access by limiting the ability of federal awards to support open-access publishing fees.

As a philosopher working within academic medicine, I work in interdisciplinary teams, collaborating on research that is not — and should not be — categorized narrowly as either basic research, applied research, or experimental development. Therefore, I am concerned that Section § 200.202(g), requiring such categorization of research awards, shows a fundamental misunderstanding of research and particularly how excellent and innovative research is produced. Mandating such misleading categorization would be a step in the wrong direction for advancing American achievement across all disciplines.

My professional work within healthcare delivery and healthcare research affirms my belief that there could be improvements to how each of these is funded at the federal, state, and local levels. However, my experience also shows that these proposed changes would lead to certain harm, not helpful improvement. As a researcher I am concerned for the future of innovation, understanding, and intellectual and scientific progress. But as a parent, a community member, and a citizen, I am concerned for the ways in which these proposed changes will harm every aspect of our lives — from the healthcare we can receive, to the roads we drive on, to the education my own children and each of our children receive. Given these clear harms, I ask that the entire proposed rule OMB-2026-0034 be withdrawn.

I look forward to your respo…

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jun 26

Y’all, I think I am doing something right.

I took a silly online poll that gave me the result that my closest political match is Zohran Mamdami. I will accept that result!

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jun 26

The @cincylibrary.bsky.social puts on a great party. Libraries are the best.

A couple making me oh-so-happy doing actual coordinated dancing to the funk band joyfully playing the Booked for the Evening event at the Cincinnati public library main branch lobby and stairs while other people mill about and walk up the stairs to find other activities.

A smiling 40-something white woman with short brown hair in a yellow clip and a peeled banana earring and purple round glasses with a lanyard on that has a Cincinnati public library pin on it in front of a doorway that reads “library” on it.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jun 25

Proposed OMB rules would radically alter federal grant-making impacting ALL federal grants to our cities, states, and non-profits. Here is a @defendpublichealth.bsky.social infographic on writing a public comment. Once you write it, @standupforscience.net has a tool to submit. Due by July 13th.

powerful public comments are clear, specific, personal, and urgent. They address who I am, what provisions concern me, what would change, why does it matter, and what I am asking OMB to do. Bring a story! Make it relevant and direct and personal! Keep it under 5,000 characters. Submit a copy, send a copy to your legislators, and talk about it with your friends and family.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jun 20

Or a muppet.

A photo of the muppet character “Pepe the Prawn” - a puppet orange and brown prawn, in this image he is wearing an oversized tuxedo walking down a hallway

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jun 19

Pete, go to settings > accessibility > require alt text before posting. Then add a description of your photo to your photos in the alt text. Thanks!

A screen shot of the Bluesky settings page under “accessibility” showing the “require alt text before posting” option selected.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Jun 10

Stopped for gas in Ashland, Ohio

Pumps for regular and silver gas that are way over $4 a gallon with a sticker if Donald Trump pointing at the price and saying “I did that”

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· May 30

Anyone know why I consistently get a "something went wrong, try again" every time I try to turn off the personalized ads on partner sites & apps button in my Google account??

Google partner ad settings page with a message that "something went wrong, try again" after trying to move the "personalized ads on partner sites & apps" button to the off position.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· May 29

I do know by now not to expect better but it is still wild that the same paper awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its #MeToo reporting writes a headline this bad regarding an adjudicated case of sexual assault.

Screen shot of New York Times
headline and lede saying “In Carroll Lawsuits Inquiry, Scrutiny Turns Toward Private Citizens Who Antagonized Trump
The Justice Department is said to be examining the funding of lawsuits brought by E. Jean Carroll, an author, against President Trump.”

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· May 13

Onora O’Neill in 2002 from the book Autonomy and Trust in Bioethics.

Book excerpt that reads: There has always been money in selling snake oil, and there is presumably still often advantage - though hardly plausibility - in claiming that selected therapies, technologies or products are intrinsically benign and effective, even if we lack good evidence that they are safe or effective, and even when those who promote and sell them have vested interests. Some people who are unhappy about deferring to doctors are surprisingly relaxed about deferring to alternative healers and therapies.
If blanket scepticism is not a feasible basis for life we must place trust selectively and with discrimination even when we lack any guarantee that agents or institutions of any specific sort are unfailingly trustworthy. The possibility of being mistaken, deceived and even betrayed cannot be written out of life.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 26

Today in libraries are magic: $74.50 worth of museum tickets for free thanks to the @cincylibrary.bsky.social discovery pass. And I only brought in half the people I could have.

A ticket for the Cincinnati museum
center from today for one adult and two kids totaling $74.50 but comped as a free ticket thanks to a pass from the Cincinnati public library

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 24

Postcard campaign on the University of Cincinnati campus to bring attention to the UC Radiation Experiments as part of contextualizing the history of the institution. Image of Martha Stephens, a former faculty member and whistleblower on the front & a message to UC leadership on the back.

Black and white photo of a white woman with short white hair and wearing a light colored sleeveless blouse looking off into the distance past the camera.

Dear President Pinto and Members of the UC Board of Trustees,
The new Gateway Welcome Building provides UC with such an exciting opportunity! As you develop the plans for this innovative new campus landmark, I urge you to make a substantial commitment to creating space for meaningful exploration of the history of our university, including a place where UC can tell the truth about the more difficult parts of our past. Specifically, I urge you to model for UC students the work of grappling with difficult issues like UC's founding donor, Charles McMicken, or the full-body radiation experiments carried out at Cincinnati General Hospital from 1960-1972.
As you work to develop "a hub for dynamic, active and engaging teaching and learning that melds academic disciplines, technology and the arts to become a highly visible symbol of the University of Cincinnati's commitment to innovation and student success," I urge you to remember the words of scholar Pauli Murray who said, "Let's get on with the business of healing these wounds...we are not going to do that until we face the truth."
Thank you for your courageous leadership,
Signed,
UC affiliation:
Email:

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 22

All the news that’s fit to print

NYT homepage screen shot with three headlines back to back:

“Job Cuts Driven by A.I. Are Rising on Wall Street”

“A.I. 'Hallucinations' Created Errors in Court Filing, Top Law Firm Says”

“Was Tim Cook Stylish?”
(Also why is that in past tense?)

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 16

This one was easy.

A still of the actor John Cameron Mitchell standing on a stage behind a microphone with arms spread creating giant wings that open up to read “yankee go home with me” in the film Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 14

My three-year-old’s recent hand selected listening lineup. Eclectic.

Four vinyl records stacked up showing Bad Bunny on top, followed by Patrick. all Celtic Harp, Noel Gallagher’s Back the Way We Came, and a Wynton Kelly album.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 9

April 21st @4pm Eastern the Bioethics Network of Ohio is hosting its next virtual education session and it is a panel on bioethics and bioethicists involvement in hospital and healthcare policy. Zoom registration required (see next post) but the session is open to anyone to attend live.

Bioethics Network of Ohio Virtual Education Session April 21, 2026 at 4pm Eastern
"Bioethicists and Hospital & Healthcare Policy: A Panel Discussion" featuring:
Elisa Reverman, PhD, MA, HEC-C
Clinical Ethics Fellow
Cleveland Clinic Center for Bioethics

Rev. Corey D. Perry, JD, MDiv
Vice President, Mission, Ministry & Ethics
OhioHealth

Kelly Stuart, MD, MPH, MTS, MSNDR
Vice President - Ethics
Bon Secours Mercy Health

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 8

Topics include on virtual conferencing, sustainability, contingent faculty, and being trans in philosophy, important stuff for the discipline to pay attention to together. All times noted in Pacific time zone.

Thursday, April 9
4:00 PM Pacific Time
Invited Symposium: The Ethics of Online Conferencing: A Tribute to Helen De
Cruz

Friday, April 10
8:00 AM Pacific Time
Philosophers for Sustainability, Session 1
Philosophers in the Field: Philosophers in Public Policy/Public Institutions

12:00 PM Pacific Time
Taskforce on Contingent Faculty Report

Saturday, April 11
12:00 PM Pacific Time
Invited Symposium: Being Trans in Philosophy Zine

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 7

Lunchtime calls: Landsman’s office answered the phone & told me that the congressman is in emergency meetings today over the “final straw” of the president engaging in “premeditated war crimes” which is an “impeachable offense.” The others go straight to voicemail.

A call log showing recent calls to Jon Husted, Bernie Moreno, and Greg Landsman (all elected officials from Ohio)

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 6

Next week the @ucpews.bsky.social is hosting a virtual book launch for **Bioethical Responsibilities in 21st Century Crises** It will be a conversation among book editors & four authors on responsibilities this century but especially bioethical responsibilities in this moment. April 14th @ 7pm ET.

A Conversation on Bioethical Responsibilities in 21 Century Crises
A virtual discussion about the need for new bioethical methods and focus to address contemporary issues, including disability, incarcaration, climate change, and the role of emotions in reasoning. Hosted by the University of Cincinnati Center for Public Engagement with Science
April 1th 7-8:15pm Eastern, Free and open to all. Virtual webinar that you can register for here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_F2D15JcZRRmzGJFue_DUFA#/registration

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Apr 6

Pineapple Upside Down Cake! Made with kids! Eaten by all!

A square cake seen from above: a plain white cake that has pineapple rings with red cherries and a few pineapple ring pieces with cherries where whole rings wouldn’t fit cooked into it in butter and sugar. It is served in a dark blue plate on a black surface. Not shown in the picture: it was delicious.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 30

A poem of mine - that was written many years ago before I ever published anything academic - appears in this anthology of writing from The Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine.

A white woman with short brown hair, tortoise and wire glasses and red lipstick holding a book with the title “where it hurts” with a drawing of a stethoscope on it

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 29

Me opening up the paper today: Great, No Kings covered on the front page above the fold! Me reading the article: [deep sigh]

Today’s New York Times paper copy showing four photos from the “No Kings” protest above the fold on the front page with an accompanying article

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 28

#NoKings in Cincinnati

A sign saying “no kings in the Queen City” held up against a blue sky and Cincinnati city hall

A little kid with a sign saying “protect kids and their health” and a bigger kid with a sign saying “freedom for all” standing in the street at a march

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 25

This wasn’t the most helpful text to get at 6pm for a 7:49pm flight. Luckily I was at the airport three hours early & yes I spent an hour of it in the TSA line despite pre check, which was cancelled/applied to all. Some ICE presence observed, neither helping nor (overtly) hindering the situation.

Text message received at 6pm saying: “As you prepare for your upcoming United flight, please be aware that longer lines and processing times are expected at the Newark Liberty
International Airport security screening.
We encourage you to arrive earlier than usual. You can help save time by checking in with the United app and packing your carry-on bag properly to assist with the screening process.
Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to welcoming you on board”

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 20

I got one in 2024 and when I showed up at a dem HQ in Cincinnati to help door nock prior to the election even people who worked for the campaign were jealous I had snagged a tshirt while they briefly existed.

A white woman with short brown hair wearing glasses, a Cincinnati red’s hat, gold nail polish, and a Sherrod brown tshirt taking a selfie in a mirror with patterned wallpaper behind her.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 19

I’ve heard from some even mildly online friends in Cincinnati that they don’t know the what/when/where of the next Cincinnati No Kings event. March 28 from 1-3pm starting and ending at City Hall.

No Kings March 28 1-3pm

When & Where?
1-1:45 Opening Speeches at City Hall
1:45 - 245pm March through Downtown and the Banks

2:45-3pm
Closing Speeches at City Hall

Stand up for Democracy.
Speak out against Fascism.
Push to Impeach. Convict. Remove.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 7

Stand in the rain to #StandUpForScience A little bad weather is nothing compared to cuts to science, erosion of healthcare, and the undermining of evidence based policy.

A big red banner that says “stand up for science” being held at a protest in a sidewalk

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 6

Looking up IUD contraceptive guidelines for a research project and it is *wild* to see an official CDC page with a notice from HHS that "This page does not reflect reality and therefore the Administration and this Department reject it."

a cdc.gov website for Intrauterine Contraception published Nov. 19th 2024 for healthcare providers with a box in yellow at the top of the page that states: "Per a court order, HHS is required to restore this website to its version as of 12:00 AM on January 29, 2025. Information on this page may be modified and/or removed in the future subject to the terms of the court's order and implemented consistent with applicable law. Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from truth. The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology due to the harms and divisiveness it causes. This page does not reflect reality and therefore the Administration and this Department reject it."

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 6

Tomorrow in Cincinnati with @standupforscience.bsky.social & @sufsohio.bsky.social rain or shine stop by with a pro-science sign and #StandUpForScience at the #TeslaTakedown

March 7th stand up for science at the Tesla Takedown along the sidewalks on 5235-5245 Ridge Ave Cincinnati from 11am to 1pm. Bring science and democracy signs and come ready to rally and wave.

Elizabeth Lanphier@ethicselizabeth· Mar 5

Proposals for the 2026 American Society for Bioethics & Humanities Meeting in Indianapolis are due Monday March 9th by 5pm CENTRAL. See below for submission info and a webinar/guide to submitting to this conference.