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Mike Anestis, PhD

@mikeanestis

Executive Director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center Professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health Author of Guns and Suicide: An American Epidemic Diehard Pittsburgh sports fan

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03.12.2024
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Latest posts by Mike Anestis, PhD @mikeanestis

I have a t shirt of that meme!

28.02.2026 02:14 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Jack and Diane but most of the lyrics are "suckin' on a chili dog"
Jack and Diane but most of the lyrics are "suckin' on a chili dog" YouTube video by Tom McGovern

Show them this and maybe they’ll understand what’s at stake:

youtu.be/6QX57aIDbDU?...

28.02.2026 01:46 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Ghost Guns Are Linked to an Increase in Suicide Rates People who attempt suicide, nine out of 10 times, will survive β€” if they don’t use a gun. But suicide attempts with a firearm are almost always fatal: nine in 10 attempts end in death.Β  For years,…

β€œGhost guns are not just a law enforcement problem, they are a public health problem... [They] can be acquired without background checks or waiting periods... which makes them particularly consequential for individuals seeking means for self-harm.”

17.02.2026 17:55 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Changes in firearm intentions and behaviors after the 2024 United States presidential election - Injury Epidemiology Background Firearm purchasing patterns, intentions, and behaviors change over time in response to specific events. Additionally, the nature of these changes may be evolving over time or differ dependi...

Yup. Lines up with our recent data on shifts in firearm intentions post-election. Fear is driving lots of communities to arm themselves and carry, which in turn is putting them at risk, including from the federal government. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

09.02.2026 22:20 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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After Trump's Cuts, Who's Going to Fund Gun Violence Prevention? Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?

Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?

03.02.2026 21:38 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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After Trump's Cuts, Who's Going to Fund Gun Violence Prevention? Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?

www.thetrace.org/2026/02/gun-...

The Trace explains the impact of the federal government denying funds to gun violence prevention science and the various efforts being made to push back.

04.02.2026 01:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Jose Lind managed their independent baseball team back in the day!

30.01.2026 20:51 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Congrats!!!

24.01.2026 23:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump Has Slashed Federal Funding for Gun Violence Prevention. But How Much Exactly? For a new analysis, The Trace catalogued how many grants were canceled or redirected during Trump’s first year in office.

For a new analysis, The Trace catalogued how many grants related to gun violence prevention were canceled or redirected during Trump’s first year in office.

21.01.2026 13:48 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Means safety is by far our most powerful suicide prevention tool and this is a great example.

20.01.2026 23:50 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Suicides Were Frequent at the Golden Gate Bridge. Not Anymore. For decades, there had been an average of 30 each year. With a new deterrent in place, there were none in the second half of 2025.

For decades, there had been an average of 30 suicides at the The Golden Gate Bridge each year. With a new miles-long series of stainless-steel nets now strung on both sides of the bridge, there were none in the second half of 2025.

20.01.2026 23:00 πŸ‘ 134 πŸ” 20 πŸ’¬ 16 πŸ“Œ 5

Another great piece by the Trace. Cathy’s work is so important!

20.01.2026 21:00 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Video Analysis of ICE Shooting Sheds Light on Contested Moments

Important work here from the NYT. Ross wasn’t run over. He dropped his cell phone, which he had shifted to his left hand to draw his weapon. And then he shot and killed a person with the gun in his right hand.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/v...

16.01.2026 23:22 πŸ‘ 2675 πŸ” 1137 πŸ’¬ 92 πŸ“Œ 40

🚨Call your lawmakers by THURSDAY!

Lawmakers are negotiating the final FY26 funding levels for the CDC Injury Center right now! Injuries are the leading cause of death under age 45. Don’t let this key public health infrastructure be destroyed.

www.safestates.org/page/Advocac...

15.01.2026 01:04 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services. The cuts could total as much as $2 billion.

The US government is trying to diversity their methods for killing the residents of this country. I’ve heard from several people about clinics + programs that will immediately shut down, leaving their communities w/o appropriate mental healthcare resources. There’s no rationale for supporting this.

14.01.2026 19:20 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

Just beyond disgusting at this point. Violent ignorance causing as much harm as possible.

14.01.2026 18:26 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The federal government is staffed by ghouls.

14.01.2026 18:24 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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a baseball player wearing a pittsburgh jersey is smiling in a dugout . ALT: a baseball player wearing a pittsburgh jersey is smiling in a dugout .

It’s that time of year again…

13.01.2026 04:22 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I’m starting to think the Steelers β€œlet’s just never have an offense” strategy might not be our path to the promised land.

13.01.2026 04:03 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

NIH and CDC won’t be issuing RFPs for gun violence research. Glad to see some of the cuts being reversed, but the federal government is still working to silence an entire field of research.

10.01.2026 22:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

With a cap and floor system where the floor is close to the cap, the deadline would work because teams have to spend their money, so the pressure to make deals is spread across team and player. In the current system, I’d love to watch it but yeah it would definitely give teams all the leverage.

10.01.2026 15:51 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Standing with Minneapolis today. We lived very close to where the tragedy unfolded today and we cherished that diverse welcoming community. These are distressing and shameful times and I’m so tired of seeing the various chapters of our lives touched by hatred and violence.

08.01.2026 00:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Camden, NJ had 12 murders in 2025 (welcomed progress from its 17 in '24). Yet, it still had the highest homicide rate per 100k (16.7) out of the top 4 most violent "major-urban" cities in NJ last year. Trenton was close behind (15.4), followed by Paterson (10.0) and Newark (9.8).

06.01.2026 15:20 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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RGVRC Member Highlight: Allison Bond | Rockefeller Institute of Government Allison Bond sees her studies into gun violence as essential to suicide prevention, using research and clear communication to turn evidence into life-saving impact.

"I moved into studying gun violence because firearms account for ~50% of suicide deaths, & suicide accounts for ~60% of gun deaths, & we really can’t talk about preventing suicide w/o talking about preventing GV."

Our latest RGVRC Member Highlight: Allison E. Bond
rockinst.org/blog/rgvrc-m...

05.01.2026 18:55 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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a man with a red beard is standing next to a stuffed gnome in front of a building . ALT: a man with a red beard is standing next to a stuffed gnome in front of a building .

Come in and know me better, man!

24.12.2025 22:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Firearm owners at highest risk for suicideβ€”older men, racial minoritiesβ€”rarely seek mental health care. Outreach, counseling, and lethal means interventions must go beyond traditional mental health settings.

What are some ways you try to reach community members where they’re at?

22.12.2025 15:52 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This year has been a turbulent one for academia as a whole, and gun violence research was no exception. But insights about the crisis continued to emerge. Here are some of the most important things researchers learned in 2025: thetr.ac/LVQta

21.12.2025 20:44 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How Can I Help? Supporting Victims and Survivors of the Recent Mass Shootings | Rockefeller Institute of Government One of the most effective methods for supporting survivors of mass shootings is recognizing and acknowledging their lived experiences, writes Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium Executive Direct...

One of the most effective methods for supporting survivors of mass shootings is recognizing and acknowledging their lived experiences, writes RGVRC Executive Director Jaclyn Schildkraut in a blog that poses the question, "How can I help?"
rockinst.org/blog/how-can...

16.12.2025 18:15 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Could Philly's $2 Billion Bet on Housing Help Reduce Gun Violence? Research has found that fixing up abandoned homes can make a city safer. The H.O.M.E Plan calls for building and rehabbing 30,000 homes in four years.

Philadelphia is creating a housing plan to build and rehab 30,000 homes over the next four years. Officials and residents hope the initiative will alleviate the city’s long-standing problem of housing affordability β€” and drive down violent crime.

16.12.2025 20:33 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Don’t want to hear about thoughts and prayers. There’s much more that can be done to prevent tragedies like what happened at Brown today.

14.12.2025 00:42 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0