Ellen Weiss
Washington, D.C.
Former News Exec at EW Scripps and NPR, runner, tennis player, hiker. Smith grad, Scarsdale High School, mom of two.
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Articles by Ellen Weiss
The Prescription Drug Playbook (Full Version)
While we’re busy working on some big projects this summer, we’re re-releasing some of our most ambitious and useful reporting to date. Last year, we set out on a mission: Collect all the best advice about what to do when your prescription drugs cost more than you can afford. Our listeners wrote to us about their experiences getting around this most demoralizing — and distinctly American — problem in order to get the medicine they need.
NYT’s Ron Lieber: ‘These people are not going to win.'
Thirty-six hours before his wife was scheduled for a major surgery, New York Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber got a letter in the mail that sent him reeling. Insurance was denying prior authorization for the surgery. The only way forward would be to appeal the decision. But it was Saturday night, and the surgery was Monday morning. There wouldn’t be any time. Should they even go to the hospital?
Some more things that didn’t suck in 2025
Hey, first! If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work. We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Donate here. We’re back for another look at things that – believe it or not – did NOT suck in 2025. Specifically: new state laws from around the country aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering.
How to pick health insurance - in the worst year ever
Hey, first! If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work: This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one. We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Donate here — and get your money matched two-for-one. It’s probably fair to say: this is the worst year ever for picking health insurance. Premiums are skyrocketing – whether you get insurance through work or from the Obamacare marketplace.
Some things that didn’t suck in 2025 (really)
Hey, first! If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work: This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one. We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Head to https://armandalegshow.com/support/ to donate — and get your money matched two-for-one. This statement might shock you: some actual good things happened in 2025. Or, at least things that did not totally suck.
Will we be able to afford insurance in 2026?
For the first time, our senior producer, Emily, has to sign up for Obamacare. And it turns out, it’s one heck of a year to do that. A recent headline from KFF Health News reads: “Insurers and customers brace for double whammy to Obamacare premiums.” We break down what those “whammies” might mean in dollars and cents for Emily and the millions of others signing up for Obamacare in 2026.
Trailer: The Prescription Drug Playbook
Too many of us get sticker shock when we go to pick up our meds. We asked our listeners how they get by in this situation, and we learned dozens of tips. And in this two-part series, we’re sharing those strategies — including some advice from experts.
Winning a two-year fight over a bogus bill
A few months ago, we got a note from a listener named Meagan, who wanted to thank us. She said the stories she heard on this show had given her the advice and encouragement she needed to finally win a fight against a medical bill she didn’t owe — a battle she’d been waging for more than two years. As Meagan tells us, those two years were filled with wild twists and turns and a lot of disappointment.
A medical-debt watchdog gets sidelined by the new administration
A federal agency called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — CFPB for short — has taken big steps to help people with medical debt. In early February, the Trump administration moved to effectively shutter the agency. We talked with credit counselor Lara Ceccarelli about how the CFPB has helped clients at the nonprofit where she works, and how she’s navigating the sudden change.
Big news: Our ‘First Aid Kit’ newsletter is now weekly
Hey – real quick: some big news from the team at An Arm and a Leg. Our First Aid Kit newsletter is going weekly! First Aid Kit brings you advice from our show and more on how to survive and navigate America’s health care system. And allow us to introduce First Aid Kit’s new writer, Claire Davenport. When she was our intern last summer, she reviewed An Arm and a Leg’s entire catalog of episodes, and took notes along the way.
How do you deal with wild drug prices?
We’re kicking off a new reporting project about how much we pay for our medicine — and what we can maybe do about it — and we want to hear your stories. Because: Getting a case of sticker shock with a prescription happens all the time. So we’re asking: What have you done — or tried to do — to get the medicines you need at prices you can afford? And what did you learn that might be useful for other people to know? Maybe you learned a strategy that actually WORKED for you.
The ‘Shkreli Awards’ - for dysfunction and profiteering in health care
You remember a guy named Martin Shkreli? If his name rings a bell, it’s probably because back in 2015, he jacked up the price of an old drug — from around $13 a pill to $750. The media dubbed him “the pharma bro,” and he became a symbol of brazen pharmaceutical greed. Now, he’s the namesake for the Shkreli Awards — a kind of Oscars for the most outrageous examples of greed, fraud, and general brokenness in American health care.
KUOW - An Arm and Leg
An Arm and a Leg is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it. If you’ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you’re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting — you’re not always helpless. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart.
Galaxy Quest
"A chillingly realistic documentary." Released in 1999, Galaxy Quest is an Affectionate Parody of the Star Trek franchise, and to a lesser extent of acting and fandom. The film was directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. In 1982, Galaxy Quest, a series very much like Star Trek: The Original Series, was cancelled. Eighteen years later, its washed-up stars are fixtures at Fan Conventions, though most of them despise the show, its fans, and each other.
Paul Revere Williams: An Architect of Firsts
The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR. Zsa Zsa Gabor. Frank Sinatra. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. All names that harken back to the glamor and glitz of Old Hollywood. They’re also names that harken back to the career of architect Paul Revere Williams, who designed homes for them and many others in Hollywood.
Landesa: Empowering Women Through Land Rights
Landesa: Empowering Women Through Land Rights By Ellen Weiss, Transformation Partnerships Writer Imagine a world where women have equal footing. A world where the power offered by secure rights to land is shared by women and men. A world where that power is used to strengthen the livelihoods of women, their families, and their communities. This vision propels Landesa’s work with local, grassroots organizations in more than 50 countries.
Opinie | Lichtgewicht
Mijn ruim veertig jaar oude naaimachine is zwaar. Ik besluit een nieuwe te kopen. Bij een bekende winkelketen bestel ik een ‘lichtgewicht’ naaimachine. Deze zal twee dagen later thuis worden bezorgd. Na vijf dagen bel ik de klantenservice om te vragen waar de machine blijft. Een vriendelijke mevrouw zegt dat-ie binnen 24 uur per fietskoerier wordt gebracht. Na weer een paar dagen wachten bel ik opnieuw. Wat blijkt: men is op zoek naar een sterke man voor de bezorging.
Grk7 but not Grk1 undergoes cAMP-dependent phosphorylation in zebrafish cone photoreceptors and mediates cone photoresponse recovery to elevated cAMP
Grk1 phosphorylation could also be sterically hindered in cones but not rods. Aside from its activity towards light-activated opsin, the most widely studied interaction with Grk1 has been with recoverin. When intracellular Ca2+ levels are high, extrusion of a myristoyl switch from recoverin exposes a hydrophobic pocket that binds to the first 25 amino acids of Grk1 and blocks the interaction of the kinase with light-activated opsin ( 13 Ames J.B. Tanaka T. Ikura M. Stryer L.
House members exempt from ethics training
Should I laugh or should I cry? It’s not just the title of a 1981 song by ABBA – it’s how you sometimes feel when something is either so absurd or so maddening or so something that you’re just not sure how to react. We here at DecodeDC think politics and the actions of those who play in the political arena are filled with laugh or cry moments. We hope you do too.
Washington Furies Rugby Club For Women In Washington, D.C. : NPR
Members of the Washington, D.C. Women's Rugby Football Club are lawyers, doctors, students and mothers: women who are serious about the game of rugby. This story originally aired on All Things Considered on October 29, 1983. The digital preservation of this audio has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Scientists couple magnetization to superconductivity for quantum discoveries
By JARED SAGOFF DUPAGE COUNTY, IL—Researchers at Argonne have demonstrated an on-chip quantum circuit and realized strong coupling between a superconducting resonator and a magnetic device. The results introduce a new platform for investigating on-chip quantum magnonics and quantum information processing. Researchers at Argonne have demonstrated an on-chip quantum circuit and realized strong coupling between a superconducting resonator and a magnetic device.
How presidents and Congress wage war may be shifting
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the power to use military force against certain enemies has rested with the president. The Authorization of Military Force granted President George W. Bush the authority to target “nations, organizations or persons” who “aided” in the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.“When I voted in 2001 to authorize military force against the perpetrators of the Sept.
How presidents and Congress wage war may be shifting
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the power to use military force against certain enemies has rested with the president. The Authorization of Military Force granted President George W. Bush the authority to target “nations, organizations or persons” who “aided” in the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.“When I voted in 2001 to authorize military force against the perpetrators of the Sept.
Was that a hate crime or a terrorist attack?
WASHINGTON, D.C. - When a man in a van plowed into pedestrians near a mosque in London early Monday, authorities quickly declared they were treating it as a possible act of terrorism.When James T. Hodgkinson shot five people at a Republican baseball practice Wednesday, was that also an act of terrorism because of the shooter’s anger toward President Trump and the GOP? Or, was it a hate crime? “Terrorism” has become a highly politicized word.
Repairing the nation’s infrastructure will take vision
There are some things that Democrats and Republicans agree on and fixing our nation’s infrastructure is one of them. It’s falling apart, it’s obsolete and it’s old.Among the nation's most urgent needs: Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's own Brent Spence Bridge, which carries Interstates 71 and 75 over the Ohio River.
Trump’s love-hate relationship with Comey
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump has had a love-hate relationship with now former FBI Director James Comey. Before he fired Comey on Tuesday, Trump had criticized and praised the FBI and its director for how it handled the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.July 5, 2016: "FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow! #RiggedSystem," Trump tweeted after Comey announced that Clinton wouldn't face charges.
Trump’s love-hate relationship with Comey
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump has had a love-hate relationship with now former FBI Director James Comey. Before he fired Comey on Tuesday, Trump had criticized and praised the FBI and its director for how it handled the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.July 5, 2016: "FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow! #RiggedSystem," Trump tweeted after Comey announced that Clinton wouldn't face charges.
Trump’s love-hate relationship with Comey
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump has had a love-hate relationship with now former FBI Director James Comey. Before he fired Comey on Tuesday, Trump had criticized and praised the FBI and its director for how it handled the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.July 5, 2016: "FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow! #RiggedSystem," Trump tweeted after Comey announced that Clinton wouldn't face charges.
While some in DC support Comey's firing, some Democrats draw Watergate comparison
Reaction to Mr. Comey’s surprising firing was swift. President Trump’s critics said it showed the need for an independent investigation. His supporters were more mixed.Here’s a sampling.DEMOCRATS• Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois condemned the firing. “Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I. investigation would raise grave constitutional issues,” he said.
While some in DC support Comey's firing, some Democrats draw Watergate comparison
Reaction to Mr. Comey’s surprising firing was swift. President Trump’s critics said it showed the need for an independent investigation. His supporters were more mixed.Here’s a sampling.DEMOCRATS• Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois condemned the firing. “Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I. investigation would raise grave constitutional issues,” he said.
While some in DC support Comey's firing, some Democrats draw Watergate comparison
Reaction to Mr. Comey’s surprising firing was swift. President Trump’s critics said it showed the need for an independent investigation. His supporters were more mixed.Here’s a sampling.DEMOCRATS• Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois condemned the firing. “Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I. investigation would raise grave constitutional issues,” he said.
The man behind the leak Of Trump's tax returns
David Cay Johnston is the reporter who received what appears to be the first two pages of Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns and shared them on “The Rachel Maddow” show Tuesday night.Johnston, the editor and founder of dcreport.org, said he received Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2005 in the mail a few days ago.
The man behind the leak Of Trump's tax returns
David Cay Johnston is the reporter who received what appears to be the first two pages of Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns and shared them on “The Rachel Maddow” show Tuesday night.Johnston, the editor and founder of dcreport.org, said he received Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2005 in the mail a few days ago.
The man behind the leak Of Trump's tax returns
David Cay Johnston is the reporter who received what appears to be the first two pages of Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns and shared them on “The Rachel Maddow” show Tuesday night.Johnston, the editor and founder of dcreport.org, said he received Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2005 in the mail a few days ago.
The man behind the leak Of Trump's tax returns
David Cay Johnston is the reporter who received what appears to be the first two pages of Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns and shared them on “The Rachel Maddow” show Tuesday night.Johnston, the editor and founder of dcreport.org, said he received Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2005 in the mail a few days ago.
VA hospital whistleblowers still have unresolved questions; hear from them on podcast
Questions about the quality of care and problems at Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country will be the focus of this week’s "Reveal," a national investigative public radio program produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting.LISTEN: Reveal podcast by the Center for Investigative Reporting For almost a year, a team of reporters from WCPO and the Scripps Washington bureau have been speaking to more than three dozen whistleblowers, made up of former and current staff at the...
VA hospital whistleblowers still have unresolved questions; hear from them on podcast
Questions about the quality of care and problems at Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country will be the focus of this week’s "Reveal," a national investigative public radio program produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting.LISTEN: Reveal podcast by the Center for Investigative Reporting For almost a year, a team of reporters from WCPO and the Scripps Washington bureau have been speaking to more than three dozen whistleblowers, made up of former and current staff at the...
Cincinnati VA investigation is focus of public radio program Reveal
Questions about the quality of care for veterans at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center -- as well as problems facing VA hospitals around the country -- was recently the focus of Reveal, a national investigative public radio program produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting.The entire podcast episode will air on WVXU Sept.
N.Y. attorney general investigating Trump foundation
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has opened an investigation into the Donald J. Trump Foundation “to make sure it’s complying with the laws governing charities in New York," according to Politico.Recently, The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under growing media scrutiny for misreporting about and using its money in questionable ways. “My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of nonprofits in New York state.
N.Y. attorney general investigating Trump foundation
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has opened an investigation into the Donald J. Trump Foundation “to make sure it’s complying with the laws governing charities in New York," according to Politico.Recently, The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under growing media scrutiny for misreporting about and using its money in questionable ways. “My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of nonprofits in New York state.
N.Y. attorney general investigating Trump foundation
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has opened an investigation into the Donald J. Trump Foundation “to make sure it’s complying with the laws governing charities in New York," according to Politico.Recently, The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under growing media scrutiny for misreporting about and using its money in questionable ways. “My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of nonprofits in New York state.
N.Y. attorney general investigating Trump foundation
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has opened an investigation into the Donald J. Trump Foundation “to make sure it’s complying with the laws governing charities in New York," according to Politico.Recently, The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under growing media scrutiny for misreporting about and using its money in questionable ways. “My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of nonprofits in New York state.
Are you an undecided voter?
After more than a year of campaigning and debates and constant political coverage on every screen and front page, you may be wondering, what more does a voter need to make a decision? Depending on which poll you read, there are still about 7% of voters who have not yet made up their minds. According to pollster Frank Luntz, “They deeply dislike Donald Trump, and they deeply dislike Hillary Clinton.” And in a close election, these voters could decide the result.
Are you an undecided voter?
After more than a year of campaigning and debates and constant political coverage on every screen and front page, you may be wondering, what more does a voter need to make a decision? Depending on which poll you read, there are still about 7% of voters who have not yet made up their minds. According to pollster Frank Luntz, “They deeply dislike Donald Trump, and they deeply dislike Hillary Clinton.” And in a close election, these voters could decide the result.
Introducing TrailMix 2016, a new politics podcast
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The election year is finally here and we’re launching a podcast to help you survive it. TrailMix 2016 is a weekly conversation about the state of the campaign from the generation that will define the future.
Meet Jimmy Williams: DecodeDC’s New Host
Jimmy gets some podcasting advice from the pros, including Alex Blumberg, Matt Lewis, Sarah Stewart Holland, Beth Silvers and Adam Davidson. Jimmy Williams has spent 23 years preparing to host DecodeDC. He is a veteran of Washington, DC’s political scene, engaging in nearly every facet of American politics. Jimmy Williams has spent 23 years preparing to host DecodeDC. He is a veteran of Washington, DC’s political scene, engaging in nearly every facet of American politics.
Support for same-sex marriage has grown steadily
Not so long ago, opposition to same-sex marriage was the norm. For example, when the Gallup polling agency first asked Americans about same-sex marriage in 1996, 68 percent were opposed to recognizing marriage between two men or two women, with slightly more than a quarter, 27 percent, supporting it.Since then, the shift in favor of recognizing same-sex marriage has been steadily growing.
The Changing Face of Marriage: Looking ahead to the same-sex cases before the Supreme Court
WASHINGTON -- How should we think about the institution of marriage?It’s a question many Americans are asking themselves as the debate over legalizing and recognizing same-sex marriages intensifies.For people on all sides of the issue, this month marks an important turning point as the Supreme Court is set to consider cases from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan challenging a ban on same-sex marriage.In “The Changing Face of Marriage,” WCPO 9 On Your Side and DecodeDC will co-host an...
U.S., Russia and Ukraine: A web of complexity
It isn’t every day that Democrats and Republicans are on the same side of anything, so it may come as a surprise that the nation of Ukraine has not only brought them together, but brought them together in opposition to the White House. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle feel the United States should send lethal weapons to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The White House does not.
U.S., Russia and Ukraine: A web of complexity
It isn’t every day that Democrats and Republicans are on the same side of anything, so it may come as a surprise that the nation of Ukraine has not only brought them together, but brought them together in opposition to the White House. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle feel the United States should send lethal weapons to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The White House does not.
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