Home delivered, medically tailored groceries improve diabetes control

Kaiser Permanente

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PASADENA, Calif. (July 21, 2026)—A study from researchers at top US health insurance and medical services provider Kaiser Permanente, the Food is Medicine Institute at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and The George Institute for Global Health found medically tailored grocery deliveries improved blood sugar control among adults living with type 2 diabetes who have public health insurance, when compared with usual care. The findings show that integrating Food is Medicine approaches into clinical care can improve both diabetes outcomes and food and nutrition security for patients. The study is published in the journal Circulation. 

“This trial shows that food-based support can help patients with low incomes lower their blood sugar levels above and beyond the health care they receive. said the study’s lead author, Claudia Nau, PhD, a researcher with Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. “Our findings suggest that addressing access to healthy food can play a meaningful role in diabetes care for patients, particularly those facing economic and social barriers.” 

The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted within Kaiser Permanente Southern California to examine whether medically tailored grocery deliveries could improve blood sugar control among adults with type 2 diabetes. Researchers enrolled 460 Medicaid insured patients with persistently elevated blood sugar levels who were receiving care at 12 medical office buildings across Southern California. Participants were recruited between November 2021 and July 2022 and followed for six months. 

Participants were randomly assigned to receive usual care or one of two monthly amounts of medically tailored groceries (averaging about $135 or $175) paired with support, which included weekly home deliveries of healthy foods scaled to household size, culturally tailored recipes, and access to phone based nutrition counseling. Researchers compared changes in blood sugar and food related outcomes using electronic health records and participant surveys.  

Key findings include: 

• Participants who received medically tailored groceries had greater improvements in blood sugar than those receiving usual care, with an additional 0.40 point reduction in HbA1c over six months. 

• Among those who received groceries, the odds of food security increased by nearly 215 percent and nutrition security increased by 365 percent. 

• Blood sugar improvements were similar whether participants received the higher or lower level of medically tailored groceries. 

The findings add to the growing Food is Medicine literature by providing evidence in a randomized controlled trial that medically tailored grocery programs can improve both clinical outcomes and food related conditions that influence health. By focusing on a Medicaid insured population with persistently poor glycemic control, the study helps fill an evidence gap and supports the integration of food-based interventions into routine diabetes care. 

“These trial results further demonstrate that healthy food can be a powerful tool in treatment and management of chronic disease,” said senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School at Tufts. “Incorporating Food is Medicine programs, like medically tailored groceries, into Medicaid benefits recognizes nutrition as a fundamental component of health and can lead to better patient outcomes.”

“For too long nutrition has been an afterthought in healthcare, despite poor diets driving immense disease burden and healthcare costs globally - not just in the United States,” said Dr Jason Wu, Head of Nutrition Science at The George Institute for Global Health and a co-Principle Investigator for the trial. “Beyond informing local policies – such as those for health systems and payers designing Food is Medicine benefits – hopefully this study will also be a catalyst for policymakers to begin investing in, and testing similar programs worldwide.”

Funding/disclosures: Funding by Kaiser Permanente Community Health 
 

About Kaiser Permanente:

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.9 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org. 

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Journal

Circulation

Article Title

Effects of a “Food is Medicine” Intervention on Glucose Control among Medicaid-Insured Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Article Publication Date

21-Jul-2026

Availability of generic semaglutide removes barrier to affordable diabetes care, experts predict

Calculations in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology provide evidence of cost-effectiveness of therapies for patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiorenal risk

Elsevier

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July 22, 2026 – In a novel analysis examining the economic implications of generic semaglutide entering the Canadian market, researchers predict that the anticipated price reductions of up to 70% will dramatically increase both the cost-effectiveness and health system affordability of therapy options for patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiorenal risk. The new study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier, provides key evidence regarding reimbursement and formulary decisions.

Generic semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), has recently become available in Canada after regulatory exclusivity for semaglutide expired in Canada in January 2026—years earlier than expected in the US and countries in Europe. Patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiorenal risk are recommended to initiate a GLP-1RA and/or a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) according to Canadian and international guidelines.

The authors estimate that between 1.3 and 2.1 million people living in Canada may meet the Canadian Cardiovascular Society criteria for type 2 diabetes patients eligible to use GLP-1RAs or SGLT2is. The estimated annual cost of providing GLP-1RAs to all indicated patients would be $3.35 to $5.31 billion at pre-generic 2025 semaglutide prices. In Canada, these costs are typically paid by provincial or private drug insurance plans, but may be paid out-of-pocket when the drugs are not covered by a patient’s insurance plan.

“The high cost of brand-name versions of these GLP-1RAs has been a significant barrier to patients and provincial insurers. Anticipated price reductions from the introduction of generic semaglutide could substantially alter the health economic value of programs aimed at initiating SGLT2i and GLP-1RA therapies for patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiorenal risk,” says first author of the study Ethan McNally, BA, McGill University School of Population and Global Health.

Using a health economic microsimulation model to project lifetime costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the burden of cardiovascular and renal comorbidities for this high-risk patient group, the investigators examined how the cost-effectiveness of GLP-1RAs changes across a range of possible prices.

Key Economic Modeling Outcomes

Guided by the commonly used threshold of $50,000 per QALY in Canada, the most important findings are as follows:

• At a 60% reduction from the 2025 pre-generic semaglutide price paid by the Quebec provincial drug plan, combined GLP-1RA and SGLT2i therapy may become the preferred strategy for this guideline-indicated cohort of patients, compared to either therapy alone or other standard-of-care therapies.
• At a 70% price reduction, GLP-1RA is predicted to be cost-effective compared to non-SGLT2i standard-of-care therapies (cost-effectiveness ratio [CER] of $22,700). SGLT2i is still predicted to be preferred over GLP-1RA alone, but dual therapy is predicted to be more cost-effective than either option alone (CER of $31,700 for dual therapy vs. SGLT2i alone).

Given the rapid growth of GLP-1RA usage and their high costs, this analysis may provide evidence for reimbursement and formulary decisions. “Many provincial public drug plans limit GLP-1RA and SGLT2i reimbursement to patients who fail to meet glycemic targets. Multiple clinical guidelines now recommend these therapies for patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiorenal risk, regardless of blood sugar levels. Given that our findings suggest that generic pricing may be cost-effective, payers could explore adjusting reimbursement criteria,” notes lead investigator Abhinav Sharma, MD, PhD, DREAM-CV Lab, Research Institute, and Centre for Outcome Research & Evaluation, McGill University Health Centre.

These findings may generalize internationally, once generic semaglutide becomes available in other countries.

Co-lead investigator Alton Russell, PhD, McGill University School of Population and Global Health, and Centre for Outcome Research & Evaluation, McGill University Health Centre, concludes, “Our results are encouraging and provide further economic justification for the use of these therapies among appropriate patients with type 2 diabetes in Canada, which will significantly improve the quality of life, lower hospitalization costs, and ultimately protect patients from heart failure and kidney disease progression.”

 

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Journal

Canadian Journal of Cardiology

DOI

10.1016/j.cjca.2026.05.013 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Implications of Generic Semaglutide Availability on the Cost-Effectiveness of GLP-1RA for Guideline-Indicated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Article Publication Date

22-Jul-2026

First trial confirms swimming reduces disability from chronic back pain

New evidence that a swimming program improves function and pain in people with back pain validates a commonly recommended but not previously tested exercise

Macquarie University

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Australian research has shown for the first time that a program of swimming can be clinically effective in reducing disability from chronic low back pain. 

Published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the EduSwim clinical trial found an eight-week individualised program of swimming and education, guided by a physiotherapist, improved function and pain significantly more than education alone in people with back pain. 

“Swimming is commonly recommended as an exercise for people with chronic low back pain, but there was a complete lack of evidence about whether it actually works,” said lead researcher Deborah Wareham, a physiotherapist and PhD candidate in the Spinal Pain Research Centre at Macquarie University, Sydney. “We undertook this study because we felt there was an urgent need for research to determine if swimming was effective or not for chronic back pain,” said Ms Wareham. 

The researchers recruited 76 adults aged 26 to 74 (average 41 years) who were experiencing some disability due to low back pain lasting for at least 12 weeks and allocated them at random to one of two groups. One group received an eight-week individualised program of swimming and education, supported by four telehealth coaching sessions with a physiotherapist. “They weren’t regular swimmers, but they were able to swim 25 metres and feel confident in the water,” said Ms Wareham. 

The swimming programme was based on each participant’s current swimming ability and fitness, with a goal of achieving three sessions of 30-45 minutes by the end of the eight weeks. Education covered key concepts and messages including: ‘Pain does not always equal harm’; ‘The back is made for movement’; ‘Flare-ups are likely’; and ‘The best management is to keep moving’. 

Participants in the other (control) group had one to two sessions with a physiotherapist to learn the same key messages about back pain as the intervention group but otherwise continued their usual treatment and activity. 

After eight weeks, disability was significantly lower in the swimming group. 

“They improved by about 50 per cent from where they were before starting the program,” said Ms Wareham. “Compared to the control group who received education only, swimmers scored on average 2.5 points or 30 per cent lower on a widely used disability scale.” 

The benefit of swimming persisted at longer-term follow-up (at 26 and 52 weeks), although the difference between the groups reduced over time. Secondary outcomes – including pain intensity, functional limitation, pain self-efficacy and fear of movement – showed a similar pattern, being lower in the swimming group early in the program, but with the difference reducing over time. 

Best practice guidelines around the world recommend exercise and education as first-line treatments for chronic low back pain, but only some types of exercise (Pilates, for example) have been clinically evaluated, Ms Wareham noted. “In fact, the improvement we saw in our study compares favourably with effects reported for other exercise such as Pilates in a recent meta-analysis,” she said. 

“The argument for swimming in back pain is logical, but it was important to test this,” said Professor Mark Hancock, Co-Director of the Spinal Pain Research Centre and senior author of the study. “Swimming can improve range of motion, strength and general aerobic capacity and the buoyancy of water can help people engage with movements that might otherwise be painful or limited.” 

“Importantly, participants told us swimming built their confidence to start exercising and engage with other meaningful physical activities – some continued to swim after the program, while others transitioned to other forms of exercise,” said Professor Hancock. “Now we have the evidence to support the recommendation – swimming is a suitable exercise for people with back pain, and it helps.” 

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Journal

British Journal of Sports Medicine

DOI

10.1136/bjsports-2026-111730 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Effectiveness of an individualised swimming and education programme for chronic low back pain (EduSwim): a randomised controlled trial

Article Publication Date

21-Jul-2026

COI Statement

This research was supported by a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) Seeding Grant and an Australia & New Zealand Low Back Pain Research Network (ANZBACK) Seeding Grant. All authors were named investigators for these grants. NCP reports receiving salary support through a 3- year Macquarie University Lighthouse Fellowship (2026–2029). MH and CGM report that their travel costs have been paid to attend and present at conferences. MH and CGM hold a role on the ANZBACK executive committee. CGM reports holding several research grants and a research fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and multiple grants from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). He has also received grants from New South Wales Health, Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation, HCF Research Foundation, Arthritis Australia, the Australian Rheumatology Association and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He received the 2023 Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Research Medal and prize, paid into a hospital account to support research activities. He received a research grant from the São Paulo Research Foundation (2019–2023). He serves on the executive of three NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence–funded research collaborative networks (Wiser Healthcare; Australia and New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network; Australia and New Zealand Low Back Pain Research Network). JTF, NCP, MH, CGM and DMW are all members of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. JTF is a member of Exercise and Sports Science Australia.

 

New research sheds light on Texas hill country floods

Two papers published in AMS journals find that experimental models skillfully predict 2025’s disastrous Texas floods, and detail why flooding was so extreme near Camp Mystic.

American Meteorological Society

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Two companion papers in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society provide new insight into the causes and predictability of the 2025 Texas Hill Country floods, the deadliest flash flood event in the United States since 1976.

In 2025, catastrophic flash floods claimed at least 135 lives across the Texas Hill Country, including 119 in Kerr County. Among the victims were 28 people at Camp Mystic, including campers, counselors, and the camp's director. Since the disaster, researchers have extensively analyzed its meteorological causes, the performance of flood forecasts, and opportunities to reduce future flood risk. Two papers published this month provide new insights. The papers are available in "early online" format (they have passed peer review, but are not yet in their final published form).

Experimental models accurately forecast catastrophic Guadalupe River flooding

Read the paper: “WoFS-FLASH coupled forecasts for the July 2025 Texas Hill Country Flash Flood Disaster”

The precise location of heavy rainfall makes a major difference in areas like the Hill Country, where many different river basins are close together. National Weather Service models in operational use in July 2025 were able to highlight the potential for flash flooding, but researchers hope that ongoing advances in forecasting could someday help predict precipitation intensity and location far in advance for vulnerable places like Camp Mystic. 

Incorporating higher-resolution data may help account for the local atmospheric factors that determine when and where flash floods take place. To find out whether models still in development might have been able to provide a more precise and usable forecast, Jonathan Gourley and colleagues at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Severe Storms Laboratory and University of Oklahoma ran an experimental, fine-resolution configuration of the NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory’s “Warn on Forecast” system (WoFS) with model runs fed into the “FLASH” flood prediction system. They fed in data from the lead-up to 2025’s flood disaster. 

As the authors note, more than 50% of the model runs “would have yielded forecasts of extreme and record-breaking flows 5–7 [hours] in advance”—accuracy which, in an operational model, would have provided much greater lead time for places like Camp Mystic. This, the authors say, “provid[es] strong motivation to develop a coupled WoFS-FLASH for real-time application" which might help save lives in the future.

“The scientific community has recognized the need for forecasting improvements of extreme rainfall events,” says Gourley. “The system we evaluated shows the potential to improve information availability and accuracy in the watch-to-warning gap. With better information, users like National Weather Service forecasters and emergency managers will be able to anticipate the specific locations of impending flash flood threats with more lead time so they can respond and communicate more effectively.” 

Gourley adds that “NOAA is leading an effort called the Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge and a component of this project is improving flash flood prediction. Our model, WoFS-FLASH, will be advanced for eventual operational implementation. The project is just beginning, and our partners at CIWRO are already advertising new positions to join the team.”

A lingering storm, a vulnerable watershed, and simultaneous surges doomed Camp Mystic

Read the paper: “Hydrometeorological Analysis of the July 2025 Texas Hill Country Flash Flood Disaster”

Thomas Galarneau and colleagues at NOAA published an extensive analysis of the Hill Country disaster to analyze why flooding was so extreme in the area of Camp Mystic, and find that in addition to the large-scale atmospheric patterns and moisture, local atmospheric dynamics played a major role in the disaster.

A small-scale circulation pattern that moved into the Hill Country on July 3-4, 2025 fed off “an unusually deep plume of tropical moisture,” the authors write. 

“This circulation increased lift and wind shear in the environment enough to help organize the thunderstorm upstream of Camp Mystic into a rotating supercell,” says Galarneau. “The combination of [local] supercell dynamics and a tropical, moisture-rich environment was critical to producing the extreme rain rates and resulting flood waves. The storm generated more than 10 inches of rain in roughly three hours.”

Camp Mystic sat at the confluence of two rivers. Crucially, says Galarneau, “because [the storm] remained over the same watershed for several hours, flood waves from the South Fork of the Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek reached Camp Mystic at nearly the same time, greatly worsening the inundation.”

Galarneau adds: “This research highlights the importance of closely monitoring situations in which local surface boundaries and smaller-scale atmospheric circulations strengthen winds within a tropical, moisture-rich environment. Even when the broader environment wind shear appears only marginal, these local changes can support dangerous, slow-moving supercells capable of extreme rainfall. It is also important to recognize that small shifts in storm location can determine which watershed receives the heaviest rain and whether multiple flood waves converge on a vulnerable community, as occurred at Camp Mystic.”

More AMS resources on the Texas Hill Country Floods

Several sessions at the AMS 106th Annual Meeting in Houston in January 2026 discussed aspects of the Texas Hill Country Floods. You can watch recordings of these sessions at the links below.

• Joint Panel Discussion JPD9 - Kerr County, TX Flooding Discussion 

• Joint Session J11 - Kerr County, TX Flooding Discussion II 

• Session 5A - Extreme Precipitation V 
   

About the American Meteorological Society

The American Meteorological Society advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of around 12,000 professionals, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes 12 atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic science journals; hosts more than 12 conferences annually; and offers numerous programs and services. Visit us at www.ametsoc.org.

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Journal

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Birdsong and walks in the forest tied to significant mental health benefits

North Carolina State University

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A new study finds the sounds and sights of nature are associated with significant positive effects on mental health compared to loud, urban environments.

The study, by North Carolina State University researchers, compared the experience of hearing different types of sounds in natural and urban environments to determine their effects on the listeners’ emotions.

Study participants were asked to wear noise-cancelling headphones while sitting in either a reclaimed nature trail isolated from development or a busy urban area. The headphones would play either the sounds of traffic or birdsong, with both the location and soundtrack randomized for each participant to allow researchers to isolate the effects of both place and sound.

Participants were then asked to report changes in their levels of stress and how refreshed they felt after the experience, a metric called restorativeness. The effects of natural sights and sounds were immediately apparent, said Nils Peterson, a professor in the NC State College of Natural Resources and lead author of a paper on the study.

“For participants who were in a green space listening to the birds, there were significant effects. Positive emotions went up, negative emotions went down, stress went down, and perceptions of feeling restored went up more than any other combination,” Peterson said. “On the other hand, you had the complete opposite when participants in a gray, urban area listened to the sounds of cars, and more mixed reactions when the sounds and areas were mismatched.”

While the initial implication of these findings is that natural sounds and sights are good for mental health, Peterson said, they also show that urban environments might be made better by incorporating green spaces.

“When you have a really gray space that is going to stress people out and give them negative experiences, if you can change that space so that it has natural sounds, you can ameliorate the downsides of that gray space,” Peterson said. “In our research we have evidence for bird sounds, but there is also a lot of literature supporting the use of water sounds and other things in nature.”

The paper, “Both restored forest and birdsong promote psychological well-being,” is published in Environmental Conservation. Co-authors include Lincoln Larson, Trenton Ford, Payton DeMay, Faith Swartz, Jd Kluttz, Kushagra Meshram, Caitlin McDade, Hannah Desrochers, Aaron Hipp, Jackson Webb, Made Pratiwi, Eron Foy and Christian Burke of NC State.

-pitchford-

Note to editors: An abstract follows.

“Both restored forest and birdsong promote psychological well-being”

Published July 17, 2026 in Environmental Conservation

DOI: 10.1017/S0376892926100484

Authors: Nils Peterson, Lincoln Larson, Trenton Ford, Payton DeMay, Faith Swartz, Jd Kluttz, Kushagra Meshram, Caitlin McDade, Hannah Desrochers, Aaron Hipp, Jackson Webb, Made Pratiwi, Eron Foy and Christian Burke, NC State University.

Abstract: We contribute to research addressing links between forest restoration and human well-being with an experimental study testing how exposure to a restored forest and birdsong impact mental stress, positive and negative experiences, and perceived restorativeness. This study engaged 106 campus participants at NC State University in a 2×2 experiment to assess the impacts of soundscapes (i.e., traffic noise vs. birdsong) and a restored riparian forest (compared to proximate grey space). Soundscape and location were drivers of all well-being metrics (p < 0.001 for main effects in every case, with effect sizes ranging from η2 = 0.05 to 0.34). The restored forest with birdsong combination elicited the lowest stress, lowest negative experiences, highest positive experiences, and highest perceived restorativeness (p < 0.05). The grey space with traffic noise combination was always the least beneficial (p < 0.05), and mixed treatments yielded intermediate results. These results build evidence that exposure to restored forest reduces stress, increases well-being, and assists with perceived restorativeness; they also suggest birdsong soundscapes have additive beneficial effects. These findings support the value of ecological restoration in urban areas, particularly when landscape restoration is accompanied by restoration of bird communities.

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Journal

Environmental Conservation

DOI

10.1017/S0376892926100484 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Both restored forest and birdsong promote psychological well-being

Article Publication Date

17-Jul-2026

 

As US Supreme Court decisions grow sharper, study examines justices’ calculated concessions

By analyzing decades of opinions from 1946-2011, UMass Amherst political scientists uncover measurable pattern of strategic ‘appeasement’

University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Recent U.S. Supreme Court terms have seen justices openly accuse one another of rewriting statutes, ignoring precedent and substituting policy preferences for law. Whether in disputes over presidential immunity, administrative power, nationwide injunctions or transgender rights, justices have demonstrated that they aren’t afraid to challenge one another’s reasoning.

However, a new study from political scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggests those public clashes tell only part of the story.

Analyzing more than six decades of Supreme Court decisions, Donald Snyder, a doctoral candidate in political science, and Caitlyn Pierce, a recent doctoral graduate in political science, found that when justices write dissenting or concurring opinions, they frequently acknowledge the majority’s arguments. The research concludes these concessions don’t just represent collegiality but are strategic efforts to persuade colleagues and preserve influence within the court.

The study, published in American Politics Research, introduces a new measure of what the authors call “appeasement”—the extent to which justices express agreement with certain aspects of the majority opinion while ultimately disagreeing with its conclusion. Using a legal-domain artificial intelligence model trained on nearly 9,000 split decisions issued by the high court from 1946 through 2011, the researchers quantified a judicial behavior that previously had been difficult to measure.

“Our measure is unique in that we’re not just looking at how harsh justices’ language is, but how they change their language over time,” Pierce says. “There’s this underlying psychological element that shows they can be quite strategic.”

Justices closer to the ideological center were significantly more likely to use conciliatory language than their more ideologically extreme colleagues. Appeasement also increased as majority coalitions became larger and more ideologically diverse, suggesting that judicial rhetoric is shaped not just by legal philosophy but also by the practical demands of persuading other justices.

“One benefit of a measure like appeasement is that higher levels could serve as a potential signal that a justice may be more sensitive to the opinions of their peers and perhaps even open to ideological change,” Snyder observes.

Appeasement levels may also offer clues about which justices will emerge as consensus builders. This is especially relevant as court watchers scrutinize potential swing justices and alliances that could shape future decisions.

Though the study period doesn’t extend to the present-day court due to limitations in the dataset, Pierce says she expects future research to examine whether the appeasement pattern has shifted as the court has become more ideologically polarized.

“If I had to make an educated guess, I would assume that it has changed, and we’ve probably seen appeasement drop,” she says, while adding that some justices still appear to be using conciliatory language to preserve working relationships.

Pierce says the study’s contributions extend beyond the bench. She argues the appeasement measure could help researchers analyze congressional debate, executive branch communications and other forms of political speech in which persuasion often hinges on balancing agreement and disagreement.

The findings also suggest that the sharp exchanges dominating the headlines fail to present a complete picture of how the court functions. Even with deep ideological divisions, justices are colleagues who must continue working together long after a single opinion is handed down.

That long view, Pierce says, helps explain why even strongly worded dissents often contain carefully chosen concessions.

“You don’t want to burn every bridge that you cross, because eventually you might need to go back,” she adds.

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Journal

American Politics Research

DOI

10.1177/1532673X261462118 

Article Title

Measuring Judicial Appeasement of the United States Supreme Court

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2026