@grrlscientist Thanks for posting this; I just read this article elsewhere and was coming to post it myself.

One of the bad bits is that Johnson seems to have gotten NO answer as to just why he was DOGE-died.

It could (and likely will) happen to any of us. Johnson was fortunate that there was still a somewhat functioning Social Security office near him, and that he could get there himself to argue his case that he was alive (imagine trying to do that on the phone or thru email or chat!!).