Boise doesn't have to "fly" the Pride flag

Two weeks ago Lisa Needham of Daily Kos reported that Mark Zuckerberg, well, the social media industry, lost two lawsuits. This was in the news a lot so likely this is old news to you. The general complaint of one suits is the design of social media platforms – not the content on the platforms – is what is addictive to preteens. In addition, the platform designers knew that the design is addictive and that is why they chose that design. Both cases prove the companies want maximum profit even if what they do is dangerous to children. In the first suit the woman who brought it was awarded $6 million. In the second, the state of New Mexico was awarded $375 million. A large number of other suits around the country have been waiting for the results of this one. Also two weeks ago Shawn510 of the Kos community discussed an article by Paul Krugman. Krugman’s basic point is that immigration to the US has collapsed and it’s not because of policy, but because of fear. It may be spun as political success, but is actually economic sabotage. The US service industry – hotels, ride shares, landscaping, etc. runs on immigrant labor. In hospitality 31% of workers are immigrants. In agriculture it’s over half. In construction it’s over 30%. This is the backbone of daily life. These workers also pay taxes and support Social Security. When the workforce shrinks, economies shrink. Immigration is about the only thing working against that. We’re sending the message the US isn’t a place of opportunity, but of risk. Workers, students – talent – goes elsewhere. That shift doesn’t reverse easily. We’re not protecting the country, we’re hollowing it out. This is not something the public is asking for. A couple days ago Lisa Needham of Kos reported that the Justice Department is on its way to becoming a ghost town. Because the nasty guy wants it as a tool of vengeance only true believers and new, inexperienced attorneys are still around. The usual stacks of applications aren’t coming in. A lot of Judge Advocate Generals are being called in as replacements. Yes, JAGs are military lawyers who don’t know so much about civilian law. Yes, this is legal, though has never been done on this scale. Having JAGs work on Justice Department cases has an advantage. Because they’re military, they can’t quit. They also can’t refuse to do the nasty guy’s building. But shortages and inexperience means cases get dropped, such as when a defendant demands a speedy trial, which comes with a deadline.

Turns out that when you fire tons of people and demand that the remainder act unethically, you end up short-staffed. Who knew?

Down in the comments of today’s pundit roundup for Kos are a couple cartoons worth mentioning. The first is by Stephen Lillie. It shows a scene similar to the end of the movie Planet of the Apes, though this time those encountering the scene are the Artemis II astronauts and the statue looks like the nasty guy. The astronauts say, “Oh my God, we’re back!” The other cartoon is by Daniel Boris. He shows Putin saying to his smiling generals, “Now we just sit back and let Trump be Trump.” Haadiya Tariq of the Idaho Press reported the Idaho state legislature wrapped up its session last week and included several anti-LGBTQ bills. One demanded that the Pride flag could not be flown on city or county property. Another would require health care providers and schools report children that express interest in gender transition. The Boise City Hall at first kept their Pride flags flying because the bill didn’t include any enforcement mechanism. The legislature quickly changed that. But the city wanted to tell its gay citizens are still welcome. So instead of “flying” the Pride flag they wrapped the flag around the flagpoles. Pictures at the link. There is also a rainbow that clings to windows with the words, “Creating a city for everyone,” that appeared en many city hall windows. And a heart shaped rainbow sticker has appeared in many storefronts. Boise? Cool!

Not Trump or Musk tariffs. REPUBLICAN tariffs.

I’ve never been inside a Hooters restaurant, though a story I found suggests I might have missed out. Peter Rothpletz wrote about his first time at Hooters when he was perhaps 15. I found his article in Pressreader, though I think it was originally in the Hamilton Spectator. Rothpletz was taken to Hooters by his grandfather. By that age he and likely is family could tell he was different, though he didn’t have words for the difference. When Grandfather went to the restroom his waitress slid into the booth and told him, “You’re perfect just the way you are, kid.” Following the news that Hooters is considering bankruptcy Rothpletz told this story. He was amazed at the number of gay men who told him about being taken to Hooters in what seemed to be, as he calls it, “Conversion therapy with a side of ranch.” But, much to the relief of the teens, the waitresses could see their discomfort and didn’t play along. Instead, they offered words of assurance. Hooters, known for how little their waitresses wore, became their gay safe space. Waitresses recognized when the men brought in boys that didn’t match the man’s version of macho. They would welcome the boys and tried to help them feel they were in on the joke. Perhaps these women – frequently stigmatized – see a kindred spirit in these gay boys. My dad would never have taken or gone with me to Hooters. Then again Hooters didn’t exist during my childhood. Alex Samuels of Daily Kos wrote about the effect of the stock market dive on billionaires, especially those that are cozying up to the nasty guy. Jeff Bezos worth down $15.9 billion, Mark Zuckerberg lost $17.9 billion, about 9% of his wealth. Musk lost $11 billion just on Thursday and $110 for the year. And the 500 richest, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, together lost $208 billion. Samuels wrote:

Of course, everyday Americans are feeling the pain too, or they will be soon. On Thursday, analysts at JPMorgan raised their forecast for a recession within the next year from 40% to a jaw-dropping 60%, The Wall Street Journal reported. A recession usually leads to a high unemployment rate, and if one happens, it almost surely won’t lead to these CEOs losing their jobs. Or their homes. Still, Trump doesn’t care how the little guy fares—but maybe, just maybe, he’ll snap out of it once he sees how hard his policies are hitting his friends.

In a pundit roundup for Kos Greg Dworkin quoted Reed Galen of The Home Front:

These are REPUBLICAN tariffs. Not Trump tariffs. Not Musk tariffs. REPUBLICAN tariffs. A lot has been made of the Democratic Party’s declining popularity with Americans. We should remember that the GOP clocks in at about 36% approval. Two-thirds of the country doesn’t like them, either. Further, in the targeted messaging we need, utilizing Trump’s name and likeness only gives Republican politicians and voters a huge wall behind which to hide. There are many who will support what’s happening simply because Trump is the leader. Many Members of Congress are happy to let Trump take the heat so long as it passes them by. Don’t give them that option.

Greg Sargent of The New Republic wrote about Obama demonstrating how Democrats can move forward:

“People tend to think, eh, democracy, rule of law, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press—that’s all abstract stuff because it’s not affecting the price of eggs,” Obama said. “Well, you know what? It’s about to affect the price of eggs.”

In the comments are a lot of cartoons featuring penguins, in recognition of tariffs being put on Heard and McDonald Island. Like this one from Toonerman:

First penguin: The BBC says we’re getting tariffs! Second penguin: Never had em; are they like cod?

A tweet by David Frum, in response to a Reuters tweet that says, “IRS starts laying off 20,000 workers, eliminates civil rights office.”

The Trump tariffs incentivize smuggling. The Trump IRS layoffs invite cheating. Federal revenues will decline even before the Trump recession craters them.

Walter Einenkel of Kos wrote that Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, has important questions for Musk that he posted on X.

If DOGE has found all this FRAUD and MONEY — then WHY: 1) no one charged with fraud? 2) govt spending has increased? 3) no distribution of savings? MAYBE — it’s a propaganda / data initiative that has nothing to do [with] the stated mission.

Einenkel then listed sources: Judd Legum found only $7.7 billion of DOGE’s claimed $115 billion has been verified. The Congressional Budget Office’s February Monthly Budget Review showed an increase in government spending. Einenkel concluded:

Considering the lack of evidence that DOGE has made any significant savings, combined with the abundance of evidence that Musk has compromised Americans’ private data and lucrative contract data—which he has been feeding into AI learning models—Schlossberg has a point. Now if only lawmakers would start listening to it.

A week ago (yeah, a lot to write about in the last week) Alix Breeden of Kos reported:

Businesses can now get permission to poison both the environment and the American people simply by sending an email to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. Thanks to Zeldin, a company can shoot an email requesting a presidential exemption under the Clean Air Act to a slew of Joe Biden-era rules.

Groups in defense of the environment are outraged, calling the move an extreme and improper use of the Clean Air Act. Zeldin says his main goal is to drive a “dagger through the heart of climate change religion.” That’s after declaring climate change as real during his Senate confirmation hearings. The Sunday before, already seeing in what direction Zeldin is heading, Nancy Kaffer of the Detroit Free Press wrote an editorial, saying we in Michigan have seen this story before in the Flint water crisis. By that time Zeldin had said he won’t be protecting health or the environment, but making running a business cheaper. The Flint water crisis began when the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality under former Gov. Rick Snyder changed its guiding principles to “Be full partners in Michigan's economic development.” Kaffer pointed out that business has its own advocates, and it has deep pockets. The environment and residents are the ones who need advocates. MDEQ has been renamed Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), whose deputy director had been James Clift. He said:

Almost all governments have agencies that specialize in economic development, and then they have environmental regulators. You think, if we have another agency doing economic development, why are environmental regulators also doing it? If you look at it as trying to help companies stay in compliance with environmental laws, then that's a natural fit for environmental regulators. When you couple it with deregulation, saying you are basically not going to regulate and protect the environment and public health and instead just going to look at economic development, it's very problematic. You're just going to roll back 50-plus years of environmental regulation, under the idea of helping business.

There may not be a direct line between this business-friendly posture and the Flint water crisis, but when a government department loses its way things don’t turn out well. And MDEQ lost its way in putting economic development ahead of public health in many incidents beyond Flint. The Flint water crisis happened ten years ago. In an attempt to save money state personnel switched Flint’s water source from the Detroit Metro water system to the Flint river. Those making the switch decided that certain steps in treatment didn’t need to happen. That resulted in corrosion the lead service lines, putting lead in the drinking water, in addition to allowing lots of other harmful stuff into residents’ homes. Lead is a neurotoxin. No amount is safe. Remedying the problem took way too long. Just a few people faced a penalty for the bad decisions. I believe the compensation package to victims is still tied up in court.

Building loyalty from militias and domestic terrorists

Kos of Daily Kos reviewed the nasty guy’s inaugural address and added comments that show how wrong he is or just laughing at the absurdity of his words. The basic question: is the nasty guy evil or stupid? As an example, the nasty guy said:

As we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens, while the pillars of our society lay broken and, seemingly, in complete disrepair.

Kos responded:

Imagine the gall of saying that when the front row of your inauguration audience—in front of your Cabinet picks—is the modern American oligarchy.

After discussing and laughing over the nasty guys claims to be “unifier” and a “peacemaker” yet talking about invading Greenland and Panama Kos concluded

So … is his vision of “unity” and “peace” actually more like “world conquest”? Sure seems that way. Because nothing says “angry, violent, and totally unpredictable” like Trump himself and his MAGA movement. Indeed, if there’s anything we are sure to see over the next four years it’s more anger, violence, and unpredictability, courtesy of Trump. That is already his legacy, and everything he is pushing for—deportations, inflationary tariffs, anti-trans hate, and imperialism—will only further cement that legacy.

Oliver Willis of Kos showed several examples of how the mainstream media is congratulating the nasty guy because they say he showed how great of a president he will be. Emily Singer of Kos discussed how many Republicans are playing dumb after the nasty guy issued over 1500 pardons for the Capitol attackers. Strange that so many say they didn’t know about it or have no opinion on it. Alex Samuels of Kos discussed several of those nasty guy executive orders and how much the public disagrees with them. The topics include mass deportations, ending birthright citizenship, pardoning the Capitol rioters, imposing tariffs, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, and mandating federal employees must return to the office and not work remotely. Singer reported that the ACLU, Democratic state attorneys general, and various other groups are quickly filing lawsuits to block the executive orders the nasty guy has been signing. The big one is, of course, banning birthright citizenship, which is in the Constitution. There are lawsuits against DOGE and the order that the nasty guy says will allow him to more easily fire federal employees. Morgan Stephens of Kos has more on the people filing those lawsuits. At an inaugural event Musk stood at a podium, talked for a while, and then gave a Nazi salute. Then, in case one didn’t catch it the first time, he saluted again. Stephens reported on that, on the people condemning it, and on the way too many people who are trying to dismiss, justify, or celebrate it. Alix Breeden of Kos reported that while Mark Zuckerberg was with the oligarchs at the inauguration Instagram, one of his products, started giving strange results when a user searched for Democrats. First they were told the results were hidden. Later they were given results that were far more Republican and MAGA than Democrat. Breeden concluded:

Ultimately, it’s unclear if Instagram’s algorithm is laden with MAGA content because of string pulling behind the scenes or if content from right-leaning creators is just simply more popular. One thing, however, is clear: Owners of the social media platforms that connect people, shape opinions, and keep people informed are eating out of Trump’s hand going into his second term. What they do with this newfound power remains to be seen.

There was so much for me to write about this last week I wasn’t able to include Biden’s last address to the country. An Associated Press article posted on Kos discussed it. A couple excerpts:

“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden said, drawing attention to "a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people. Dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.” Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex when he left office, he added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.” ... Biden also called for a constitutional amendment to end immunity for sitting presidents, after the Supreme Court granted Trump sweeping protections last year from criminal liability over his role in trying to undermine his 2020 defeat to Biden.

Last Friday Bill in Portland, Maine, in a Cheers and Jeers column for Kos quoted late night commentary. One example:

"This Monday the three richest men in the history of mankind will attend the inauguration, where they will be seated together on the platform with Trump's cabinet nominees and elected officials. Sweet Jesus in a sky box, that is the most corrupt-appearing thing I have ever heard. If we’re gonna go complete Roman Empire then at least throw Denzel Washington in there.” —Stephen Colbert

In a pundit roundup for Kos Greg Dworkin included a few quotes worth repeating. From Olga Lautman, who studies authoritarians wrote:

Just in case people don’t fully grasp it. The pardoning of insurrectionists is Trump’s way of building loyalty from militias and domestic terrorists to carry out unofficial acts for him.

A question: Weren’t they already loyal? They had already attacked the Capitol for him, which is why they were in jail. Lautman is correct in that they will happily carry out unofficial acts for him. From Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

This was the true meaning of Inauguration Weekend 2025: the kickoff of America’s Second Republic as an unregulated and utterly unrepentant oligarchy.

I wish I knew what prompted Jack Jenkins to tweet this:

Kinda seems like a whole lotta people found out for the first time today that there's a very large, very vibrant progressive wing of Christianity (and religion in general).

Moira Donegan of The Guardian wrote:

Here is another prediction: these men will not succeed in all their schemes. They will not deport as many people as they say they will; he will not change the law as much as they pledge to; they will not, cannot, capture the institutions as completely, or bury dissent as successfully. They cannot do everything they aim to do. Because politics is not over; because our institutions are not all collapsed; and because the existing institutions are not the only methods of resistance and refusal.

While I agree with Donegan there is still a problem. While not as many will be deported as they say they will, many, likely thousands, will be deported, many more and in much more traumatic fashion that if a Democrat was president. They may not change they law as much as they pledge, but they will change the law that hurts many in the middle class, in the working class, and those in poverty. They may not capture institutions, but institutions will be damaged. They may not bury all dissent, but many will be harmed in the dissent they bury. American democracy may survive, but the cost will be high and the damage unnecessary. Down in the comments is a meme posted by exlrrp showing a farmer kneeling in his field saying:

Dear God, please send us a rapist bigot grifter so we can have cheap groceries and say the N word.

And the Tennessee Holler posted a cartoon (creator unknown) showing two men in a book lined room. The older one says:

Those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it. Yet those who do study history are doomed to stand by helplessly while everyone else repeats it.

Prairiecrat of the Kos community quoted a bit from an article posted on the New Republic:

Fear of increased ICE raids have already negatively affected the nation’s agricultural sector, causing alarm that food prices could skyrocket in the near future as a result of Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies. Bakersfield, California, saw a massive drop-off in the number of field workers showing up for work Tuesday while ICE agents in unmarked Chevy Suburbans rounded up and detained immigrants in the area, profiling individuals they believed to be field workers, reported CalMatters. The end result: acres of unpicked oranges roasting in the California sun at the height of the season.

I note this first action happened in California, definitely a blue state that has a governor vowing to protect his undocumented workers. Ruben Bolling posted a Tom the Dancing Bug comic on Kos showing the Constitutional Convention talking about a fourth branch of government, which will naturally arise. That will be the Dumbass Billionaires. They won’t be geniuses, but obnoxious idiots who will gain great political power. But don’t revise the new Constitution to prevent their rise. “These dunbass billionaires will be totally epic! They’ll want to live on Mars!” Bolling has a couple Questions for Classroom Discussion:

What if the Founding Fathers knew that the Dumbass Billionaires would also be racist? Would they have been less or more in favor of the Dumbass Billionaire branch? Did the Founding Fathers even consider the possibility that the elected president could himself be a Dumbass Lesser-Billionaire?

They know their plan is not legal and not moral

I watched the funeral for President Jimmy Carter this morning. In all a fitting tribute to the great man. I was amused and a bit annoyed that the church officials, in their prayers, referred to him as “James” and not “Jimmy.” Carter was the one who insisted he take the oath of office beginning with “I, Jimmy Carter.” I was also annoyed that the CBS commentators took the moments of music to talk, to share their useless observations. I wanted to hear the music. Thankfully, at each musical moment they talked less and let us listen more. Seven people gave eulogies. Carter’s predecessor Gerald Ford had written one that his son Steve Ford read. Carter’s VP Walter Mondale had also written one that his son read (I didn’t catch the name). Both eulogies talked about how they became solid friends with Carter. Stuart Eizenstat, a staffer in the Carter White House said we should evaluate a presidency by how his policies and programs have lasted through time. By that measure Carter’s presidency did quite well. Rev. Andrew Young (he has his own long list of accomplishments) did a good job. I was disappointed in Biden’s eulogy – it seemed to be a lot of recycled cliches. Grandsons Joshua and Jason Carter talked about their grandfather. Jason gave the best eulogy of the bunch. Jason said his grandfather was the same in public as he was in private, demonstrating his integrity and authenticity. The hearse arrived about 20 minutes before the service and the casket was kept in it until the service started. An honor guard also stood in the cold with a wind strong enough the soldier with the presidential flag struggled to hold on to it. Yes, a fitting tribute. Oliver Willis of Daily Kos reported that Mark Zuckerberg, head of Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced the company will no longer use independent fact checkers. He claims he is a big defender of free speech, as is the incoming Oval Office occupant. Yeah, that’s a similar reason Musk gave to fire the moderators in what was then Twitter. And his claim about the nasty guy being a defender of free speech is laughable. Another reason for the change: Fact checkers are too politically biased. Does this confirm reality has a liberal bias? Zuckerberg said Meta would use the same idea used on X, that individuals can post corrections and then they are voted on.

But in practice, very few users see these notes, which are easily manipulated, and they are published after misinformation has been widely circulated. Meta’s announcement that it is pursuing the same model to deal with misinformation as Musk likely means that the company’s platforms will be awash with lies, bigotry, and other content that misinforms the public. ... Ditching fact checking is the most Trump-like behavior that Meta could embrace and is another sign that tech and media leaders are lining up behind the incoming administration and against an informed public.

Not surprisingly, this came after Zuck visited Mar-a-Lago and donated to the inaugural committee. I wrote after the election that the nasty guy’s base won’t turn on him, no matter how bad their lives get, because they won’t know he was the cause of their oppression. This is another reason why they won’t know. In a pundit roundup for Kos Chitown Kev quoted a few articles describing Zuck’s change. Kev also quoted Jordi Pérez Colomé of El País in English talking to disinformation researcher Renee DiResta about the difference between “misinformation” and “propaganda.” I’ll summarize: In the case of misinformation when more accurate information is presented a person would change their mind. So most of what we’ve been calling misinformation is really propaganda. Jan Sorensen posted a cartoon on Kos about corporations cozying up to the nasty guy with the key line: “It’s almost as if capitalism doesn’t have a problem with a dark authoritarian future.” I had written that Rep. Nancy Mace had proposed a transgender bathroom ban that would affect only new Rep. Sarah McBride. The new House convened. They elected Mike Johnson as speaker again (after a couple members switched votes to him). And they adopted the rules that are to be followed for this Congress. Alix Breeden of Kos reported that Mace’s ban is not in the rules. Was Mace snubbed? Did other Republicans back away from the bathroom ban? Or are they all relying on statement Johnson said a couple months ago that there is a ban? When Johnson announced the ban it was not accompanied by any House approval. Amanda Becker of The 19th, in an article posted on Kos, wrote about how Project 2025 could get implemented. The nasty guy has already nominated to important positions several key people who were authors of the project. Likely many of them will be confirmed. One of the authors is Russell Vought, nominated to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Vought’s vision for the OMB, according to Bel Olinsky of the Center for American Progress, is “to basically change the plumbing so they can do whatever they want without any meaningful checks and balances” during Trump’s second term. Vought has said his goals are to destroy diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (unknown whether that’s in government or across the country, likely both) and to advance Christian Nationalism. Vought sees his purpose is to ensure all policy initiatives are in sync with his goals and to stop plans veering off course. He has two ways to guide wayward policies. First, by eliminating dissent within agencies. Second by withholding money appropriated by Congress for programs he and the nasty guy don’t support. That first goal is to be accomplished by reclassifying federal employees, turning 50,000 jobs from being career jobs to being political jobs. Then firing those who aren’t loyal to the nasty guy. As for the second, yes, the Constitution says Congress controls the purse. The executive branch is to spend money in the manner Congress directs. More below. Vought’s alignment with Christian Nationalism means implementing Project 2025’s call for restricting abortion and removing policies that support LGBTQ families. He would also work to turn the FBI into a political entity to settle scores and help with deportations. Project 2025 says all its goals are to be done by executive action. No Congressional oversight needed. Here’s the “more below.” Back at the end of November Molly Redden of ProPublica, in an article posted on Kos, explained what the nasty guy and Vought plan to do. The idea is called impoundment. The name refers to a president deciding to “impound” or not spend money he deems wasteful. The nasty guy would use it to cut the vast array of government services Musk and Ramaswamy want to make disappear. Most of the examples of impoundment are cases where Congress left details up to the President. When Jefferson was president Congress said the number of gun boats to be purchased should not exceed 15 and the price should not exceed $50,000. Jefferson decided zero fit within what Congress authorized.

President Richard Nixon took impoundment to a new extreme, wielding the concept to gut billions of dollars from programs he simply opposed, such as highway improvements, water treatment, drug rehabilitation and disaster relief for farmers. He faced overwhelming pushback both from Congress and in the courts. More than a half dozen federal judges and the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the appropriations bills at issue did not give Nixon the flexibility to cut individual programs. Vought and his allies argue the limits Congress placed in 1974 are unconstitutional, saying a clause in the Constitution obligating the president to “faithfully execute” the law also implies his power to forbid its enforcement.

To me that sounds like Alice in Wonderland style reasoning. “Faithfully execute” is supposed to mean carry out and enforce every detail of the law. It doesn’t mean prevent a law from being fulfilled. The Supremes confirmed my understanding back in 1838. But this will likely be the first case the nasty guy takes to the Supremes and this court is quite different from the court in 1974 or 1838.

Vought was also a top architect of the controversial Project 2025. In private remarks to a gathering of MAGA luminaries uncovered by ProPublica, Vought boasted that he was assembling a “shadow” Office of Legal Counsel so that Trump is armed on day one with the legal rationalizations to realize his agenda. “I don’t want President Trump having to lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral,” Vought said.

Note that last bit. The nasty guy and Vought know what they want to do is not legal. They know what they want to do is not moral. They intend to do it anyway.

Cinderella wheelchair

A bit of great news. Since I don’t have children and I avoid sugar I also avoid Halloween. So other than noticing the big Halloween displays in neighborhood yards I’m not up on the latest holiday trends. Even so, I was delighted to see an article in last Sunday’s *Detroit Free Press* featuring inclusive costumes. This is cool: a costume that turns a child’s wheelchair into a pirate ship or into a Cinderella carriage.



Comedian Ron Delaney was interviewed by The New Yorker. As part of that he talked about his son who became ill and died while the family was living in the UK. Delaney was pleased with one aspect of the care his son got – he wasn’t on the phone arguing with insurance companies. He spent the time with his son.

So Delaney wants to destroy the current private health insurance system in America. We could eliminate all that overhead paying CEOs hundreds of millions of dollars. And then there is the advertising:

“Your choice! Get the plan that’s right for you” – what the f*** is that? The plan is go to the hospital and it’s covered. There’s your choice. Yeah, I’m a zealot on that one and I won’t stop until you can go to the hospital without fear of going bankrupt.

Rafael is a former kid refugee from Uzbekistan. He tweeted a thread:

Zuckerberg responds to Bernie Sanders' call to abolish billionaires by saying it would harm much needed funding of scientific research and philanthropy. (You know, 90% of which is needed to undo the damage of billionaires.)

How different is this than a mobster taking protection fees from small shop keepers every week to keep them "safe" (from them)?

He continued "Let's just have the government take it all...the government can basically decide, you know, all of the medical research that gets done,"

If you build a democracy accountable to its people without the outsized influence of billionaires, yes, PEOPLE should decide!

The State Department has issued a report on its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. They said there was no systemic or deliberate mishandling of classified information in emails sent to or from Hillary’s private server.

The New York Times was one of many news organizations that kept the email “scandal” in search of a crime before the public for 600 straight days before the 2016 election. And what did the Times do with this new report? Put a 649 word story on page A-16. Essentially telling readers nothing to see here.

Eric Boehlert of the Daily Kos community wrote:

Just as important today is how the press is washing its hands of the media malpractice from 2016 and pretending news outlets played no role in helping the GOP market its email smear campaign for 18 months. That campaign consisted of phony Republican allegations that have now been relegated to the trashcan of history.
...
Left unsaid, of course, was the fact that the Beltway press positively owned the email story for more than a year and treated it as one of the most pressing news stories of this decade.

The reason the media did that was so that when one thought of Clinton one also thought of emails. She was defined by it. Boehlert then lists several GOP politicians who did actual email crimes and weren’t defined by it.

Yet rather than addressing that gaping, stunning failure in its 2016 coverage, the news media have opted to quietly move on.