Ben Austin

“Bullshit” — The New Way Health Giants Hide Billions Three mysterious entities. Tens of billions in revenue. CVS, UnitedHealth, and Cigna created "PBM GPO" subsidiaries to divert billions of dollars.

Nice investigative reporting work by Hunterbrook, detailing how the big three Pharmaceutical PBMs created overseas shell companies to take rebates from Pharma, pocket the money (free from US taxes), while pretending to pass rebates back to you. Hunterbrook has a unique model too. hntrbrk.com/pbmgpo/

How is this both-siding?

What we are seeing in Los Angeles right now with #NoKings is after several hours of a massive protest that was 100%, law enforcement—abruptly and without provocation—began firing tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls at protesters.

It was broadcast live on air. “Unrest” is on them.

J.D. Vance. Own any pants?

A Russian state media reporter gained entry to the Oval Office for Trump-Zelensky sit-down | CNN Business A member of Russia’s state-owned news agency gained access to the Oval Office on Friday to cover President Trump’s sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – even as the AP and Reuters wer...

Now 16 days later. Trump continues to cede the Cold War to Russia. Trump threw Zelensky out of the Oval Office today and invited Putin to take over Europe as he wishes. It's forcing Americans with friends/Family in Europe to take a side. Trump even invited TASS to watch www.cnn.com/2025/02/28/m...

Lavrov, Rubio agree on contacts to prepare for Putin-Trump meeting, Russia says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Saturday and agreed on regular contacts to prepare for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

This post is sadly becoming truer each day. We have agreed to regular meetings with Putin and with Sergei Lavrov. We are negotiating the future of Ukraine without Ukraine present. Pete Hegseth has given up our opening position before the meetings even begin. www.reuters.com/world/russia...

February 12, 2025, book it. Today we ceded the Cold War to Russia. Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as DNI. SecDef Pete Hegseth travels to Europe to offer Putin 20% of Ukraine in exchange for peace. No mention of Crimea, no mention of Russia's paying $Billions for the damage it did - to people or property.

The Trump Executive Orders as “Radical Constitutionalism” Much more than “test cases” may be at stake in Trump's aggressive claims of presidential authority

Newly confirmed OMB Director Russell Vought has strongly implied that his strategy “is to instill fear in the Supreme Court that the presidency is prepared to resort to outright defiance of its decisions.”
executivefunctions.substack.com/p/the-trump-...

Exclusive: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say Aides to Elon Musk charged with running the U.S. government human resources agency have locked career civil servants out of computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.

Coup d'Etat? www.reuters.com/world/us/mus...

It's true, actually. Distilled water should be pure H2O. And pure water typically has no flavor -- Flavor is brought in by trace amounts of minerals, salts, etc. But the word "electrolytes" is trendier.

"Old-school Futurists" <smile>

It's absolutely nuts that both Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth declared that they wanted to be the Commander-in-Chief and the SecDef, leading our Armed Forces. Then, as soon as they are given the job, they immediately try to deflect and blame others for their obvious personal failures.

Mullenweg Says Lawsuits Could End WordPress WordPress co-founder says lawsuits may last for years and end with the closure of WordPress

This is why we can't have nice things.
www.searchenginejournal.com/mullenweg-sa...

When Zuck says "most companies need more masculine energy,” I think what he's trying to say is "Why does Elon get to have $400B, when I only get $200B? And why does Elon walk around impregnating all of his employees, while I sit here at Meta, setting policy, and looking like a dork?"

I think it's more likely than not that TikTok & TikTok users lose this case 9-0.

I've always loved School of Rock. Such a sweet story. Congrats to the happy couple! ew.com/school-of-ro...

My thinking is entirely with my friends and family in LA, along with just about anyone who lives in Southern California and is right now dealing with the unimaginable.

Justice Department says it plans to release only part of special counsel's Trump report for now The Justice Department says it will release special counsel Jack Smith’s findings on Donald Trump’s efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election but will keep the rest of the report u...

Joe Biden: You have Presidential Immunity. Please march into Special Counsel Jack Smith's office. Demand a copy of (1) Report on Donald Trump's Efforts to Undo the Results of the 2020 Election, and (2) Report on Donald Trump's Hoarding of Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago. Publish them.

Judge sets Trump's sentencing in hush money case for Jan. 10, but signals no jail time In an extraordinary turn, a judge has set President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case for Jan. 10 — little over a week before he’s due to return to the White House — but indicated...

Please please please make him wear a big, bulky ankle monitor to the inauguration....

Yes, this is really Ben Austin. If you are here trying to figure out if this *is* or *is not* a genuine profile, I've moved myself over here, because it's cleaner. And because I'm reducing my footprint on Meta products. Thanks for following me here.
@benaustin.bsky.social

Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry Recipe This is comfort food, Indian-style, adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey It’s also vegan, and perfect for a fall evening Use a mixture of cultivated mushrooms; they come in all shapes and sizes

This is a great one. From Madhur Jaffrey and the Times. cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018...

RIP Peter Yarrow. Here is the now famous story of how I almost came to blows with one of our beloved celebrity folk musicians:

people.com/peter-yarrow...