UndergroundMan

I can’t not believe how hard it is to sleep when you’re watching your country, be dismantled by the dumbest people.

Great piece. Also pissed.

"What scares Klein are the stakes [...], which have gotten far too high for his liking. But [...] the stakes were always high [...]"

People have been dying as a result for decades.

How he has a major platform is beyond me. NYT a key part of problem, as you indicate.

Trump Calls Gov't Shutdown an “Unprecedented Opportunity” to Punish Political Opponents President Trump has embraced the government shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to punish his political opponents while slashing the federal workforce and cutting off funding to whole government agencies. On Thursday, Trump said budget chief Russell Vought will have the power to decide if...

Trump Calls Gov’t Shutdown an “Unprecedented Opportunity” to Punish Political Opponents

BREAKING: A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that blocks President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship.

The president can't rewrite the 14th Amendment with the stroke of a pen.

Federal agents reporting to Secretary Noem have spent weeks snatching up families, scaring law-abiding residents, violating due process rights, and even detaining U.S. citizens.

They fail to focus on violent criminals and instead create panic in our communities.

Picture showing an external appeal review committee's summary description of a health insurance denial involving treatment for metastatic cancer, and their decision to overturn the denial.

Earlier this year, we worked with someone facing a prior authorization denial for critical, time-sensitive cancer treatment.

We got the denial overturned on external appeal, but it should never have been made to begin with. We need aggressive enforcement of harmful, bad faith denial practices.

I think about most theoretical research like art or music (though it is admittedely enjoyed by much fewer people).

It is a creative, collaborative outlet that sparks joy and curiosity and that has value as a form of human expression. Sometimes it has other benefits too.

Official HUD website declaring a political point. Website maintenance funded by tax dollars.

As always, laws alone don't prevent wrongdoing when those in power choose to disregard them without consequence.

What a $2 Million Per Dose Gene Therapy Reveals About Drug Pricing Taxpayers and charities helped develop Zolgensma. Then it debuted at a record price, ushering in a new class of wildly expensive drugs. Its story upends the widely held conception that high prices ref...

Taxpayers and charities helped develop the gene therapy Zolgensma.

Then it debuted at a record price of $2M+ per dose, ushering in a new class of wildly expensive drugs. Its story upends the widely held conception that high prices reflect huge industry investments in innovation.

(Published Feb.)

There was no characterization. That’s what he said.

But this is Speaker Johnson. Too scared to speak with integrity. Too weak to lead.

Has Jeff Flake been in a coma?

Just watched the 'highlights' of Trump's address to military leaders in a Reuters clip. As always he sounded like the incompetent moron he is, and said some vile shit.

What were the low points of the speech, I shudder to ask?

Pathetic.

Nothing more important than keeping doors open, ensuring no parties (including those who kill civilians not taking part in hostilities) are offended, and sweet sweet self preservation.

Brilliant

Stress-Free Eric Adams Spends Day Bribing Pigeons In Central Park

Stress-Free Eric Adams Spends Day Bribing Pigeons In Central Park

the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!

Surely that was an assault under a NY statute. Why doesn't she have state police arrest the perp?

Regulators sometimes say “they can’t do that!” when we describe behavior we see in cases.

We have to explain that: they can do that, they are doing that, and they will continue doing it while there is minimal enforcement.

The solution is to make harmful illegal behaviors costly, not profitable.

Ahem

It certainly appears the United States murdered an innocent fisherman who was a husband and father to four children, claimed he was a "narco-terrorist," posted a video of the execution, and then made jokes about it

The Data Liberation Project — Medicare "Level 2" Appeals We’re requesting database records tracking the circumstances and outcomes of patients’ appeals of Medicare insurance decisions.

Last year we requested data to compare appeal outcomes in Medicare vs Medicare Advantage. CMS has delayed for the last year and a half.

Some stand to benefit from ensuring such comparable data is never seen by the public.

www.data-liberation-project.org/requests/cms...

Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Treatments When companies like Aetna or UnitedHealthcare want to rein in costs, they turn to EviCore, whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients.

When companies like Aetna or UnitedHealthcare want to rein in costs, they turn to EviCore, whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients.

(Published Oct. 2024 w/ @capitolforum.bsky.social)

from the latest print edition of ‘The Onion’

Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...

NEW from PP:

You know how Krista Noem has been bottlenecking disaster relief?

Turns out, you can get them greenlit —if you‘re a Noem donor!

After donor asked, Noem quickly cleared project.

Then she flew to town and dined at French bistro with the donor.

www.propublica.org/article/kris...

One hopes they understand that Americans, like many populations who have suffered horrible, harmful leaders, are not a monolith. Many have been doing everything they could to prevent this since long before the 2016 election. Many are dying as a result. Embarassed doesnt scratch the surface.

Earlier this year we overturned a coverage denial where the administrator repeatedly cited a contract exclusion THAT DIDN'T EXIST. Even after showing them proof, they stuck to their denial rationale for months.

Sure thing, and thank you for the tool and response!

Remember that MLK said America suffers not just from "the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."