Katie Duffy

This Little-Known Appeal Could Force Your Insurer to Pay for Lifesaving Care. Here’s How to File It. When a health insurer refuses to pay for your treatment, you may have the right to have the denial reviewed — and potentially overturned — by an independent provider. Here are six steps experts sugges...

NEW: If you've ever fought with your health insurer -- and, let's be honest, who hasn't? -- then this explainer on external reviews from @deldeib.bsky.social of @propublica.org will surely help you.

www.propublica.org/article/heal...

Sam Altman’s AI empire will devour as much power as New York City and San Diego combined. Experts say it’s ‘scary’ | Fortune Andrew Chien told Fortune he’s been a computer scientist for 40 years but we’re close to “some seminal moments for how we think about AI and its impact on society.”

delete chatgpt and stop using generative AI 🖤🤍

It is SUCH a formative experience the first time your favorite artist releases a bad album. I envy all the kids going through it this week, you’re about to learn so much about the world! You’re learning how to let go!

Set up my second Bookcrossing Zone this week! I'm looking forward to getting more books out into the world and helping them travel from reader to reader - and place to place! #BookSky

Donate to Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer, organized by Rebecca Heineman I’m Rebecca Ann Heineman. The very first video game champion, creat… Rebecca Heineman needs your support for Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer

I’ve started a GoFundMe to help with my cancer battle gofund.me/6850175a3

Someone's screenshot of a two-post twitter thread, from user blue (@bluewmist): the fastest way to kill motivation is to make your identity depend on the outcome. it's called ego involvement. when failing becomes failing as a person, your brain starts avoiding the whole thing. not because you don't care, but because you care too much. you don't need lower standards. you need less self-worth tangled up in your goals. the work gets easier when it's not about proving who you are.

Found this on the AO3 subreddit, and I'm about to let it change my whole life (or at least work really hard to internalize it wrt my writing).

an extraordinary person with an extraordinary legacy who nevertheless didn’t take herself too seriously

when Gary Larson published this cartoon, she was in Africa and her institute was horribly offended and drafted a complaint

the whole thing was defused when she returned - she found it funny

Michele Burke: 1949-2025 The Academy Award-winning makeup artist behind such films as BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, and THE CELL has passed away.

The Academy Award-winning makeup artist behind such films as BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, and THE CELL has passed away.

Pope Leo XIV Wades Into Durbin Debate The number of bishops who have condemned Cardinal Cupich’s decision to honor Durbin with a 'lifetime achievement award' has risen to 10, including two bishops emeritus.

"'Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life ... Someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.'"
www.ncregister.com/cna/pope-leo...

Exonerations Grind to a Halt Under Chicago’s New Prosecutor - Bolts Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has weakened her office’s already broken system for freeing the innocent, even as allegations of coercion mount against a former Chicago detective.

If you want to see how much a single local official can change things, look no further than Chicago,

where the new prosecutor this year has ground exonerations to a halt by hindering the work of the commission that reviews wrongful convictions boltsmag.org/chicago-cook...

What are some of your favorite books? What books do you think people should read right now? I'm trying to get more books out into the world via #Bookcrossing, and I'd love to hear your recommendations. #booksky

I'm skimming, but this paragraph stood out:

"For all their claims of free speech absolutism, it now seems clear comedy’s champions of liberty are all too happy to censor themselves for the right price."

Give folks their flowers

No, I mean right now. Go tell someone you loved their work right now. They're on social media just say it, it has never been easier

"They know how much people love--" no they don't go say it right now to a composer or artist or game dev or writer or anyone AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

We found a link between SARS-CoV-2 reinfection & #longCOVID, & a post-pandemic rise in thrombotic events across all populations, regardless of vaccination or prior infection. Findings support continued COVID diagnosis in suspected cases & mask use by healthcare workers treating respiratory patients

Please don’t purchase this BFI 4K of Herzog’s remake of “Nosferatu”.

Not only is the cover art redone with A.I. but the entire film is A.I. scrubbed beyond recognition.

Easily one of the worst releases of the year.

Let’s hope Scream Factory’s version is better.

Learning in school is not enough. You must continue to teach yourself throughout your life. Study history, read myths, memorize poems, get acquainted with the greatest philosophers & writers. In an age when tech is cooking many brains, we need an army of autodidacts.

BREAKING: Starbucks just announced a $1 billion restructuring and will close 59 unionized stores — nearly 10% of union locations.

It includes the Roastery in Seattle, one of its busiest shops.

CEO Brian Niccol made $100 million in four months last year.

I want to like solar punk, but I can't get past the "everything is ecologically perfect now, past people were just stupid" fantasy.

I want more in-progress solar punk.

"Yeah, we solved a lot of manufacturing issues, but we still have no fucking clue what to do with these old landfills."

#booksky

CleanTrek: Trekking Pole Attachments for Litter-Free Hiking Attachments to trekking poles that make litter cleanup convenient and enjoyable for hikers.

This is such a cool idea. I really hope it reaches its goal! #hiking #plogging www.kickstarter.com/projects/cle...

Donate to Help Grier with Court Costs!!, organized by Grier Low Hey y'all -- my name is Grier & I'm a queer transmasc person living in rural West Virginia. I'… Grier Low needs your support for Help Grier with Court Costs!!

My friend who was arrested for being queer in public in WV had his consultation with a lawyer and now has an idea of court and legal costs and needs to raise a bit more money. He's facing a year in prison for essentially "cop didn't like the look of him."

www.gofundme.com/f/5d3hr-help...

GOOD NEWS! For the first time ever, Huntington's disease has been successfully treated. A groundbreaking new miRNA treatment, AMT-130, slowed the progression of the disease by 75%. These results are likely to support the first approval of a genetic treatment for the rare neurodegenerative condition.

We never miss an opportunity to see them! They were in excellent form last night, and the crowd was stoked. An 11 year old in the front row got a mic courtesy of Justin and said it was his first concert ever, and that made both band and audience even more enthused. It was spectacular!

I am extremely lucky that my husband got pictures, because I was too busy screaming, singing along and/or laughing at stage antics to pull out my phone.

I have written letters and sent them directly to CEOs before. Several have sent me letters back — and they weren’t form letters either. Send something via snail mail. Be polite but firm. It will be seen. I have proof of this in my filing cabinet.

Whatever you do, please don’t stop reading.

Read for joy. Read for education. Read for resistance. Read banned books. Read books by marginalized authors. Read about experiences that differ from your own.

Just. Keep. Reading.

Write more letters. By hand. And send them to people you like. That is all.

As we said in today's podcast episode with David Harper, now is the time to financially support independent journalists, independent artists, independent websites.

Indie is where it's at.