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It would appear that the GOP intends to commit suicide by following their new rules, contrary to Mr Edsall’s closing paragraph. McCarthy has already lost by capitulating to the extremists, but partners like MTG, Boebert, and Gym Jordan will self-destruct on the national level, even though their home districts won’t notice.
| yes | 5,392 |
Just had a turkey loaded up on rye with Russian dressing and mustard and a kasha knish with a sour pickle on the side at a kosher delicatessen that has survived loss of many in the genre. The place is not on a Michelin or Beard list and the meal, while not “fine dining,” was just plain satisfying and “fine.” During the pandemic, I’d explored cookbooks laying dormant for years. Infrequent trips to markets (I’d given up on on-line food shopping for things like ordering three pounds of bananas and getting three tiny) induced creativity with items on hand (Amazing how versatile a cabbage can be! Everything from coleslaw to being shredded and stir fried with other veggies and then stuffed with other leftovers into a tortilla, rolled then fried. Makes for a very satisfying egg roll, addresses food waste and even landfill expansion.) Eating out a bit more recently, I’ve been more disappointed then I remember. Aside from grossly high restaurant prices, (especially while wrestling with inflation in general) I find that I prefer home cooked food. The thought that folks will spend thousands to fly somewhere to spend $500 on a meal because they “can” is troubling . . . especially since so many aren’t getting paid and principles of capitalism, regarding monetary circulation, are upended by conspicuous consumption with little enduring benefit. Add that, for so many of our neighbors food insecurity is an issue, the whole “fine dining” thing reeks of excess!
| yes | 8,507 |
The Washington Post raised a question about thison 4:06 PM about the accuracy of Biden's initial claims If Trump’s classified document mishandling was ‘irresponsible,’ so is Biden’s BodyThe classified documents — which reportedly were found in a manila folder labeled “personal” — were not just kept at the Penn Biden Center’s D.C. office. That office opened on Feb. 8, 2018 — more than a year after Biden left office. So, where were they kept before then? Who had custody of them and under what conditions were they held? <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/11/biden-classified-documents-trump-double-standard" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/11/biden-classified-documents-trump-double-standard</a>/A question posed before the NY Times reported on the Discovery of More Classified Documentsp
| no | 2,899 |
I am a New Yorker (third gen), who moved to Mississippi, where I live in a small town about a half hour south of Oxford, where the University of Missiissippi is located. Even if I were wealthy in NYC, I wouldn't have the quality of life I have here: a spacious house with a front porch, a lovely, huge park with a stream for my three dogs to play in that's within walking distrance, plenty of state and federal parks with walking trails, a country vet who charges an affordable fee, and live music and other activities for as low as $10 to $15 a performance, as well as many restaurants. I have tried to convince friends with transferable professions (teachers, social workers, family therapists) to sell their apartments and brownstones and move out of $4,000-a-month rents to a place where they would be able to buy a house easily and invest part of the fortune they now pay in rent. I can schedule a mammogram within a week because there are fewer people and less competition for resources. There are rarely long lines for restraurants and movies, and life is much less stressful. People think the South is less civilized than NYC. There is far less art and theater available to the public, but the scale and pace make daily civility a given. If one puts the sterotypes aside and can tolerate a different culture, it's a wonderful find.
| yes | 6,711 |
They can inherit $13 million, tax free. Back in the day, I couldn't even inherit a teardown without paying inheritance and estate taxes on it.
| no | 3,902 |
Grifting for decades and the punishment is $1.6 million. This is absolutely pathetic and shows our justice system to be a two-tiered farce where the wealthy and well connected get wrist-slaps and fines, while the middle class and poor get crushed by an anvil. I would hope new legislation would make similar future punishments a percentage of holdings and profits, so that these kinds of fines aren't pocket change. If we want to change the behavior around corporate criminality, the punishments have to hurt in order to be a deterrent. Imagine instead if The Trump Organization were fined two quarter's worth of profits, or 20% of holdings. Would they be playing fast and loose in the face of that?This all of course requires our elected officials (the best dark money can buy) to be serious and pass these legislative changes.
| no | 2,884 |
It's a bad thing when a student uses AI to write an essay, it's a very bad thing when they use AI to solve problems in, say, engineering classes. Do you really want to drive over bridges or be in buildings designed by cheaters? Are you comfortable with your high tech car being designed by a cheater? Do you trust cheaters to send rockets into orbit? Do you trust a cheater doing your open heart surgery? What if the FDA, CDC, FAA, and NTSB were staffed by cheaters? Do you feel a cheater might make a competent lawyer or judge? Do you want your kids educated by cheaters?
| no | 2,671 |
As much as it kills me to admit it, TFG was actually right about one thing. The principal source of funding for western Europe's legendary welfare system over the last half century, has been the US military budget. It's not just Germany. It's pretty much all of NATO. Europe has become a de-facto US military protectorate. And with our own budget deficits reaching dangerous levels, this is no longer sustainable.
| yes | 5,103 |
Matt "the main conflict is not person vs person, but person vs government"This was the reason for the 2A, although many obviously think it anachronistic."any Georgian eligible or licensed to carry...is permitted to carry both handguns and long guns...concealed or...open"Carrying openly has been legal in most states for years. Concealed, permitless handgun carry is now legal in 25 states, not just in Georgia."There is a saying...“armed society is a polite society”An "armed society is a polite government" is more accurate :-)"guns do more to resolve disputes than escalate them...But even if that were true, which it manifestly isn’t"This is an excerpt from a linked study in a NYT Editorial Board piece titled "America’s Toxic Gun Culture""The survey further finds that approximately a third of gun owners (31.1%) have used a firearm to defend themselves or their property, often on more than one occasion, and it estimates that guns are used defensively by firearms owners in approximately 1.67 million incidents per year""The reason is that democracy rests on a measure of trust and respect"I trust that most will act respectfully and within the law, but am prepared for any who choose not to."an armed society is a fearful society"The most fearful here are probably the "hoplophobes." :-P"and go about our lives with an eye on the nearest exit"There's another kind of "exit" that involves a passport. Use it and live elsewhere, as I did for 13 years abroad.
| yes | 7,129 |
Consumers are valued customers until we need support, then we become the enemy wanting to steal the holy grail. Consumers are Davids and very rarely does a slingshot stone get through to cause a Goliath to blink or do the right thing. Great job by Seth Kugel to dig deeply enough to find the stone that made Goliath blink and do the right thing. And even when he found a way to pursue this, it still took threatening legal action and the influence of the NYT to get American or Trip Mate to move on this. There's got to be a way that us average folk can reach a decision maker, not a poor CSR who's job is to deflect until we go away. I could read the 299 page General Rules of International Tariff, but I'm guessing I wouldn't find a relevant passage to my issue. There's got to be a way companies do the right thing for the customer, automatically, not the right thing for the officers bonuses and the shareholder's value. It's too bad that 'just doing the right thing' can't be monetized into shareholder profit or loss then perhaps things might change for the better. Whether you vote blue or red, as long as lobbyists can influence elections, laws won't be created to change the system.
| yes | 9,307 |
dlb I wish the Democrats would come out and push for increased taxes to fund the investments we need to make as a country. Adding much more to the debt thru more deficit spending is not desirable much longer - in fact with rates going higher, that would be more expensive than financing thru additional taxes. Maybe do a short term surcharge?
| yes | 5,915 |
I take your point, but it's not exactly "with impunity" Russia is behaving; consequences are coming.Almost a half trillion dollars of Russian assets is still held by Western banks -- roughly the amount Ukraine is going to need to repair all the death and destruction caused by the Kremlin-- and this will go into a reparations slush fund. Anything less would only invite moral hazard; by encouraging kleptocratic dictators into thinking they can just knock over their peaceful neighbors for plunder, and still get off scot-free.Making the Kremlin foot the bill for the damages of their savage misadventure will also send a message to the higher-ups in the CCP -- all of whom own cars, real estate, and 'secret' banks accounts in the West... for their 'rainy day funds' -- since then attempting any genocidal gambit in Taiwan like their buddy Putin is currently flailing at in Ukraine, would carry enormous, immediate downside risk. It would raise the cost of any invasion there by several trillion dollars... since the second it happened EVERY SINGLE ASSET owned in the West by rich Chinese nationals would immediately be forfeited. Like a soap bubble that burst in a bad dream.This should provide a carrot for cooler heads to always prevail. Since otherwise all their wealth would have to stay parked/confined in the confiscatory, expropriating military dictatorship of the CCP. (And who wants that!)The best way to incentivize Peace in the future, is to show that we mean business now....
| no | 4,266 |
SueLondon Harry had a job. He was a soldier, but then the tabloids leaked that and put what seems like an entire battalion of people on harm’s way. Given that history, would you want him to be your helicopter pilot? Knowing that the lovely tabloids could chase you with drones? He now has to sell what he has: his story. And his story is intertwined with his brother’s. He is circumcised and can share that. But by sharing his circumcision it becomes clear his brother is too. This could go on forever. Before receiving money from the government William and Harry each earn over 20 million pounds each year. If they are so bothered by the revelations and scared of future ones, they could provide Harry with an income for life and make him sign a non disclosure agreement. As for his popularity, who cares? How many people even know who Princess Margaret was? Who can name one of her kids? Soon enough, William’s kids will be young adults and the harsh tabloid glare will be on them. By that point in time, Harry will have made his money, the proceeds will be invested and his kids will be set for life. None of this Andrew pandering for cash from shady businessmen in his 50s.
| no | 4,168 |
A number of commentators jump to the defense of the drug companies by pointing out that what Abbevie and their fellow companies are doing is within the scope of the law. The argument made for allowing this kind of behavior is that it encourages research and development. Fine, require the companies to be accountable for how they are using the billions toward research. The United States is one of the few 1st world countries that allow the sick to be raped by the drug companies. Being within the scope of the law, isn't within the scope of basic human decency and ethics. Things might change if there was a 50% tax on profits that are not directly tied to meaningful research and development. A tweak in the dosage or usage of a drug should not be cause for extending patents.
| no | 736 |
If Peter King had any serious interest in governance, he would ask which Dark Money right-wing billionaire 'loaned' Santos and financially propped up Santos on the election ballot.If Peter King was serious about the federal government, he would call for an end to the scourge of 0.1% 'moneyed speech' and the unholy GOP Supreme Court that paved the way for American dollarocracy and the likes of George Santos and every other Grand Old Phony pretending to serve the public under 0.1% auspices and indentured 0.1% servitude.But Mr. King prefers to pile onto the top of the iceberg when the real problem lies beneath the Santos surface.Santos is the perfect Republican:Zero principlesZero characterZero interest in democracyZero interest in public policyZero interest in serving the publicCompletely interested in lining his pockets for the sake of dollarocracy.Santos is hardly the problem.0.1% moneyed speech...and 99% neglect... will eventually produce a full federal government of George Santos lookalikes.
| no | 1,654 |
Cavalier57 Other than convicts moved to Wagner or forces made Russian from partner Nations, use of Russian Forces would be older reserves less fit for duty or unwilling draftees with limited training. Fresh forces of well-provisioned and well-trained forms are not all that much available. The problem with either tactical or strategic nukes is that the area is often made unworkable for either party, attacker or defender. Strategic nukes makes for contaminated land, ground water and extended periods of inhabitable land. Nuclear waste goes down the rivers into Russian land or the Black sea and causes environmental havoc. It is one thing using nuclear weapons at a distance- still not good, but on your immediate neighbor?Really?Tactical nuclear weapons are generally below 20 kilotons, perhaps below 1. Maybe anywhere from 1-5 miles of territory has immediate contamination, but if there is groundwater or other resources, contamination can travel. Aerosolized plumes can travel, though not as widely as Chernobyl, but they can still travel and Russian troops might be sacrificed if close enough, or at least sickened.Strategic nukes on a neighbor???Are you kidding? What territory would easily be worth the occupation for some time. Most nowadays are way more powerful than Fat Boy or Little Man and reclaiming the areas hit would be very difficult in any short time at all.
| yes | 8,979 |
New Medicare Rule Aims to Take Back $4.7 Billion From Insurers The government plans to aggressively audit Medicare Advantage plans for overbilling but may face lawsuits. The Biden administration announced a rule Monday cracking down on Medicare private plans that have overcharged the federal government. The rule calls for a more aggressive approach to how plans are audited in the Medicare Advantage program, which enrolls nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries. The government plans to aggressively audit Medicare Advantage plans for overbilling but may face lawsuits.
| yes | 9,544 |
Steve True that. Seems this is more a ‘not my fault’ piece and not a true introspection. With a few trial balloons thrown in to boot. Little realization that the Party of Business has morphed into the Party of Money that has been co-opted and paid for by billionaire financed hordes and think tank rationalizers. The Kochs and copycats have spent billions since the 90s to influence laws not just through K-street, which was bad enough, but by actually installing their minions ala George Santos into our Democracy to do their bidding (if they want to keep their seats.) McCain was right... Cherchez le money.and those who ignore that are just blowing smoke.
| no | 2,169 |
What a flimsy, puny man. I can’t say I blame anyone for not wanting him as their leader. With that said, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on: by fomenting chaos, otherwise marginal figures like Boebert and Gaetz have been able to expand and elevate their personal brands among the most rabid and online of the Republican base, to the point where they are now in open, bratty defiance to their “favorite president ever,” seemingly without provoking any real pushback. Instead, their defiance of Trump seems to excite their supporters, like a broken taboo. In their warped Manichean worldview anyone against them is a “beta” with “low T,” or a “harlot;” the language and imagery is misogynistic, sexualized and juvenile. Crazy that the Republican leadership has lost the floor to, essentially, Nick Fuentes and the incels.
| yes | 5,657 |
Window dressing, literally. Talking points.Externalities as a result of business decisions have always been ignored. Shareholder value has always been king.With inequality and environmental destruction at its all-time worst, revolution, not evolution, is needed.Greed is bad.Until all moral and legal reasoning shift to the common good, with nature as an equal partner, capitalism will continue to destroy until there's nothing left.
| no | 1,004 |
Ryan Bingham You clearly don’t understand the $600 ‘limit’.All income was always taxable, the $600 item was merely a reporting requirement on the part of marketplace facilitators. But, you don’t want to hear that.
| no | 258 |
"Partnerships used by Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor helping to shape President Donald Trump’s trade policy, have a 31 percent stake in Navigator Holdings, which the New York Times said earns millions of dollars a year transporting gas for Russian petrochemical firm Sibur.Gennady Timchenko, a Russian oligarch and Putin associate subject to U.S. sanctions, and Putin’s son-in-law, Kirill Shamalov, are Sibur stakeholders,"
| no | 2,677 |
Caro-Gottlieb editorial working relationships are increasingly irrelevant to the sausage-making process that brings books into being nowadays. Acquiring editors have less and less opportunity to act as diligent line editors, bull session partners, or co-mappers of organizational strategies. Their time is more likely to be taken up with sales campaigns and marketing conferences. But it's nice to see a salute to a more civilized era.
| no | 4,711 |
Scott Holman I would relish in seeing Washington D.C. turned into an open pit mine.It would represent the first time in nearly a century that anything useful was produced from the city.
| no | 1,280 |
heartwarming article. Perhaps the authors needed some artistic license to add an element of wistfulness. But statements like this do not ring true: "The sense of unlimited possibility, however, has receded. As the early rewards of liberalization peaked and economic inequities deepened, aspirations of mobility have diminished."I find Indians are more optimistic now than they were in the 80s (when there was resignation about a moribund economy, and corrupt government institutions). This optimism extends to the economy, views on technology, and their own personal prospects. It's not just personal perception either - numerous polls like Ipsos track such sentiments:<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-in/india-bucks-global-trend-pessimism-72-indians-believe-india-headed-right-direction-61-global" target="_blank">https://www.ipsos.com/en-in/india-bucks-global-trend-pessimism-72-indians-believe-india-headed-right-direction-61-global</a>
| no | 3,718 |
I couldn't agree more ... my 3D life feels like an anachronism ... unfortunately devoid of economic support ... award winning designer when America made fashion ... until $$$ drew corporations to more $$$ by making cheaper goods without soul, in lands without environmental protection, or unions, or political freedoms ... in good conscience I was not able to sell myself to this corporate insanity ... now taking pride in what I make with my own hands for the too few who can value what is deeper in our humanity ...
| yes | 5,978 |
Instead of working with colleagues ‘across the aisle’ to pass legislation to curb abuses like this, one of our two major political parties — do I really have to say which one? — spent over a decade attempting to repeal [and not replace] the Affordable Care Act, which it insists on calling ‘Obamacare’ so it will sound like some sort of Marxist plot to many of the ‘conservative’ rural voters who rely heavily on the ACA while bellowing their hatred of all things ‘Obama.’With billions in profits in the balance, we can be sure that pharmaceutical companies invest heavily in candidates who will protect the profit-making loopholes embedded in our law. Those companies get the best law their money can buy. The rich get richer, the poor get children. Think ‘Dobbs.’But not to worry. Over the next two years, the majority party in the house is gonna find out all there is to know about Hunter Biden’s laptop, the ‘Deep State,’ and every froot loop covid-19 conspiracy theory deranged human minds can concoct. Those profits are safe and sound; just like the carried interest tax dodge, a ludicrously low corporate tax rate, a favorable tax rate for wealthy individuals, tax subsidies for passive investment, a low cap on income subject to Social Security taxation, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.Unfortunately, America gets the government it wants — at least to the extent gerrymandering, voter suppression, the Electoral College, Russian meddling, Fox ‘News’ propaganda and voter apathy will allow.
| no | 4,766 |
This seems to be a familiar story throughout the Western world. Older workers, despite the existence of legislation, are consistently ignored, the prejudice against them is a dirty open secret. Once you get to your 50s (at least here in the UK), getting a job is increasingly more difficult. Once you get to your 60s then good luck getting another job, you may well have in effect retired no matter what the government says is the legal retirement age. Until this reality is recognised then the issue will never be resolved, it's going to take an organisational, cultural and corporate sea-change which is going to be more urgent as automation and new working practices become more established. Whatever the answer, a knee jerk raising of retirement ages to match longevity is not it.
| yes | 8,969 |
I shall never visit an open carry state. The Founders were out of their friggin' minds to write that lethal Second Amendment (aimed at slavers' votes). They lacked the foresight they really should have had. But then most of them were slave owners, weren't they, so they were neither moral nor ethical, but were padding their own comfy beds. People ask why we can't have decent gun control like say, Australia. No other country on earth has an insane Second Amendment.
| yes | 8,162 |
Trump was caught lying more than 30,000 times in his four years in office. And that's just from his public utterances. Far too many Americans still believe everything he says, and take it as Gospel, etc. Those same people tend to believe the FBI was behind January 6th, the QAnon hoax was legit, and that climate change, the pandemic, and mass inequality are hoaxes. They can't be reasoned with, currently.So what should the Dems do? Stop worrying what right-wingers and centrists say, and just get busy doing everything they can, democratically, to improve quality of life in America. That means going big, very big, and ignoring the cries of "socialism." That means returning to their inner FDR, updating him for the 21st century, and extending that to everyone, now, right now. That means going further than the New Deal to embrace non-profit, democratically controlled commerce whenever and wherever possible. That means reversing rampant privatization of public goods and services, and expanding the Commons instead. Be open about it, and say why this is necessary. And never, ever back down under centrist and right-wing pressure. In short, put people and the planet first.
| yes | 9,515 |
My father George Brimmell was the Telegram reporter who broke the story, complete with the 78 bathrooms bit and came up with the Diefenbunker moniker. The PM -- 'Dief the Chief'-- as Canadians knew him, was none too pleased of course and went out of his way to try to get my Dad fired, but the Telly was having none of that. When it opened to the public in the late 90s, Dad was invited to speak at the opening ceremonies, which was a big thrill for our family. Dad passed on just over a year ago, but I know he's having a good chuckle seeing the NYT running with the story in 2023!
| no | 1,425 |
Right and you go into Big Law knowing what your relatively big salary is (to almost everybody but the finance management trainees) with reasonably accurate expectation (from always published to public) of what your salary will be at every rung of hierarchy - and also with full understanding they will own your life and you will have no work life balance (it will be all work). Most also start with understanding they will eventually burnout or not make partner and have to do something else. Big Law is truly soul sucking for most. Difference is it’s something most who qualify to do it are smart enough to understand what they’re getting into and willing to sacrifice balance for $$ and training. That’s very different from the experience the article relates to.
| no | 1,809 |
Charles Thompson A combination of sloppily installed drainage tubing and extremely cold weather cracked my gas furnace's blower fan and caused leaking that could have destroyed the entire furnace, had I not been home to turn things off in time. When it failed, I called 2 HVAC companies. Both told me to replace the furnace (for 15-20K) because it was "so old" (14 years). Although refusing to even vaguely diagnose the problem, they insisted repairs would easily run 5-10K. I thought they were both scamming me and I became determined to fix the darn thing myself. (I had designed an entire HVAC system for a mall complex when I first got out of Architecture school/ sadly, it was the only design job I could get). Anyhoo, I found the manual online and figured out what had gone wrong and what parts to order. That alone took about 8 hours. I spent $430 on parts and 6 hours doing the clean-up, repairs and re-routing the half-a$$ drainage tubes. Luckily I had 2 gas fireplace to keep the house warm while waiting for the parts. It was arduous, but I save thousands of dollars, my gas furnace works flawlessly, and I now probably know as much about gas furnaces as these so-called experts. I'm a 69 year old woman by the way. In my retirement, I spend my spare time playing chess. And yes, I'm good at it.
| no | 2,562 |
Agree wholeheartedly I laughed when there was the one section in there where the Insurance Company stated that they had teams of people to assist in helping them to apply benefits to the insured,Surely the spokesperson misspoke, or the interviewer misheard.I’m sure he meant “teams of people to assist in helping deny benefits to the insured”A few years ago, when there was a fire in kangaroo island in Australia, we canceled our flight and return due to fires that consumed about half of the island. The local authorities were begging people not to come, as ALL roads were closed to everyone except emergency services, the ferry services also clearly posted on their websites that they would only be ferrying civilians OUT of the island.Qantas? They said “the airports open, it doesn’t affect our service”Contacted credit card company who is supposed to insure against such loss. Of course, this is outsourced to a company to attempt to roadblock you at every step of the way. I supplied them with all he requested documentation (there was a lot). And then, whenever they got the requested documentation, there was always something more…. And I just kept responding. Sometimes I just fabricated the stuff (since what they were asking for was impossible to obtain, which meant they would not be able to obtain to refute me…), and eventually they caved. Yep, thousands of dollars, for a covered claim.
| no | 30 |
Thank you NYT’s . I won’t ever go in another restaurant again. The last 2 years our local restaurant raised the prices on a chicken sandwich from 7.00 to 15.00. Then they want us to give a 6.00 . Such greed and they won’t get that from me. I stopped going to the local barber shop . A man’s hair cut is 30.00 with no washing the hair. You have to give them a high tip. I am retired Army and use to cut my hair short . I decided to cut my hair all off again and am saving lots of money a year over 1,000. I don’t care if it does not look good i am 69 and don’t have to impress any one to impress and am saving lots of money and not getting any barber shop viruses also. LOL
| no | 4,587 |
The Death Penalty is a very interesting point of argument and conversation. It’s absolutely final and not reversible when applied. Also, depending upon who you could afford and get as your lawyer and advocate, a vicious murder, like Saipov, and the structure of the Law, injustice in either direction is possible.To my mind the issues all around this subject are so fraught that, although the death penalty should stand, if for no other reason than the possibility of revenge, its application should be close to impossible. Even in the case of someone like Saipov, which seems like an open and shut case, the need is for the Justice system to look at every possible facet of the crime and the criminal and the shortcomings of the LAW. For a Nation that holds Justice this high, LAW must contribute to Justice , and not confound it.I certainly understand the many commentators here who strongly argue for Saipov’s execution. I don’t think they’re wrong, but I also am so afraid of wrongful application of the Penalty of Death, or some inherent weakness in the Law, as it is legislated over time. Don’t forget, laws are legislated by politicians. Politicians are ultimately compromisers, trading this for that. I see too many flaws in human legal and political transactions to not tread lightly when considering Death.
| yes | 8,049 |
I don't think anyone that is purchasing a $70 million apt is going to be influenced by influencers. Generally only less generously endowed males from foreign countries are interested in making that type of ridiculous ostentatious purchase.
| no | 3,909 |
I direct a law project to protect homeowners from these kinds of scams and predatory investment. It's terrifying to see how prevalent these practices are in NYC and how they successfully target the most vulnerable homeowners, usually seniors and communities of color. Every time we think we identify and address a new scam, another creative trick pops up. The perdators use the court system, existing laws, notarial laws and shielding of identities by setting up limited liability companies, to carry out these schemes. These cases are very hard to prosecute because of the burden of proof and insufficient resources, both civilly and criminally. There's often a whole group of actors involved in addition to the primary predator - the appraiser, title company, potted plant lawyer who is supposedly representing the homeowner, brokers. These should be prosecuted as conspiracy or criminal enterprise because this guy is not a lone actor. These crimes are astonishing in the amount of value involved - often multimillion dollar brownstones. NY gives much more attention to petty crimes like fare evasion and purse snatching that are nothing in comparison. I appreciate this article because it raises public awareness of the extent of these practices.
| no | 368 |
This is the price you pay for freedom.In a society that has evolved to near total openness all the good and all the bad are laid bare.The problem is our government operates on a system that was designed hundreds of years ago and does not work well to protect the majority.We need to revamp our government, but with complete deadlock that ain’t happening anytime soon.So it is daily chaos and little progress until we can’t take it anymore and actually decide to do something about it.
| yes | 9,546 |
Nick While I don't disagree that most execs think and manage in the way you describe I really don't think this applies here.The severance packages these employees are getting are worth more than an entire years salary for most US workers.It's not about the money here. This is just another typical lazy method of the CEO class. Because they don't need to think hard to succeed (or get paid). So if you want to be so lazy at your job and yet still manage to hire thousands of good workers how do you do it? Hire 50,000 then layoff 10,000. Easy peasy, now hand me my bonus!
| no | 2,402 |
We kept bars open instead of schools. They can pour one out for our children’s future.
| no | 3,410 |
James Jordan Consumer market preference is extremely important in the transformation to a new non-fossil energy economy. My colleagues and I have recommended to the White House that they invest in technology competitions so that the investment, media, and public know the performance of market-propelled solutions.Another point of a new transport network like the proposal for an elevated guideway running along the rights of way of the Interstates is we believe the structural components will develop a market for green concrete, green steel, and green aluminum.Superconducting wire-wound magnets are an important technology and are used for magnets in MRI medical diagnostic machines, particle accelerators, and some of the prototype designs for fusion reactors. Clearly, the quantum mechanics of superconductivity is too important to the economic security of the United States to let it leave our shores.
| yes | 8,442 |
In my younger days I had casual friends, or even good acquaintances, who would ask me to loan them money. My income varied wildly from year to year and the requests typically came when I was flush. Except for a couple very close friends the loans were never repaid. Finally, I learned from my experience. When a loan was requested, say $1,000, I would tell them I never loaned to friends, but I could perhaps make a small gift. They were always delighted! A gift with no repayment expected! The gift would be small ($100 or $200) and promptly forgot about it. More importantly we remained friends, unlike the loan recipients who ducked and dodged and wouldn’t even return phone calls.Make a gift, keep a friend. Make a loan, lose a friend.
| yes | 8,072 |
During Donald Trump's administration the Debt went from 20 Trillion to 24 Trillion during a period of unprecedented growth and low interest (prior to Covid). Failing to address the growing debt at a time when when we could afford it is a prime example of GOP failings. During the pre covid period Trump cut federal programs and workers but also cut taxes that are now being touted as paying for themselves. This is nothing but a slight of hand. The only evidence that Trump cuts could have paid for themselves would have been a decrease in the debt and it didn't happen. The IRS investments the republicans now want to cut would pay for themselves without any tax changes. The current Republican strategy is to try use sound bites arguing for cuts rather than solving the real issues with programs to reduce the debt and the deficit. And the Trump administration then added another 4 trillion with is deft handling of Covid making his 4 year period one of the largest contributions to the debt ~8 Trillion in 4 years. We need a true bipartisan plan but until all parties acknowledge the truth good luck.
| yes | 7,278 |
LW #1: (1) Your issue is common for people w/ chronic illness or disability. Pls find chats for same (general, yr cancer, or “invisible illness” ) & search “disclosure, dating”. You’ll find personal experiences & thoughtful assessments by actual people who have been in your situation. You might also call hotlines for cancer survivors. It may help to know others go through it, & benefit from their experience. (2) Consider contacting match group – if this IS true for you– to add you are very open to sexual relationships w/in context of ongoing relationships, but possibly not for penetrative sex? (3) Only if this meets YOUR needs: there are some OBGYNs & other professionals who usefully work w/ women who desire vaginal penetrative sex but find it painful. Pre-screen; don’t start w. general OBGYN. Start w/ The Menopause Manifesto by Jen Gunter, MD; consider booking an appt w/her or ask for referral. Search term re MDs is “sexual medicine”, eg “OBGYN + sexual medicine”. Also see ISSWSH.org, a society for MDs specializing in this area. They offer MDs related courses; contact those teaching it. (4) Some PT/ pelvic floor therapists specialize in this area. The medical term is Dyspareunia. Also search americanboardofsexology.org (also includes psychologists, other therapists). (5) Clarify & frame this re what YOU want, not just what imagined matches seek. Sexual relationship? Is it worth it to YOU to have possibly good matches screened out to avoid later rejection,or no?
| yes | 9,466 |
Egality and the discussion of that meaning is discussed in many open democratic societies today. It’s a central topic in high school when discussing the over-throw of the French monarchy, the same government which helped the USA break from colonial rule. I assume they aren’t teaching those basics so the American Dictionary feels free to omit philosophical discussion.The real rule is Sam does not include every possible word due to size limitations and words that are derogatory, except for a certain sex act. I don’t think it’s fun to spell out some arcane words or sounds, I find spelling out a sex act offensive, but it’s an accepted word.
| yes | 6,091 |
PGH--Thanks for your pithy comment. You make a good point.Still, it seems to me you might be a little too determined to miss mine, which after all was made in the specific context of why essays (where words are paramount) are important for developing critical thinking skills. I certainly don't believe that human *expression* is limited to words, which is what you seem to have taken my comment to mean. Beyond the arts that you've mentioned, humans have all kinds of ways to express themselves: smiles and grimaces, gestures, glances, yawns, choice of clothes, grooming styles, etc. Words can describe any of those things. Sometimes well, sometimes poorly. Never perfectly, mind you. And words are never meant to replace the things they describe: that's not their function. Words can help us see things more clearly. Or they can help us understand why two people see things differently. They can also explain in part how things works. Someone could, for instance, use words as a key to unlock the structure and some of the mysteries of Bach's Chaconne from his Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin. God forbid anyone would try to replace the music itself with some liner notes, though!It should also go without saying that the Chaconne doesn't require anyone's words to express what it was meant to express - and a different performance of the piece might express something entirely different.That said, an illuminating critical essay on the piece would need to find the right words.
| no | 1,751 |
NoName I would argue that paying fees on a percentage of investments would also have cost us over decades of holding stocks. For example, we still own Microsoft shares from 1990 and its stock price and dividend payments have gone up significantly over that time. We purchased Apple shares in 2008 and held on to most of them. Other individual stocks are in different sectors, helped by Better Investing stock selection tools to decide when to buy them. Our low fee Vanguard funds also balance out our portfolio. My husband has owned Vanguard Dividend Growth in his retirement fund for many years and it has performed very well over time, even last year. For more safety, we own Ibonds and Treasuries. Did not need a financial advisor for any of these decisions.
| no | 3,939 |
After their guy spent the past few months bonding himself irrevocably to right-wing conspiracy theorists and culture wars, they might want to hit pause on the expansion. Else really lean in and start selling Pepe the Frog, MAGA and Stop the Steal trim packages to get the FoxMax crowd buying.
| no | 3,554 |
What a great story. I’m not sure whether the critical part was the contract and clear boundaries from the beginning or the generosity and open communication from everyone. Maybe the one enabled the other.
| yes | 9,800 |
Marianne The rates are simply higher here. Our minimum charge is like $150 per quarter. It's insane.
| no | 3,788 |
Great coverage! “Polite and useless” is spot on to describe my recent experience trying to get American to refund downgrading my international honeymoon trip from premium economy to basic economy. They wouldn’t offer a thing and tried to blame codeshare partners. Please keep mistreatment like this in the headlines in the hopes American and other airlines get their comeuppance soon.
| no | 1,337 |
what I don't understand is how all the falsehoods were not discovered, disclosed before the election of Santos. Local media claims to have done its job in discovery of the falsehoods; presumaby Suozzi did his job of publicizing the falsehoods. In a blue leaning district, one would think those two actions would have been enough to prevent his election. Now, post election, all is out in the open and it is deeply troubling. Someone tell me why, before the vote, this information was not sufficient to prevent Santos. I didn't know that Santos had run in 2020. So there have been 2 election cycles and we are just learning of the lies now? Seems to me folks have been asleep at the switch.
| yes | 7,822 |
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump made $600 million during Trump's presidency. At its end, Kushner was given $2 billion by the Saudis.And you say Hunter Biden did what now? Filed his taxes late and may have lied about doing drugs? Got it.
| no | 3,728 |
If 70% of a city of 26 million are infected at this time, and there are 1400 million people scattered in towns and smaller cities, you can guess there are 100 .. 300 million active cases there now.They're on track for 800 million active cases by February spread by the new year holiday travel. I know they wear masks more than we do, but the impact of these cases all at once will be felt worldwide.The science says that new variants are more likely where there is already immunity in the population, meaning here in the US. China has an open field for the virus to plow with the tools it has. There is no pressure on the virus to evade immunity with variation if it's completely unopposed and successful in spreading. Omicron XBB was originally reported as 40% of the cases in the US but it's more like 27% at this time. It will be 40% by Feb. Recent moving averages in the US jumped from decline to increase with the Christmas holiday.
| no | 3,929 |
Bob Washick I live in California where gas prices are higher than anywhere else in the continental U.S. I always spent $6 or more for a carton of eggs because I buy free range, hormone free, organic. The price in my supermarket yesterday for the same eggs was $8. Hardly the end of the world.
| yes | 6,827 |
Nan from CT Vienna,$60mm let’s see: 15% to his agent, Then taxes in CA, possibly upto 50%Then $2-3MM for securityPaying the staff of their foundationWith a cash burn rate like that, Harry isn’t exactly Croesus.Strange fact in the RF is that the first born inherits so much of land, assets, wealth that the younger ones depend on his/her largesse for their daily living.
| no | 2,392 |
I'm sorry, a model system? Universal pre-K in NYC was NEVER universal. IF you could get a spot I'm sure it was wonderful, but the vast, overwhelming majority of families had absolutely no shot at nabbing one of the very limited number of spots. Which means most kids in NYC either skipped pre-K or parents shelled out upwards of $25k a year.Please be realistic about this program. It is a farce to call it universal when it covers only a small fraction of the city's families.
| no | 1,011 |
Franco51 Absolutely not. You people are insane and obviously live comfortable lives. Insane.Labor having to work until 70 years old? Heck try 67? Really tired of this.People paid in their entire lives. They paid for it. They invested when they were young and earned it. End the tax cuts.Fund the IRS.Increase taxes on capital such that it must be in agregate to the average percentage of what labor pays of their total to be at a minimum equal.Enough is enough. If the workers pay 40% of their income it is time for capital to do the same. I'm so sick of this garbage. Stock buybacks have done NOTHING for us. Concentration of wealth is gouging us with price hikes. We must break the concentration of wealth to have healthy capitalism and a competitive market. That is true capitalism that is ignored constantly. You do not subsidize nor give tax breaks to the wealthy.You tax them the highest and the least taxes on small businesses with labor balanced across the board fairly.You must push down on concentrations of wealth. They are deadly for democracy and capitalism as they ever leverage and distort the market. And you must let them fail in totality and for people to collect form the owners not hide from them by corporate personhood when they fail or commit criminal acts.
| no | 309 |
When will we start saying coders have to learn metalworking. At some point all these financial types and narrative inventors have to attempt to become productive members of society and stop leaching on America. Wall Street banks with their $1,000,000,000,000 'profit' over the past 10 years with their purchased political parties and propaganda platforms need to go.... I'm sure 8% internet rates would do the trick. Ubers Retained Earnings is negative ~30b or something..... isn't that enough?
| yes | 9,863 |
Bettyishere Many already sell their lives for less than $2,000,000.00 a year- but not by playing football...People die, and worms eat them, but not for love.
| no | 4,665 |
Bradley "intact families which are able and willing to care for their kin who struggle" = partners coming into a relationship with equal economic standing & no generational or epigentic trauma, paid enough money to afford dignified safe housing, and with enough social supports that they can afford to make childbearing decisions free of duress, with ample time to explore non-threatening issues of the relationships, because both partners are adults with emotional maturity and insightCongratulations, you've prescribed an impossible paradox that can't exist until all the preconditions for health already exist-- and which never have. Miss us with the myth of some utopian nuclear family, much less the "deserving poor" fallacy. People can and do make bad choices, but more importantly and more often can and do have bad things befall them-- no matter how secure a place they began from. Radical redistribution of hoarded wealth and a return to humane values for humanity are the keys to changing the homelessness situation.
| no | 887 |
Republicans have defunded our government. Not just as they are now threatening, but as a long term process. Fifty some years ago, in 1970, the highest joint filer tax rate was 70%. At that time, CEO to average worker salaries were at a ratio of 11:1. The CEO at roughly $95,700 was taxed at 60%. In 2021, the CEO to average worker ratio was 399:1. The CEO earned roughly $31,880,100 and was taxed at 37%. The corporate tax in 1970 was 49.2%, in 2021 it is 21%. The tax rates for high income families and corporations have come down dramatically while their percent of total income has gone up dramatically. Yes, they pay an increasing part of taxes collected because they are the only ones with a relatively increasing share of income - an eleven fold advantage in 1970 to a three-hundred ninety-nine fold advantage now. This is amped up by tax advantages given their corporate stock and bond holdings....and Republicans aim to keep it going that way to their campaign contributors.
| yes | 7,427 |
A Happy 2023 begins with humility, something that comes to us all eventually, whether by choice or by circumstance. We can seek it or we can be propelled to it under the force of an overwhelming fate. It is a moment in which we catch a fleeting glimpse of the inescapable truth that nothing exists under our control—not others, not money, not any government, not the totality of our days or the days of those we love. Neither the love we seek nor the love we give. Like time, our comprehension of humility evaporates while we are trying to grasp it. It is nonetheless foundational to any growth we may hope to find on our way to becoming better versions of ourselves, a goal we often set at the turn of a new year. All of life’s lessons stem from sanguine openness to a path into some change of our being that feels scary but is inescapable. If we try to claim humility, it floats up to a cloud above our head and wisps away with the wind. I recently heard a friend in her 70s say that she realized that every new year’s resolution was a striving for her unattainable perfect self. And the word self was key in that foolish ritual. She ultimately found a happy new year in any day focused upon helping another human being. Humility only comes to us when we linger in the midst of the human crowd and see our fellow beings as equally vulnerable to the lash or glory of fate. Humility’s synonym is spiritual egalitarianism.
| yes | 7,053 |
"Nice hat. Nice face."I really needed a smile this morning and that story and line sure did it. Ms. Biggs, I hope it's okay if I borrow that line from time to time. Priceless.The other story I found so incredible was the Raleigh. What were the chances that someone from that factory happened to walk by AND be able to fix that third gear with a tool from a pocket?I couldn't help but recall when I rode a Fuji Supreme bike. That was my only means of transportation. Never had a driver's license (if you ever saw me walk, you would know why and be grateful I don't drive). Many decades ago, I was moving to Phoenix and doing some last minute errands. I locked up my bike pretty darn securely but when I came out of the store, my bike was gone. So was my lock and chain. I just started to cry because I was so angry. Suddenly a man approached me to see what was wrong and if he could be of any assistance. Green Bay isn't a very small town but it wasn't that large either, so I was not alarmed by a stranger's concern. After telling him what happened through my flood of tears, he said he owned a bike store down the street and would sell me a replacement, at cost. I told him what my plans were and that I didn't have that kind of spare cash. He said he trusted me and would be okay if I sent him $100 a month. I was speechless. In the end, I paid him the full price but he returned the excess.Angels DO live among us.Happiest New Year everyone! Love you all so very much.
| yes | 6,360 |
Bill: The answer is more renewables, and the IRA is already contributing to an acceleration. The IEA's recent report computes that globally, with today's policies and investment, renewables will overtake coal as the #1 electricity supplier by 2025. In 2-3 years, in other words. China is the biggest story there, with the U.S. and Europe trailing but expanding. It is happening, because renewables with storage are cheaper than operating existing coal plants today, right now.
| yes | 7,357 |
RedorBlueGuy Amazon is considerably more than a place to buy things online. The real crown jewel of Amazon is Amazon Web Services, which is the dominant provider of cloud infrastructure in the world. Without AWS, whole sectors of Internet business and services would simply not exist.Their Kindle business is also quite revolutionary and ubiquitous. I use a Kindle to check out and read books from my public library. Kindle also allows every book to essentially be a large print book, and provides audio support so books can be read to people who can't see.Microsoft and Apple have their own technological progress. Many organizations would not be able to run effectively without Exchange/Outlook/Teams/Office. Apple has also given us the iPad, and done amazing things with their in-house silicon (M1/M2 processors) most recently -- providing a lot of computing power with drastically lower energy consumption.
| no | 259 |
What is disturbing are the windows that don't open. Historic Victorian neighborhoods where I live are being razed by our local Ivy (Brown University) for these cookie cutter "hospital architecture" buildings with windows that you cannot open, forcing you to breathe canned air and closing you off from the neighborhood. They are fundamentally inhuman.
| no | 4,355 |
If you live in the city here are a few things you can go do to experience awe far more frequently than you imagine:Ditch your phone and ditch VRread a book outside your comfort zoneEat a meal in an ethnic restaurant , where members of that ethnic group eat regularly Savor it while observing your fellow diners Avoid pre packaged ‘experiences’ Someone else has already chosen what they believe will awe youMost of all , take something of an everyday experience and find the transcendental in it It could be as simple as a walk in your neighborhood or watching birds fly outside your window Next time you fly on a plane book a window seat Unless you’ve developed wings there’s no better way to see the earth than outside that window But get off the tech and into the ‘real’ world There’s a whole lot there to help you experience awe Just open your eyes
| no | 3,259 |
The first Republican POTUS, Abraham Lincoln, argued government should make it possible for all to have equal access to resources, including education, so that all could have the chance to achieve economic security. From leading the world in educational achievement, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development now ranks the US 35th out of 37 major countries for investment in childhood education and care.Among other conservative traits that I have never understood is the conservative disdain of public education other than fear of an educated discerning electorate.
| yes | 8,191 |
“The fundamental issue is this was a business whose main business was not public transportation or infrastructure,” Ms. Levin said. “Having them in that role was a risk.”The only reason corporations sign on to a public project is to get good PR that they can then leverage to boost profits. Their mindset is all about short-term investments and payoffs. I hope FB/Meta goes bankrupt with its stupid virtual reality focus.Meanwhile, we need to get our local, state, and federal governments to invest in mass transit -- and not tie their mast to the ship-of-fools that is the automobile-and-highway cartel. Where is former San Francisco governor -- and now California governor -- Gavin Newsom on this? California can set a model for mass transit with such local/regional projects and with bullet trains connecting major cities. Time to turn up the heat on California Democrats to make mass transit a priority!
| yes | 5,973 |
Harley - processes that can get their energy from electricity are expanding. For instance, there's a solar-powered steel mill in Colorado.This from a September 2022 article in Power Magazine:"Solar Project Forges a Bright Future for Colorado Steel MillThe Bighorn Solar farm has been called the future of renewable energy. It’s a project dedicated to providing cleaner power for a major industrial facility, while also investing in the community and preserving local jobs.The Bighorn Solar project in Colorado is an example. Bighorn Solar is a 300-MW photovoltaic solar farm, developed by Lightsource bp to power the EVRAZ Rocky Mountain steel mill in Pueblo. Bighorn is at present the largest onsite solar power plant for a U.S. industrial facility, and also the first such facility in the country to be dedicated to a steel mill.Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, delivers electricity from Bighorn to the mill, one of the city’s largest employers. The project operates under a 20-year, fixed-rate power purchase agreement (PPA), providing stable electricity prices that the mill needed to remain in Pueblo and continue to support more than 1,000 jobs in the local community."I'm not recommending solar for an industrial site in high-latitude Sweden, but they happen to be near Norway with huge amounts of hydro - called the battery of Europe.
| no | 1,649 |
Microsoft is finding it harder to compete in a free market after abusing antitrust laws to form a virtual monopoly in the early PC business.
| no | 4,503 |
Actually, he doesn’t give Prince Michael of Kent anything… Most of the extended family don’t receive any income from the King…
| no | 1,126 |
James Haynes James shouldn't you be prosecuted for using a totally degenerate form of Proto-Sanskrit (aka Indo-European), the result of misspeaking that language into all sorts of derivatives such as Italian, English, Russian, Hindi, Greek etc etc etc.Please do yourself a favor and look at any introductory Linguistic textbook. The process that book will describe is that languages change all the time through a very democratic process in which we all participate anytime we open our mouth to speak. Usage will tell you what words will survive and what words will disappear (read Shakespeare to locate some of those disappeared words!)
| no | 1,844 |
Thinking of all my former Film Forum co-workers today. The article doesn't mention if the $6 million a year budget included therapy bills, but I'm guessing not.
| no | 1,266 |
Selena You are hilarious!For decades, the complaint was that women couldn't get to the executive level. Now that they've made it there, you are celebrating when they quit.Please, make up your mind.Del Rocio works for her politician sister.Hanson is scrambling to pay her rent.Sobel, age 53, had to scramble to get her basement ceiling fixed.Padham seems unfit for life as an entrepreneur. By that I mean, buying property with a “partner” who leaves, presumably doubling the economic pressure on Padham, and has only a vague plan to open her business sometime in the next year.As I said earlier, good luck, ladies.
| no | 2,699 |
ann Eventually all fresh produce will be picked by robots. But only a few agribusinesses will have the capital to buy the robots. They will put other farmers out of business. And then they will raise prices to whatever they want.Until then, harvesting robots are a much bigger capital investment than is justified by the cost of fresh produce.
| yes | 9,844 |
Michael Not if I had billions in the bank. That is WHY you save so you can weather periods of down income. Or so they tell us peons. Too bad Microsoft is apparently living paycheck to paycheck.
| no | 3,103 |
Larry The next sentence or so intrigued/horrified me. For the Giants, their options with Jones were to tag him for $45 million or to give him a guaranteed contract longer term for $30 million per. That is what the NFL is now. Every starting QB, even the 22nd best out of 32, gets $30 million once they are in the league long enough. Nobody except the journeymen will take less.
| yes | 8,064 |
Business is business. I’ve got a friend who was making ~300K a year at Goldman Sacs. A month ago she was telling me all her hacks for not working while at work. She lost her job a week or so ago. And now she’s acting like Goldman was dishonest, disloyal, and committed some sort of crime by letting her go. Jobs and business = transactional relationship. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s all cost/benefit analysis for all involved.
| yes | 6,709 |
my young experience was similar to Klein's, but I never became a B&N fan. A close friend of mine (from primary school, though we traveled very different paths after) look forward to retirement because it meant he could spend 2 to 3 days a week at a Barnes & Noble. A five min. drive in a small city with no independent book stores at all. I have been to the city and at time he retired the public library system was abysmal, terrible . . . though supposedly they have made some investment in the last couple of years.Nor do I disagree with most of Daunt's assessments (though it's not going to encourage me to rush to a B&N any time soon). I have a tablet decaded to e-books more texts then I can visualize irl. Fiction, biography, reference texts, math tutorials. Also have, maybe, 7 physical books on the end table that serves both in bed & good solid reading chair reading. The books are a mixture of almost current & quite old & if I have an hour to sit & read I'm never quite sure which one I'm going to select until my hand falls on it. Which is part of the pleasure. I've moved frequently in my life and spent more on moving books than furniture so E-readers seemed a natural fit. But after decades I agree, they are still not ready for prime time. In one area in which they should excel, search & selection, they remain after decades, irritatingly weak & it matters.
| no | 3,655 |
Ok, so the interest on the debt is roughly 1.51%, that’s manageable. But it doesn’t tackle the debt, only the interest.I know that the U.S. economy is unlike any household budget, but it seems that just paying interest…..on an ever-expanding debt….will eventually come back to bite an aging country…especially one that is having fewer children, and one that seems unable going forward to provide the decent wages that the bottom 20-30% will need to become active tax paying citizens.Because the top 5% will still be employing tax lawyers and accountants to make sure that their liabilities will remain….limited. So we’re fine now; what about our children and grandchildren? Or is looking at the long game not what economists do?
| no | 669 |
Just follow the money.The difference is more stark at the leadership level. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) got $129,000 in drug industry campaign cash. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), meanwhile, received just $11,000. 'Ahead of a historic election, pharma targets its Republican favorites'<a href="https://www.statnews.com/feature/prescription-politics/prescription-politics" target="_blank">https://www.statnews.com/feature/prescription-politics/prescription-politics</a>/'The United States is an outlier as most other developed nations do negotiate drug prices with manufacturers.Drug pricing reform opponents win most pharma lobbying money'<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/capitol-hill-drug-pricing-reform-opponents-among-biggest-beneficiaries-pharma-2021-10-25" target="_blank">https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/capitol-hill-drug-pricing-reform-opponents-among-biggest-beneficiaries-pharma-2021-10-25</a>/
| no | 4,947 |
He didn’t get suckered. That was a $650,000 donation to Santo’s campaign that was funneled through the company. He’s trying to explain away the illegal contribution by saying he got scammed.
| yes | 8,714 |
This entire story is a money laundering operation propped up by media lies. Has anyone seen any real evidence of 80 billion being spent? All I see are a few small arms and limited artillery. I guess I should not hold my breath for any coverage of the Twitter files. Meanwhile Americans are getting poorer by the day, and there is talk of banning cooking stoves.
| no | 4,809 |
So here's my solution. Nominate a Democratic representative that might pass muster with a few of the house Republicans and use the mass of democratic votes (just 5 short of a majority) to elect the speaker. Since the GOP has the overall majority in the house, it can block any democratic party initiative they don't like and at the same time get underway with the possibility of compromise on needed legislation, such as keeping the government open and financed. At the same time, the far right Freedom Caucus tantrum is finessed and the house can continue in its customary fractious and muddling behavior.
| no | 1,406 |
Ellen what do you consider fair price? And how could a regular consumer stretch their budgets if fair price is 10x the discounted sweatshop price? There is a reason why we have so many Walmarts and 99c store and fewer Whole Foods.
| no | 2,356 |
RobertRight now our Governor Reynolds is reading “Arizona Republicans exempt lawmakers from state’s open-records law” and thinking it’s a wonderful idea.
| no | 3,860 |
Pete in Downtown. Also, that high barrier to entry is not just made up of patents; every step of the manufacturing of biologicals has to be validated and certified, adding years and millions of dollars in cost. Somewhat also true for chemical entities (small molecules), but much easier, faster and cheaper. Now, we patients want that validation and certification to avoid potential safety problems down the line. Example: you want to make sure that cell lines used don't also shed potentially harmful viruses into the same solution the antibodies you want are secreted into. This discussion about if and how to streamline that validation and certification process between FDA, international organizations like the ISO, the EMA (European equivalent to FDA), and yes, the equivalent organizations from Japan and China* should start immediately and with top priority, if they haven't already. * Those health authorities regulate the bulk of potential markets for such generic biologicals, so you want them on board, if possible. But, if that turns out to really delay the discussions, the US and Europe could go it alone.
| yes | 6,730 |
Retired Fed, who says? My dad died at 62, never collecting on the benefits he paid as the breadwinner of the household. My mother had the means to invest & would never have had to collect SSI from his & I presume her paltry contributions combined. She lived very frugally with everything paid off on SSI minus what was taken out for Medicare. I recently visited a member of the family in the hospital. Due to diabetes/kidney complications of the mother, the baby due was delivered by caesarian two-three months early & is a preemie in an incubator, & will have to remain in the hospital for a month. I have no children because I chose not to live a precarious life with a child and unwilling others to get involved with the financial/caregiving responsibilities. I thought about this.....I would prefer a M4A system despite having not yet required major medical care. I foresee an increasingly privatized system going forward wanting to financially drain my resources instead.
| yes | 7,639 |
Andy In Tuxon Since when have user demands for anything "tech" mattered to manufacturers? Users don't demand anything. Competition alone forces decisions. If user demand mattered we would have truly secure devices, networks, and services. If user demand mattered we would have short, clear EULA's and no cookies, tracking or invasive surveillance that monitors every bit of our lives.If users mattered they'd have options on mobile devices like no BT, no BLE reception, or no cloud storage capability. And if a user chose to have use of those capabilities on a device, manufacturers would not be able to enforce leaving port 3 open on any digital device so that the device and its contents can be scanned without the user's knowledge. Big Tech calls all the shots. It makes all the decisions. Users are just fodder.
| yes | 6,664 |
I am proud of the Ukrainian army--and of our support of them. Russia is clearly losing this war. Many "FOX News" folks really think Russia is justified in their invasion! I had to sit next to a couple on a jet flight who kept badgering me about this. It is obvious that Russia invaded on 2/24/22 because the Chinese Winter Olympics (which ended on 2/20/22) would have been ruined--AND Putin was not ready--as history has shown. Why Tucker C. and his 3 million fans back fascism is a mystery to me. they are not "republicans." They are simply against anything Biden and "the libs" are for. The misinformation I had to hear on this flight was staggeringly wrong. "why should we give Ukraine $1.1 TRILLION in aid!" the woman said to me. I tried to be polite--and tell her that this is not the amount (it was 1.3% of this number BTW) of aid in the new budget. But she was desperate for a fight --after having to endure a week at her husbands' family home (liberals) in CT--where she was coached to not talk politics. sad stuff.
| yes | 7,404 |
China Fact Chasers/The China Show (produced by the same people on YouTube) have documented that for over 2 months, all the peaceful “white paper” protestors have been tracked down (from their phones’ geolocated proximity to the protests), rounded up in the night, and disappeared by the State authorities. Many it seems have been tortured, physically silenced through violence, or worse…. This apparently even happened to those who, not holding up a white sheet of paper themselves, merely were in the general vicinity of the protests. Many of the disappeared haven’t been heard from since.I’m really surprised Western media isn’t covering this more….Or accurately describing this crackdown for the tragedy it is.Many lazy western journalists indeed have described Xi’s ‘Zero Covid’ turnaround as evidence of “concessions”/openness to the protestors… as if it was some friendly dialogue they were rewarded with by the State… when in reality the crackdown on them was a Tiananmen Square 2.0; except, this time, the Surveillance State authorities waited till they were away from Western media’s prying eyes and had isolated protestors individually, before they went ahead and rounded them up like cattle.This should be a scandal. And more widely deprecated in the West.Nothing points out the insane absurdity of the censorious CCP more, than their utterly irrational fear of white blank pieces of paper. That the innocent humans who did so peacefully were violently dealt with must be known.
| yes | 8,426 |
MSF I may be wrong but I think SmallFry is being sardonic. The prevailing thought is that when threads get shifted around with new time stamps, it's due to some malicious flagging, which may send a post into forum purgatory until a human moderator can check it and either delete or release it. A lot of this is speculation, but there have been people who openly admit to flagrant flagging of posts that they don't think should be allowed.
| no | 3,238 |
"...and managerial acumen."When I was building my life I never understood what possibly could be the use of a manager. I have the throttle open and I'm in a racing crouch, and I'm thinking "Pray tell, manage what?!"Ah, that was a fun memory. The more I watch operations and businesses and institutions I interact with, the more I can see, unless you have the throttle open and are flying down the highway of life, almost everything rises and falls on the quality of management and managerial talent.Might cc this to Elon.
| no | 4,074 |
Why are airline desk agents even acting as the final arbiter of whether a traveler’s immigration paperwork is in order in the first place?I agree that they should be verifying easy things (like that people remember to bring a valid passport), which is a simple, valuable service I appreciate. But beyond that, if a passenger insists their paperwork is in order, shouldn’t the airline just permit them to fly and then take their chances at passport control at their destination? (After all it’s not the airline’s problem if you get stuck in immigration jail like Novak Djokovic, have to abandon your plans and fly home.)An AA agent in Nashville can’t and shouldn’t be expected to be a qualified Chilean immigration attorney, and I have to think that the airline would love to shed its liability for taking on this role. In this case it ended up costing them $17K and a lot of bad press for getting it wrong.
| yes | 5,159 |
Ernest Montague Sales taxes -- 8-10% of spend on groceries, utilities -- cover necessities. They burden the poor by requiring everyone to pay say more. Places like NOLA and my hometown impose sales taxes at higher rates than NYC.Property taxes might balance that, but GOP states (LA, FL or TN) let homeowners pay almost nothing while imposing no state income taxes. When Marty says Audubon or St. Charles, mansion lined streets in NOLA, they probably pay almost no property tax at all. Or, it's $5k a year and would be $75k if it were in CA or NY.Decisions about what taxes to rely on to fund public services -- sales, property and income tax -- tells you about a place, how it values services and how it treats different classes of people, property.For FL or LA or TN It tells you that the poor are bearing a higher burden, that the rich don't value public services or want to pay for them or that a GOP state won't really care about localities and only those are relying on sales tax or have high public service costs so they can just learn to live with less.None of it is benign. It's designed to appease wealthy voters/donors who don't send kids to public school or care much about others' kids.Most benefitting from this structure don't like it when public services want -- garbage pick up, paving or safety -- aren't done.States starve cities by giving rich a good deal. Who then complain about who should be blamed absent outright corruption. But mayors don't set taxes.
| no | 4,035 |
Gerry You are right about Biden having a lot to clean up from Trump and Republicans. Trump added 25% to our National Debt, Biden is the first President since Bill Clinton to actually reduce the Debt. Biden had to put our alliances back together after Trump damaged them so severely and was planning to pull out of NATO altogether. He even picked fights with Canada, who traditionally is our closest friend. He is left with the Tramp tax cut which Liz Truss tried to copy. Fortunately for you, after seeing the mess and damage that tax cut with no growth attached to it the International Bankers blocked! Biden was left with a deregulated big business climate with monopolies in controlling almost every sector since the Reagan trickle down economic theory was put in place by the Republicans. Biden has fixed that by executive orders. Biden has brought unemployment down to 3.5% since he took office with his policies. He and the Democratic Congress managed to get a huge infrastructure renewal bill passed and brought the income up of low wag earners by more than our current 6.5%inflation rate. The median income increase is over 8% according to the WSJ analysis. He is bringing manufacturing back home to distressed rural areas., so people don't have to flock to the coastal cities to try to find employment. Housing is the next thing to get tackled, but nothing will get done now, since theMAGA Republicans lied their way into control of the House of Representatives.
| yes | 8,890 |
This article is about the political wrangling over the debt ceiling, but the more relevant questions is how this nation has gotten itself so deeply in debt. The last paragraph speaking about how we need to build up our weapons supply in order to furnish Taiwan weapons against the possibility of an attack by China exhibits this country's attitude of dealing with the rest of the world, mainly by military superiority. Our President and Congress just approved another $90 billion of aid to Ukraine for military and humanitarian aid without simultaneously increasing the debt limit. Now there is talk about arming Taiwan on top of this, already on top of massive defensive spending already in the budget. If negotiations take place there is talk of cutting social security, medicare and social programs to aid the old and disenfranchised citizenry of this country. Our hegemony to inflict our vision of world order upon the rest of the world rings hollow when we find our selves in a quagmire of debt and punishing our own people to fund this agenda. These are the major underlying issues, but they seem to be ignored under the assumptions that any actions we undertake in the world are so righteous.
| no | 1,915 |
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