#Home Healthcare Market Report

[blog-site-for-market-research]

Home Healthcare Market Research, Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report, 2032

Market Scope

The Home Healthcare Market Size was assessed at USD 216.0 billion in 2021, and it is expected to rise from USD 246.1 billion in 2022 to USD 661.12 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.14% over the forecast period (2022- 2030).

Drivers and Restrains Impacting Home Healthcare Market

The rise of the global home healthcare market can be attributed to factors, such as; adoption of advanced technology in healthcare and diagnosis equipment and introduction of initiatives by governments to encourage home healthcare solutions. On the contrary, the home healthcare market is anticipated to face challenges and restraints owing to rising about patient safety and high healthcare costs. However, the expansion of the geriatric population in can support the market rise in years to come.

Segment Analysis of Home Healthcare Market

The home healthcare market segment study is based on product, software, and service.

By products, the segments of the home healthcare market study are screening, therapeutic and testing, and monitoring products. The segment of therapeutic and testing is sub-segmented into respiratory therapy equipment, dialysis equipment, insulin delivery devices, IV equipment, and wound care products among others. The segment of monitoring products is sub-segmented into event monitors, holter, sleep apnea monitors, pulse oximeters & heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose monitors, and cholesterol monitoring devices among others.

By software, the home healthcare market study is segmented into hospice solutions, agency software, telehealth solution, and clinical management systems. The telehealth solution segment can rise at high growth pace over the years to come.

By services, the global home healthcare market research is segmented into unskilled care services, skilled nursing services, rehabilitation therapy services, respiratory therapy services, infusion pregnancy care services, and therapy services. The expansion of the respiratory therapy services to support market.

Regional Assessment of Home Healthcare Market

The growing concerns regarding authenticity and safety of treatment are encouraging innovations that can influence the home healthcare market expansion in different regions across the globe. The market research report reveals that companies in the global home healthcare market can be supported by new revenue sources that are utilized by key market players and the surging investment over the forecast term. The regional analysis of the market is spread across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific among other. As per market study, the home healthcare market is set to experience a tremendous growth across software, product, service, and region segments. The home healthcare market in North America region covers the United States, and Mexico and Canada. Businesses present in this regional market are profiled for their strategies and are presented in detail in this market report. The home healthcare market in the European region covers Germany, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. Further, the market research report offers details on the APAC region that spans across China, Japan, India, Australia, and others. The market active across other parts of the world, such as; Middle East, Brazil, and Africa, others in the home healthcare market are also studied.

Competitive Landscape of Home Healthcare Market

Some reputed companies that are functioning in the home healthcare market include Abbott (U.S.), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (The Netherlands), Fresenius SE & Co KGaA (Germany), F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland), GE Healthcare (U.S.), A&D Company (Japan), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), McKesson Corporation (U.S.), Omron Corporation (Japan), Becton Dickinson Company (U.S.), LG Electronics (South Korea), Medtronic PLC (U.S.), Apple (U.S.), Kinnser Software (U.S.), and 3M (U.S.) and others. Eminent players are engaged in launching new products and entering partnerships in the global market and to expand their consumer base.

The report offers vivid profiles on market players and study their current scenario in the market. History of companies coupled with their annual turnover, segmental share, profit margins, growth strategies, SWOT analysis, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities, new product launches, and R&D initiatives are discussed on a granular level.

The market report provides comprehensive analysis of the worldwide home healthcare market in segments that include service, product, region, and software. Analysts have also assessed the market's rise across several regional markets across different market’s segments on a country level. The research report of the home healthcare market highlights key segments that offers forecasts on the basis of primary and secondary data. The report on the global market of home healthcare presents key company profiles on organizations that are active across the several regions.

About Market Research Future:

Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

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[stickyleadybloger]

https://sajhi.com/blogs/70523/Home-Healthcare-Market-Report-Trends-Market-Growth-and-Segment-Forecasts

Home Healthcare Market Report, Trends, Market Growth and Segment Forecasts To 2030

The home healthcare market Share is projected to reach USD 568 billion by 2030 at CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period 2022-2030

[mitalipingale]

The Home Healthcare Software Market in 2023 is US$ 4.01 billion, and is expected to reach US$ 7.77 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 8.62%.

[vikaschauhanwriter]

U.S. Home Healthcare Market Size, Share, Report 2023-2028

The United States home healthcare market is projected to exhibit a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2% during 2023-2028.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A new study has revealed the worst place in Canada to buy a home, and it might surprise you. MetroVancouverHomeSource.com looked at each province's average house price and median annual income to determine its rankings. While British Columbia's housing market makes headlines over and over again for its unaffordability, it's actually Ontario that took the not-so-coveted prize with a score of 20.97 out of 100. "The average house price in the province is a staggering $931,870, while the median annual income is $41,690. Ontario also has high living costs, with high childcare, food, and household maintenance costs. However, the province has the lowest healthcare costs of all ten provinces," the report found. Apparently, BC placed a bit better for the chance of buying a home due to having "the lowest mortgage insurance premiums on average."  But the average cost of a home in 2023 is higher than in Ontario — a jump compared to 2022 and remains more than double what it would cost in Alberta.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[workersolidarity]

⚠️ WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE⚠️ 🔞

[ 📹 Children are among those crushed to death under the rubble of their home after being bombed by the Israeli occupation army in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, today. The Israeli occupation army began its Rafah operation last night by openly carpet bombing the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah City, killing and wounding dozens of innocent civilians.

📈 The current death toll in Gaza now exceeds 34'789 Palestinians killed and another 78'204 wounded since Oct. 7th ]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES BEGIN "LIMITED OPERATION" IN EASTERN RAFAH AS PROMISES OF FULL-BLOWN INVASION CONTINUE WITH "GREEN LIGHT" FROM US ADMINISTRATION

On the 214th day of "Israel's" ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 6 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 54 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 96 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to reach countless hundreds, even thousands of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted, as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

The United States has given the "green light" to an Israeli invasion of Rafah, that's according to the Israeli occupation media today, which wrote that the "invasion of Rafah came after a message was sent to Egypt with full American coordination."

According to a report in the Hebrew media on the Rafah operation, "the American administration gave Netanyahu the green light for a limited operation that may last a few days in order to obtain a victory image that he could market to the ministers of the extreme right."

"The US will ban the transfer of ammunition and military equipment to Israel - if Netanyahu violates the agreement," the report added.

In response to the announcement, Egypt immediately condemned the operation, which resulted in the Israeli occupation forces taking full control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the escalation in Rafah was a "dangerous development" that threatens the lives of more than a million Palestinians who depend on the Rafah crossing as a lifeline for the Gaza Strip, and for the safe outlet for the wounded and sick to exit the enclave for treatment and for the entry of humanitarian and relief aid.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on the Israeli authorities to "excercise the utmost restraint and to avoid brinkmanship with long-term impact, which would threaten the fate of efforts made to reach a sustainable truce within the Gaza Strip."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also called upon the international community to intervene and exert the "necessary pressure" to defuse the current situation and allow diplomatic efforts to achieve their desired results.

At the same time, China also condemned the Israeli operations in Rafah, calling on the Israeli occupation to "stop attacking Rafah" after the Israeli authorities announced they had taken control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing.

In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian stated, "China strongly calls on Israel to respond to the great demands of the international community, stop attacking Rafah, and do everything in its power to avoid a more serious humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson further said that China "expresses its deep concern over Israel's intention to launch a ground military operation against Rafah."

"War and violence cannot fundamentally solve the problem and cannot achieve real security," Lin added.

Immediately following the announcement of the "limited" operation in Rafah, widespread carpet bombing of Gaza's southernmost city began, with the homes and businesses of Palestinians targeted with American-made bunker-busting dumb bombs dropped by the Israeli occupation army.

During the assault, occupation forces bombed the residential home of the Al-Hams family in the Al-Geneina neighborhood, east of Rafah, obliterating the house and killing four civilians, followed by another IOF airstrike on the Abdel-Al family in the administrative district in central Rafah, murdering one family member and wounding a number of others.

Elsewhere in Gaza, the Israeli occupation army launched several raids on the towns of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in Gaza's north, while Israeli air forces bombarded the Yarmouk area, east of Jabalia, and also targeted a home belonging to the Al-Durailmi family, in the Al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, slaughtering three civilians and wounding several others.

Additionally, a Palestinian citizen was killed and others wounded following an Israeli airstrike on the residential home of the Bakr family in the Al-Shati Refugee Camp, west of Gaza City on the eastern Mediterranean shore.

Following the seemingly endless bombing and shelling of the Israeli army, local civil defense crews managed to recover the bodies of several Palestinian civilians found under the rubble of their homes, including the homes of the Abu Amra, Al-Shamali, Al-Hams and Abdel-Al families, all of which were bombed overnight and into the morning, killing dozens of citizens.

In the bombing of the Abu Amra family home, three civilians were killed, including a child.

Meanwhile, in yet another atrocity, IOF warplanes bombarded a residential home in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, in Gaza's south, martyring five civilians and wounding a number of others.

According to sources with the Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Rafah City, at least 20 people were killed and dozens of others wounded in the overnight and dawn bombings of Gaza's southernmost city.

They said rescue crews, ambulance, paramedics and civil defense personnel recovered the bodies of four civilians, including two women, while another 18 were wounded, following the Israeli bombing of the Al-Darbi family home, in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah.

In further criminal attacks, IOF fighter jets launched airstrikes targeting the civilian home of the Al-Afifi family family, also in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, wounding several Palestinians, while another airstrike conducted against a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City killed one and wounded many others.

IOF aircraft further targeted a residential home belonging to the Al-Shamali family, adjacent to the Abu Bakr Mosque in the Brazil neighborhood of Rafah, killing and maiming several citizens.

Elsewhere, occupation forces focused their bombing in Gaza's north on the Al-Zaytoun, Tal al-Hawa, Sheikh Ajlin, and Al-Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City, while another bombing targeted a civilian residence in the Al-Atatra area of Beit Lahiya.

In further assaults, an IOF attack helicopter of the Apache variety was seen opening fire on neighborhoods south of the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

Military and armored vehicles of the Israeli occupation forces have also been built-up just 200 meters from Rafah border crossing, some of which fired shells into the city according to some reports, while the Egyptian side said the occupation army was conducting limited operations near the crossing and would withdraw from its vicinity tomorrow morning.

As a result of "Israel's" ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the death toll among the local population has risen yet again, now exceeding 34'789 Palestinians killed, including well over 14'690 children and 10'000 women, while another 78'204 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

May 7th, 2024.

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[jangillman]

President Trump's Achievements

Hey!! What has Donald Trump done while he was in office (as at July, 2017)!!!

1.Supreme Court Judge Gorsuch

2.59 missiles dropped in Syria.

3.He took us out of TPP

4.Illegal immigration is now down 70%( the lowest in 17 years)

5.Consumer confidence highest since 2000 at index125.6

6.Mortgage applications for new homes rise to a 7 year high.

7.Arranged 20% Tariff on soft lumber from Canada.

8.Bids for border wall are well underway.

9.Pulled out of the lopsided Paris accord.

10.Keystone pipeline approved.

11.NATO allies boost spending by 4.3%

12.Allowing VA to terminate bad employees.

13.Allowing private healthcare choices for veterans.

14.More than 600,000. Jobs created

15. Median household income at a 7 year high.

16. The Stock Market is at the highest ever In its history.

17. China agreed to American import of beef.

18. $89 Billion saved in regulation rollbacks.

19. Rollback of A Regulation to boost coal mining.

20. MOAB for ISIS

21. Travel ban reinstated.

22. Executive order for religious freedom.

23. Jump started NASA

24. $600 million cut from UN peacekeeping budget.

25. Targeting of MS13 gangs

26. Deporting violent illegal immigrants.

27. Signed 41 bills to date

28. Created a commission on child trafficking

29. Created a commission on voter fraud

30. Created a commission for opioids addiction.

31. Giving power to states to drug test unemployment recipients.

32. Unemployment lowest since may 2007.

33. Historic Black College University initiative

34. Women In Entrepreneurship Act

35. Created an office or illegal immigrant crime victims.

36. Reversed Dodd-Frank

37. Repealed DOT ruling which would have taken power away from local governments for infrastructure planning

38. Order to stop crime against law enforcement.

39. End of DAPA program.

40. Stopped companies from moving out of America.

41. Promoted businesses to create American Jobs.

42. Encouraged country to once again

43. 'Buy American and hire American

44. Cutting regulations 2 for every one created.

45. Review of all trade agreements to make sure they are America first.

46. Apprentice program

47. Highest manufacturing surge in 3 years.

48 $78 Billion promised reinvestment from major businesses like Exxon, Bayer, Apple, SoftBank, Toyota...

49. Denied FBI a new building.

50. $700 million saved with F-35 renegotiation.

51. Saves $22 million by reducing white house payroll.

52. Dept of treasury reports a $182 billion surplus for April 2017

(2nd largest in history.

53. Negotiated the release of 6 US humanitarian workers held captive in egypt.

54. Gas prices lowest in more than 12 years.

55. Signed An Executive Order To Promote Energy Independence And Economic Growth

56. Has already accomplished more to stop government interference into people's lives than any President in the history of America.

57. President Trump has worked with Congress to pass more legislation in his first 100 days than any President since Truman.

58. Has given head executive of each branches 6 month time Frame dated march 15 2017, to trim the fat. restructure and improve efficacy of their branch.

Observe the pushback the leaks the lies as entrenched POWER refuses to go silently into that good night!

I hope each and every one of you copy and paste this everywhere, every time you hear some dim wit say Trump hadn't done a thing!

THANK YOU!!!

Oh, yeah, and there's this..........

[ostentatiouslyonigiri]

Illumi Zoldyck prompt # 41

“Why’re you crying? Aren’t you happy to be with me?”

Clad in your usual attire of washed out bluejeans, worn out sneakers, and an oversized sweater just begging to be put out of its misery, the weather was a bit humid and the sky was overcast. The stickiness of the air clung to your skin like a child would to its mother and served to only support your bed and cover's plea for you to return, and once again, bask in its embrace—but today was special. Your fiancé, Jaren, had just finished his medical thesis on the ethics of healthcare and was going to present it to the campus' esteemed doctors, who would occasionally come to scout out new talent.Jaren wasn't dumb, he was actually quite brilliant; though his predisposition to overanalyze, and thus slow his progress on a project, created the impression of incompetency. In a school as expensive and competitive as his, even the notion of ineptitude was enough to ruin careers and social standings before they even began. Despite his faults, you still loved him all the same. Even if he wasn't the richest or most handsome guy, even if he couldn't provide for you both as much as you would have liked, and even if he was somewhat forgetful of certain dates, you were happy all the same. He was going to ace this, and when he did, he'll come home to a delicious meal!

As you made your way to the store with the money you managed to scrape by, you hummed to yourself a song that refused to leave. You stopped. Your head shifted around and the rhythmic pitter patter of your shoes hitting the pavement came to a halt. Something in the air felt off. The normally populated market center was now a ghost town and you don't like it. Making a mental note not to idle too much, you pushed the uneasy feeling deep into your mind and continued on.

What you saw as you entered the store was something no person should ever see: Slumped against the wall, face contorted in a silent scream, was the body-no corpse- of a man. Where his eyes should be, were needles; multiples of them all crammed into the sockets of the man as his hands were held against the wall with more of said needles. Stumbling back one step, two steps, then four, you grabbed your phone and called the police. Hours later, the once idle shopping center became rife with crowds of people and police; all trying to get their fill of the incident to either report to online sources or simply to curb their morbid curiosity. Police, soon after establishing the crime scene, ushered out what was left of said crowd and continued with their administrations. Of course, after questioning, you too joined those escorted out of the store...But as you left with the crowd, you felt the piercing stare of an unnerving and unappreciated presence. Your movements slowed and time seemed to yield, as if acknowledging as well the unsettling

cautiousness of the situation. Shifting from person to person, your brain searched desperately to pin the disquieting feeling being forced onto you as your eyes scanned the crowd.

Black hair; traces of long,silky,locks added with the impassive,yet obsessive, stare of the pale spectre only served to further disturb you. Observing the stranger, you couldn't help but to notice the odd beauty he possessed. His face was perfectly sculpted and was reminiscent to that of a porcelain doll, and his large coal black eyes- though creepy- only added to his hauntingly good looks.How long had you been staring at him? Bringing your mind back to the present, you quickly oriented yourself with the crowd of people and like that, the stranger was gone. 'How curious…', you thought to yourself.

It had all happened so fast; the days that later turned into months following your meeting with the beautiful stranger yielded some interesting results. For one, the rent that seemed to only continue being pushed back with the hope of being satisfied when things got better, were suddenly paid for.That annoying neighbor that insisted that we were too loud, suddenly found us to be less annoying and became sparse. You even mysteriously found that particular brand of perfume you've always wanted was right at your doorstep, ready to be used.As these kind gestures from the universe seemed to throw itself at you,your fiancé you joked about the source of it all. Maybe a fellow student at his university was silently acknowledging his hard work and contributions to his study, or maybe, you joked, it was a ghostly secret admirer showing his appreciation through great generosity. You found the idea funny, as someone as average as you would never gain such attention like that. Even though you found the idea amusing, your darling certainly didn't.He believed that this was dangerous and would come to bite them later. In all of these suggestions, never once did you assume that it could be the doing of the beautiful man you saw all those months ago. As the presents grew, so too did a lingering presence similar to the beautiful stranger's, follow suit. Could it be him? Whatever this was, it was a somewhat welcome extra help; well at least, it was, anyway.

While Lady Luck seemed to be smiling down on you in particular, she did not grant Jaren the same courtesy. On one occasion, Jaren found that his keys and other items were missing. Perhaps he misplaced them? You remember that night he had a seminar to attend and taking the bus was not viable. You tried your best to calm him down; you assured him that they would appear eventually, and that he could use what little money you got from your measly cashier job to send him on his way with a taxi.When he came home, he had stabbed his foot on a needle. On another occasion, the thesis paper he had painstakingly written and rewritten, to perfection, had been deleted right before a big presentation.You didn't know how it happened, as it had multiple backups, but this did not bode well for him,his reputation, or the grant money that you both came to rely on to make ends meet. Slowly, but surely, this situation became less and less amusing, and more and more stressful on your relationship. As the days dragged on and as the gifts increased, disaster struck.It's funny really how easily things came apart once he received a letter of expulsion for his supposed plagiarization of other more reputable studies. It was swift and brutal.

Suddenly, you went from living as comfortably as you and your love possibly could in your humble apartment, to relying on this secret admirer's kindly donations to keep you from being homeless. Though you tried to stay positive for the both of you, it was not enough. "I've had it with this stalker! My life is ruined, (Y/n)". Through gentle touches and caressing affection, you tried to assure him that perhaps this was all just a mistake on the school's part, and that all would get better; that was a bad move. " Don't you get it? It's done! I will never become a surgeon-I'll never be able to support you. Support us. What kind of man am I, that even this creep can be a better provider for you than me ?", He exclaimed. As he sat on the floor and sobbed into your arms, you felt the many hands and claws of agony grab onto your heart and pull. The intense gaze that seemed to surround you at almost every given day only intensified as the man in your arms gradually broke down. Was it enjoying it? It had to be, because if he even seemed to be doing well in the slightest, it's aura changed to a sickly one. As you came home from a particularly long day of work, Jaren was nowhere to be seen. At first, you believed that maybe he went to go blow off some steam with some of the few schoolmates that stayed by his side, but when you called them, they hadn't even seen him since the day he was expelled. You tried calling his mom; no response. It was as if he had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

This was all so long ago. As Mother Nature looked down upon the night sky and decorated it with flashes of light and sounds of thunder. The rain hitting the window with little thumps against the glass only served to ground you to your unpleasant reality. Today was the day you would give yourself to your secret admirer; or as you've now come to know him as Illumi. You knew that at some point in your newly established marriage that this would be an inevitability, but funnily time had a way of sneaking up on you while simultaneously giving the illusion of having plenty of it.

There you stood in the mirror, clad with the expensive lingerie that your dear husband's mother had ever so lovingly picked out for you. It hugged your curves with an embrace that could only be rivaled by him. It was a shame that said person had to be the one to see it and not your beloved from so long ago…

"You've been taking a long time". You jumped at the sudden introduction of Illumi. He often did this, wholey unconcerned about how awkward it made interactions with him become, or how you would wince when he went to touch you. This was way different then how Jaren would approach you. "I thought I told you to wait on the bed until I get back...Did I not make myself clear?". Just like every interaction with Illumi, this was rhetorical; an order that was phrased as something open to response on your part, but was merely his way of pushing you to bend to his desires. Not wanting to add to the scars from punishments given to you when you did not heed the danger in his voice, you affected a smile, and confirmed that he indeed stated that. He never was one to accept excuses.

Seeing the discomfort in the way you shyly shifted away from him as he snaked his arms around your waist, his normally impassive face shifting into a frown.

"( Y/n), do I not do a good job providing for you?". As you struggled to beat down the lump in your throat, Illumi's slender hands cupped your breasts, giving special attention to your nipples. Tensing ever so slightly, you prepared for another generic answer, but before you could, he spoke again: "Tell me, when you were with that good for nothing, did my gifts not satisfy you when he couldn't?".Tears pricked the sides of your eyes as you willed yourself to hold your tongue. Yet again, right when you were preparing to give yet another generic answer, his hand slid down from your breast and gently began rubbing circles around your now budding nub. His long silky hair and cool breath tickled your neck. You didn't want to admit it, but sometimes the gentleness of his touch was enough to make you want to give in to him, even if he was clearly in the wrong.

Though you didn't give a verbal answer, he seemed satisfied with the answer your body gave. Taking your silence as permission, he caged your body in his and led you to the bed. It was at this moment that the tears you had been holding back broke, and you found yourself to be only a mess of sobs and gasps. Towering above you as his hair became walls of ink , blocking out any and everything except his impassive gaze, he stood there as uncaring as ever and watched you unravel before him. Somewhat visibly annoyed, he wipes the tears falling down the sides of your face in a facsimile of fondness. " Why are you crying? Aren't you happy to be with me?".

Just as you'd done before, you gave in and did as he wanted. You gave him another set of words that would satisfy his need for control; "Yes, of course I'm happy to be with you".

After all, he was your husband and you were his cute, obedient, little wife.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Smith :: Las Vegas Sun

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 29, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

APR 30, 2024

In December 2020, when the pandemic illustrated the extraordinary disadvantage created by the inability of those in low-income households to communicate online with schools and medical professionals, then-president Trump signed into law an emergency program to provide funding to make internet access affordable. In 2021, Congress turned that idea into the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and made it part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). 

The program has enabled 23 million American households to afford high-speed internet. Those benefiting from it are primarily military families, older Americans, and Black, Latino, and Indigenous households. In February, the Brookings Institution cited economics studies that said each dollar invested in the ACP increases the nation’s gross domestic product by $3.89 and that the program has led to increased employment and higher wages. It also cuts the costs of healthcare by replacing some in-person emergency room visits with telehealth.  

Slightly more of the money in the program goes to districts represented by Republicans than to those represented by Democrats, which might explain why 79% of voters want to continue the program: 96% of Democrats, 78% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans.

But the ACP is running out of money. Back in October 2023, President Joe Biden asked Congress to fund it until the end of 2024, and a bipartisan bill that would extend the program has been introduced in both chambers of Congress. Each remains in an appropriation committee. As of today, the House bill has 228 co-sponsors, the Senate bill has 5. 

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said he supports the measure, but House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has not commented. Judd Legum pointed out in Popular Information today that the 2025 budget of the far-right Republican Study Committee (RSC) calls for allowing the ACP to expire, saying the RSC “stands against corporate welfare and government handouts that disincentivize prosperity.” More than four fifths of House Republicans belong to the RSC. 

The differences between the parties’ apparent positions on the ACP illustrates the difference in their political ideology. Republicans object to government investment in society and believe market forces should be left to operate without interference in order to promote prosperity. Democrats believe that economic prosperity comes from the hard work of ordinary people and that government investment in society clears the way for those people to succeed. 

Wealth growth for young Americans was stagnant for decades before the pandemic, but it has suddenly experienced a historic rise. In Axios, Emily Peck reported that household wealth for Americans under 40 has risen an astonishing 49% from where it was before the pandemic. Wealth doubled for those born between 1981 and 1996. This increase in household wealth comes in part from rising home prices and more financial assets, as well as less debt, which fell by $5,000 per household. Households of those under 35 have shown a 140% increase in median wealth in the same time period.

Brendan Duke and Christian E. Weller, the authors of the Center for American Progress study from which Peck’s information came, say this wealth growth is not tied to a few super-high earners, but rather reflects broad based improvement. “A simple reason for the strong wealth growth is that younger Americans are experiencing an especially low unemployment rate and especially strong wage growth,” Duke and Weller note, “making it easier for them to accumulate wealth.” 

In honor of National Small Business Week, Vice President Kamala Harris today launched an “economic opportunity tour” in Atlanta, where she highlighted the federal government’s $158 million investment in “The Stitch,” a project to reconnect midtown to downtown Atlanta. This project is an initial attempt to reconnect the communities that were severed by the construction of highways, often cutting minority or poor neighborhoods off from jobs and driving away businesses while saddling the neighborhoods with pollution. 

While some advocates wanted to use the $3.3 billion available from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to take down highways altogether, the administration has shied away from such a dramatic revision and has instead focused on creating new public green spaces, bike paths, access to public transportation, safety features, and so on, to link and improve neighborhoods. More than 40 states so far have received funding under this program. 

The administration says that projects like The Stitch will promote economic growth in neighborhoods that have borne the burden of past infrastructure projects. Today it touted the extraordinary growth of small businesses since Biden and Harris took office, noting that their economic agenda “has driven the first, second and third strongest years of new business application rates on record—and is on pace for the fourth—with Americans filing a record 17.2 million new business applications.” 

Small businesses owned by historically underserved populations “are growing at near-historic rates, with Black business ownership growing at the fastest pace in 30 years and Latino business ownership growing at the fastest pace in more than a decade,” the White House said. The administration has invested in small businesses, working to level the playing field between them and their larger counterparts by making capital and information available, while working to reform the tax code so that corporations pay as much in taxes as small businesses do.  

“Small businesses are the engines of the economy,” the White House said today. “As President Biden says, every time someone starts a new small business, it’s an act of hope and confidence in our economy.” 

In place of economic growth, Republicans have focused on whipping up supporters by insisting that Democrats are corrupt and are cheating to take over the government. Matt Gertz of Media Matters noted in February that “Fox News host Sean Hannity and his House Republican allies spent 2023 trying to manufacture an impeachable offense against President Joe Biden out of their fact-free obsession with the president’s son, Hunter.” At least 325 segments about Hunter Biden appeared on Hannity’s show in 2023; 220 had at least one false or misleading claim. The most frequent purveyor of that disinformation was Representative James Comer (R-KY), chair of the House Oversight Committee, who went onto the show 43 times to talk about the president’s son. 

The House impeachment inquiry was really designed to salt right-wing media channels with lies about the president and, in the end, turned up nothing other than witnesses who said President Biden was not involved in his son’s businesses. Then the Republicans’ key witness, Alexander Smirnov, was indicted for lying about the Bidens, and then he turned out to be in contact with Russian spies. 

Comer has been quietly backing away from impeaching the president until today, when he popped back into the spotlight after news broke that Hunter Biden’s lawyer has threatened to sue the Fox News Channel (FNC) for “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name, and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.” His lawyer’s letter calls out FNC’s promotion of Smirnov’s false allegations. 

Last year, FNC paid almost $800 million to settle defamation claims made by Dominion Voting Systems after FNC hosts pushed the lie that Dominion machines had changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. 

Legal pressure on companies lying for profit has proved successful. Two weeks ago, the far-right media channel One America News Network (OAN) settled a defamation lawsuit with the voting technology company Smartmatic. Today, OAN retracted a false story about former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, apparently made to discredit the testimony of Stormy Daniels about her sexual encounters with Trump. OAN suggested that it was Cohen rather than Trump who had a relationship with Daniels, and that Cohen had extorted Trump over the story.  

“OAN apologizes to Mr. Cohen for any harm the publication may have caused him,” the network wrote in a statement. “To be clear, no evidence suggests that Mr. Cohen and Ms. Daniels were having an affair and no evidence suggests that Mr. Cohen ‘cooked up’ the scheme to extort the Trump Organization before the 2016 election.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[catdotjpeg]

Sunday evening marked the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza amid severe foot shortages continue. Instead of celebrating, Palestinians in Gaza are entering the month with heavy hearts.  The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Ramadan in the Gaza Strip this year is “unlike the holy month in previous years or anywhere else in the world,” especially in light of the destruction of all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, including dozens of mosques. Ramadan has arrived as “Palestinians have been suffering from the lack and scarcity of food and drinkable water for more than five consecutive months,” it continued.  Half of the besieged enclave population crammed into the southern city of Rafah, many living in plastic tents and facing severe shortages of food. 

“Everyone we’ve known has lost a family member or loved one or someone they knew from their networks, which makes it very difficult for people. People used to prepare and start the first day of Ramadan with festivities, decorations, lights, and lanterns in the streets, markets, and mosques; the vast majority of those are now destroyed, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud from Rafah. Ramadan is usually filled with family feasts; however, Israel’s ongoing siege has rendered this almost impossible for those living in Gaza. Even where food is available, there is little beyond canned goods, and the prices are too high for many. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, says Ramadan is here as “displacement continues, and fear and anxiety prevail amid threats of a military operation on Rafah,” Gaza’s southernmost point.

“This month should bring a ceasefire for those who have suffered the most. They need respite and peace of mind. It’s long overdue,” he continued on X. Sabah al-Hendi, who was shopping for food on Sunday in the southernmost city of Rafah, told AP: “You don’t see anyone with joy in their eyes. Every family is sad. Every family has a martyr.” Meanwhile, in the north of Gaza, Palestinians continue to face famine, as severe food and aid shortages continue.

On Monday afternoon, two more children in northern Gaza died of starvation, reported Al Jazeera, citing local sources, bringing the total number to 27, most of them children who have starved to death. At least one in six children in the north are malnourished, according to the World Health Organization.  “I came here to buy but I can’t find anything to buy,” Sufian al-Yazji, a displaced Palestinian in the north, told Al Jazeera.

“There’s nothing, no dates or milk, or anything. One can’t find anything for their children. All these canned goods are full of germs that infect the stomach. We need vegetables and fruits to feed our children because they’ve weakened and will die from hunger.”  Over 2,000 medical staff in northern Gaza are exhausted and struggling to keep up under immense physical pressure with nothing to eat as they work around the clock, says the Palestinian Ministry of Health.  As a result of the lack of healthcare, bombing, starvation, and dehydration, the enclave’s elderly population are dying at an alarmingly high rate.

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said in a statement on Sunday that its team in Gaza “is recording nearly daily deaths among the elderly due to Israel’s systematic and pervasive crimes of starvation and treatment deprivation in the Gaza Strip, especially in Gaza City and the Strip’s northern regions.” “The majority of these cases do not reach hospitals, which are only partially operational in northern Gaza because of the difficulty of access given the ongoing Israeli military attacks. Consequently, after dying at home, the elderly are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries,” Euro-Med said. 

-- From "‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 157" by Leila Warah for Mondoweiss, 11 Mar 2024

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Good Morning World The News Media is Thriving These Days, But…

The news media is thriving these days, alive and well with its many commercials, political propaganda, gossip, sports, and, relatively speaking, minor news events—and, oh yes, commercials. From our very beginning, “Freedom of the Press” has been a major contribution to the safety, welfare, and protection of the people from the errors and sins of government, but real in-depth reporting is slowly disappearing from the scene. Daily news events are reported over and over, sometimes for days, while other important subjects are overlooked. We are majoring in minors and minoring in majors.

For example, where, today, are the pros and cons of single payer healthcare being discussed? Certainly, this subject is being discussed superfluously, but where are the in-depth pro and con discussions? Most of what I hear about the subject is, to the effect, “No need to discuss this as it will never be approved anyway”. Oh well, healthcare is only 17.5 percent of our spending nationally, annually contributing to our national deficit and debt. No problem.

Ref: http://www.justfacts.com/healthcare.asp

The financial crisis of 2008 was triggered by derivatives, one of those new securities invented to allegedly provide insurance coverage to home mortgage holders, aka fish food for speculators in the financial markets. I don’t really know how many dollars’ worth of these securities were in circulation in 2008. I have heard numbers like $400 Trillion. I have also heard numbers amounting to $900 Trillion. What are the numbers now, and when is our illustrious media going to reveal them to the people. The last time I heard anything in the mass media about the derivative risk was an article by Peter Cohan, AOL.COM, Big Risk: $1.2 Quadrillion Derivatives Market Dwarfs World GDP. Folks! Do you know how much money $1.2 Quadrillion is? Let me tell you. It is $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 or 1,000 times $1 Trillion. My gosh, folks, the world’s annual gross domestic product is only $50 to $60 trillion, and this article was written June 9, 2010—over six years ago. Oh well, that wasn’t important either. The public wouldn’t understand anyway.

Let’s really get basic. It’s common knowledge that education in government, and civics has been lacking in our school systems in recent years. Yet our government from the president on down and the news media, when they address the people, they refer to members of the House of Representatives as Congressmen (or women). They are not Congressmen. Their titles are Representatives. If they are a congressman, so also is a Senator by gum and by golly. Congress is the name given to our national legislature, a bicameral body made up of the House of Representatives, the lower house, and the Senate, the upper house. To be a congressman, one would have to be both a Representative and a Senator at the same time. Duh… By the way, do you want to know why we have two houses? In short, the answer is the lower house, the House of Representatives represent the majority of the people, the masses who elect them. There are 435 members. The Senate, the upper house, represents the minority elite among us, in theory at least. There are 100 of them. I say elite. In our nation’s beginning, Senators were elected by the House of Representatives. Only later in the course of our history where they were elected by the people as they now are. For further information:

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Enduring-debate-elitism-versus-populism-3189454.php

To close, for now, our news media exists to serve our people. They have to earn income to pay their bills, i.e. salaries, insurance, rent, and return on investments to their investors, but their main purpose, their only purpose which, in the end, justifies their very existence is to serve the people with news which is the truth; and, in my view, they could do a much better job. This is my view. What’s yours? Saturday, October 19, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida USA From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org  TM ‎Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups. #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO. www.facebook.com/gatekeeperwatchnan www.facebook.com/ Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The antitrust Twilight Zone

Funeral homes were once dominated by local, family owned businesses. Today, odds are, your neighborhood funeral home is owned by Service Corporation International, which has bought hundreds of funeral homes (keeping the proprietor’s name over the door), jacking up prices and reaping vast profits.

Funeral homes are now one of America’s most predatory, vicious industries, and SCI uses the profits it gouges out of bereaved, reeling families to fuel more acquisitions — 121 more in 2021. SCI gets some economies of scale out of this consolidation, but that’s passed onto shareholders, not consumers. SCI charges 42% more than independent funeral homes.

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/09/high-cost-of-dying/#memento-mori

SCI boasts about its pricing power to its investors, how it exploits people’s unwillingness to venture far from home to buy funeral services. If you buy all the funeral homes in a neighborhood, you have near-total control over the market. Despite these obvious problems, none of SCI’s acquisitions face any merger scrutiny, thanks to loopholes in antitrust law.

These loopholes have allowed the entire US productive economy to undergo mass consolidation, flying under regulatory radar. This affects industries as diverse as “hospital beds, magic mushrooms, youth addiction treatment centers, mobile home parks, nursing homes, physicians’ practices, local newspapers, or e-commerce sellers,” but it’s at its worst when it comes to services associated with trauma, where you don’t shop around.

Think of how Envision, a healthcare rollup, used the capital reserves of KKR, its private equity owner, to buy emergency rooms and ambulance services, elevating surprise billing to a grotesque art form. Their depravity knows no bounds: an unconscious, intubated woman with covid was needlessly flown 20 miles to another hospital, generating a $52k bill.

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/14/unhealthy-finances/#steins-law

This is “the health equivalent of a carjacking,” and rollups spread surprise billing beyond emergency rooms to anesthesiologists, radiologists, family practice, dermatology and others. In the late 80s, 70% of MDs owned their practices. Today, 70% of docs work for a hospital or corporation.

How the actual fuck did this happen? Rollups take place in “antitrust’s Twilight Zone,” where a perfect storm of regulatory blindspots, demographic factors, macroeconomics, and remorseless cheating by the ultra-wealthy has laid waste to the American economy, torching much of the US’s productive capacity in an orgy of predatory, extractive, enshittifying mergers.

The processes that underpin this transformation aren’t actually very complicated, but they are closely interwoven and can be hard to wrap your head around. “The Roll-Up Economy: The Business of Consolidating Industries with Serial Acquisitions,” a new paper from The American Economic Liberties Project by Denise Hearn, Krista Brown, Taylor Sekhon and Erik Peinert does a superb job of breaking it down:

http://www.economicliberties.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Serial-Acquisitions-Working-Paper-R4-2.pdf

The most obvious problem here is with the MergerScrutiny process, which is when competition regulators must be notified of proposed mergers and must give their approval before they can proceed. Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR) merger scrutiny kicks in for mergers when the purchase price is $101m or more. A company that builds up a monopoly by acquiring hundreds of small businesses need never face merger scrutiny.

The high merger scrutiny threshold means that only a very few mergers are regulated: in 2021, out of 21,994 mergers, only 4,130 (<20%) were reported to the FTC. 2020 saw 16,723 mergers, with only 1.637 (>10%) being reported to the FTC.

Serial acquirers claim that the massive profits they extract by buying up and merging hundreds of businesses are the result of “efficiency” but a closer look at their marketplace conduct shows that most of those profits come from market power. Where efficiences are realized, they benefit shareholders, and are not shared with customers, who face higher prices as competition dwindles.

The serial acquisition bonanza is bad news for supply chains, wages, the small business ecosystem, inequality, and competition itself. Wherever we find concentrated industires, we find these under-the-radar rollups: out of 616 Big Tech acquisitions from 2010 to 2019, 94 (15%) of them came in for merger scrutiny.

The report’s authors quote FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter: “I think of serial acquisitions as a Pac-Man strategy. Each individual merger viewed independently may not seem to have significant impact. But the collective impact of hundreds of smaller acquisitions, can lead to a monopolistic behavior.”

It’s not just the FTC that recognizes the risks from rollups. Jonathan Kanter, the DoJ’s top antitrust enforcer has raised alarms about private equity strategies that are “designed to hollow out or roll-up an industry and essentially cash out. That business model is often very much at odds with the law and very much at odds with the competition we’re trying to protect.”

The DoJ’s interest is important. As with so many antitrust failures, the problem isn’t in the law, but in its enforcement. Section 7 of the Clayton Act prohibits serial acquisitions under its “incipient monopolization” standard. Acquisitions are banned “where the effect of such acquisition may be to substantially lessen competition between the corporation whose stock is so acquired and the corporation making the acquisition.” This incipiency standard was strengthened by the 1950 Celler-Kefauver Amendment.

The lawmakers who passed both acts were clear about their legislative intention — to block this kind of stealth monopoly formation. For decades, that’s how the law was enforced. For example, in 1966, the DoJ blocked Von’s from acquiring another grocer because the resulting merger would give Von’s 7.5% of the regional market. While Von’s is cited by pro-monopoly extremists as an example of how the old antitrust system was broken and petty, the DoJ’s logic was impeccable and sorely missed today: they were trying to prevent a rollup of the sort that plagues our modern economy.

As the Supremes wrote in 1963: “A fundamental purpose of [stronger incipiency standards was] to arrest the trend toward concentration, the tendency of monopoly, before the consumer’s alternatives disappeared through merger, and that purpose would be ill-served if the law stayed its hand until 10, or 20, or 30 [more firms were absorbed].”

But even though the incipiency standard remains on the books, its enforcement dwindled away to nothing, starting in the Reagan era, thanks to the Chicago School’s influence. The neoliberal economists of Chicago, led by the Nixonite criminal Robert Bork, counseled that most monopolies were “efficient” and the inefficient ones would self-correct when new businesses challenged them, and demanded a halt to antitrust enforcement.

In 1982, the DoJ’s merger guidelines were gutted, made toothless through the addition of a “safe harbor” rule. So long as a merger stayed below a certain threshold of market concentration, the DoJ promised not to look into it. In 2000, Clinton signed an amendment to the HSR Act that exempted transactions below $50m. In 2010, Obama’s DoJ expanded the safe harbor to exclude “[mergers that] are unlikely to have adverse competitive effects and ordinarily require no further analysis.”

These constitute a “blank check” for serial acquirers. Any investor who found a profitable strategy for serial acquisition could now operate with impunity, free from government interference, no matter how devastating these acquisitions were to the real economy.

Unfortunately for us, serial acquisitions are profitable. As an EY study put it: “the more acquisitive the company… the greater the value created…there is a strong pattern of shareholder value growth, correlating with frequent acquisitions.” Where does this value come from? “Efficiencies” are part of the story, but it’s a sideshow. The real action is in the power that consolidation gives over workers, suppliers and customers, as well as vast, irresistable gains from financial engineering.

In all, the authors identify five ways that rollups enrich investors:

I. low-risk expansion;

II. efficiencies of scale;

III. pricing power;

IV. buyer power;

V. valuation arbitrage.

The efficiency gains that rolled up firms enjoy often come at the expense of workers — these companies shed jobs and depress wages, and the savings aren’t passed on to customers, but rather returned to the business, which reinvests it in gobbling up more companies, firing more workers, and slashing survivors’ wages. Anything left over is passed on to the investors.

Consolidated sectors are hotbeds of fraud: take Heartland, which has rolled up small dental practices across America. Heartland promised dentists that it would free them from the drudgery of billing and administration but instead embarked on a campaign of phony Medicare billing, wage theft, and forcing unnecessary, painful procedures on children.

Heartland is no anomaly: dental rollups have actually killed children by subjecting them to multiple, unnecessary root-canals. These predatory businesses rely on Medicaid paying for these procedures, meaning that it’s only the poorest children who face these abuses:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/17/the-doctor-will-fleece-you-now/#pe-in-full-effect

A consolidated sector has lots of ways to rip off the public: they can “directly raise prices, bundle different products or services together, or attach new fees to existing products.” The epidemic of junk fees can be traced to consolidation.

Consolidators aren’t shy about this, either. The pitch-decks they send to investors and board members openly brag about “pricing power, gained through acquisitions and high switching costs, as a key strategy.”

Unsurprisingly, investors love consolidators. Not only can they gouge customers and cheat workers, but they also enjoy an incredible, obscure benefit in the form of “valuation arbitrage.”

When a business goes up for sale, its valuation (price) is calculated by multiplying its annual cashflow. For small businesses, the usual multiplier is 3–5x. For large businesses, it’s 10–20x or more. That means that the mere act of merging a small business with a large business can increase its valuation sevenfold or more!

Let’s break that down. A dental practice that grosses $1m/year is generally sold for $3–5m. But if Heartland buys the practice and merges it with its chain of baby-torturing, Medicaid-defrauding dental practices, the chain’s valuation goes up by $10–20m. That higher valuation means that Heartland can borrow more money at more favorable rates, and it means that when it flips the husks of these dental practices, it expects a 700% return.

This is why your local veterinarian has been enshittified. “A typical vet practice sells for 5–8x cashflow…American Veterinary Group [is] valued at as much as 21x cashflow…When a large consolidator buys a $1M cashflow clinic, it may cost them as little as $5M, while increasing the value of the consolidator by $21M. This has created a goldrush for veterinary consolidators.”

This free money for large consolidators means that even when there are better buyers — investors who want to maintain the quality and service the business offers — they can’t outbid the consolidators. The consolidators, expecting a 700% profit triggered by the mere act of changing the business’s ownership papers, can always afford to pay more than someone who merely wants to provide a good business at a fair price to their community.

To make this worse, an unprecedented number of small businesses are all up for sale at once. Half of US businesses are owned by Boomers who are ready to retire and exhausted by two major financial crises within a decade. 60% of Boomer-owned businesses — 2.9m businesses of 11 or so employees each, employing 32m people in all — are expected to sell in the coming decade.

If nothing changes, these businesses are likely to end up in the hands of consolidators. Since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, private equity firms and other looters have been awash in free money, courtesy of the Federal Reserve and Congress, who chose to bail out irresponsible and deceptive lenders, not the borrowers they preyed upon.

A decade of zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) helped PE grow to “staggering” size. Over that period, America’s 2,000 private equity firms raised buyout warchests totaling $2t. Today, private equity owned companies outnumber publicly traded firms by more than two to one.

Private equity is patient zero in the serial acquisition epidemic. The list of private equity rollup plays includes “comedy clubs, ad agencies, water bottles, local newspapers, and healthcare providers like hospitals, ERs, and nursing homes.”

Meanwhile, ZIRP left the nation’s pension funds desperate for returns on their investments, and these funds handed $480b to the private equity sector. If you have a pension, your retirement is being funded by investments that are destroying your industry, raising your rent, and turning the nursing home you’re doomed to into a charnel house.

The good news is that enforcers like Kanter have called time on the longstanding, bipartisan failure to use antitrust laws to block consolidation. Kanter told the NY Bar Association: “We have an obligation to enforce the antitrust laws as written by Congress, and we will challenge any merger where the effect ‘may be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly.’”

The FTC and the DOJ already have many tools they can use to end this epidemic.

They can revive the incipiency standard from Sec 7 of the Clayton Act, which bans mergers where “the effect of such acquisition may be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly.”

This allows regulators to “consider a broad range of price and non-price effects relevant to serial acquisitions, including the long-term business strategy of the acquirer, the current trend or prevalence of concentration or acquisitions in the industry, and the investment structure of the transactions”;

The FTC and DOJ can strengthen this by revising their merger guidelines to “incorporate a new section for industries or markets where there is a trend towards concentration.” They can get rid of Reagan’s 1982 safe harbor, and tear up the blank check for merger approval;

The FTC could institute a policy of immediately publishing merger filings, “the moment they are filed.”

Beyond this, the authors identify some key areas for legislative reform:

Exempt the FTC from the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, which currently blocks the FTC from requesting documents from “10 or more people” when it investigates a merger;

Subject any company “making more than 6 acquisitions per year valued at $70 million total or more” to “extra scrutiny under revised merger guidelines, regardless of the total size of the firm or the individual acquisitions”;

Treat all the companies owned by a PE fund as having the same owner, rather than allowing the fiction that a holding company is the owner of a business;

Force businesses seeking merger approval to provide “any investment materials, such as Private Placement Memorandums, Management or Lender Presentations, or any documents prepared for the purposes of soliciting investment. Such documents often plainly describe the anticompetitive roll-up or consolidation strategy of the acquiring firm”;

Also force them to provide “loan documentation to understand the acquisition plans of a company and its financing strategy;”

When companies are found to have violated antitrust, ban them from acquiring any other company for 3–5 years, and/or force them to get FTC pre-approval for all future acquisitions;

Reinvigorate enforcement of rules requiring that some categories of business (especially healthcare) be owned by licensed professionals;

Lower the threshold for notification of mergers;

Add a new notification requirement based on the number of transactions;

Fed agencies should automatically share merger documents with state attorneys general;

Extend civil and criminal antitrust penalties to “investment bankers, attorneys, consultants who usher through anticompetitive mergers.”

[ukrfeminism]

2 minute read

A total of 6,500 sexual attacks were reported to have taken place in hospitals in England and Wales in three years, figures show.

Data published by the Women’s Rights Network (WRN), a grassroots group, showed that there was an average of 33 cases of rape and assault each week, with 4.1 per cent of the offences leading to a suspect being charged.

At least 2,088 rapes and 4,451 sexual assaults were reported between 2019 and 2022, freedom of information requests to police forces in England and Wales disclosed. The cases included gang rapes and assaults on children.

Heather Binning, WRN’s founder, said the figures were “the tip of the iceberg”. She told the Daily Mail: “Hospitals are places where everyone — patients, staff and visitors — should feel completely safe but rapes and violent assaults are taking place in hospitals every week.

“The figures show hospitals are not safe places. They are almost a market for sexual offenders. It’s terrifying.”

Referencing the low charge rate for the offences, Binning continued: “The police are not doing enough in terms of recording the crimes properly and pursuing them – these are places with CCTV and restricted access. Why is the charge rate so low?”

One incident in seven was on a hospital ward. The offences included the rape of a girl under the age of 13 and the rape of a woman by “multiple offenders” in hospitals in the West Midlands.

The figures did not disclose whether the offences were at NHS or private facilities. Freedom of information requests were sent to 43 UK police forces. Eight forces — including those in Scotland and Northern Ireland — were unable to provide statistics.

The WRN called for improved record-keeping of crimes in healthcare facilities and for the Home Office to set guidelines for police.

Government figures in February showed that it took prosecutors an average of almost half a year — 171 days — to charge a rape suspect. This had risen by 54 days compared with the previous quarter. The Ministry of Justice attributed the longer delays to the barristers’ strike, as the figures related to the three months before they returned to work in October 2022.

The data also showed that the number of rape convictions increased from 323 in 2021 to 532 last year. Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, has said the figures showed that the measures announced by the government in its rape review action plan were working.

NHS England said the figures were “unacceptable”. A spokesman said: “All NHS Trusts and organisations must ensure robust measures are in place to ensure immediate action is taken in any cases reported to them and anyone who has experienced any misconduct or violence should come forward, report it and seek help.”

[buycommercialpropertiesindubai]

Expert Advice on Buying Your First Home in Dubai

Buying your first home in Dubai is an exciting milestone, but it can also be a complex process. This blog provides expert advice to help you navigate the journey of buying your first home in Dubai successfully.

For more information on home loans, visit home loan dubai.

Defining Your Budget

Assess Your Finances: Start by assessing your current financial situation, including your income, savings, and existing debts. Determine how much you can afford to spend on a property without compromising your financial stability.

Mortgage Pre-Approval: Obtain a mortgage pre-approval to determine your budget and streamline the buying process. A pre-approval gives you a clear idea of your borrowing capacity and demonstrates to sellers that you are a serious and qualified buyer.

Down Payment and Additional Costs: Ensure you have sufficient funds for the down payment, typically 20-25% of the property's value for expatriates. Consider additional costs such as registration fees, agent commissions, maintenance charges, and moving expenses.

For property purchase options, explore Buy Luxury Property in UAE.

Researching the Market

Market Trends: Stay informed about current market trends, including property prices, demand and supply dynamics, and future developments. Utilize online resources, real estate reports, and market analyses to stay updated.

Location Analysis: Analyze different neighborhoods in Dubai to identify areas that align with your lifestyle and investment goals. Consider factors such as proximity to schools, workplaces, and amenities.

Property Types: Familiarize yourself with the different types of residential properties available in Dubai, such as apartments, villas, townhouses, and penthouses. Each type has its own advantages and considerations.

For mortgage services, consider Dubai Mortgage Advisors.

Choosing the Right Property

Location: Choose a location that offers easy access to essential amenities such as schools, healthcare facilities, shopping malls, and public transportation. Popular residential areas in Dubai include Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and Arabian Ranches.

Property Condition: Inspect the property for any structural issues, maintenance needs, and potential repairs. Hire a professional inspector if necessary to ensure the property is in good condition.

Developer Reputation: Research the reputation of the property developer. Established developers with a track record of delivering high-quality projects on time are usually a safer choice.

For rental property management, visit Apartments For Rent in Dubai.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations

Title Deed Verification: Ensure the property has a clear title and is free from any legal disputes or encumbrances. The DLD provides title deed verification services to help buyers confirm the property's legal status.

Sales Agreement: Review the sales agreement carefully and seek legal advice if needed. Ensure all terms and conditions are clearly outlined, including the price, payment schedule, and any additional costs.

Residency Visa: Property buyers in Dubai may be eligible for a residency visa. The visa duration and requirements vary depending on the property's value and the buyer's nationality. Consult with the DLD or a legal expert to understand the specific visa requirements and benefits.

For property sales, visit Sell Your Property.

The Buying Process

Property Search: Use online property portals and engage with reputable real estate agents to find suitable properties. Schedule viewings to inspect potential properties and assess their condition.

Making an Offer: When making an offer, consider the current market conditions and the property's value. Be prepared to negotiate and make counteroffers if necessary. Your real estate agent can assist you in negotiating the best deal.

Finalizing the Purchase: Once the offer is accepted, both parties sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the agreed terms. Pay the initial deposit (usually 10% of the property's value) and proceed with obtaining the necessary approvals from the DLD.

Real-Life Success Story

Consider the case of Emily, a first-time homebuyer who successfully purchased her first home in Dubai. Emily conducted thorough research, obtained mortgage pre-approval, and chose a reputable developer. By following the steps outlined in this guide, Emily secured a beautiful apartment in Dubai Marina and enjoys the vibrant lifestyle and amenities the area offers.

Future Trends in Dubai Real Estate

Sustainable Developments: There is a growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable properties in Dubai. Developers are increasingly incorporating green building practices and energy-efficient features into their projects.

Smart Homes: The adoption of smart home technology is on the rise. Properties equipped with advanced security systems, automated lighting, and climate control are becoming more popular.

Mixed-Use Communities: Integrated communities that offer a mix of residential, commercial, and recreational facilities are gaining popularity. These developments provide residents with a convenient and holistic living experience.

Conclusion

Buying your first home in Dubai can be a rewarding experience with the right preparation and knowledge. By defining your budget, researching the market, choosing the right property, and navigating legal considerations, you can make a successful investment. For more resources and expert advice, visit home loan dubai.

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Top 10 Myths About Cannabis Cooking

If you have been curious about cooking or baking with cannabis but are unsure due to speculation, look at some of the most common myths surrounding marijuana-infused food.

Cannabis has infiltrated many other markets and industries recently, including cosmetics, medicine, and food. Some may find it strange that cannabis can be consumed, yet it is becoming more popular to infuse marijuana into food for various reasons.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE CANNABIS?

Here are some of the top myths about cooking or baking with cannabis.

Using cannabis to cook provides no benefits

Although marijuana is widely used and accepted as more states have decriminalized it, there is still some stigma surrounding its use. While it may have different physical or emotional effects depending on the individual, many users claim multiple benefits. Some include stress and anxiety reduction, overall contentment, and sleeping better.

The only way to consume marijuana is through edibles

It is a common misconception that marijuana can only be smoked or consumed through edibles. Marijuana can be infused into many types of foods and beverages. cooking with cannabis - Some like to infuse cannabis into hot tea to promote sleep and relaxation. Others prefer to use cannabis butter to cook or bake with. Online research is a great way to learn new recipes and suggestions from chefs who frequently use marijuana in their ingredients.

It’s too complicated to cook or bake with cannabis

Some may think it’s too complicated to learn to cook or back with cannabis. While some recipe infusions may take some time, cooking or baking with marijuana is often very easy and not too time-consuming.

I must cook with specific marijuana doses

There is no specific dose that works for everyone in recipes. If you are a beginner with using marijuana in food or drinks, starting out small is a good approach to see how you react. Everyone is different, so finding the right dose for you is important.

You should only consume cannabis for medicinal purposes

Cannabis has become widely popular for pain management for a variety of conditions, including anxiety disorders and physical ailments. However, consuming these products for other uses, even for recreational use or to feel calmer at night, is also a common use. Medicinal marijuana has helped many people in a positive way, yet it is not the only way to use or consume cannabis.

You can’t manipulate the taste of cannabis within food

It is commonly thought that marijuana tastes bad when mixed with food or drinks. This is subjective, as people may have their own taste or reaction to consumption. However, many marijuana users report a pleasant taste or not being able to detect the taste of cannabis within their food.

You will get too impaired consuming marijuana through food

This relates to the dosage used in the food or drink, which is why it is always wise to start small. However, using minimal amounts of marijuana in food or drinks to just receive the benefits, is unlikely to cause noticeable impairment. Many fear overdose which is also highly unlikely based on recent studies. Only consuming extremely large amounts of THC in food or drinks could lead to problems or overdosage. If you still have fears or are unsure of how much marijuana to incorporate into food or drinks, it’s best to discuss these concerns with a healthcare professional or industry expert.

It will become too expensive to regularly cook or bake with cannabis

It’s no secret that grocery costs have risen lately, and many think that cooking or baking regularly with cannabis will lead to overspending. However, if you are purchasing products from a dispensary, it is not overly expensive. If you grow your own plants at home, that can save money as well. Creating large quantities or products at home, such as a large tub of cannabis butter to be used multiple times, that can save on costs, too.

Also check, CANNABIS INDUSTRY SUCCESS EXPECTED FOR 2024

 Edibles can be given to younger people

It is not advised by any industry or healthcare professionals to provide edibles or any consumable or smokable cannabis products to anyone underage or any youth. Its effects can be dangerous and using cannabis anywhere underaged is illegal.

2.You should only use cannabis in sweet foods

Edibles are very often in a dessert form, leading many to think that baking is the only way to use cannabis. As previously mentioned, many infuse cannabis into tea or other drinks. Yet, you can also cook savory recipes with cannabis products, such as oils or dry rubs for meat. While many edibles that you can purchase at a dispensary are sold as items such as candy bars, it can be used in many different types of recipes.

How to cook cannabis butter :

Today, I'm spilling the green magic beans on one of the most essential skills for any cannabis kitchen maestro – crafting the perfect cannabis-infused butter! 🌿✨

In this step-by-step guide, we're diving deep into the world of elevated culinary creations, unlocking the secrets to infusing that rich, creamy goodness with the unmistakable essence of cannabis. Whether you're a seasoned cannabis chef or a kitchen adventurer, this tutorial will have you whipping up cannabis-infused butter like a pro in no time.

First things first, we're talking strain selection. It's all about finding the right balance between THC and CBD to suit your taste and desired effects. Once you've got the perfect buds in hand, we'll delve into the art of decarboxylation – a crucial step to activate those cannabinoids and turn your cannabis into the powerhouse it's meant to be.

But we're not stopping there! I'm spilling my insider tips on dosage control, ensuring your cannabis butter hits the sweet spot without going overboard. From sweet to savory, the possibilities are endless as we explore how to incorporate this green elixir into your favorite recipes.

Whether you're aiming for a subtle hint of herb or a bold cannabis kick, this guide has got you covered. Get ready to elevate your culinary game and embark on a taste bud journey that'll have you coming back for more. So, roll up your sleeves, grab your apron, and let's infuse some serious flavor into your kitchen adventures!

Who's ready to get cooking with a cannabis twist?

How to cook cannabis oil :

"How to cook cannabis oil" refers to the process of preparing a concentrated liquid infusion by combining cannabis with a carrier oil. This method is commonly employed to extract and harness the therapeutic and psychoactive properties of cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).

The process typically involves selecting cannabis strains based on the desired cannabinoid profile and flavor, followed by decarboxylation. Decarboxylation is a crucial step where raw cannabinoids are activated through controlled heating, making them bioavailable and ready for infusion. The activated cannabis is then combined with a carrier oil, like olive oil or coconut oil, using various infusion techniques such as heat application or slow-cooking.

The resulting cannabis oil can be utilized in a variety of culinary applications, ranging from salad dressings and marinades to baking and sautéing. Beyond its culinary uses, cannabis oil is also commonly employed in the creation of edibles, offering a versatile way to incorporate the therapeutic benefits of cannabis into different recipes. The potency and flavor of the cannabis oil can be adjusted based on factors like the chosen cannabis strain, the duration of infusion, and the oil-to-cannabis ratio.

It's important to note that the creation and use of cannabis oil may be subject to legal restrictions depending on the jurisdiction, and individuals should be aware of and comply with local regulations when preparing and consuming such products.

For more details on cannabis and the industry, click here today to explore more information: https://onlinecannabislearning.com/.

References

Sicard, C. (2021). 7 Cannabis Kitchen Myths: Busted. Kitchen Toke. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://kitchentoke.com/7-cannabis-kitchen-myths-busted/

(2023). 5 Myths About Marijuana Edibles You Probably Still Believe. Modesto Cannabis Collective. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://www.modestocannabisco.com/marijuana-edibles/5-myths-about-marijuana-edibles-you-probably-still-believe

County of Sonoma (2022). Myths and Facts About Marijuana Use. Department of Health Services. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/health-services/marijuana-public-health-and-safety/myths-and-facts-about-marijuana-use