#medical office administration course

[boreal-sea]

Look.

I have made you a chart. A very simple chart.

People say "You have to draw the line somewhere, and Biden has crossed it-" and my response is "Trump has crossed way more lines than Biden".

These categories are based off of actual policy enacted by both of these men while they were in office.

If the ONLY LINE YOU CARE ABOUT is line 12, you have an incredible amount of privilege, AND YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT PALESTINIANS. You obviously have nothing to fear from a Trump presidency, and you do not give a fuck if a ceasefire actually occurs. You are obviously fine if your queer, disabled, and marginalized loved ones are hurt. You clearly don't care about the status of American democracy, which Trump has openly stated he plans to destroy on day 1 he is in office.

EDIT:

Ok fine, I spent 3 hours compiling sources for all of these, you can find that below the cut.

I'll give at least one link per subject area. There are of course many more sources to be read on these subject areas and no post could possibly give someone a full education on these subjects.

Biden and trans rights: https://www.hrc.org/resources/president-bidens-pro-lgbtq-timeline

Trump and trans rights: https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/trump-on-lgbtq-rights-rolling-back-protections-and-criminalizing-gender-nonconformity

The two sources above show how Biden has done a lot of work to promote trans rights, and how Trump did a lot of work to hurt trans rights.

Biden on abortion access: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/politics/what-is-in-biden-abortion-executive-order/index.html

Trump on abortion access: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-republican-presidential-election-2024-585faf025a1416d13d2fbc23da8d8637

Biden openly supports access to abortion and has taken steps to protect those rights at a federal level even after Roe v Wade was overturned. Trump, on the other hand, was the man who appointed the judges who helped overturn Roe v Wade and he openly brags about how proud he is of that decision. He also states that he believes individual states should have the final say in whether or not abortion is legal, and that he trusts them to "do the right thing", meaning he supports stronger abortion bans.

Biden on environmental reform: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/07/fact-sheet-president-biden-restores-protections-for-three-national-monuments-and-renews-american-leadership-to-steward-lands-waters-and-cultural-resources/

Trump on environmental reform: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html

Biden has made major steps forward for environmental reform. He has restored protections that Trump rolled back. He has enacted many executive orders and more to promote environmental protections, including rejoining the Paris Accords, which Trump withdrew the USA from. Trump is also well known for spreading conspiracy theories and lies about global climate change, calling it a "Chinese hoax".

Biden on healthcare and prescription reform: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/06/09/biden-administration-announces-savings-43-prescription-drugs-part-cost-saving-measures-president-bidens-inflation-reduction-act.html

Trump on healthcare reform: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/07/politics/obamacare-health-insurance-ending-trump/index.html

I'm rolling healthcare and prescriptions and vaccines and public health all into one category here since they are related. Biden has lowered drug costs, expanded access to medicaid, and ACA enrollment has risen during his presidency. He has also made it so medical debt no longer applies to a person's credit score. He signed many executive orders during his first few weeks in office in order to get a handle on Trump's grievous mishandling of the COVID pandemic. Trump also wants to end the ACA. Trump is well known for refusing to wear a mask during the pandemic, encouraging the use of hydroxylchloroquine to "treat" COVID, and being openly anti-vaxx.

Biden on student loan forgiveness: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-additional-77-billion-approved-student-debt-relief-160000-borrowers

Trump on student loan forgiveness: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2024/06/20/trump-knocks-bidens-vile-student-loan-forgiveness-plans-suggests-reversal/

Trump wants to reverse the student loan forgiveness plans Biden has enacted. Biden has already forgiven billions of dollars in loans and continues to work towards forgiving more.

Infrastructure funding:

I'm putting these links next together because they are all about infrastructure.

In general, Trump's "achievements" for infrastructure were to destroy environmental protections to speed up projects. Many of his plans were ineffective due to the fact that he did not clearly outline where the money was going to come from, and he was unwilling to raise taxes to pay for the projects. He was unable (and unwilling) to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill during his 4 years in office. He did sign a few disaster relief bills. He did not enthusiastically promote renewable energy infrastructure. He created "Infrastructure Weeks" that the federal government then failed to fund. Trump did not do nothing for infrastructure, but his no-tax stance and his dislike for renewable energy means the contributions he made to American infrastructure were not as much as he claimed they were, nor as much as they could have been. Basically, he made a lot of promises, and delivered on very few of them. He is not "against" infrastructure, but he's certainly against funding it.

Biden was able to pass that bipartisan bill after taking office. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan that Trump tried to prevent from passing during Biden's term contains concrete funding sources and step by step plans to rebuild America's infrastructure. If you want to read the plan, you can find it here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook/. Biden has done far more for American infrastructure than Trump did, most notably by actually getting the bipartisan bill through congress.

Biden on Racial Equity: https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/26/960725707/biden-aims-to-advance-racial-equity-with-executive-actions

Trump on Racial Equity: https://www.axios.com/2024/04/01/trump-reverse-racism-civil-rights https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-37230916

Trump's racist policies are loud and clear for everyone to hear. We all heard him call Mexicans "Drug dealers, criminals, rapists". We all watched as he enacted travel bans on people from majority-Muslim nations. Biden, on the other hand, has done quite a lot during his term to attempt to reconcile racism in this country, including reversing Trump's "Muslim ban" the first day he was in office.

Biden on DEI: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/25/executive-order-on-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility-in-the-federal-workforce/

Trump on DEI: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-tried-to-crush-the-dei-revolution-heres-how-he-might-finish-the-job/ar-BB1jg3gz

Biden supports DEI and has signed executive orders and passed laws that support DEI on the federal level. Trump absolutely hates DEI and wants to eradicate it.

Biden on criminal justice reform: https://time.com/6155084/biden-criminal-justice-reform/

Trump on criminal justice reform: https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election/21418911/donald-trump-crime-criminal-justice-policy-record https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/05/trumps-extreme-plans-crime/678502/

From pardons for non-violent marijuana convictions to reducing the federal government's reliance on private prisons, Biden has done a lot in four years to reform our criminal justice system on the federal level. Meanwhile, Trump has described himself as "tough on crime". He advocates for more policing, including "stop and frisk" activities. Ironically it's actually quite difficult to find sources about what Trump thinks about crime, because almost all of the search results are about his own crimes.

Biden on military support for Israel: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-obama-divide-closely-support-israel-rcna127107

Trump on military support for Israel: https://www.vox.com/politics/353037/trump-gaza-israel-protests-biden-election-2024

Biden supports Israel financially and militarily and promotes holding Israel close. So did Trump. Trump was also very pro-Israel during his time in office and even moved the embassy to Jerusalem and declared Jerusalem the capitol of Israel, a move that inflamed attitudes in the region.

Biden on a ceasefire: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/06/05/gaza-israel-hamas-cease-fire-plan-biden/73967659007/

Trump on a ceasefire: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-israel-gaza-finish-problem-rcna141905

Trump has tried to be quiet on the issue but recently said he wants Israel to "finish the problem". He of course claims he could have prevented the whole problem. Trump also openly stated after Oct 7th that he would bar immigrants who support Hamas from the country and send in officers to American protests to arrest anyone supporting Hamas.

Biden meanwhile has been quietly urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal for months, including the most recent announcement earlier in June, though it seems as though that deal has finally fallen through as well.

[kevinf-321]

Exploring Online Medical Administration Programs

In today's fast-paced world, the healthcare industry is constantly evolving. As the need for skilled workers grows, many people choose online education to gain the skills and certifications needed for these jobs. This article delves into online medical administration programs, discussing their benefits, course content, and potential career paths.

Why Choose Online Medical Administration Programs?

Online medical administration programs provide flexibility and convenience, making them ideal for people balancing work, family, and other responsibilities. You can learn at your own pace, on your schedule, creating a seamless pathway to a rewarding healthcare career.

Flexibility and Convenience

One of the main advantages of online medical administration programs is their flexibility. Unlike traditional classroom settings, online courses let you study wherever and whenever it suits you. This allows you to continue working or managing other responsibilities while advancing your education.

Cost-Effective

Online programs are often more affordable than in-person courses. By cutting commuting and textbook costs, you can save more. Many online programs also offer financial aid or payment plans to ease the financial burden.

What to Expect in an Online Medical Administration Program

Medical office training online covers various essential topics to efficiently run a medical office. Here's what you can expect:

Core Subjects: Courses in medical terminology, healthcare laws, ethics, medical billing, and office management provide a solid foundation for understanding daily operations.

Practical Skills: Programs often include simulations, virtual labs, and real-world case studies. These help you develop skills in scheduling, patient communication, and electronic health records management.

Certification Preparation: Many programs prepare you for certification exams like the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam, boosting your resume and job prospects.

Career Opportunities

Completing a Medical Office Admin online course can open doors to various career opportunities, such as:

Medical Office Administrator: Manage daily office tasks, including scheduling, patient records, and compliance with healthcare regulations.

Medical Billing and Coding Specialist: Handle insurance claims, patient billing, and ensure proper coding of medical procedures.

Healthcare Office Manager: Oversee office staff, manage administrative tasks, and implement policies to improve office efficiency.

Conclusion

Edison College's online medical laboratory assistant program offers the flexibility, affordability, and practical training needed to succeed in a healthcare career. With comprehensive courses and certification preparation, these programs equip you for various roles in the medical field. If you're looking to advance or start a new career, online medical administration programs are a great way to achieve your goals.

[orthodontic-certificate-courses]

Become a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant in Illinois. Offering an affordable Medical Office Administrative Assistant Program in 12 Weeks. Learn More!

[writingquestionsanswered]

do u have any sort of website that can tell me jobs in a small town? trying to write a story set in a small town but i cant come up with any ideas for jobs apart from the essential ones like police or hospital

Jobs in a Small Town

Government: mayor, city manager, city council member, city attorney, city clerk, code enforcement officer, customer service representative, finance director, fire chief/firefighter, paramedic, human resources manager, information technology department, librarian, municipal court clerk/administrator/judicial specialist/court security officer, parks and recreation director, planning and zoning director, police chief/officer or sheriff/deputy, public works director, utilities clerk, wastewater plant operator

Business: business owner/operator or employee (such as a clerk, receptionist, manager, or administrator) at a shop, restaurant, cafe, gas station, mechanic, tow truck, locksmith, landscaper/lawn care, handyman, florist, funeral home, pool cleaner, daycare center, grocery store, feed and pet store, car dealership, clothing boutique, ice cream parlor, liquor store, bar, nightclub, community theater, "big box store" (like Walmart), warehouse store (like Costco), movie theater, mini-golf course

Medical Services: hospital (administration, doctor, surgeon, nurse practitioner, nurse, nurse's aide, respiratory therapist, anesthesiologist, orderly, receptionist, lab worker, security, etc.) Doctor's office or urgent care (administration, doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, receptionist, etc.) Dentist or orthodontist (administration, dentist/orthodontist, dental assistant, orthodontic assistant, receptionist, etc.) Nursing home/assisted living facility (administration, doctor, nurse, orderly, etc.)

Random: country club employee, dog walker, babysitter/nanny, home nurse, museum director/curator/specialist/employee, town archaeologist (if area is rich in history), industrial jobs (mining, factories/manufacturing, farming/crop production, fishing/fisheries), wedding coordinator, convention center director, attorney, judge, taxi driver, utility repair technician, railway worker, bus driver, school jobs (principal, teacher, teacher's aide, librarian, cafeteria worker, counselor, security officer, custodian), airport jobs (administrative, security, service provider/employee, airline worker, pilot, flight attendant, plane mechanic)

That's all I've got at the moment, but keep an eye on the comments in case others come up with ideas! :)

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[biteofcherry]

Okay, I lied. It's me again! 🫠🤤🥵

Since Kindergarten Teacher!Ari Levinson got paired up with a nice Aunt to a cute niece, what kind of pairings would the following have in that same Kindergarten School? How would they meet up and how would they hook up?

1) Administration Officer!Lloyd Hansen - He's also in-charge of the Secretaries, Nurses, Receptionist, etc.

2) Maintenance Coordinator!Curtis Everett - He's in-charge of the Bus Drivers/Supervisors, Utilities, Security Guards, etc.

3) Principal!Steve Rogers - He's in-charge of Academics and Administration

4) Accountant!Bucky Barnes - crunching numbers

5) Public Relations Officer!Ransom Drysdale - includes Marketing

6) CEO/KG Consultant!Andy Barber - He's the head honcho

7) Kindergarten Teacher!Nick Fowler

I don't know if you're aware, but I've been naming you evil goblin Anon. Turns out the goblin is occasionally a softie, who doesn't only want to see me suffer 😜

In reference to kindergarten teacher Ari.

Under the cut because my reply turned out long. Also some of these are fucking hilarious 😂 really, better not be drinking when you read it, especially Lloyd and Nick 🤣

Lloyd - of course he's in charge of all the secretaries, receptionists and nurses, I bet he has a different one for every day of the week (weekends included) 😎 He likes to undo buttons on women's clothes, but loves to push buttons even more. And what a better opportunity than meeting with an OSHA inspector! In reality, Lloyd makes sure everything is perfect when it comes to regulations, nothing needs to be improved, but he just loves the faces you make when he plays a careless asshole. His smirk when you stare at him, unsure if he was joking or being serious about leaving some wires for the kids to play with. At the end of inspection Lloyd makes a comment that usually after being poked and probed at the doctor's he gets a lollipop, but what you'll give him instead after your probing 🤣 Lloyd instantly knows he hit the jackpot with you, when he said in a low tone "I've never violated OSHA regulations at work, but I can violate you a bit later, if you want me to, Sunshine" and you moaned.

Curtis - Your catering company is newly hired to prepare meals for the kids of that kindergarten. The staff can also get the meals, but you've noticed Curtis never joins others at the time of meal. You've made some inquiries, if perhaps his meal wasn't paid in advance, but it turned out it was, he just ate it much much later (apparently after everyone was gone). So one day, after helping out dishing out all the food to hungry kiddos and the staff, you take Curtis' portion and go around looking for him. You find him in the far corner of the playground, sitting in the sun and eating a small sandwich. Turns out, Curtis avoids shared meals, because he's aware the kids are a bit scared of him (he's big, dressed in dark clothes which often get dirty from all the maintenance work he does, and has some visible scars). So he eats alone and later takes his catering portion back home. Somehow, since that day, you end up sharing lunch with Curtis. And one day he asks, if you'd maybe like to also eat dinner with him. In a restaurant.

Steve - gets me, because I said so 😏 Seriously, tho. Steve ends up with a doctor/nurse. It's a completely outside of kindergarten meeting, however it's because of the kindergarten. Steve ends up in your ER after getting into a fight with one of the fathers (it was a complete mess, Andy almost went completely gray because of it). When he tells you he got into a fight you almost roll your eyes, because you're so done with aggressive men. But then he mentions he punched a kid's father after learning he was abusing his kids. And he didn't care if he was going to lose his job, he doesn't tolerate any bullies, but especially ones hurting children. It wasn't a part of medical treatment, but you were ready to suck his dick right then and there. Instead, you offered him lunch (and went down on him afterwards...)

Bucky - he's a nerdy, focused, hot as fuck cutie who ends up with a fellow cute, nerdy accountant. You managed to get into kindergarten's accountant on internship, though they usually hire only Bucky. He's half your colleague, half mentor and 100% the hero of your needy dreams. There's occasional flirting, but Bucky won't cross the line as long as you're an intern. So you spend your working hours being dutiful, but also talking over your passions or new discoveries, or funny stories. You kinda meet Bucky's sister, because she tends to call at least once a week and he just puts her on speaker - which led to you occasionally joining their conversations. Then in the evening you lie in bed and get yourself off, imagining Bucky. Then your internship ends and it's almost heartbreaking that you won't get to see him daily. Bucky asks if you'd like to do a small send-away, which ends up just the two of you in a nice restaurant and then a stroll and ice cream, and then you losing count of your orgasms.

Ransom - I never even thought kindergartens have PR officers. If it's a private one then I get it, I guess. But I don't think Steve would run a private one, so we just going to assume Ransom does marketing for them as an annoying favor (while also having his main job for a different company). Still, pro-bono or not, Ransom is adamant on maintaining his level of professionalism, which means his level of snobbish. You're a single mom who is very engaged and critical. Steve doesn't have to rein Ransom in, because you're there, marching into his office with complaints about making the new website of the affordable kindergarten look as if it was for upper class only. There are a few other occasions when you clash with him, until the annual kids' photoshoot comes. You're ready to argue with Ransom again, expecting him to organize some snobbish royal type of stiff photoshoot, but instead it's a carefree, happy chaos at a mini zoo. And Ransom is there in simple jeans and softest looking sweater, holding a fucking baby goat. You bluntly propose him sex, because you really really felt like fucking him. What starts as a few hot booty calls turns into something more serious.

Andy - poor Andy needs someone to help him survive this kindergarten from hell that he's running. The kids are great, but his staff is causing him gray hair 😂 You meet Andy when you write your dissertation and set up a meeting with him to talk about economics in educational systems. During your interview Andy notices that while you ask very smart questions, you seem bored by it all. It's quite unprofessional, but you admit to him that you chase your degree, because you always thought you want to make a big career. But the last few years, especially since you've been visiting some kindergartens when doing research, you've found yourself longing after that - having kids, caring for them and for a household. You blurt out to Andy that you get so very excited about doing decorations and baking for the holidays and if you could that would be your daily reality. It hits a certain spark in Andy's housewife kink, but he simply comments that you can always make that dream come true after getting your degree. He also asks you to give him a call when your paper is finished. And you actually do. You're so proud and happy (including being happy that it's over), then Andy invites you to dinner. Few months later you end up married and pregnant and happy to stay at home.

Nick - first of all, when I thought of Nick as a teacher the only thing that came to my mind was:

🤣🤣🤣

seriously, I bet he's the one teaching kids about secondary locations

So I went with that thought. Nick is a teacher, but not of one group of kids. He's hired to do safety drills and teach how to call an ambulance, or what to do if you know something bad is happening to another kid. He's also there when groups go on trips. But he occasionally can be too cool about it, aka too brusque. Kids love it, but you - a fellow teacher - try to keep him in line. At a kindergarten's funfair, where Nick helps kiddos throw balls to dunk principal Rogers, you eat too much funnel cake (well, you tell yourself later it's because of all the sugar) and drag Nick into an empty classroom for a quickie (insert a joke about taking him to a secondary location🤣)

[dragonnarrative-writes]

im the anon who sent that gaz ask and omg kyle's interlude was so good!!!!! im just giggling thinking of kyle wondering how much does she know? did she catch on somehow? fuck I have to take her out quick before she finds out how many projects ive finished and the whole time miss new girl is like. wow this guy fucking sucks at his job i want him gone from my hospital >:(

mans thinks shes gonna file a case with a police and she just thinks he's incompetent as shit

I'm so tickled. That's exactly what's happening.

CW: discussions of death and dying, autopsies, medical neglect

There’s something going on on the cardiac floor that you just… can’t quite put your finger on.

This isn’t the first hospital you’ve worked at, but you’re also new to urban healthcare, so you don’t want to rock the boat by being paranoid. But traffic from the cardiac floor is… steady. You’ve read the papers, know the stats like the back of your hand. And the cardiac floor is perfectly in line with expected trends. Every. Month.

There are fluctuations, of course. Plus or minus three to seven lives is nothing remarkable in cardiology. Macabre, maybe, but true. But that’s unnatural. In the seven months you’ve worked here, you’ve seen waves elsewhere in the hospital. The plastics floor had a month with zero deaths followed by a month of a persistent infection sweeping through the otherwise reasonably healthy patients. Oncology has seen a steady decline in patients sent your way, thank goodness. Even emergency and intensive care aren’t as fixedly consistent as the cardiac floor.

When you wonder about it aloud to the director, Dr. Martins just shrugs. “We have a good team up there. Very good at keeping things clean and double and triple checking their work.”

“But if that’s the case, then the number of deaths should be going down,” you point out.

Dennis gives you a rueful smile. “That’s not always how human bodies work, unfortunately. You know that.”

You do know that. Which is why the consistency grates against your nerves. So you decide to do a little digging.

The name that comes up the most often in the chart notes is one Kyle Garrick.

That’s actually not 100% accurate. He’s charting exactly the way he’s supposed to. And no nurse has complete, individual access to patients 24/7. But every dying patient he has access to is… perfect. Their blood work, labs, vitals, prognosis, medication adherence and refusal is almost too-the-letter, textbook precise.

The most obvious answer is that Garrick, and probably a couple of other nurses on the floor, are fudging the numbers.

The idea is infuriating. You hate the way the administrators keep changing medical record systems just as much as the next person, but inaccurate charting is a safety issue. People can, have, and do die because someone writes down the wrong timing for medications or assumes that a patient’s vitals are unchanged. If anything, this is probably worse than that. The fact that everything is so pristine probably means that some patients are just being written off. The nurses might be deciding who gets the excellent care the hospital is known for and who gets neglected.

You stay three hours late investigating the next cardio patient that ends up in your morgue.

After examining the body and reading, rereading, and re-re-re-reading his chart, you find it. A stutter in the dosages of blood thinners, a slightly higher blood pressure reading from someone who isn’t nurse Kyle fucking Garrick. Just enough evidence to have you testing the body with an aspirometer almost too late. And there it is. A fatal air embolism.

You want to scream, but the dead man doesn’t deserve that.

Three weeks later, sipping from your water bottle, someone calls into the office. “Knock knock.”

Dennis practically lights up. “"Good morning, Kyle. Been a bit since you've come to see us. Care for some tea?"

Your eyebrows shoot up. Dr Martins hates unexpected visitors. Then you look over your shoulder, and you understand. Even old queens aren't immune to pretty privilege. The man that’s leaning in the doorway is gorgeous. Maybe its because you work with dead bodies all day, but his eyes and skin seem to glow, even under the fluorescents.

"Can't," the man says, apologetically. "Just dropping someone off."

"Well, at least let me introduce our new nurse!"

The fact that you’re wiping crumbs off of your mouth over a paper plate is the only reason no one sees your face fall when you hear him say, “Nice to meet you. Kyle Garrick.”

[bcdrawsandwrites]

[ID: A Team Fortress 2 fic banner featuring a silhouette of Pyro using the stock flamethrower and setting things on fire. Pyro is light gray with darker outlines, with its class symbol and canister markings in orange, and its lenses yellow-white. They are on a dark gray background with faint gray text behind them reading numbers from 999,996 to 999,999. The title is in the top right in yellow-white text on a darker background reading, "CHAPTER ONE: PYROMANCY." /end ID]

Flickering

Fandom: Team Fortress 2 Rating: K+ Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship Characters: Spy, Pyro, Engineer, Medic, Sniper Warnings: General references to trauma, TF2-typical violence Fic Description: After the events of the comics, the mercs try to go back to how things were, but it’s never that easy.

Spy can see his teammates going through their own struggles… but something seems to be very, very wrong with Pyro in particular.

And since no one else seems to be doing anything about this, Spy makes it his mission to get to the bottom of what is troubling Pyro. For no particular reason. Beta Readers: @mechmolar, @gonturan0, @junuve Notes: I have no idea what was supposed to happen in the final comic, so for the sake of my sanity I'm going to have the mercs go back to business as usual, somehow.

---

Chapter 1: Pyromancy Summary: In which Spy takes on a new mission.

---

After everything was said and done, the scars they endured were more than physical.

Sniper had been the first to admit it, quietly mentioning during the chaos between rounds the fact that he sometimes still felt the pain of bullets long-gone, and not the ones they endured from their usual matches.

(The matches had resumed, even after the death of all three Mann brothers. It was a touch of normalcy that they all needed.)

Heavy made frequent trips to Medic's office, not for any treatment, but just in case there was still some Australium left in that brute's veins and he came after them again.

Spy, meanwhile, had escaped unscathed and had absolutely nothing to hide from anyone.

But as for the others, this was, of course, all very normal. They'd all been through a lot of strange events—or stranger than usual—and a bit of lingering trauma was to be expected. Nothing to be concerned over.

Except for one thing.

Spy had noticed it during a match. An enemy merc had been preparing to sneak up on Pyro, who was removing a sapper from a sentry. But the second they got too close, Pyro swung around with its homewrecker, striking the merc again and again until they despawned. On the surface it had seemed little different from how Pyro usually handled things. Even so, something about the incident felt... off to Spy.

So he decided to keep an eye on things. During matches, whenever he could, he would take a moment to observe Pyro. He observed it charging into battle, firing its flare gun with impressive precision. Efficient, and yet...

Another moment he caught was when it had a brush with an enemy spy. The spy had just attempted to backstab Pyro when it swung around, striking with its ax and slashing, again and again. When the bloody remains disappeared, Pyro stared blankly at the red stain they’d left behind for a few uncomfortable moments before moving on.

At this point, Spy wasn't even sure what he was looking for, or why he cared, beyond the fact that it was his part of his job to study people's behavior should he need to imitate it later. No one else had taken notice of any of this—or if they had, they said nothing of it. If he just dropped the matter, likely no one would care, and they could continue to move past the mess from the past six months.

...But a little poking around wouldn't hurt. It wasn't like the Administrator was sending him off on any high-profile missions right now.

Engineer's workshop was meticulously organized, and a place Spy did not typically set foot in, for good reason. Instinctively he cloaked the second he heard the beep. The sentry's gun was trained on him anyway, but, recognizing a friendly merc, did not shoot.

"I'd say it's funny seein' you here, if I could see you," Engineer said, following his sentry's eyeless gaze.

With a snort, Spy de-cloaked.

Engineer's gaze darkened as he rested the Gunslinger over the top of the machine. "You ain't here to practice with those sappers of yours, are ya?"

"What? No. I have no need for that."

"Huh." Withdrawing his prosthesis, he relaxed slightly. "What can I do ya for?"

"I seek... information." Spy strode closer, idly lighting a cigarette. "You often work with Pyro, no?"

Engineer shrugged. "Well, sure. Don't need to explain to you how we collaborate on the battlefield. Sometimes collaborate here in the workshop, too. That fella's got a knack for makin' new flamethrowers, and it'll sometimes ask for my input." He tilted his head. "Why? You lookin' to partner with it for something?"

"Ugh, no." Spy shuddered. "No. I was wondering if you had... noticed its behavior on the battlefield as of late."

At that, Engineer leaned forward, rubbing a finger against his chin. "Lately? Mumbles's been doing pretty well on the battlefield. Better than I can remember, even." Shrugging, he sat back. "Guess it's been missin' the usual matches, pointless as they are, same as the rest of us."

Exhaling a stream of smoke through his nose, Spy looked the Engineer in the goggles. "And outside of battle?"

"Dunno. Haven't seen it much."

"Do you find this... concerning?"

"Nope." Engineer looked away. "I know I was pretty much out of the fray for all of that, but it sounds like all y'all had it pretty rough. Don't blame anyone for wantin' to take a bit of time to themselves. I'm sure it'll come around."

"Perhaps." Sighing, Spy turned, heading back toward the door. "I'll leave you to... whatever sort of contraptions you have here."

"What are you worried about?"

Spy stopped in the doorway. "What?"

"You ain't the type to come in to ask about someone for no reason."

Spy glared over his shoulder. "I worry about nothing."

"All right," Engineer replied, and resumed tinkering with the sentry. When the fellow merc said nothing more, Spy went on his way.

No, he was not worried. But as his mind wandered back to their short time imprisoned in Gray Mann's base, he was wondering. And there was someone else who might be able to satisfy his curiosity.

Medic's lab, in contrast to Engineer's space, was cluttered and chaotic, not helped by the doves nesting and perching wherever they could find space, nor the young baboon scampering around the floor. The sight of Heavy sitting on a chair made Spy pause, wondering if he was interrupting something, only to realize that the Heavy was only reading a book. He did not look up when Spy entered. The baboon, meanwhile, scampered up to Medic (who was studying something at his desk) and tugged on the hem of his coat.

"Ah, Aristotle. Did you find it?" Medic asked, bending down to accept a small red vial from the baboon's paw. "Let's see..." Adjusting his glasses, he peered at the vial's label, only to frown and toss the vial aside, where it shattered on the floor. "Aristotle! I told you I needed an O-positive blood sample, not another B-positive!"

The monkey, evidently named Aristotle, gave a sad chirp.

"Now, now, try again," he said, and shoo'd the monkey off. "Unless you want this experiment to fail, anyway." He watched the monkey scurry back across the room and run past Spy, and did a double-take. "Ah, Spy! I didn't hear you come in."

"I should hope not, or else I'd be doing my job poorly." He sidestepped the broken glass as he approached.

"Are you recovering well from your emergency blood transfusion?" Medic asked, flipping through some papers at his desk.

"Actually, I had a question about that."

The Medic's face lit up. "Ah! You're in luck!" Setting the papers down, he gestured excitedly toward a series of vials lined up in front of him. "I'm currently working on a method of separating different blood types that may have gotten—hmm—mixed together, by some means, and I needed a human test subject to—"

"No."

Medic's expression immediately soured. "Oh." He turned away, flipping through the papers again. "Well what do you want? I'm very busy."

"You also performed an emergency transfusion on the Pyro, did you not?"

"Oh, yes!" Medic smiled as he held up a paper; Spy was able to spot the Pyro's class symbol on it. "Yes, it's always fascinating working with that one."

Spy didn't have to ask what was fascinating about the only non-human mercenary on their team. "Did you notice anything... unusual when you performed the operation?"

At that, Medic scratched his head. "Well now... I was quite busy at the time, trying to prevent everyone, including you, from dying from blood loss, you know. I didn't have time to focus on the details."

"But you did open Pyro's suit to slice it open and fill its chest cavity with blood."

"Yes, yes. Your point?"

"And you didn't see anything strange when you did this?"

Medic clicked his tongue. "I told you, I had no time to focus on the details!" Sighing, he turned back to his desk. "Besides, it's hard to notice anything past all that soot."

Spy paused. "Soot?"

"Yes, it gets everywhere," Medic replied, as though that had answered the question. "Anyway, why do you ask?"

Tempted as he was to ask about what on earth lied beneath that suit, he held himself back, and very nearly shot back a "classified" at the doctor. However, something else struck him, and he hummed. "You worked with those other mercenaries for a time. Were you familiar with their pyro?"

"Oh, Beatrice?" Medic chuckled. "Yes, she was an interesting one. Quite sadistic, I would say. But what does this have to do with—?"

"She interrogated our Pyro for an extended period of time, and I am wondering if this may account for its strange behavior."

"Strange behavior?" Medic echoed, then laughed, the noise grating on Spy's ears. "No, our pyromaniac is just as crazy as it ever was, in case you haven't noticed! Perhaps you could do with a head examination." In one swift motion he retrieved a clipboard. "I could put you in for next Tuesday—"

"No, thank you." And with that, Spy strode out of the lab, nearly stepping on Aristotle's tail on the way out.

As he crossed the base, he tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it as he passed.

This was ridiculous. Was it not obvious to anyone else? Or was he really just looking for something that wasn't there?

He found himself glaring out a window, staring out at the desert. It was growing dark, now, and he had no reason to be hanging around here—several of the other mercs had already gone home, or to whatever hole they slept in.

The hair stood on the back of Spy's neck, and he whipped around to see someone staring at him from the other end of the hall. He shuddered. "Don't do that."

"Am I not allowed to look at people without a scope up to my eye?" Sniper asked, approaching Spy. He held a cup of coffee in his hand that fogged up his glasses as he brought it to his mouth. Nonetheless, he joined Spy in looking out the window. "You're here late."

"As are you." Spy glared out into the darkening twilight. "Don't you have a van to sleep in?"

"Don't much feel like sleeping," Sniper answered, taking another swig of coffee.

"Then go somewhere else to produce your jarate."

The Sniper only heaved a sigh. "Went to the phone again."

"Yes, very exciting." Spy continued to glare out the window before it struck him what the man was talking about. His annoyance quickly melted. "...Oh." He hesitated for a moment before glancing at Sniper. "My apologies."

"Been a minute since I've done that," he said, and shook his head.

The two stood in awkward silence for a moment.

"...Since you're here," Spy said, "perhaps you could help me with something."

With a lifeless shrug, Sniper did not look away from the window. "Shoot."

"Tempting as it would be to kill you right now, I must decline," Spy said, eliciting a chuckle from the other merc. "Have you paid any attention to Pyro on the battlefield?"

"Some. It watches my back sometimes. Why?"

"Have you noticed anything... strange about it?"

"Hmmm." Sniper turned to face him, and Spy nearly got his hopes up. "Why, have you?"

Spy grit his teeth. "At this point, I'm starting to wonder. Its behavior seems unusual to me for some reason, but no one else in this stupid base seems to think so."

"Everyone's been actin' different, mate. Including you."

Something snapped, and Spy pounded a fist against the windowsill. "Can you answer the question or not?"

Sniper was silent for a moment before he tipped his head back, draining the rest of his coffee. "If somethin's up with Pyro, it hasn't said anything to me about it."

"You—!" Spy sputtered, but Sniper was already leaving. He glared after him, fuming, before spinning around and storming toward the base's entrance.

But as he neared the door, he froze.

It hasn't said anything to me about it.

That was it.

The next day, during their match, Spy kept a closer eye on Pyro than before.

The merc was charging through the map, blasting its flamethrower at anyone and everyone who came near it. If a fellow merc was ever on fire, it quickly put them out before going straight back to setting everything else on fire.

Months ago, when committing such atrocities, it would typically be giggling and laughing and whooping in glee as it stormed through the burning destruction.

Now, it was dead silent, its movements sharp and hurried as it set every enemy in sight ablaze.

Spy, who was cloaked, nearly gave himself away, laughing as his suspicions were confirmed. Yes, something was for sure wrong with Pyro, and he was not going crazy. Satisfied, he resumed his role in the match as normal, decloaking and backstabbing a soldier that the Pyro had missed.

But as the match came to an end and the team returned to their base, it dawned on him: Yes, he'd confirmed that something was wrong with Pyro.

But he still didn't know why.

[bleucaesura]

STOLITZØ - TWENTY ONE

The portal closed behind Stolas as soon as he stepped through. Octavia still held tightly to his hand, but he barely felt it.

Should I even be here? If he’s here, I’ll make sure he’s ok and then I’ll go. If he had wanted to see me, he would have contacted me… Somehow… But I’m never the one he reaches for…

Octavia had decided the best place to start was the nearest hospital to the Hell-Ring station, so there they all were, staring across the street from Eviscerated Heart General Hospital.

Loona was sniffing the air. She dropped to all fours to sniff the ground.

The M&M’s lingered, keeping quiet, but clearly anxious to get moving.

“I think this is it,” Loona stood and threw an arm around Octavia’s shoulders. Loona pulled her down into a quick playful noogie. “Great thinking, girlie!”

Octavia blushed and laughed awkwardly. She let go of her father’s hand as Loona led the way across the street.

The M&M’s followed closely at their heels.

Stolas’s heart clenched. He clutched his chest.

He’s going to be ok. He’ll be here. He’ll be ok and you can say hello. Don’t be a coward…

The others were already across the street and heading inside the hospital.

Stolas squawked in surprise and dashed across and into the hospital as quickly as he could. He wasn’t paying attention and almost bumped into the others inside the lobby.

Loona had lost all her confidence and had retreated behind Octavia, holding her shoulders and crouching behind her as if she could hide behind such a tiny teen owl. Octavia was very confused.

Moxxie and Millie looked sympathetically at Loona, and stepped ahead and on either side of her. Loona smiled gratefully at them.

That’s right… Blitzø said she was afraid of hospitals and needles…

“Loona, dear?” Stolas walked up beside her, but not looking down so as not to draw more attention to her or embarrass her. “Will you and the others wait for me outside while I speak to the administration? I’ll retrieve you when I’m done.”

He glanced at Octavia, who had clearly figured out the situation and smiled up at him in thanks. He winked at her and strode off to find the Information Desk.

Stolas glanced at a reflection in a room window and watched as the others ushered Loona out the doors.

Thank goodness.

***

A few minutes later Stolas exited the hospital and found the others seated on a bench just outside. They all rushed up to greet him.

Stolas raised a hand to stop any questions. He cleared his throat, calming himself.

“Blitzø was here,” he raised a finger to silence Moxxie who was about to jump in with questions.

“He left. Against medical advice.” Stolas said angrily. “No one knows where he went. The doctor told me Blitzø said he ‘had some place to be’. But he didn’t say where that was…”

Everyone looked at Stolas. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

I can’t tell them the rest. It won’t help them to know how badly injured the doctor thought he was…

“So now we split up. Search places he would be most likely to go.” Stolas looked at the others, gesturing he was now open to input.

“The office?” Moxxie suggested. Millie nodded.

“Home… Maybe?” Loona shrugged.

“The mansion.” Octavia said with conviction.

Everyone looked at her. She looked at Stolas.

He could feel his heart breaking.

Oh how I wish that were true my little Starfire.

Stolas smiled meekly, trying to look convinced.

“That’s the plan then.” Stolas clapped. “I shall portal Moxxie and Millie to the office. And Octavia and Loona to your apartment, Loona, dear.”

“And you’ll portal home,” Octavia looked hard at Stolas. “Right dad?”

“Right. Of course. Yes, dear.” Stolas tried to smile convincingly at her.

“Alright everyone! Let’s get this show on the road.” Stolas turned to make a portal.

Octavia came up and tugged on Stolas’s arm.

“Let me help dad. I want to help” Octavia looked up at him, her eyes pleading. “I’ve been practicing,”

Stolas looked at her, confused.

“I can portal to and from places I’ve been before now.” Octavia explained. “So, please. Let me do this.”

Stolas was surprised. He hadn’t known Octavia had progressed so far in her magic. Without him. He beamed with pride.

“Thank you, Via.” Stolas hugged her tightly.

The M&M’s exchanged information with Stolas and Octavia. Everyone agreed to call as soon as Blitzø was found.

Stolas opened a portal for the M&M’s to the I.M.P office building and they quickly disappeared through it.

Loona startled Stolas when she tapped him on the shoulder.

“Oh! Goodness! Loona, dear. What can I do for you?”

Loona averted her gaze and scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

Stolas looked over at Octavia, who just shrugged back at him, and returned to opening a portal. He went to look back at Loona but instead Stolas felt the air knocked out of him. He looked down and there was Loona, hugging him tightly.

He was so surprised he didn’t have time to hug her back before she’d let go and was running over to Octavia. Loona hopped through the portal without looking back at Stolas. Octavia turned back to her father, giggled and waved before following Loona.

The portal closed. A moment later Stolas’s phone chimed. He pulled it out to see a text from Via.

“Loona said to give you her number lol”

Stolas smiled down at the screen as it chimed again with Loona’s contact card attached.

So sweet… You raised a great daughter, Blitzy.

The thought of Blitzø immediately brought Stolas’s thoughts crashing down.

Stolas looked up at the sky and fought back tears.

What do I do now? I don’t even know him like I thought I did…

Stolas closed his eyes and silently cried.

Blitzø… Dearest… Where are you?… Please help me find you…

Stolas felt a drop of something fall on his face. He brought his face down and touched a finger to his forehead, swiping at what had landed there.

Stolas looked down at his finger.

What is this…?

He cocked his head and brought the finger closer to inspect what was on it.

Stolas rubbed it between his fingers. Even hazarded a sniff.

Black and viscous, it felt smooth to the touch. He looked at it closely and it seemed to shift colours and sparkle in the light.

Like the night sky…

Stolas looked up to see where it could have come from.

Nothing... Strange…

Stolas was turning to look back down at his finger when something caught his eye. A billboard across the street.

Isn’t that…?

Stolas shielded his eyes and looked again.

Fizzarolli…

Ice slid down his spine.

Stolas didn’t know why, but something inside him screamed, GO! NOW!

He didn’t understand, but he didn’t care. Stolas opened a portal to Asmodeus’s and stepped through.

*****

[ltwilliammowett]

The Admiralty

I often mention the Admiralty, as some sort of vague governing body, but i think have not explain what it is and what it does. Well the term is used to describe the goverment department which was once responsible for Britain's naval affairs. In fact, until the union of Scotland and England in 1707 it was the English Admiralty, and the Scots had their own version. The term is - or was- used by other countries, and of course it had its equivalents to the US Department of the Navy, which is now part of the Department of Defense. The French equivalent was the Ministère de la Marine, but it is now run as part of the centralized Department of Defence. Today, Britain's naval affairs are administered by the Ministry of Defence.

The Admiralty in Whitehall, London

The origins of the Admiralty date back to the late 13th century and the reign of King Edward I (reign 1272-1307). He appointed a Lord High Admiral as the head of his small navy, and gave him a suite of offices in London. These offices became known as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and when they met for their regular meetings they were known collectively as the Board of Admiralty. The Sea Lords were senior serving officers, who tended to handle operational matters, while the Lords of the Admiralty were civil servants or politicans who dealt more with administration and governance. This system continued in use for almost 7 centuries until the Admiralty was disbanded in 1964. From then on all three of Britain's Armed services were administered by the Ministry of Defence. The Admiralty building stands in London's Whitehall and in the time of the 18th and 19th century and aspecially in wartime its offices were a bustling hive of activity, with officers arrving in the hope for a ship, or to be court- martialled, or to receive their orders. Admirals, civil servants and politicians went about their business, holdings meetings, making judgements ans sending or receiving a welter of reports.

But the Admiralty was more then just a place where the Royal Navy was administered. There were also the Admiralty Courts, where piracy and other naval cases were heard, but the High Court of Admiralty was the highest and heard all British maritime cases and the Prizes (where it was determined whether a ship was a legal prize or not and how much prize money came out) until it was dissolved in 1875.

The High Court of Admiralty

The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832.

As the size of the fleet grew, the Admiralty sought to focus the activity of the Navy Board on two areas: ships and their maintenance, and naval expenditure. Therefore, from the mid- to late-17th century, a number of subsidiary Boards were established to oversee other aspects of the board's work. These included:The Victualling Board (1683–1832). Responsible for providing naval personnel with food, drink and supplies. The Sick and Hurt Board (established temporarily in times of war from 1653, placed on a permanent footing from 1715, amalgamated into the Transport Board from 1806). Responsible for providing medical support services to the navy and managing prisoners of war. The Transport Board (1690–1724, re-established 1794, amalgamated into the Victualling Board in 1817). Responsible for the provision of transport services and for the transportation of supplies and military equipment.

Each of these subsidiary Boards went on to gain a degree of independence (though they remained, nominally at least, overseen by the Navy Board.

So you see it was more than just a place where old admirals met for brandy, it was the heart of the navy and its administrative headquarters.

[eretzyisrael]

by Ayala Or-El

Dr. Rabinovici said that many of his friends and colleagues at the prestigious institute expressed to him feelings of alienation and disregard by the administration.

“We’ve been complaining for nine months,” he said. “It amazes us to see what’s happening. It was always an exceptional workplace that valued inclusivity for everyone. I assumed that included Israelis, but I was shocked to find that when we complained about this very hostile environment, our complaints to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination were completely dismissed.”

Rabinovici said that what happened next shocked him even more. He and his colleagues were referred to a counselor in case they needed additional support and that this counselor had posted “some of the most vile antisemitic remarks,” he said. “This is the person to whom Jews and the Israeli community were referred for further support. When we complained about this to the administration, their response was to refer us to another counselor, one who wasn’t openly antisemitic.”

It didn’t stop there, he said. Antisemitic content has infiltrated the university’s educational programs. Faculty members have presented slides about what they call ‘genocide in Gaza’ during UCSF continuing medical education courses.

“There’s a lot of intimidation aimed at silencing Jewish and Zionist voices. Suddenly, all Jews are being blamed for the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza. That’s clear antisemitism.”

Yarden Golan, a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF, and her family moved to San Francisco from Israel four-and-a half-years ago. She says she has never been an activist or politically involved. In Israel, she hardly watched the news, but all that has changed since Oct. 7.

That day led her to become “much more involved and active at the university. It started with trying to raise awareness about the abductees and advocacy activities simply because I felt it was impossible to remain silent in the face of this injustice,” she said. “When anti-Israeli events started on campus, I became involved in organizing events for the Jewish and Israeli community on campus.”

Golan said that a few months after the war began, there was a pro-Palestinian rally at the university. She and her friend decided to go and see what the other side had to say and maybe start a dialogue. When they got there, they heard the same propaganda against Israel, spreading false information and narratives provided by Hamas.

When the rally ended, she approached Dr. Jess Ghannam. The doctor has been working at UCSF for 30 years and specializes in chronic illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder. Ghannam, whose parents are Palestinians, was featured in The New York Times article and was pictured wearing a watermelon pin, a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians.

[taviamoth]

🚨 Government Media Office:

—

The “israeli” occupation army has committed crimes of destruction, arson, and targeted 1,050 homes around the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, killing more than 400 martyrs so far. We condemn the international silence towards this crime.

Over the course of 13 days since storming the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the "israeli" occupation army has committed crimes of destruction, arson, and targeted 1,050 homes, killing more than 400 martyrs and arresting and torturing hundreds of patients, displaced people, and medical staff in and around the Al-Shifa Medical Complex.

The occupation army still holds 107 patients hostage, including 30 wheelchair-bound patients and about 60 medical staff members, inside the Al-Shifa Complex under inhumane conditions, without water, medicine, food, or electricity. The occupation prevents all attempts to evacuate these patients through international institutions, putting their lives at significant risk.

We once again condemn in the strongest terms the "israeli" occupation army's invasion of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, a war crime and a crime against humanity. We also condemn the international silence towards this crime, and the occupation's persistence in killing, starving, and torturing those in and around Al-Shifa Complex.

We hold the American administration, the international community, several European countries, and the "israeli" occupation fully responsible for participating and engaging in the genocide and ethnic cleansing carried out by the occupation army. We hold them all accountable for aligning with the brutal policies of the occupation against our Palestinian people, in a horrific and outrageous manner against international law and international humanitarian law, especially their support for the policy of starvation against civilians, children, and women.

We call on all international organizations, all Arab and Islamic countries, and all countries of the free world to move from the square of silence and condemnation to the square of taking practical positions, real actions, and field operations to stop the genocide, stop the invasion of hospitals, and stop the destruction of the health sector.

The Government Media Office

Saturday, 30 March 2024

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Aaron Sibarium

The syllabus was designed with input from Shamsher Samra, a professor of emergency medicine who has endorsed "Palestinians’ right to return" and published research on the "health of border abolition." Though the course initially included an exercise that separated students by race, that lesson was canceled in January after it became the subject of a local civil rights complaint.

Disturbed in part by the incident with Gray-Garcia, some Jewish faculty at the medical school have spoken out against the course, saying it perpetuates an "oppressor vs. oppressed" framework that fuels anti-Semitism. Dubinett alluded to those concerns in his email on Friday, which he said had been sparked by "tensions" over "the conflict in the Middle East." Like many university administrators since the October 7 attacks, he did not mention Jews specifically and appeared to suggest that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia were equally widespread, condemning them both in the same breath.

"We reiterate our stance against racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination, harassment, intimidation or retaliation," Dubinett wrote. "We have an unwavering commitment to raise awareness of the persistent structural factors and social drivers that cause disproportionate disease and poor outcomes among marginalized communities."

UCLA medical school did not respond to a request for comment.

The email, which was also signed by UCLA Health CEO John Mazziotta, said the school would be responding to concerns about anti-Semitism by giving diversity officials more say in the curriculum.

"JEDI teams and vice chairs will provide input for course lecturers and course topics to strengthen medical school course stands," the email says, referring to the medical school’s office of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. That office sponsored a talk this month that glorified self-immolation as a form of "revolutionary suicide" and told psychiatrists to "embed your practice with an anti-colonial lens."

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joan Walsh at The Nation:

Roger Severino, a prominent attorney for the Christian right, led the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights during the Trump administration. In 2017, The Atlantic called him “the man behind Trump’s religious-freedom agenda for health care.” The profile contrasted Severino’s sparsely decorated office—adorned with a crucifix and a Clarence Thomas bobblehead—with his elaborate domestic agenda. During Severino’s time there, Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services weakened the Affordable Care Act; strengthened the ability of healthcare providers to claim religious exemptions from providing all kinds of medical care, from abortion to birth control to vasectomies to gender-affirming care; and created a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in his office. Under Severino’s legal counsel, HHS cut teen-pregnancy prevention programs and prioritized abstinence in its Title X family-planning grants. Backing Severino’s crusade was his boss, HHS secretary and former Eli Lilly president Alex Azar, best known for helping Trump botch his Covid response and presiding over his border policy of separating migrant children from their parents. Azar came to call his department “the Department of Life.”

In his chapter of Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership, Severino promises to make HHS the “Department of Life” again—and to go even farther than Azar did. The plan outlines how HHS would use its power as a federal agency to dramatically curtail access to reproductive health services. Severino pledges that HHS will restrict access to birth control, rescind the FDA’s approval of medication abortion, and abolish what he calls “mail-order abortion”—the latter by using the long-dormant Comstock Act to prosecute anyone who provides such medication by mail. HHS will also focus on weeding out programs geared to the rights of LGBT people, especially anyone who is transgender. It would direct subsidies for childcare facilities to parents themselves—all in a punitive, misguided effort to shore up the nuclear family. This isn’t a public health document; it’s a theocratic manifesto, an attempt at ensuring public health through ultra-orthodox Christianity.

So much for “religious freedom.” Under “the next administration” (read: a Trump administration), Severino recommends that nearly every HHS program or agency—with special emphasis on the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Office of the Surgeon General—be retooled with the goal of promoting heterosexual marriage and procreation. He argues that the next president should use his powers to “maintain a biblically based, social science–reinforced definition of marriage and family.” Of course, he believes that “families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and healthy society.” He claims that “all other family forms” apart from “heterosexual, intact marriage…involve higher levels of instability.”

Severino attacks President Biden for “focusing on ‘LGBTQ+ equity,’ subsidizing single motherhood, disincentivizing work, and penalizing marriage”—while offering no examples of his policies that did any of the last three things. Severino calls on HHS to repeal antidiscrimination policy statements that identify sex with “gender identity or sexual orientation.” Here’s the crescendo: “Working fathers are essential to the well-being and development of their children, but the United States is experiencing a crisis of fatherlessness that is ruining our children’s futures.”

Thus, HHS policies would “prioritize married father engagement” and stress the importance of heterosexual marriage in all of its health, education, and welfare programs, and it would even enable child-abuse prevention funds to be applied to marriage promotion efforts. The CDC would be directed to “eliminate programs and projects that do not respect human life and conscience rights and that undermine family formation.”

The anti-abortion crusade, too, would continue throughout each of the department’s agencies: “HHS should return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care,” and the secretary should make sure that “all HHS programs and activities are rooted in a deep respect for innocent human life from day one until natural death.” He or she would see to it that no funding whatsoever goes to abortion—not via Hyde Amendment exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother; not even via private insurance subsidized by the Affordable Care Act. Severino recommends eliminating the HHS Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force and creating a “pro-life task force to ensure that all of the department’s divisions seek to use their authority to promote the life and health of women and their unborn children.”

Severino would force the FDA to “reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs because the politicized approval process was illegal from the start. The FDA failed to abide by its legal obligations to protect the health, safety, and welfare of girls and women.” This argument is in front of the Supreme Court right now, and even some of the conservative justices don’t appear to be convinced by it. Severino promises that no Medicaid funding will go to Planned Parenthood. He also proposes reversing a Biden administration regulation that groups receiving Title X funds must be willing to “refer” women to abortion providers even if they don’t provide abortion themselves, thereby allowing “otherwise qualified pro-life grantees” to receive funding.

Severino also aims to restrict access to birth control, which many of us said would be the right’s next priority after banning abortion wherever possible. He announces that HHS must promote “public messaging about the unsurpassed effectiveness [fact check: This is widely disputed] of modern fertility awareness–based methods (FABMs) of family planning…. CDC should fund studies exploring the evidence-based methods used in cutting-edge fertility awareness.” Severino calls for HHS to prohibit women’s health facilities that receive Title X funding from distributing condoms. And by declaring that life begins at conception, his manifesto appears to commit HHS to finding ways to outlaw IVF, which relies on generating multiple embryos, most of which are not implanted. It could also eliminate birth control methods like the IUD and even some forms of the pill.

Severino reserves special vitriol for the CDC, which he derides as “perhaps the most incompetent and arrogant agency in the federal government.” He wants to strip the CDC of its capacity to issue any kind of public health advice, because issuing such guidance is “an inescapably political function…. For example, never again should CDC officials be allowed to say in their official capacity that school children ‘should be’ masked or vaccinated (through a schedule or otherwise) or prohibited from learning in a school building,” his edict declaims. Instead, “a separate agency should be responsible for public health with a severely confined ability to make policy recommendations.” Severino’s critique of the CDC also shouts Christian fundamentalism, as he complains about the agency “shutting down churches on the holiest day of the Christian calendar and far beyond as happened in 2020.” Yes, that was Easter 2020. “What is the proper balance of lives saved versus souls saved?” he asks. Severino wants to use the CDC’s data collection capacity to police abortion, especially those obtained by women forced to travel because of restrictions in their home state. “Because liberal states have now become sanctuaries for abortion tourism, HHS should use every available tool, including the cutting of funds, to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child, for what reason, the mother’s state of residence, and by what method.”

[...] So that’s what HHS will do under Trump: Ban abortion. Police marriage. Force women to give birth, even if they don’t want to. Force women to marry men, and vice versa, even if they don’t want to. Privatize Medicare. Tighten restrictions on Medicaid. And if you feel like you’d rather not live this way? Severino wants to criminalize “euthanasia,” too.

Joan Walsh writes for The Nation that Project 2025 will turn the HHS into a tool for the far-right anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.

See Also:

The Nation: June 2024 Issue

[wolveria]

Could I get a small part of the Leahy 1 WIP as a treat?

Of course of course, it'll be a treat for us both ;)

Rage simmered under the surface of your skin as you were led down the lengthy tunnels and corridors. It was a long walk from Heavy Containment to the Entrance Zone where the administration officers were located.

You hardly noticed the discomfort to your feet. Unease, pain, and fear had been a constant in your life for the past few weeks. Test after test, humiliation after humiliation, all for the sake of progress—or so you had been told.

And now, this latest indignity. Dr. Puli had taken you to his office and warned you of the latest torment on the Site Director’s docket. No longer were you going to be a chew toy for SCPs. Now, you were going to be a breeding sow. Paired off with whatever SCP seemed the most compatible, all so you could make anomalous soldiers for the Foundation.

Leahy had confirmed it, mocked your reluctance, and got a headbutt to the face for it. You didn’t know if you broke his nose, but one could only hope.

Your fists curled at your sides, never missing your stride as you walked in between your guards. After waking up in a panic in the middle of the medical staff giving you an invasive exam you didn’t want, you’d started to think. And plan. It wasn’t a very good plan, but you had no choice once the intercom declared “tonight.”

Giving your demands to the darkened observation window, you were surprised when they were granted. Doubt only trickled in when 049 sent you a concerned, sidelong stare, his silence beseeching you to reconsider.

But it was too late to withdraw your request. The guards came to escort you, and here you were before the door to the Site Director’s office.

It slid aside, allowing you and your escorts to pass. You’d never been to Leahy’s office before. It wasn’t as large as you thought it would be, and it held the typical office furniture, complete with fluorescent lights, muted grey carpets, and a sad potted fern in the corner.

The Site Director glanced up from his dark wood desk, staring over the rim of his glasses with the usual annoyed look he reserved for you. He’d agreed to speak to you, but of course he was going to make you feel like an inconvenience. You were disappointed to see his nose was merely bruised, not broken. At least it looked tender.

“You may go,” he said to the uniforms. They exited the office like the obedient hounds they were, leaving the cuffs around your wrists.

You waited until the door slid and locked behind you to speak.

“I’d rather not have this conversation in chains.”

“And what conversation would that be?”

“About your program.”

He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking with the movement.

“I made my expectations on the matter clear. What more is there to discuss?”

You released a sigh and let your shoulders slump. After a moment, you lifted your hands in front of you, the metal clinking against your shackles.

“Please?”

He appraised you for a long moment, and you struggled not to wither under his stare. You despised this, being at his mercy, begging for a crumb of decency that he would grant only to watch you squirm.

With a huff of air, he got up from his desk and fished a ring out keys out of his pocket. He sorted through them as he approached, finding the one he wanted, shaped like a small silver cylinder, and he inserted it into your cuffs. You forced yourself to be still, refusing to shy away from how close he stood.

With a turn of the key, the cuffs unlatched, and Leahy removed them. You took a step back, rubbing your wrists, an unwanted surge of gratitude moving through you. You tamped it down, disgust remaining in its place. You wouldn’t show your jailer gratitude for removing the shackles he put there.

“So, out with it.” He turned his back to you, dropping the restraints into the seat of the chair in front of his desk. “If you’re here to beg me to call it off, don't. You should know better than to ask. It hasn’t been that long since you worked for me, and I expect you to—”

You didn’t know what made him turn. Instinct, a soft release of a held breath, the ruffle of cloth sliding against skin. Whatever it was, you missed your mark.

The scalpel sliced down his bicep, cleaving through the sleeve of his lab coat and revealing a line of oozing red.

Your second swing was even less successful than the first—the scalpel in your fist glinted in the overhead lights, less than a foot from his face where Leahy caught your wrist.

He twisted, forced you to drop the scalpel, and then pivoted your arm and shoved you, chest-first, against the wall.

You screamed and thrashed, rage and disappointment clutching your lungs. You’d been so close, so fucking close! But your frustration lay with yourself; you’d choked at the last second. Even if Leahy had somehow sensed the attack, your hesitancy had caused you to miss your true target: the glimpse of skin between his hairline and the collar of his coat.

But you screwed up, and now you and 049 would pay for it.