#of going to the doctor and fighting the seven million levels of laws and doctors tests
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
loverboybrightsideghost · 24 days ago
Text
any other trans people ever look at yourself in the mirror, hunting for more masculine/feminine features that you want, and finding even the smallest hint of a hint of, say, facial hair, or roundness in the face, and think maybe, just maybe, that it is miniscule, almost imperceptible evidence is proof your body has realized it's been mistaken all along? like maybe your REAL hormones have finally been activated and now your body has started transitioning to what it should have been all along?
4 notes · View notes
nikitas78ms · 2 years ago
Text
7 Methods for Battling Against Breast Cancer
Tumblr media
Envision yourself as a fighter, battling savagely to shield your region from foes that have attacked it. Keep in mind, you are in good company in this undertaking. Your friends and family and a tremendous organization of assets and experts stand with you, prepared to assist with guaranteeing triumph in this battle. Breast cancer consultant influences a large number of individuals all over the planet, and this illustration suitably depicts its existence. World Wellbeing Association appraises almost 2.3 million new cases were analyzed overall in 2020. In view of that, now is the right time to release your internal fighter and find how best to bravely fight breast cancer. This article will introduce seven supportive procedures and tips to assist those confronting this test with exploring their excursion with trust, versatility, and strength.
Information is Power: Grasping Your Analysis
Stage one in turning into an educated breast cancer fighter is understanding your finding completely. By understanding its sort and stage, you will turn out to be better prepared to pursue informed choices with respect to treatment choices. Your clinical group ought to act as your essential wellspring of information. Accordingly, make sure to explanation with respect to any part of your determination or plan. You can contact assets that will furnish you with the data in regards to your analysis. A patient backing organization can be important during this trying time, giving fundamental exhortation, direction, and backing as you explore the intricacies of finding and treatment. Organizations, for example, these interface you with master medical services suppliers, lawful help, and monetary guide assets to get the best consideration all through your excursion.
Collect Your Group: Picking the Right Medical care Experts
No hero can vanquish a fight alone; the equivalent goes for your battle against breast cancer. Collecting a group of experienced, compassionate medical services experts guarantees the most ideal consideration all through your excursion. To find the right clinical group, research neighborhood oncologists and cancer focuses, request proposals from your essential consideration doctor, and look for references from companions, family, or care groups. Don’t hesitate for even a moment to talk with expected specialists and ask about their experience treating your particular kind and phase of breast cancer. Whenever you’ve picked your group, team up with them to make a customized treatment plan that tends to your exceptional requirements and inclinations. Keep in mind, you reserve the option to look for second assessments, which can give consolation and trust in your treatment choices.
Fortify Your Stronghold: Embrace a Solid Way of Life
As a fighter combating breast cancer, bracing your body and brain by embracing a sound lifestyle is fundamental. Start by taking on a feeding diet wealthy in natural products, vegetables, lean proteins, and entire grains, custom-made to your particular necessities and treatment plan. Talk with a nutritionist or dietitian to assist you with settling on informed decisions that help your body during treatment. Participating in delicate, ordinary activity — endorsed by your PCP — can assist with further developing your physical and mental prosperity, supporting energy levels and lessening pressure. Staying away from unsafe propensities, for example, smoking or extreme liquor consumption is likewise vital. If necessary, look for help from medical care experts or care groups to help you quit or diminish these ways of behaving.
Profound Shield: Focusing on Your Emotional Wellness
Going through breast cancer advice to analyse can significantly influence one’s prosperity. Doing whatever it takes to keep up with great emotional wellness is imperatively significant in the battle. Recognizing its effect, permit yourself to encounter all feelings going from dread and outrage to trust and assurance. Foster sound survival strategies like journaling, reflection or rehearsing care to oversee pressure, nervousness, and sorrow as a feature of overseeing side effects. Make it a point to proficient help from specialists, guides, or care groups if vital. Imparting your encounters and sentiments to other people who comprehend your process can offer significant profound help and fellowship.
Prepare Your Help Armed Force: Rest on Friends and family
Your loved ones are fundamental partners in your battle against breast cancer. Discuss straightforwardly with your friends and family about your necessities, feelings, and fears, and permit them to offer commonsense and profound help. Tolerating assistance with day-to-day undertakings, like cooking, cleaning, or childcare, can lighten a portion of the weight you might look during treatment. Reinforcing associations with those nearest to you can give a wellspring of consolation, love, and understanding all through your cancer process.
Fight Plan: Remaining Coordinated and Informed
Amid arrangements, drugs, and experimental outcomes, remaining coordinated and informed is fundamental for dealing with your breast cancer fight successfully. Make a framework for monitoring significant data, like a cover, computerized application, or schedule, to guarantee you have simple admittance to your records. Archive your encounters, side effects, and aftereffects, as this can further develop a correspondence with your clinical group and assist with fitting your treatment plan. To remain informed about your finding and treatment choices, use assets and instruments, like internet-based articles, books, and care groups.
Winning the Conflict: Observing Achievements and Embracing Life
As you bravely fight breast cancer, it’s pivotal to pause for a minute to recognize the strength and versatility you show at each step of your treatment process. Perceive every achievement, enormous or little, as a demonstration of your resolute assurance and progress in your battle against this sickness. Amid the difficulties, focus on zeroing in on energy, appreciation, and the organization of affection and backing encompassing you from companions, family, and individual fighters. Embrace the expectation ahead as you anticipate the future past breast cancer. Imagine yourself laying out and achieving new private objectives in your vocation, connections, or self-awareness. Make arrangements to reconnect with lifelong companions or manufacture new associations, realizing these connections can enhance your life and add to your mending. Moreover, feel free to investigate new interests or side interests that can give pleasure, satisfaction, and a feeling of direction to your life after cancer. By praising your achievements and embracing life’s prospects, you are winning the conflict according to a breast cancer consultant and making ready for a more splendid, livelier future.
0 notes
theveryworstthing · 4 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
So over on patreon Trevor asked for my take on the Addams Family and I grew up LOVING the Addams family movies so here we are. Instead of doing a straight up style interpretation, I decided to do a full on design challenge, using the characters as bases to make a black southern gothic Addams au. I actually drew the kids first, using the character bases of Wednesday and Pugsley to create some delightful kiddos I'm calling Sunday and Blanche. I of course then redesigned Gomez and Morticia into Carlisle and Mortesha.
The Addams have a very specific high aristocratic goth aesthetic (they've got a butler and nobody really works among other things) so in this re-imagining I wanted to go with vibes that run a little more middle class/upper middle class.  I thought it would be interesting to think about what would be considered weird and off-putting in an entirely different culture, and how being a big ol' goth is way less controversial than it used to be.
I tried to keep this short (HAHAHAHAHAHA) so I didn't spin off into an essay about villain coded families, black people in the horror genre, and normalcy as it pertains to social survival, but just...bits of that are in these designs and lore. Keep that in mind.
Also I made the kids twins because they've flip flopped in age so much in different media and also twins run in my family (i'm the daughter of one). And let's face it, I'm pulling a lot of their southern gothic traits from living as a southern goth so *shrug*.
10 thousand pounds of lore incoming loooooooooool.
The Parents
From the moment he saw her he knew that there was a 50/50 chance of him either never making it out of that swamp alive or marrying the figure that was creeping out from under the distant willow tree in a black cocktail dress. The third time she found him trussed up in one of her traps, he complimented her rope work and asked if she'd like to go out sometime after his head wound stopped bleeding.
Or while it was still bleeding.
If she was into that.
Some kids and a mysteriously burnt down Piggly Wiggly later, their love is still as strong and inescapable as a bear trap in a sink hole.
Carlisle Guillermo (now Addams through marriage but I wanted to give him two first names for a name since Gomez has two last names) makes a vaguely described living practicing ‘law’ around town. A loophole king, people come to him from miles around with contracts signed in blood, fights over chunks of hair buried in their rivals’ yard, dehydrated primate hands, memories that seemed like dreams until the evidence of their happenings became too real, and other regular Legal Items asking for counsel which he is all too happy to give. For a price. Sometimes that price is a homemade pie and sometimes it’s a million dollars, depends on who you are. Whatever you’re asked to pay it’s worth that price, and if you try to scam him out of work or he just plain doesn’t like you? Well. He knows how to twist a contract better than anything at the crossroads.
And he always gets his due.
He doesn’t just serve the local (living)humans though, there are many things that need proper legal representation in this day and age. You wouldn’t believe how many city councils try to build on sacred burial grounds even after he lets them know that his ghostly clients are totally gonna haunt the FUCK out of the ensuing shitty condos and curse their families for all eternity. At least 50% of his energy goes towards dealing with real estate bullshit.
Carl is an excitable and good natured(?) man who loves his family, cigars, dancing, and his many knife-based hobbies. People find him very charming once they get past the feeling that they’re talking to a sultry gator badly disguising itself as a human. I didn’t put a ton of deep thought into designing him, mostly I wanted to make a middle aged dude who looked like he would have been voted ‘most likely to smooch the literal devil’ in high school. Tbh he probably has, but no demonic ex’s can compare to his lovely wife~
Mortesha Addams(her name was already perfect so I just tweaked it)is a woman of many talents. A self proclaimed homemaker, she prides herself on a greenhouse full of Concerning Foliage, a beautiful wasp apiary, and a coop full of what are probably chickens that she keeps for what are probably eggs. She’s also an avid creator of the outsider art that can be seen around the estate. She has taken on the family business of selling her homemade goods in a little stall by the road just outside the swamp with her mom, and makes pretty good money doing so. A surprising amount of poison gets bought in quaint southern towns.
Speaking of poison, people who come out to the edge of the swamp to buy it are usually carrying a lot of secrets around, and Mortesha knows most of them. It’s not like she pries the truth out of people, it just so happens that many nervous hellos eventually turn into the tragic backstory power hour if she’s alone with a client for long enough. She supposes that’s just how people are. Despite the fact that the Addams are very active in the community (whether the community likes it or not) she especially, as a direct descendant of the first Addams matriarch, is seen as…Well not an outsider because the community feels A Certain Way about outsiders and despite it all the Addams are their people, but maybe something like an exception. They feel like whatever weirdness they’re hiding can’t be weirder than any given Addams, so they get a little loose with their words.
This is amusing to her, since Addams’ don’t naturally keep the kind dramatic secrets that their surface level prim and proper neighbors do. It’s much more fun to openly talk about those things.
Do they have a sadly decrepit yet terrifying grandma up in the attic? Yeah, like three. They got a tv, all the creepy porcelain dolls they could want, and they’re close to family. Where do you keep your gram-grams?
Any bodies buried on the property? Yeah some, but most are thrown to the gators.
Any creeping through the balmy summer night with ill intentions? Yeah dude, everyone loves a nice family stroll.
What about dangerous forbidden love? If an adult Addams isn’t incorporeal then they’re either queer or in a torrid romance with some person/thing mysteriously drawn to that awful swamp. Sometimes both at the same time. Most times actually.
Mortesha would know.
The current head of the Addams family is just as outgoing as her husband but a lot quieter and harder to read. She never really seems to get mad about much and always has a genteel smile for everyone whether they deserve it or not. A seven foot tall human shaped “Oh, bless your heart”. A perfectly composed Lady even when she’s, oh I dunno, burning down a Piggly Wiggly. You know. A regular southern mom. Chat her up at the hair salon for 50% off a jar of wasp honey with your next purchase of a mysterious but foreboding packet of herbs.
Designing her was pretty easy because I just drew a lankier Grace Jones and called it a day. I had some problems with her outfit simply because if we were going HARD southern gothic then she’d probably be wearing a white/cream dress with a fuller skirt but I thought keeping the silhouette and the black was more important. She’s supposed to be an anti southern gothic southern gothic character anyway. A woman who looks like she has a million secrets who is actually the most open person you could meet. For better or worse. The red hair came from a coloring error that I really ended up liking (my mom had red hair her whole childhood that only darkened up in high school so I can buy that an Addams can be naturally fire engine red) and the veil was to get more of that classic Morticia silhouette in there.
The Children
Sunday and Blanche are the twin children of Carlisle and Mortesha Addams. Some say the Addams clan got their cursed homestead when a wealthy local businessman made a deal with the devil and lost, leaving his grand mansion to his least favorite maid and cutting his losses once he realized that the swamp would do everything it could to drag the house into the water and take what was owed with its horrible curse. Others say that the family has just always squatted there and no one really cares because man, fuck that particular swamp. Have you been in there? Absolute horror show.
Anyway.
Blanche is the more outgoing sibling and quite the engineer/mad scientist in the making. He started going grey at 2 weeks old but considering he was also rocking some extra fingers, toes, and a tiny tail (he takes after his dad), his parents just put it on the 'not life threatening' pile and decided not to worry about it. He's the kind of smart that teachers find utterly infuriating, less a dog eagerly learning and obeying commands and more a hyena who keeps teaching itself how to pick locks. He has a few friends in his school's robotics club (which they honestly allowed him to make so the school could contain his... creations) but mostly hangs out with his sister exploring the swamp. They find all sorts of neat things in there! wedding rings, suspiciously lumpy garbage bags, cloaked cultists who can't read private property signs, it's an adventure every day!
Blanche is all about experimentation with his creations, his look, and his tether to this mortal coil. Is lipstick a cool thing to try? Let's find out. Can he get out of a strait jacket fast enough after being pushed into the depths of the swamp by his sister? let's find out. He's not dead yet and confused local doctors can attest to the fact that he's rarely attained more than a bad bruise so he's pretty set on continuing to kiss rattlesnakes on their cute little heads and have his sister practice her knife throwing at him until that fact changes.
Blanche is very much a country goth. Cowboy boots (customized by his mom), knife, and lighter are daily accessories. He likes to wear the crusty swamp jewelry they find (the rust adds a splash of color!) and despite appearances he does try to keep himself neat. He's just got  natural Grunge Colors and a tendency to wear clothes he likes until they fall apart. Pugsley always seemed the most modernly styled to me (which might just be because little boys clothes have been the same for a long time) so I wanted Blanche to be the most purposely fashionable Addams. Everyone else is goth by nature, but he's the only one truly familiar with goth as an alternative fashion.
I got really into designing Blanche because honestly, I find Pugsley to be the most boring member of the family. And he was hard to design! I had to mess with his vibe a lot to get him looking how I wanted. I know he's supposed to evoke an " 'evil' little boy next door who's parents never reign him in", but that's just goth Dennis The Menace.  I's 2020. We can at least go queer goth Calvin.
Sunday was much easier to design. Wednesday was my favorite as a child (of course) and I really wanted to keep the spirit of her look while adding things like billowy sleeves (it gets HOT down here), big poofy twists instead of braids, and a nice tie. She's a professional after all, been running the local pet cemetery since she was 6 and the previous groundskeeper met with an unfortunate accident after telling her that tarantulas don't have souls. Her specialty is creating beautiful naturalistic animal funerals similar to those that Maquenda (https://linktr.ee/artofmaquenda) makes, and she takes pride in creating miniature dioramas of her subjects after each burial which she uses as a kind of 3D catalog for future clients.
She really wants to try out her skills on humans one day. Well. Publicly try out her skills. Lotta random bodies float into the swamp. None of them have turned down her requests for diorama models so far. Most seem downright flattered. Plus, she usually figures out which graveyard/crime scene they floated over from and gets her parents to give them a lift back. She'll even help enact terrifying revenge from beyond the grave on whoever put them there if she's not, y'know, busy.
Besides arts, crafts, and pet based funerary arrangements, Sunday is an avid lover of archery (any ranged weapon really), books where little fantasy adventure animals die dramatic deaths, and history. She is That Kid who eagerly raises her hand when asked who Christopher Columbus was and ends up being sent out of class after 15 minutes for making 'a scene'. Her favorite party trick is just picking an item in the room and talking about how it relates to either some obscure historical figure with a buck wild life or a horrible disaster. At least one charity pancake breakfast ended with children in tears after her vivid description of the Great Molasses Flood of 1919.
Social-wise, while Wednesday is the girl that people ask to smile because they think she'd, "look so pretty", Sunday is rarely asked anything at all. People just kind of assume from her quiet nature (in between horrible history facts) that she's angry all the time and that she hates everyone. This is untrue. She hates some people but she's ambivalent to most everyone else and even downright friendly if you bother to talk to her like a person instead of a terrifying cryptid. Like, she IS a terrifying cryptid but she's also a little girl.  
That’s about it for now. One day I might do the other family members but for now I’m happy with the four I’ve redesigned. Making an au! Lurch in a family that doesn’t do butlers could be interesting. Over on patreon I put forth that he could just be Motesha’s mute little brother (similar bone structure) but Amy Crook had the nice idea of quote: “ a mysterious "cousin" that "helps around the house" whose origins are both long in the past and faintly unsettling. He's good for lifting heavy things, like that tank of propane you're about to throw into the burning Piggly Wiggly... “ which i now consider canon. Who's kid is he? How old is he? Not important. Anyone willing to commit arson with you is family.
Annnnyway.  This challenge was a lot of fun! I love indulging in AU’s.
15K notes · View notes
wonlouvre · 4 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
pairing: doctor!wonwoo x lawyer!female oc genre: modern royalty, arranged marriage, fluff and future angst word count: 3.2k WARNINGS: child trafficking, child labor
a/n: just a disclaimer, i am not that well-versed when it comes to investigations and trial procedures at the court. please do correct me i make a mistake. i hope you enjoy this new part! i think we have about three or four chapters left. ANGST is on the next part :’(
seven: if you can’t believe | masterlist
“On April xx, 20xx, at approximately 10:30 in the morning, two unidentified males entered and held hostage the Emergency Room of the Royal Hospital. The nurse in charge of the information desk said that the two males approached the desk and asked if there were two boys (their identities are yet to be confirmed) admitted to the hospital. They claimed that they’re their guardians and wish to have them discharged and transferred to a different hospital. Based on their description, the nurse confirmed that there were two boys who came to the hospital earlier in the morning. However, the nurse informed them that they are not cleared to be discharged yet as per doctor’s orders and if they wish to discuss with the doctor-in-charge, they can. They only need to present IDs or any documentation to prove that they are indeed the guardian.
They did present IDs however, it was not valid and accepted by the hospital. The two males started demanding to see the two boys and insisted that they will recognize who they were. At that point, the nurse said the two males’ were beginning to raise their voices. The nurse asked them to calm down and wait patiently for the doctor-in-charge to arrive. That’s when the two males pulled out handguns and threateningly pointed it at the nurse.
The Royal Hospital’s security was alerted and immediately called the Royal Police. The hospital’s security was able to distract the two suspects until one of the police officers fired a shot. Fortunately, no hospital staff and patients were harmed. It is yet to be identified how the armed suspects were able to enter the hospital undetected. 
The Royal Police cannot release the names of the suspects and any other details as the investigation is still ongoing. However, we are looking at the direction that this could possibly be a  case of child trafficking and the two suspects are perpetrators. 
Please be rest assured that we are committed to solve this case and hold everyone involved accountable. We ask the general public to only believe verified information and wait for the official statements that the Royal Police will release accordingly.
Thank you for your understanding.”
You’re both crestfallen and angry. This paper would probably rip apart from the way your hand is deathly gripping it. It’s never easy to read and hear about crimes committed against innocent people. It’s never easy because they don’t deserve to go through the torment, harm and trauma. You wish you could avoid it, but it would be wrong and unfair to the victims. So no matter how heartbreaking or uncomfortable it is, you read and you listen because you have to be aware of it. You have to know and not turn a blind eye because they deserve to be heard and fought for. 
This black and white statement of the Royal Police is nothing but horrible. How did the kingdom let this pass? For a kingdom that’s so proud of its enforcement of strict laws, how did this crime happen right under its nose? 
It weighs on your heart and ever since you’ve taken hold of this piece of paper, you don’t know how to continue on with the day anymore. You lean your head against the backrest and stare up the ceiling. You breathe in and breathe out, getting yourself together to think, to function.  
Something is telling you that there is more to this hostage taking at the hospital and this case of child trafficking. And you desperately need to know. You’re already aware that the authorized and concerned people are doing their job already, but why is it drawing your attention? 
You release an exasperated sigh and massage your right brow. It’s been twitching due to the boiling anger inside you and you just want it to stop. The only way for that to happen is to find answers. Picking up your phone among the pile of papers, you dial the number of the person you’re sure that can give you any information, big or small. 
First ring. Second ring. Thi---, “Your Highness.”
You’re quick to your feet the moment he answered. “Hey Seungkwan. How have you been?”
Boo Seungkwan is the man to call. A persistent and assertive prosecutor and person in general. Definitely one of the brightest classmates and lawyers you have ever met. It’s no surprise that he’s hired by the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office as a prosecutor. He knows what he’s doing and more than doing, he knows how to fight to the end.
He actually wanted you to join together and you considered the offer. However, due to your position in the kingdom, you realized that practicing in private is more suitable for you.
“Well,” he says and pauses, “I have been better. How about you, Your Highness?”
“You know that you can call me Y/N, right?” You remind him, offering a smile even though he won’t be able to see it. “We went to law school and passed the exams together.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbles, not a big fan of throwbacks. “To what do I owe this phone call anyway?”
“About the recent statement of the Royal Police, is there anything you’d be willing to share with me?” You requested and faced the window that’s overlooking the city. 
You hear him chuckle on the other line. “I knew you’d ask. You do know that I’m risking my job as a prosecutor because I can’t say no to you right?”
“Is it something… big?” You ask nervously, biting the insides of your cheek.
A beat of silence passes and you can tell it is without having him say it. You think your heart is going to explode anytime soon.
“Big or not, it’s a case and a crime,” he retorts. “But this is something that Their Majesties need to brace themselves for,” he continues, warning laced on his voice. “It can shake the cabinet as well because we can tell that one, and if not, some of them are involved.”
There it is. The cold hard truth. There was nothing else to say. It’s more than obvious that the kingdom’s cabinet has been compromised and it will blow right at your family’s faces. You don’t even need to doubt it. But still, your blood runs cold at the thought. 
“Thank you Seungkwan,” you say and breathe out a defeated sigh. “Let’s meet for coffee some other time.”
You hear him say “anytime” and then end the call. 
You toss your phone back on the table and cross your arms as if you’re trying to hug yourself. Your eyes are out of focus and your mind has questions that need answers. This case is not even about protecting your family’s reputation anymore. It’s about your family protecting its people, its children, from this. 
You’ll probably never forgive yourself if you and the rest of your family have failed to do its promise and duty. 
“Your Highness?” Jeongyeon knocks on the wooden door and calls for you, pulling you back to the ground. “Are you ready to go?”
You frown and tilt your head to the side, confused. You don’t remember having errands outside the office today. 
Jeongyeon notices your confusion and says, “Your monthly checkup is today.”
Oh. 
“I’m sorry. It must have slipped my mind,” you say and quickly gather your things so that you can leave now. “Thank you, Jeongyeon.”
She nods, understanding what you meant. She keeps the door open and waits for you to pass through. 
What the hell am I going to do? You ask yourself. A million thoughts has started running inside your mind from reading the statement up to finding out that this case could potentially be a crime syndicate. A crime syndicate that the Royal Family failed to prevent. Every day, there are crimes that get tried and solved in this kingdom. But for this particular crime, it doesn’t happen every day and it shouldn’t be in the first place. But, your kingdom must have grown complacent because here it is, a ticking time bomb that will explode anytime soon.
How did this happen and who allowed this to happen?
Tumblr media
“Your stress levels are quite high compared to your previous check-up, Your Highness.” The doctor gives you a knowing smile after reading the results of your tests today. 
“It’s because of work,” you make an excuse and return his smile with a sheepish one while scratching the back of your neck. “I think.”
The doctor tried to muffle his laughter, but you can hear him snicker nonetheless. He just nods and mutters an, “alright,” and proceeds to write down the results and updates of this consultation. 
“Although there is nothing to be concerned about, I still advise you to take things slow,” he once again points out the reminder that he gave from the first time you got admitted. “Remember, I’ll never get tired of saying it.”
You nod and purse your lips in a smile. “I promise I’ll try.”
He raises his eyebrows at your answer, but lets it go in the end. 
“I think we are good,” he says and leans his elbows on the table, hands clasped together. “Let’s go back to your yearly check-up, like the usual.”
“Thank you for your time.” You stand up and reach your hand out to shake his. “I’ll see you next year, then.”
The doctor replies with his smile still intact, “I will be here.”
You think about taking the rest of the afternoon off and just go back to your apartment. You suddenly don’t feel so good and present, for lack of a better word. You just want to think alone, away from any distractions. 
On your way out to the door, you pull your phone out from your bag to call Jeongyeon. This floor of the hospital is private and reserved only for your family. It’s something you’re not proud of and you should probably talk to Their Majesties about it. You sigh and hold your phone to your ear as you proceed to the elevator. You're only a few steps away when a familiar voice makes you stop.
“Hey.”
You jump in surprise, almost dropping your phone and bag. You turn around and you’re not so surprised anymore to see a grinning Wonwoo with hands inside the pockets of his white coat. With a roll of your eyes, you finally relaxed your tensed shoulders and walked towards him.
He meets you halfway and holds his hand out. You happily take it, making it easy for him to tug you close to his chest, bringing you in for a hug. You wrapped your arms around his neck while his around your waist. Just like that, his breath against your skin made all your worries vanish.
“What are you doing here?” You ask, distancing from him but not letting go. 
“I knew that you’d be here,” he answers, keeping his hold on your arms. “Had to see you.”
You scoff and give his shoulder a light shove. “Shut up. We were inseparable until our last day at your hometown and yet you still want to see me. Aren’t you sick and tired of my face yet?”
He pinches your cheek and kisses the tip of your nose. “Of course not.”
“Well, I’m leaving,” you announce and let go of him, reluctantly (as always). “You should probably get back to work.”
Wonwoo doesn’t let you move any further and drags his hand from your arm to your hand, swaying it from side to side as he whines out, “But, I’m on my break. Can’t you stay a little longer?”
Tumblr media
You don’t really give in easily and it takes a lot of persuasion before you actually do. Jeongyeon can’t even convince you to stop going home late. But with just one request and pleading eyes, Wonwoo has you standing inside his office. 
It’s spacious, but a tad bit messy. There is lots of paper. In fact mountains of them, which you are very familiar with already. A wall of books is on one side of the room while three respective desks are on the other side. There’s a window, which is good, you can see some natural lighting. And of course, a small pantry for coffee and snacks. 
Wonwoo offered his chair for you to sit on as he prepared you something to drink. You still look around and try to keep yourself occupied. Your eyes trail on his desk eventually and you can’t help but smile. If every corner of this room is in disarray, Wonwoo’s desk seems to be the only area that is not. There’s nothing much on it except for a jar of pens, pencils and highlighters, a notepad and some bookmarked books. 
“You’ve met Soonyoung, right?” He asks, coming back with  two warm cups. Coffee for him and tea for you. “I share this office with him and another doctor.”
You nod and take a quick sip. You noticed that it’s almost lunch time on the clock above the door and wondered, “Is this all you’re going to have for lunch?”
“I had some cheeseburger earlier this morning, so I’m good,” he answers and leans against the edge of the desk. “How about you? Are you hungry?”
You smile and shake your head no. 
Then, it got quiet. 
It’s not an uncomfortable silence, but you think Wonwoo can sense something else by the way his eyebrows raise as if he’s waiting for you to say something more. He sips on his coffee one more time before placing the cup down on the table. Afterwards, he takes matters into his own hands and swivels the chair you're sitting on by the armrest towards him, catching you off guard.
His actions almost made you drop your drink and you thought for a moment if you should punch him again. “What are you doing?”
Wonwoo just gives you a mischievous smirk before leaning down to kiss your lips. Your eyes dilate in surprise while the rest of your body freezes. You’re just thankful you’re already sat on the chair, otherwise your legs would give up and you’d fall. When you don’t resist, his kiss deepens, demanding. But it didn’t go any further than a few more pecks here and there. You let him be until he decides to pull away, but not without giving one last long smooch. 
“What was that for?” You ask, suddenly shy. 
Wonwoo just nonchalantly shrugs. “Just wanted to kiss you.”
“You startled me!” You hiss and slap his arm.
Wonwoo has started to take pleasure in seeing you all flustered and shy. He finds it cute and he’ll take every chance he gets just to see it. But he knows there’s something bothering you and he’s hoping you give him the chance to hear you out.
“Talk to me,” he says while crouching, almost sitting down on the floor to meet your height. “What’s on that brilliant head of yours?”
You roll your eyes at his choice of words but give in nonetheless, “It’s the hostage that took place previously. There’s a new update about it.”
Wonwoo exhales and moves to massage your thighs. “I read about it briefly earlier.”
You nod and let the silence engulf the two of you once again. 
“Listen, the kids they we’re talk---”
“Wonwoo!”
You jump when the door of the office suddenly bolts open with two unfamiliar boys dressed in hospital gowns running inside. They’re quickly followed by a panting Soonyoung who gives the two of you an apologetic smile. Wonwoo immediately stands up as they excitedly dash towards him while chanting his name. 
“We heard you were on a break, can we play now? Please?” The little one, which you assumed was the youngest, pleads and hops in the hopes of Wonwoo carrying him. The other one, who’s much taller, does the same but he’s only clinging to his arms.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted something, Your Highness,” Soonyoung says (you’re sure he’s teasing) and gives you a salute. “These boys never get tired and I have no idea how.”
You stand up from the chair too and try to get a good look on the boy’s faces, but you couldn’t because their attention is only on Wonwoo. 
“We’ll play, alright?” Wonwoo tries to calm them down.”But I want you to meet someone special first.”
Your heart skips a beat meanwhile Soonyoung’s jaw drops in a silent squeal. 
“They were the kids from the statement,” Wonwoo warrily says while making the boys face you. 
Statement?
Your heart skipped one moment and the next it dropped to your stomach. You didn’t expect it to be them. You really hoped it wasn’t them. You don’t even know how sure you are that it’s them. But when you finally meet their eyes, these boys don’t seem to be so unfamiliar anymore.
It’s them.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Wonwoo asks, suddenly concerned by the sudden downcast of your face. 
“Wonwoo...” you weakly whisper. 
They’re one of the children adopted from the orphanage.
Tumblr media
“Can you ask the orphanage if they can give us a copy of photographs displayed at their gallery?” 
A phone call has never felt so dreadful. You can’t help but bite your nails as you listen to Jeongyeon adhere to your request. A lump has already formed on your throat and you don’t even know how you’re going to swallow it. 
You slide your phone back to your pocket when Jeongyeon said she’d get back to you shortly. You turn around from where you were standing and see Wonwoo and Soonyoung playing with the two boys. It’s bittersweet. For one, you’re glad they are free and happy and on the other hand, it doesn’t sit right why they have to go through terrible and unimaginable things just so that they can be.
And it doesn’t help that it all happened here. 
Wonwoo told you how they got to know them and how he had asked the hospital to keep them here in the meantime, in coordination with Social Services of course. He didn’t need the hostage taking or the police’s statement to know what’s going on because his guts already told him the moment he saw the state of the boys. But then again, what happened only confirmed what he feared the most. 
Wonwoo deviates his attention to you and notices your lost gaze. By the looks of it, he’s aware that this is bothering you. He gives Sam’s hair a ruffle before standing up and walking to where you are.
“Are you okay?” He asks, reaching his hand out to softly squeeze your arm.
“Yeah,” you affirm, but the palm against your forehead doesn’t seem to agree. “I just… I can’t believe this.”
“It’s okay,” he tries to soothe your distress with his hand cradling your face. “I mean, it’s not. But, it’s not your fault.”
Why does it feel like it is? 
You couldn’t ask him that out loud so you just give him a nod instead. Wonwoo knows you’re hesitant to believe him and he doesn’t like it. He takes your hands and squeezes them. 
“Look at me,” he commands and when you don't, he lifts your chin up himself. “I’m confident this will be solved in no time. Have faith in your people and yourself, hmm? ”
“Okay,” you answer and that makes Wonwoo smile. 
Okay. You’re going to stop wallowing in your own uncertainty. You draw your eyes back at the boys and at this moment, you promised that punishment will be inflicted to everyone responsible for their suffering. 
No matter what it takes.
268 notes · View notes
drshojo · 5 years ago
Text
The World, My Childhood And My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Hello friends!  
Its Dr. Shojo coming at you with a post that will be divided into three parts!
Part One: The world as we know it! 
The world has changed a lot since we last connected. For starters, TOILET BOUND HANAKO KUN HAS NOT ONLY A PHYSICAL RELEASE BUT A GORGEOUS ANIME! And not only that, but MY NEXT LIFE AS A VILLAINESS: ALL ROUTES LEAD TO DOOM! IS GETTING AN ANIME AS WELL! The last time I wrote about Katerina there wasn’t even an official English translation of that long-ass light-novel-title. And now?
A WHOLE ANIME. A BISEXUAL HAREM AWAITS! I am JAZZED!
Do you think it’s my fault? No matter, I’ll take all the credit. All the manga I talk about are getting anime adaptations. I’LL DO MY DUTY AND TALK ABOUT SOME MORE!
But first. Let us address the Covid-19 shaped elephant in the room
I deeply regret that it took a whole-ass pandemic to get me back to writing. In my defense, I bought an iPad and started drawing like 900 kokichi oumas. I was really busy with that. And then I started reading fanfiction. Then that got me thinking about how fanfiction such an interesting look into how people interpret fandom, use it for wish fulfillment and escapism, and good god is everyone OK cause that bulimia fan fic was super detailed....and I am officially on a tangent. Off track. Ahem.
We are all staying inside a whole lot more which means y’all probably need some reading material and Dr. Shojo has your back! Go read “Horimiya”! It’s amazing! Ahhhh, my work here is done! I'm serious, if you’re here for a Shojo rec, that’s it! There's also like 8 million more Otome Isekais to check out now. It’s like they’re multiplying like rabbits..............
As a Doctor, I must advise you to stay inside and read some manga and practice social distancing. Embrace your inner hikikomori. 
Allright? All good? Okay now one final disclaimer:
This post is going to be talking about something a little different than usual and I want to start by giving you some context about who Dr. Shojo is in real life. 
Part Two: Dr. Shojo Exposed 
You see, when I was little I was obsessed with Japanese media. This doesn't surprise you at all I can tell. Probably because I walk around calling myself Dr. Shojo and shout about manga that you should read.
Anyways, the reason why I was obsessed wasn’t because of the big eyes or the spikey hair or the interesting new culture. It was because it tended to have more character development and overarching plotlines than the media I was used to in Canada. Dexter’s Lab, Magic School Bus, pretty much everything I saw on TV was episodic in nature, so imagine how much my mind was blown when I saw Naruto and Card Captor Sakura, heck, even Pokémon had the Indigo Plateau! Here were kids that were learning more and more each day and got to see enemies become friends and vice versa. They lived and grew older just like me. Except they were cooler than me. And had more interesting lives than me. I gotta tell you, I was so sad when I was 12 and Kero didn’t tell me I had latent magical powers. But there was magic in my life and it was the magic of a complex narrative story. And not only that, it had a sense of movement and had cool costumes. I was hooked immediately.
Also, fun fact, at that age I happened to be a complete and utter tomboy! I loved pretending to fight my friends in the playground and was really worried that puberty would ruin my life because being a girl sounded so CUMBERSOME.
Which leads me up to my confession. Before I became Dr. Shojo, I was in fact......Dr. Shonen.
Bleach? Naruto? One Piece? I've read every single chapter there is.  
Hundreds of hours of watching fight sequences. Another fun fact, I only got into shojo because my aunt bought me volume 7 and 8 of Fruits Basket thinking “all mangas like the same right? Kids love comics?” It’s a tribute to how episodic western media was back then that she thought buying volume SEVEN and EIGHT was a REASONABLE PLACE TO START READING.
Now you might also say, Hey! Dr Shojo! Cardcaptors was a shojo! And you are right! but back then the anime was marketed to boys over here in the west and they actualy like, edited out episodes that they thought wouldn't interest boys?! Second fun fact, Once when I was in Grade 3 I was told I was not allowed to join a club under the stairs cause I was a girl and it was BOYS ONLY. The point of the club? To talk about how great Cardcaptors was! I Kid you not!
So anyways, your pall Dr. Shojo loves Shonen manga to this day!
The only reason I made this Dr. Shojo blog specifically about shojo is because, being a tomboy with no female friends, reading shojo manga was the first time I really thought about what it meant to be a girl and fall in love. And y i k e s. Shojo manga, like most media, fails miserably most of the time in displaying real world relationships. Or at least, it  doesn't prepare you for how disappointing everything can be. When I had my first kiss, I was thinking about how it didn’t feel at all like how I felt reading Zen and Shirayukis kiss in Akagame No Shirayuki Hime. Those were formative years, and shojo was one of the only places I saw romance being talked about for younger audiences. I liked reading romances where no one had any sexual experiences and were figuring out what love meant to them. But let’s shelve this topic for now.
The point is that gender roles are dumb and if you have an open mind there's a world of stories out there for you. Take this time inside to read something you wouldn’t normally. Critically think about the ways that the worlds you see in stories and how you experience the world differ. What are the messages a story is trying to tell you? And why do you like the stories you do? Reflect on how the stories you tell yourself color your view of the world. Even mindless entertainment leaves an impression on us. Anyways.
Whilst you're doing that, I'm going to absolutely lose my hecking mind over the Shonen Jump series MY HERO ACADEMIA: Vigilantes!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Part Three: I downloaded the one month free trial of the Shonen Jump app and made you read all that, so I can tell you that today Dr. Shojo is going to rant about a spin-off of a shonen manga
THAT’S RIGHT, OF COURSE I READ HERO ACA AND YES I DID PICK UP THE SPIN OFF SERIES. SHONEN JUMP LETS YOU READ ALL THE NEW CHAPTERS FOR FREE ON THEIR APP. KIDS, IF YOU LIKE SHONEN AND YOU’RE PIRATING ON A SCANLATION SITE STILL GET OUT BECAUSE YOU DON’T NEED TO SEE THOSE WEIRD PLASTIC SURGERY AND DENTISTRY ADDS ANY MORE.
SHONEN IS HERE AND ITS LEGAL AND ITS FREE FOR YOU. GET OFF MANGA FOX OR MANGA ROCK OR WHATEVER THE KIDS ARE USING THESE DAYS.
OK, so by this point in the article you have learned two very important things about me: 1) I love Shonen manga and 2) I read a lot of fanfiction.
Specifically, I read an absolutely biblical amount of My Hero Academia fan fiction and let me tell you, A solid chunk of it is vigilante/ Deadpool / criminal with a heart of gold themed.
So when I saw Hero Aca had a spin off, and it was about vigilantes, I was NOT SURPRISED IN THE SLIGHTEST. Ao3 sure is powerful.
Now, if you will permit me a tangent in a post full of tangents—HOLY CRAP, THERE ARE TOO MANY VIGILANTE AUS. I CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF EM. IT’S THE ISEKAI PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN. I GET AN EMAIL A FIC HAS UPDATED AND I’M LIKE IS THIS THE FIC WHERE DEKU HAS AN ABUSIVE MOM OR THE ONE WHERE HE HAS SPLIT PERSONALITY DISORDER OR THE ONE WHERE HE’S VIGILANTES WITH HITOSHI. OH WAIT, nvm, it’s the one where deku has a healing quirk.
OH WAIT WHICH OF THE 6 DEKU WITH HEALING QUIRK VIGILATE AU FICS IS THIS ONE?! ARGH WHY DIDN’T I WRITE A DESCRIPTION IN THE BOOKMARK FOR THIS!
My gripes aside, there's a reason why there's such an abundance of vigilante story telling—
Deadpool made like an absolute buttload of money and people love sass and memes.
People have a desire for a story in which they see themselves. Or, how they think of themselves.They like a story about someone who maybe came from nothing. Someone who has less money, maybe someone who is unlucky and had some bad breaks. Someone who never learned they had magic, never got their Hogwarts letter, never saw Kero, someone who never got that God-level quirk from All Might. And if your on Ao3 They want someone who also has seen a lot of memes and kind of wants taco bell and is also questioning their sexuality a bit?
Enter our new hero VIGILANTE DEKU.  
But the cannon can't do this, cause hey, Deku is the chosen one. Albeit, chosen by All Might, He’s got his own thing to do. But how can we still cash in on a vigilante story?
And thus enter our New-New hero KOICHI HAIMAWARI—code name Nice Guy and then later The Crawler. True to his relatable roots. He’s just a dude in an hoodie who can go about as fast as a bike.
Tumblr media
First off, I love Koichi. He wants to be a hero and fight crime, but most of the time he has to run away because at the end of the day he's just a dude.
He’s cute but not wildly good-looking, A bit of a nerd but not like an extreme okaku. He’s got a part time job and hates violence.
And this is where Koichi really shines—in every day stuff. He helps out wherever he can. Often, that just means listening to people complain and maybe helping his friends out with whatever they’re going through. He’s the kind of guy who smiles, not because he's especially brave, but because he just takes things one at a time and doesn't sweat the past. I think it’s really telling that he missed getting into hero high-school because he skipped the entrance exam to help someone. He’s the kind of person who lets us experience the superpower of human decency and empathy. And you know what? That’s something the world need desperately.  
This theme of human decency is really the driving force of Vigilantes—it’s a manga about how the laws are there for a reason but sometimes they unfairly impact the poor and vulnerable. It's about how a lot of criminals are just people who fell into bad social circles or on bad times. People have the capacity for cruelty and violence but that’s never all they are.  
Now, speaking of crime, the entirety of Hero Aca falls into some murky water when it comes to its evil doers. Much of the fandom has a huuuuuge problem with how much the franchise is willing to sweep under the rug in the name of redeeming their baddies. RE: people getting mad about forgiving Endeavor’s child abuse, or Bakugo’s suicide baiting. Or Mineta’s blatant sexual harassment.
But this theme is in Vigilantes even more than it ever was in the main series. To start off with, there’s this guy who tries to rape Pop Step early on, and the later he later winds up befriending everybody. It becomes a running gag that each new villain winds up befriending the other villain guys and then they all open a cat café together.
Using jobs as a way to lift people out of lives of crime is great and all but in the story there is no nuance or consequences for past wrong and well.....it feels very weird.  It's like Vigilantes plays at having an opinion about moral ambiguity and the complexity of human existence and then just.......lets everyone get along because who has time to get into all that. Make of that what you will but it sits weird for me personally.
Anyway, let's move on and talk about POP STEP our main girl!
Tumblr media
I love pop stars and I love vigilantes and a guerrilla performer is defiantly a character I could get behind. And I think they do a good job with Pop. She is actually kind of shy, but has this secret edgy persona she puts on when she performs. She is every girl on tumbler in the early 2000s. I also looooove that they make her not that great a singer. SHE’S GOT PASSION AND CHARISMA and maybe not born talent but like why should that stop you! Talent can be earned through practice and this is a great lesson to show people.
Unfortunately, Pop is also a great example of everything wrong with romance in Shonen.
It’s established early on that Pop loves Koichi because she is the girl he rescued all those years ago and yada yada yikes we’ve heard this one before. Many times before.
Sure, it's fine that they’ve met before, but gosh am I sick of damsels in distress. It's like she can't love him just because she respects what a great guy he is in her life and in the community at large, no no, she just needs to be rescued on top of that. And LOLOLOL isn't it funny he never noticed she was a girl because she was a child with short hair?! Once he realizes she has boobs now they will for sure fall in love! That’s how love works!
She's just with him all the time—nothing romantic ever happens she just gets a little tsundere.
I am never ever going to believe Koichi likes Pop because he spends like sooooo much time with her and they never have like, a moment. The first time he considers her is when Makoto is like, ‘hey I would love to get together with you, but have you thought about if you are crushing on Pop’. (Also this entire plot point is suspect—she's arbitrarily falling for Koichi cause he.......is the protagonist?)  
Say what you will about shojo, they give you the emotional conversations, the moments where you think.....ahhh I can see why she is falling for him. They give you context! Shonen likes to just say HERE’S A GIRL YOUR AGE. YOU CAN DATE LATER WHEN THE ADVENTURE IS DONE.
Just when they might get together, Pop suddenly turns evilllllll. The evilllll beeeees made her eeeevilllll (and more sexy).
*Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
Because why on earth would they get together if Koichi didn’t get to rescue Pop one more time?
I’m tired. These troupes are tired. I’m sure you are too. HOWEVER! If your still with me, Let’s move into why I'm really writing this post. Let’s get to the part that got me screaming to my friends, who by the way, don’t even care bout Hero Aca….but listened anyways. May you all find nakama like these my friends.
Anyways,
HOLY FUCK ERASERHEAD’S ENTIRE BACK STORY IS IN THIS AROUND CHAPTER 60 AND IT IS WONDERFUL AND ABSOLUTLY HEARTBREAKING AND IS ONE OF THE BEST CHARACTER BACKSTORIES I HAVE EVER SEEN AND IS THE REASON WHY THIS SERIES IS A MUST-READ FOR MAIN SERIES FANS.
AND BY ALMIGHT.  
WHY. IS. IT HERE.  
I present to you my late night text messages to my friends
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
ALSO, AIZAWAS TEACHER IS PRINCE?!?!?!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
AHEM, so as you can see, I kinda lost my shit.
And now, I would like to formally defend my claim that DESPITE HOW AMAZING IT WAS, ERASERHEAD’S BACKSTORY HAD NO BUISSNESS BEING IN THE VIGILANTES SPIN-OFF MANGA.
Eraserhead, aka Aizawa Shouta, is a side character who is working with the police on some crime stuff. He is not a main cast member in this spin off. He’s a guest character that fans of the main series will be like OH COOL. GRUMPY CAT MAN LIKES CATS ON HIS OFF HOURS TOO. LOVE THAT FOR HIM.
So, my imagine my absolute surprise when Aizawa runs into Koichi and the following happens:
It starts to rain, so, like in any good manga, this means some great FORCED BONDING TIME
Except no. It doesn't because rather than start talking, Aizawa JUST STARTS REMEMBERING—ABSOLUTLY SILENTLY TO HIS OWN PRIVETE SELF—HIS ENTIRE TRAGIC BACKSTORY.
AND THIS GOES ON FOR CHAPTERS.
THIS GOES ON LONGER THEN ARC ONE IT FEELS LIKE.
I LOVE IT, BUT KOICHI IS ABOUT TO JOIN ATSUSHI NAKAJIMA IN THE DUBIOUS CATEGORY OF “PROTAGONISTS THE SERIES FORGOT ABOUT IN LIEU OF COOLER SIDE CHARACTERS”.
AND LO IT HAS NO BEARING ON THE REST OF THE PLOT, CHARACTERS, OR STORY
What the ever-loving-just WHY?
WHY?
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
SURE, IT’S A COOL TIE-IN.
YES, OF COURSE I LOVED IT. I SHIP ERASER MIC, I DREW THIS FOR HECK’S SAKE:
Tumblr media
AND YET I AM ANGRY.
I AM ANGRY BECAUSE MY FRIDAY WAS RUINED BECAUSE VIGILATES SUCKER PUNCHED ME WITH AN AMAZING STORY THAT REALLY WASN’T PLOT RELEVANT AND PROBABLY SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THERE.  
IS THIS WHY THEY TOOK LIKE NEXT-TO-NO CARE WITH POPS ARC?!?
I mean its ongoing, so it’s too early to say but—
In conclusion—
Excuse me one more,
AIZAWA WAS TAUGHT BY PRINCE!?!??!?!?!?!? PURPLE RAIN PRINCE!?!??!?!?!? WHAT!??!?!?!
It’s so ABSURD that I HAD TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I HAD TO WRITE PARAGRAPHS TO JUSTIFY YELLING ABOUT THIS ONE THING. WHAT THE ABSOLUTE—
Ahem,
Anyways, I hope you liked this weird rant/personal-story/random-diatribe in three parts.
If you’re reading this, thank you, stay safe, and I’ll be back with more shojo manga next time.  
Ciao!
Dr. Shojo
(aka Dr. Shonen)
76 notes · View notes
femnet · 6 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
On June 27, 2018, United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he was going to retire from the Supreme Court. For those who do not know how the Supreme Court works, the justices are elected to a life long term provided they exhibit “good behavior.” Their terms end by retirement or death. Only one justice has ever been impeached by Congress.
The top pick to fill Justice Kennedy’s seat is Brett Kavanaugh, a member of the Republican party who once served in George W. Bush’s White House. His ruling history shows a bias towards government over individuals claiming rights violations. Consequently, women and Democrats across the country started talking about one of the most polarizing Supreme Court cases of all time: Roe v. Wade. Issued in 1973, the decision in Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in the entirety of the United States. There were still regulations that weren’t resolved or ruled upon until 1992 (Planned Parenthood v. Casey), but abortion was no longer illegal.
The renewed debate brings a new interest in Roe v. Wade, including a new group of people who either have never heard of the case, or don’t know the history behind it. We’re stuck listening to the same ignorant rhetoric for another news cycle.
So, let’s talk about abortion.
Abortion hadn’t always been illegal. For a period of time, it was advertised in magazines and on the radio. Up until the 19th century, abortion was a common occurrence in the newly created United States. Abortion was permissible until a woman felt a fetus move, or “quicken.”  In Leslie Reagan’s book When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and Law in the Unites States 1867-1973, she notes, “the popular ethic regarding abortion and common law were grounded in the female experience of their own bodies.” No one believed that life began at conception, not even the Catholic church.
In fact, it wasn’t the Church that lead the push to ban abortions. It was doctors, seeking to drive out traditional healers (“quacks”). Many home medical guides had recipes for “bringing on the menses” with herbs found in a common garden, or even the woods. Commercial preparations became so common by the mid eighteenth century, the phrase “taking the trade” became a popular euphemism. However, many of these drugs were unregulated and fatal.
The first statues regulating abortion were passed in the 1820’s and 1830’s. These laws were essentially poison-control laws. The sale of commercial abortifacients was banned, but abortions were not. This, like so many other anti-abortion laws to follow, did not deter women from getting abortions. The commercialization of abortion continued, and by the 1840’s, business was booming. Perhaps one of the most famous abortionists, Madame Restell, openly provided abortion services in offices in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. She had traveling salespeople who touted her “Female Monthly Pills.”
The American Medical Association lead the fight against abortions, attempting to push midwives and homeopaths out as regularly called upon physicians. Moreover, anti-abortion sentiment was also connected to nativism, anti-Catholicism, and anti-feminism. Citing the number of non-Catholic, non-white immigrants, physician and anti-abortion leader Horatio R. Storer is quoted as asking if the West would “be filled by our own children of by those of aliens?” The birth rate among white native-born Protestants had declined, as the typical abortion patient of the time was a middle or upper-class white married woman.
Licensed physicians, including prominent members of the AMA, kept providing abortions. Their issues lay with the homeopathic remedies, not with the practice itself. And despite their own organization calling for it’s end, it remained legal. It’s estimated that some two million abortions were performed in the late nineteenth century, making the per capita rate of abortions seven to eight times higher than today. This was in the era before hospitals, where doctors practiced out of their own offices and on their own terms. Many women sought out doctors who would listen to their needs and work with them. Thus, providing abortions (while sometimes motivated by compassion) was self-serving, as women would continue to see that physician for all other medical issues.
In 1880, laws were passed in every state banning abortions in all but “therapeutic reasons,” which left medical practitioners and the legal system to determine who did or did not have one. As you’d expect, wealthier women with access to doctors had abortions, and poor women bled. Rachel Benson Gold of the Guttmacher Institute says that the stark indication of illegal abortions was the death toll. “In 1930, abortion was listed as the official cause of death in almost 2,700 women – nearly one-fifth of maternal deaths recorded that year.” She notes that, “in New York City in the early 1960s, 1 in 4 childbirth related deaths among white women were due to abortion; in comparison, abortion accounted for 1 in 2 childbirth-related deaths among nonwhite and Puerto Rican women.”
Women of wealth started to leave the country for abortions as other countries legalized the practice. The California based Society for Humane Abortion helped women go as far as Japan to have abortions. In Chicago, a society called “Jane” was founded in the late 1960s, which had a hotline where women could ask for “Jane” to be referred to an illegal abortion. Eventually, members learned how to and performed abortions themselves. These women performed an estimated 11, 000 abortions by 1973.
And then we come to Roe v. Wade.
The facts of the case are this: Roe, a Texas resident, sought to terminate her pregnancy by abortion. Texas law prohibited abortions except to save the pregnant woman’s life. After granting certiorari (an order by which a higher court reviews a decision of a lower court) the Supreme Court heard arguments twice. The main question the Court had to decide on was, “does the Constitution embrace a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy by abortion?”
By a 7-2 vote in favor, from an all-male Court, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a woman’s right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy (recognized in Griswold v. Connecticut) protected by the Fourteenth Amendment (ratified in 1868, defines national citizenship and forbids the states to restrict the basic rights of citizens or other persons). The decision gave women total autonomy over the pregnancy during the first trimester and defined different levels of state interest for the second and third trimesters. As a result of the ruling, abortion laws were affected in 46 states.
So where does that leave us today?
Well, if you’ve been listening to the talks surrounding abortion lately, you’ve heard of something called a “trigger law.” A “trigger law” is a nickname for a law that is unenforceable but may become enforceable if a key change in circumstances occurs. Essentially, if Roe v. Wade is overturned by a “Pro-Life” leaning court, these laws banning abortion become the law. At least 4 states have trigger laws in place, while many others (of those 46 where abortion laws had to change) have existing laws that could be voted back into effect.
Anti-abortion sentiment isn’t just institutional, as you’d expect. While there’s plenty of government officials (and back during the first anti-abortion push, doctors) who are staunchly “Pro-Life”, there’s a very vocal and incensed contingent of voters who are anti-abortion. (While they call themselves “Pro-Life”, for the duration of this piece, they’ll be referred to as simply “anti-abortionists”, as there’s simply no evidence to the matter that they care about any lives aside from fetuses.) This group of people has often turned violent and there’s an entire history of domestic terrorism against abortion doctors.
The most notable anti-abortion group is an elusive one called the “Army of God”. They are an underground domestic terrorism group that’s incredibly hard for the FBI and other government agencies to track. In fact, in their manual, it says that the purpose is that the “soldiers” do not communicate with one another. It’s believed the group was created in the early 80’s (after Roe v. Wade), after a “privately printed, closely guarded” how-to manual began circulating within anti-abortion circles. The AOG advocates violence towards abortion providers and clinics. AOG followers have kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered doctors, sent letters containing fake anthrax to clinics, bombed clinics, and sent death threats to not only clinics, but Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun (one of the Justices who voted in favor of abortion rights.)
One of the most recent incidents of anti-abortion violence occurred at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, Colorado in November of 2015. A man, who had previously acted against other clinics and referred to himself as a “warrior for the babies” left three people dead and several others injured. More recently than this, there have been numerous prosecuted vandalizations on women’s clinics and Planned Parenthoods across the country. In some parts of the country, people line up outside these clinics daily to harass and threaten violence against the people working in or going inside.
If you’ve never gone to a Planned Parenthood, I’ll give you some insight. There are no signs indicating that the clinic exists in the building. The only sign is on main floor entrance, and on the clinic door. The clinic doors are all glass and because I asked, the glass is bulletproof. The receptionists sit back from the entrance behind thick glass they can close, also bulletproof. You have to be buzzed into any of the clinic areas. They asked me if it was okay for them to call me and say they were calling from Planned Parenthood, and if it was okay if I received mail from them. In some areas, people can volunteer to walk women into Planned Parenthoods. Some clinics have no windows at all. Others have constant security on site, as there’s constant protests and the possibility of violence.
All because some Planned Parenthoods provide abortions and the organization receives federal money.
Legally speaking, no federal money can go towards providing abortions. This was set up in the Hyde Amendment. Most federal money given to PP goes towards preventative care, sexual education, pregnancy prevention and birth control, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment, and breast exams. Because those are services that the organization provides. But most anti-abortionists don’t want to listen when you explain the other services women’s and sexual health clinics provide. However, every time there’s a new abortion debate in this country, clinics like Planned Parenthood are threatened because abortions are 3% of what they provide.
Ultimately, the anti-abortion debate has shifted to being anti-women. What started as a push by physicians over healthcare concerns has turned into a debate that’s thinly veiled misogyny. They’ll claim their reasons are religious, and the ever present “Pro-Life” line has become tired. Many of the same people who claim to be Pro-Life are also the people who turned a blind eye to children being locked in cages at our borders, torn away from their parents. Even on a domestic scale, these “Pro-Life” politicians want to take away social programs that help single/poverty-stricken mothers take care of their children. They’re only “Pro-Life” until birth, then you’re forgotten.
Hope springs eternal though, and even as anti-abortion voices become louder and find their way into positions of vast power, the pro-choice voices are growing louder still. A personal favorite story is of Wendy Davis, a Texas senator, who in 2013 brought her pink running shoes to a state house session to filibuster for 13 hours to prevent a vote on a bill that would severely restrict access to abortion in Texas. People across the country are donating to abortion funds and calling their senators daily. Prominent leaders in the Democratic party are speaking out against the nomination of Kavanaugh, and the importance of Roe v. Wade.
In the end, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortions will continue across the country. Women will find a way, as they have for decades, to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Banning abortion doesn’t stop the practice, it just makes it more dangerous. People are already driving hundreds of miles to have abortions, saving up for weeks until they can afford them. By making safe abortions illegal, we’ll see numbers like we saw before, of abortion related deaths. Poor and working-class women will, once again, bleed.
So, what can you do?
Call your senators. If you don’t want to call, use RESIST BOT.
Donate to Planned Parenthood and other abortion/women’s health clinics in your area.
And most important, vote in the 2018 midterms. The midterms are going to be one of the most important elections of our lifetime.
43 notes · View notes
hope-for-olicity · 6 years ago
Link
After a while, the true-life horror stories women tell about their struggles to get reproductive health care start to bleed together. They almost always feature some variation on the same character: the doctor who waves a hand and says, “You’ll be fine,” or “That’s just in your head,” or “Take a Tylenol.” They follow an ominous three-act structure, in which a woman expresses concern about a sexual or reproductive issue to a doctor; the doctor demurs; later, after either an obstacle course of doctor visits or a nightmare scenario coming to life, a physician at last acknowledges her pain was real and present the whole time. Sometimes there’s a quietly gloomy boyfriend or husband in a secondary-character role, frustrated by the strain his partner’s health issue is putting on their intimacy.
That many women have stories of medical practitioners dismissing, misdiagnosing, or cluelessly shrugging at their pain is, unfortunately, nothing new. Research cited in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics in 2001, for example, indicated that women get prescribed less pain medication than men after identical procedures (controlling for body size), are less likely to be admitted to hospitals and receive stress tests when they complain of chest pain, and are significantly more likely than men to be “undertreated” for pain by doctors. And there’s a multi-million dollar industry of questionable alternative health remedies that was arguably built at least in part on a history of doctors being dismissive toward women’s bodily health.
But in 2018, these stories of neglect and unhelpfulness within women’s health care, especially women’s sexual and reproductive health care, are bubbling up to the surface—being documented, circulated, and acknowledged by public discourse—in curious abundance.
It started early in the year. In January, a widely cited Vogue cover story on the tennis great Serena Williams, who gave birth to a daughter in September of 2017, told the harrowing tale of how Williams had to urgently insist to the hospital staff in her recovery room that what she was experiencing after her C-section was a pulmonary embolism in order to get the treatment she needed to stay alive. “The nurse thought her pain medicine might be making her confused,” the story reads. A month later, Vogue published an essay by the Girlscreator Lena Dunham on her choice to have a hysterectomy at age 31 to end her struggle with what she understood to be endometriosis. “I had to work so hard to have my pain acknowledged,” she writes. “And while I’ve been battling endometriosis for a decade and this will be my ninth surgical procedure, no doctor has ever confirmed this for me.” After her uterus is removed and she wakes up in a recovery room, she writes, the doctors are eager to tell her she was right: her uterus is “worse than anyone could have imagined.”
Then, in April, The New York Times published Linda Villarosa’s revealing reporton the dangerous endeavor of being black and pregnant in America, a phenomenon partly attributed to medical practitioners’ “dismissal of legitimate concerns and symptoms.” The story’s primary character, 23-year-old New Orleans mother of two, Simone Landrum, recalls being told by a doctor to calm down and take Tylenol when she complained of headaches during a particularly exhausting pregnancy; those headaches were later found to be caused by pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication that causes high blood pressure and can result in the placenta separating from the uterus before the baby is born. This happened to Landrum, and her pregnancy ended in a stillbirth.
The stories kept coming. Netflix’s The Bleeding Edge, a documentary released last month, is primarily about the poor testing of many medical devices on the market, but it nonetheless also functions as an indictment of carelessness toward women’s health at the regulatory-body level. Three of the four primary narratives  are about medical devices hastily approved by the FDA and marketed to women as safe, easy solutions for fertility- and childbirth-related issues. One prominently featured woman whose medical device—the birth-control implant Essure—lands her in the hospital so many times she loses her job, her home, and her kids over the course of the documentary, recalls being told by a doctor that her abnormally heavy, persistent vaginal bleeding after its insertion is “because she’s Latina” and that her problems are all in her head.
The new KCRW podcast Bodies, a series about medical mysteries in women’s health that launched in July, kicked off its run with the story of a woman in her twenties who experiences deep, burning pain during sex and is initially told by a doctor that nothing’s wrong, lots of women have pain during sex, and that she should just wait and it’ll probably go away. After getting a referral for a specialist from a friend who visited 20 doctors over the course of  seven years before getting a diagnosis, she’s diagnosed with and successfully treated for a type of vulvodynia—which the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecologydescribes as “common” (though “rarely diagnosed”).
Sasha Ottey calls this phenomenon “health-care gaslighting.” Ottey founded the Atlanta-based nonprofit PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association in 2009 to raise awareness of PCOS, a hormonal disorder affecting the ovaries that’s often linked to infertility, diabetes, and pelvic pain. Despite the fact that PCOS was first identified and researched in 1935 and the CDC has estimated it affects some 6 to 12 percent of adult women in the United States, many doctors still don’t recognize the symptoms. Women with PCOS and similar conditions like endometriosis and uterine fibroids, Ottey says, “have been told to suffer in silence.” Additionally, because PCOS often causes obesity or weight problems, many women with PCOS experience not just sexism but what Ottey calls “weight bias” in the health-care system. “Many women and young girls are told, ‘Oh, it's all in your head. Just eat less and exercise more,’” says Ottey, who herself recalls being initially instructed by an endocrinologist to lose weight and come back in six months. “People who are following an eating plan and present their diaries to their physicians or nutritionists will be told, ‘You left something off. You're lying. You're not doing enough.’”
Ottey, who spearheaded the PCOS Challenge’s first-ever day of advocacy on Capitol Hill in May, has noted the recent shift in how—and where—women talk about their struggles getting the sexual and reproductive health care they need. “We're at a critical juncture in women's health, where women are now feeling more empowered to speak up. Because frankly, we're frustrated,” she says. “We're frustrated with the type of care that we've gotten. We're frustrated that it sometimes takes someone decades to get a diagnosis. It's been a year, or a few years, of being empowered and emboldened."
Katherine Sherif, an internist at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and the director of the hospital’s women’s primary care unit, says she hears “day in and day out” from patients “about how they are not listened to [by other doctors], how they’re blown off, how a clue was missed.” Sherif believes most of the minimization of women’s health concerns is “unconscious” on the part of both male and female doctors, but blames general societal sexism for the gaps in women’s sexual and reproductive health care. Men with sexual and reproductive dysfunction have to fight for the care they need sometimes too, she points out, but “to a lesser extent” from what she’s seen.
In her 23 years practicing medicine, Sherif has received a lot of thank-you notes from women she’s treated—and “they don’t say ‘Thank you for saving my life’ or ‘Thank you for that great diagnosis,’” she says. “They say, ‘Thank you for listening to me.’ Or ‘I know we couldn’t get to the bottom of it, but thank you for being there.’” So Sherif sees a common theme in the recent flurry of high-profile expressions of disappointment in women’s reproductive health care, feminist protests against President Donald Trump, and the #MeToo movement: All three, she says, result from women feeling that their complaints, concerns, and objections aren’t being listened to.
“Perhaps it parallels what’s changing in our society,” Sherif says. “When we shine a light in those dirty, dark corners, I think it may give us courage to shed light on other things.”
Ottey, meanwhile, believes women’s increasing candor about their health- and health care-related frustrations can be traced back to the advent of social media. Ottey describes her own struggle to finally get a diagnosis and a treatment plan for PCOS in 2008 as one that made her feel “absolutely alone,” but in the years since, she says, she’s seen women with similar conditions and complaints find and support each other on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. “Women see other women, and other girls, speaking up,” she says.
Ottey’s social-media strength-in-numbers theory is borne out in The Bleeding Edge, too: Women whose health deteriorated after getting the Essure birth-control device implanted eventually created an advocacy campaign after finding each other through a Facebook group launched in 2011. Thirty-five thousand women had joined by the time The Bleeding Edge was filmed.
Angie Firmalino, the Facebook group’s founder, remembers being surprised at how many women quickly joined the group, despite it being a project she’d started just so she could warn her female friends about the device. “We became a support group for each other,” Firmalino says, as a montage of selfie videos women have posted to the group page play onscreen. “The day I was implanted, I left the hospital and I was in pain,” says one woman. “They told me to take some ibuprofen and it’ll get better,” says another.
When Firmalino researched the process by which Essure was approved for sale and implantation, she found the FDA hearings had been videotaped, but the video company that owned the tapes would only release them to her for several hundred dollars. So she posted on the Facebook group asking for donations to buy the video—clips of which are repurposed in the documentary and account for its most chilling moments. They raised $900 in 15 minutes.
6 notes · View notes
patriotsnet · 3 years ago
Text
What Republicans Are Against The Healthcare Bill
New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-republicans-are-against-the-healthcare-bill/
What Republicans Are Against The Healthcare Bill
Tumblr media
Schumer: ‘we Can Work Together Our Country Demands It’
20 Republicans Vote Against GOP Healthcare Bill | MTP Daily | MSNBC
Until the end, passage on the Health Care Freedom Act, also dubbed the skinny repeal, was never certain. Even Republicans who voted for it disliked the bill.
The skinny bill as policy is a disaster. The skinny bill as a replacement for Obamacare is a fraud. The skinny bill is a vehicle to getting conference to find a replacement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said at a Thursday evening news conference hours before the vote alongside fellow Republicans McCain, Ron Johnson and Bill Cassidy, before the details were released.
The skinny repeal was far from Republicans campaign promise of also rolling back Medicaid expansion, insurance subsidies, Obamacare taxes, and insurance regulations.
Many Republicans who did vote for it said they were holding their nose to vote for it just to advance the process into negotiations with the House of Representatives.
The legislation included a repeal of the individual mandate to purchase insurance, a repeal of the employer mandate to provide insurance, a one-year defunding of Planned Parenthood, a provision giving states more flexibility to opt out of insurance regulations, and a three-year repeal of the medical device tax. It also would have increased the amount that people can contribute to Health Savings Accounts.
Leigh Ann Caldwell is an NBC News correspondent.
Obamacare Repeal Fails: Three Gop Senators Rebel In 49
WASHINGTON Obamacare stays. For now.
Senate Republicans failed to pass a pared-down Obamacare repeal bill early Friday on a vote of 49-51 that saw three of their own dramatically break ranks.
Three Republican senators John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and all Democrats voted against the bill, dealing a stinging defeat to Republicans and President Donald Trump who made repeal of Obamacare a cornerstone their campaigns.
The late-night debate capped the GOP’s months-long effort to fulfill a seven-year promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!
Donald J. Trump
The Senate has tried to pass multiple versions of repeal: repeal and replace, a straight repeal and Friday’s bare-bones repeal, but none garnered the support of 50 Republicans.
An emotional Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said after the 1:40 a.m. vote went down that Republicans remained committed to repealing the Obama-era health law.
When Did Obamacare Start
The timeline of key events leading up to the passage of the Obamacare law began in 2009. Here is a list of those events, along with key provisions that went into place after the law was enacted.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and a group of Democrats from the House of Representatives reveal their plan for overhauling the health-care system. Its called H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
;Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, a leading supporter of health-care reform, dies and puts the Senate Democrats 60-seat supermajority required to pass a piece of legislation at risk.
;Democrat Paul Kirk is appointed interim senator from Massachusetts, which temporarily restores the Democrats filibuster-proof 60th vote.
;In the House of Representatives, 219 Democrats and one Republican vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act, and 39 Democrats and 176 Republicans vote against it.
In the Senate, 60 Democrats vote for the Senates version of the bill, called Americas Healthy Future Act, whose lead author is senator Max Baucus of California. Thirty-nine Republicans vote against the bill, and one Republican senator, Jim Bunning, does not vote.
Don’t Miss: Why Does Donald Trump Wear Red Ties
Changes Required By The Affordable Care Act In 2011
A provision goes into effect to protect patients choice of doctors. Specifics include allowing plan members to pick any participating primary care provider, prohibiting insurers from requiring prior authorization before a woman sees an obstetrician/gynecologist , and ensuring access to emergency care.
Young adults can stay on their parents insurance until age 26, even if they are not full-time students. This extension applies to all new plans.
All new health insurance policies must cover preventive care and pay a portion of all preventive care visits.
A provision goes into effect that eliminates lifetime limits on coverage for members.
Annual limits or maximum payouts by a health insurance company are now restricted by the ACA.
The ACA prohibits rescission when a claim is filed, except in the case of fraud or misrepresentation by the consumer.
Insurance companies must now provide a process for customers to make an appeal if there is a problem with their coverage. ;
NOTE: In January,;2011:;eHealth publishes 11 guides on the top;child-only health insurance coverage;that examined differences in implementation in numerous states.
Senate Gop Blocks 9/11 First Responders Health Plan Bill
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Senate Republicans on Thursday morning filibustered legislation to monitor and treat first responders and emergency workers who suffered illnesses related to 9/11.
A vote to quash the filibuster failed by a vote of 57 to 42, three votes short of the necessary threshold. As a result, the proposal is unlikely to pass this year.
The bill would provide funding for a health program to treat first responders, construction and cleanup workers and residents who inhaled toxic particles after the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.
The $7.4 billion cost of the legislation over 10 years is paid for by a provision that would prevent foreign multinational corporations from using tax havens to avoid taxes on U.S. income.
Harry Mason ReidWhite House says ball is in Congress’s court on voting rights, abortionBiden grapples with twin crisesFive takeaways from Biden’s week of chaos in AfghanistanMORE blasted Republicans after the vote.
Republicans denied adequate health care to the heroes who developed illnesses from rushing into burning buildings on 9/11. Yet they will stop at nothing to give tax breaks to millionaires and CEOs, even though they will explode our deficit and fail to create jobs. That tells you everything you need to know about their priorities, Reid said in a statement.
Schumer said some of the police officers and firefighters who rushed to the flaming towers have already been diagnosed with cancers.
This story was updated at 12:29 p.m.
Read Also: Democrat And Republican Switch Platforms
Six Ways Trump Has Sabotaged The Affordable Care Act
Reddit
Donald Trumps first term represents an extraordinary development in what political scientists have called the administrative or unilateral presidency: how presidents seek to transform domestic policy through executive initiatives without congressional approval. Aggressive, partisan, multifaceted administrative presidencies have been especially evident since Reagan with presidents of both parties participating. Trump has in multiple ways taken this trend to new levels as his efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act vividly illustrate.
Republicans Tout Health Care Bill Alternative
“I’ve read the majority of this bill,” said Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., a physician. “I’ve got a diagnosis: It’s legislative malpractice.”
Price motioned to a tall stack of white copy paper bound with a yellow rope piled atop the podium and above the blue sign that read “Health Care Freedom” — the theme of the Republicans’ message today.
Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., told the crowd, “Republicans have better ideas to give you more choices, more freedom in health care, access for everybody. We’re going to fight for those ideas.”
Amid cheers, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said, “We have an alternative: H.R. 3400.”
Republicans were joined by other notable public figures, including actor Jon Voight and radio host Mark Levin.
“I’m so deeply proud to be among you brave, concerned, patriotic American citizens,” Voight said. “The biggest vote in the U.S., the biggest voice in the U.S. is your voice, the voice of the American people.”
Among the faces in the crowd were young people who took off work, parents with their teenage children and senior citizens.
Schwartz of Americans for Prosperity described today’s rally as “very organic.” Seven buses carrying 350 people traveled to Washington, D.C., from parts of Maryland. Hundreds more, he said, carpooled behind.
“We want reform, but not the heap of junk that’s in this bill,” Schwartz said.
He expects that message will resonate with moderates and Blue Dog conservative Democrats who might still be on the fence about support for the House plan.
You May Like: What Is The Lapel Pin Republicans Are Wearing
Board Of Governors Professor School Of Public Affairs & Administration
The Trump administrations efforts to sabotage the ACA and their consequences receive detailed attention in a recently released Brookings book, Trump, the Administrative Presidency, and Federalism. For present purposes, I highlight six major sabotage initiatives which emerged in the wake of congressional failure to repeal and replace the ACA.
1. Reduce outreach and opportunities for enrollment in the ACAs insurance exchanges. Established to offer health insurance to individuals and small business, the exchanges have provided coverage to some 10 million people annually. The Obama administration had vigorously promoted the ACA in part to attract healthy, younger people to the exchanges to help keep premiums down. The Trump administration sharply reduced support for advertising and exchange navigators while reducing the annual enrollment period to about half the number of days.
2. Cut ACA subsidies to insurance companies offering coverage on the exchanges. ACA proponents saw insurance company participation on the exchanges as central to fostering enrollee choice and to fueling competition that would lower premiums. The law therefore provided various subsidies to insurance companies to reduce their risks of losing money if they participated on the exchanges. The Trump administration joined congressional Republicans in reneging on these financial commitments.
Treating The Terminally Ill
GOP Senators Return Home To Backlash Against Healthcare Bill | AM Joy | MSNBC
The party opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide, as well as any non-consensual withholding of treatment for any reason. They believe that health care efforts should instead be focused on research to treat terminally ill patients, as well as pain relief and care of these patients, so that the rest of their lives are more comfortable.
Also Check: Senate Partisan Breakdown
House Democrats Approve Health Bill Seeking Contrast With Trumps Obamacare Assault
The vote was aimed at shoring up Democratic support in swing districts that fueled the party’s House takeover in 2018.
06/29/2020 06:50 PM EDT
Link Copied
House Democrats on Monday approved a major expansion of Obamacare, underscoring the health care laws central role in their campaign pitch and drawing sharp contrast with President Donald Trumps efforts to eliminate the entire law.
Two Republicans New Jersey’s Jeff Van Drew, formerly a Democrat, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania joined virtually every Democrat in supporting the bill, which would expand the laws subsidies for private health insurance, encourage hold-out red states to expand Medicaid and reverse Trump administration policies seen as undermining the Affordable Care Act. The Democrats bill, which will likely be shunned by the Republican-controlled Senate, also contains pieces of the partys, including a requirement for the government to negotiate prices.
Progressive lawmakers who have pushed sweeping Medicare for All legislation largely backed the more moderate health bill, which is aimed at shoring up Democrats support in swing districts that were pivotal to the party retaking control of the House in the 2018 midterms. The vote comes shortly after Trumps Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to overturn Obamacare in a case later this fall, despite warnings from some Republicans that voters would punish the party in November.
Just one Democrat voted against the bill.
Filed Under:
Endangered Republicans Back Senate Democrats’ Bill Opposing Obamacare Lawsuit
Five Republicans facing tough reelections crossed party lines in a vote highlighting Trump’s challenge to the health care law.
10/01/2020 03:17 PM EDT
Link Copied
Senate Democrats’ largely symbolic bid to cut off the Trump administration’s support for a Supreme Court challenge to Obamacare failed as expected Thursday, but several Republicans facing tough reelections crossed party lines to back the measure.
Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, who are trying to reassure voters about their defense of insurance protections for preexisting conditions, backed the Democrats’ measure. Another Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who opposed Obamacare repeal efforts three years ago, also supported the bill.
But the bill fell 51-43, short of the 60 votes needed to advance.
Democrats through an unusual procedural maneuver seized control of the Senate agenda to force a challenging vote for Republicans ahead of a Supreme Court case that threatens Obamacare’s survival. Democrats have sought to highlight the case’s risk to health care coverage and insurance protections for tens of millions of Americans as Republicans rush to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat with President Donald Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. The court is slated to hear arguments in the lawsuit on Nov. 10, one week after Election Day.
The North Carolina Democratic Party charged that Tillis’ measure was inadequate.
Recommended Reading: Did Trump Say Republicans Are Stupid
Reagan Assaults The System
Conservative Republican President Ronald Reagan, soon after his election in 1981, launched an assault on the federal health care system, announcing plans to consolidate all 26 of the health services programs into two block grants, one for health services, the other for preventive health. He also announced plans to slash spending on health by 25 percent. The president’s announcement set off a battle in Congress, with conservatives in both parties taking up Reagan’s charge. In the Senate, Orrin Hatch, a conservative Republican from Utah, and Phil Gramm, a Texas Republican, led the president’s battle to disassemble the federal health care programs. In the House, Republican Representatives Edward R. Madigan of Illinois, James T. Broyhill of North Carolina, and William E. Dannemeyer of California played key leadership roles for the Reagan agenda.
With a few concessions to Democrats, conservative Republicans, backed by many conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans, passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. It reduced funding for all health services programs, collapsed funding for many categorical grant programs into block grants to states, and increased local and state governance over remaining programs. The concessions to congressional Democrats came only after last-minute lobbying by a group of Republican governors.
Premium Subsidies And Affordability
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The ACA’s premium subsidies were designed to keep health insurance affordable for people who buy their own coverage in the individual market. Premiums for individual market plans increased alarmingly in 2017 and 2018, although they were much more stable in 2019 and 2020, and rate changes for 2021 appear to be mostly modest. But premiums for people who aren’t eligible for premium subsidies can still amount to a substantial portion of their income.
The individual market is a very small segment of the population, however, and rate increases have been much more muted across the full population .
Democrats have proposed various strategies for making coverage and care affordable. Joe Biden’s healthcare proposal includes larger premium subsidies that would be based on the cost of a benchmark gold plan and based on having people pay only 8.5% of their income for that plan . Biden’s proposal would also eliminate the ACA’s income cap for premium subsidy eligibility and provide subsidies to anyone who would otherwise have to pay more than 8.5% of their income for a benchmark gold plan. This would eliminate the “subsidy cliff” that currently exists for some enrollees.
The 2020 Democratic Party platform calls for a “public option” health plan that would compete with private health insurance carriers in an effort to bring down prices, and lowering the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.
Don’t Miss: Impeachment Polls In Swing States
Trump Tells Republicans To Get Back On Healthcare Bill
By Susan Cornwell
5 Min Read
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration on Sunday goaded Republican senators to stick with trying to pass a healthcare bill, after the lawmakers failed spectacularly last week to muster the votes to end Obamacare.
For the second day running, the Republican president tweeted his impatience with Congress inability to deliver on his partys seven-year promise to replace the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obamas signature healthcare bill commonly known as Obamacare. Members of his administration took to the airwaves to try to compel lawmakers to take action.
But it was unclear whether the White House admonishments would have any impact on Capitol Hill, where Republicans who control both houses signaled last week that it was time to move on to other issues.
Republicans zeal to repeal and replace Obamacare was met with both intra-party divisions between moderates and conservatives and also the increasing approval of a law that raised the number of insured Americans by 20 million.
Polling indicates a majority of Americans are ready to move on from healthcare at this point. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Saturday, 64 percent of 1,136 people surveyed on Friday and Saturday said they wanted to keep Obamacare, either entirely as is or after fixing problem areas. That is up from 54 percent in January.
But Price also told NBC he would implement Obamacare because it is the law of the land.
Watch Sen John Mccain Cast ‘no’ Vote On ‘skinny’ Repeal
It isn’t clear what comes next, but the collapse of some insurance markets around the country serve as an incentive for Republicans and Democrats to hold hearings and fix the problems with health care.
Most Republicans never embraced the different iterations of legislation they crafted, nor the process by which it was constructed. Even on the last-ditch effort at a bare-bones bill, Republicans couldnt reach agreement. Over the past two days, many rejected a plan that would have partially repealed and replaced Obamacare and a measure that would have just repealed it. The repeal vote was the same bill that passed the Senate and the House in 2015 when former President Barack Obama vetoed it.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, stood against every version of the legislation even in the face of immense pressure. The Trump administration threatened to withhold federal resources from Alaska because of her opposition, according to the Alaska Daily News. Murkowski herself said the next day in response to the report that she would not characterize it as a “threat.”
“I sat there with Senator McCain. I think both of us recognize that its very hard to disappoint your colleagues,” Murkowski told NBC News after the vote. “And I know that there is disappointment because it was the three votes that Senator McCain, Senator Collins, and I cast that did not allow this bill to move forward. And that is difficult.”
“John McCain is a hero and has courage and does the right thing,” Schumer said.
Also Check: Latest Republican Polls By State
0 notes
orbemnews · 4 years ago
Link
The Siege of Sarajevo lasted for years -- now the city's battle with Covid-19 is dragging on with no end in sight They’re a constant reminder of the bloody conflict in the early 1990s that claimed the lives of around 100,000 people. This city, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was besieged for almost four years and 11,000 people died in Sarajevo alone. Now the city is fighting a very different kind of war. In recent months, the Covid-19 pandemic here has taken lives at a pace not seen since the siege of almost three decades ago. Between March 1 and April 28, 698 people have died of coronavirus in the city, according to the Canton of Sarajevo government — with an average daily toll of 13 and 10 in those respective months. The Siege of Sarajevo saw a daily average of seven deaths, including combatants, although it also saw gruesome mass-casualty incidents such as a marketplace bombardment in 1994 that took 68 lives. Dr. Ismet Gavrankapetanović, the head of Sarajevo General Hospital, remembers treating the many victims coming through his doors every day with gunshot and shrapnel wounds during the 1990s blockade. And — as Bosnia experiences its deadliest period of the pandemic so far — the 59-year-old Gavrankapetanović says there’s now a familiar feeling inside the emergency room. “You can’t see your enemy and a lot of people are dying because of that virus. That is really a war,” he told CNN. “[During the siege] in Sarajevo we were completely surrounded — a lot of injuries and a lot of troubles, but also in the last three months that was also very similar, so [it’s a] difficult situation.” Gavrankapetanović says that among the victims of the pandemic have been many of his hospital colleagues — left vulnerable by a government that seems slow to get its act together. “We have a feeling that … nobody cares for us,” he added. Mediha Slatina, 53, lost her husband Dr. Enes Slatina to coronavirus in November. The 58-year-old was an ER physician at a clinic near Sarajevo airport. Slatina says he did everything he could to protect himself, but could not avoid contact with Covid-19 patients. The doctor battled the virus for 16 days from a hospital bed before he died. Two days before that, Slatina had lost her father to Covid-19, then four days later her mother-in-law also died. In a single week, the pandemic had claimed three of her closest loved ones. Slatina told CNN she feels that Bosnians “have been left alone and betrayed.” She says her country is suffering from a lack of coordination between the dizzying web of regional and local governments and national institutions. “The problem is not tackled by some joint action,” she added. “Everybody takes care for their own [region], but there is no common point, which would deal with this issue, we need something at the [national] level … and taking things seriously.” CNN reached out to the office of the current President of the national government, Milorad Dodik, which declined to make anyone available to comment. Zoran Blagojević, public relations consultant to the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the country’s two autonomous regions, says his entity doesn’t even have a Health Minister at the national level. He told CNN that the national government — which has a presidency that rotates between the three main ethnic groups — should be leading and coordinating the two main regional governments. “In many countries the system is not working, but in our country it doesn’t work at all. It’s a very huge problem about who is responsible for what and that is the reason why we are delayed and late for some of the problems like buying vaccines, respirators or ventilators,” Blagojević told CNN. “The epidemic situation actually helps us to see very clearly how many things inside the system don’t work.” For Blagojević and many observers, the problems start breakdown in effective governance starts with the country’s constitutional law, which is based on a peace agreement, brokered in Dayton, Ohio in 1995, not on a traditional constitution. Since then, “nothing was changed to improve the functions of the country.” Sarajevo has been largely rebuilt since it was hollowed out by war, but ethnic divisions are still entrenched on the ground — including in the system of government that requires largely Eastern Orthodox Serbs, Bosnian Muslims and Catholic Croats to share power. This complex arrangement was enshrined in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution after the war and designed to prevent future conflicts. Yet some observers say it has also made it difficult for the government to effectively tackle the pandemic. National institutions are weak and while the two main regional governments are strong, experts say they’re often reluctant to coordinate and work together. Adnan Ćerimagić, a senior analyst at the European Stability Initiative, says his country pinned its hopes on purchasing vaccines from the COVAX program, which aims at helping poorer countries get doses, as well as getting surplus supplies from the European Union — which have yet to materialize. While the rest of the Western world is accelerating inoculation rollouts to head off another wave of infections, as of late April Bosnia and Herzegovina has only received 226,800 vaccine doses — many of them donated from Turkey, Serbia and China — according to central government figures and Ćerimagić’s tally. With a population of 3.3 million, that works out as about seven doses for every 100 people — well behind the mid-April European average of 29 doses for every 100 citizens. More than one-third of the country’s vaccine supply was either procured or donated to a local or regional government, not a federal institution. One of the main regional governments, the Republika Srpska, then bolstered its supply with an order of 67,000 Sputnik V vaccines from Russia, according to Ćerimagić. The government’s failure to purchase enough vaccines prompted protests in Sarajevo in early April. “Those protests were well-intended, and were basically a reflection of the state of mind of [the] majority of the population,” said Ćerimagić. “For months they were told that the authorities are not doing anything when it comes to purchasing vaccines while Croatia has started the vaccination program and Serbia is a global success on vaccinations,” he added. Indeed, Serbia’s rollout has been such a success that it is letting its citizens choose which of its five vaccine brands they’d like to be injected with. Last month, Bosnia’s Balkan neighbor even opened its vaccine program to foreigners. Bosnians streamed across the border to get a shot in response. So far around 40,000 foreigners have been vaccinated in Serbia, the largest group among them Bosnians, according to figures from the Serbian prime minister’s office. “We are a small region, and if you’re not safe, even when we get the collective immunity, we’re not going to be safe,” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić told CNN at the time. In response to surging infection rates, Sarajevo imposed curfews and restrictions in March — but, as in many places around the world, its fragile economy can’t afford to stay closed for long. Ćerimagić says that restrictions were loosened at the first sign of declining case counts. While the overnight curfew has remained, shops and cafes have reopened, with some even serving indoors. This cycle of lockdown restrictions isn’t sustainable, Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karić maintains. “We will lockdown the city, we will lockdown the people, but without vaccines it doesn’t mean a lot,” she said. The mayor is also frustrated by the failure at higher levels of government to procure enough vaccines. “I think that the worst possible thing is that this could be stopped, in the same way as the war could be stopped during the 90s. Now we can buy vaccines, we have money to buy vaccines, but we do not have a system,” she added. Her sentiments are shared by Dr. Bakir Nakaš, a retired physician who specialized in infectious diseases and managed Sarajevo General Hospital during the war. He now lives in small wooden country house surrounded by green rolling hills just outside the city. That’s where he feels safest, away from the crowds of Sarajevo. Nakaš says that not only have Covid-19 restrictions been too weak, so has the vaccine procurement effort. “Everyone in our region started to vaccinate their citizens from the January of this year and Bosnia Herzegovina didn’t have enough vaccines to allow us to start to do this,” he said. Nakaš blames the delay on a lack of government coordination, and he’s not optimistic it will improve. “I can’t be sure that citizens of Sarajevo will be protected by the end of this year,” he added. The current hospital chief, Gavrankapetanović, agrees. “Without the vaccination, I’m sure that we will have a fourth wave soon. And I am also sure that this will be a never-ending crisis,” he said. Last month, central Sarajevo’s Bare cemetery struggled to keep up with the pace of burials. Moving across this huge complex, as the white gravestones marking the Bosnian War dead end, the freshly sealed graves of the pandemic victims begin. In the cemetery, Ramiza Tahirović buys flowers to lay on the grave of her nephew Ismet Osmanović, who died from Covid-19 just seven days earlier. At 45 years old, he spent more than two weeks in the hospital hooked up to oxygen. “Then after 15 days they moved him to the ICU unit and put him on a ventilator and we never spoke to him or saw him again,” Tahirović said. Asked if she is afraid of the virus, she replies: “I cry, I am scared. I am 75 and I don’t see any progress … still so many people are dying.” Despite her age, however, Tahirović says she won’t get the vaccine, as she isn’t convinced of its safety. Amid Sarajevo’s mounting deaths, she isn’t convinced of much anymore. “I don’t trust the doctors, I don’t trust the government, I don’t trust anyone,” she explains. “The trams and buses are full of people, many of them are asymptomatic, I just don’t feel safe.” Tim Lewis, Fred Pleitgen and Claudia Otto contributed to this report. Source link Orbem News #Battle #citys #Covid19 #dragging #lasted #Sarajevo #Siege #sight #Years
0 notes
newstfionline · 4 years ago
Text
Friday, December 4, 2020
Swamped hospitals scramble for pandemic help (AP) U.S. hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are trying to lure nurses and doctors out of retirement, recruiting students and new graduates who have yet to earn their licenses and offering eye-popping salaries in a desperate bid to ease staffing shortages. With the virus surging from coast to coast, the number of patients in the hospital with the virus has more than doubled over the past month to a record high of nearly 100,000, pushing medical centers and health care workers to the breaking point. Nurses are increasingly burned out and getting sick on the job. Nurses who work in intensive care and on medical-surgical floors are the most in demand. Employers also are willing to pay extra for nurses who can show up on short notice and work 48 or 60 hours per week instead of the standard 36.
Hopes for new stimulus package (NYT) Independent economists overwhelmingly favor the passage of more stimulus money before the end of the year—and the prospects for such a bill seem to be improving. Democratic leaders in Congress yesterday signaled their openness to a bipartisan $908 billion stimulus package. The next move is up to Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans. The economy already seems to have slowed in recent weeks, as virus caseloads have risen. And the situation will probably worsen if Congress does not pass another stimulus. Many provisions enacted since the spring are set to end on Dec. 31. Among the effects: About seven million freelancers, contract workers and other Americans who don’t qualify for traditional jobless benefits will lose their emergency aid. On average, it now equals $1,058 a month. / Close to five million more people who have been out of work for at least six months will also be cut off from aid—which now averages $1,253 a month. The usual limit on jobless benefits is 26 weeks, and a provision that extended it to 39 weeks is expiring. / Several million people could face eviction from their homes, because a federal moratorium will expire. / About 21 million people will have to begin making student-loan payments again. Moody’s Analytics forecasts that without more aid, the economy will fall into a new recession early next year.
Mexico’s president acknowledges end to killings far away (AP) President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office two years ago promising to transform Mexico, but he acknowledged Tuesday that some pledges have been hard to keep. The president said in a sober, restrained ceremony marking his second anniversary in office that “there is still a long way to go to bring peace to the country.” Homicide rates have barely budged from his predecessor’s last year in office, with Mexico still registering about 3,000 homicides per month. Nor has the coronavirus pandemic slowed the killings, though the disease itself has killed about 106,000 people in Mexico and has devastated the economy. López Obrador touted progress in the fight against corruption and in government building projects, and claimed that over 70% of Mexicans want him to go on governing.
Voluntary and free: Portugal approves COVID-19 vaccination plan (Reuters) Portugal on Thursday announced plans to vaccinate people against the coronavirus voluntarily and free of charge, and said it hoped to inoculate nearly 10% of the population during the first phase that will kick off next month. Priority will be given to those over 50 with pre-existing conditions, such as coronary disease or lung problems, frontline professionals from sectors such as health, military and security, as well as people in care homes and intensive care units. Shots will be administered at 1,200 vaccination points in health centres across the country. Another 2.7 million people will get vaccinated during the second phase of the plan, including those aged 65 and over, and the rest of the population is expected to be vaccinated during a third phase.
Pandemic silver lining: empty Paris hotel shelters the homeless (Reuters) In normal times the Hotel Avenir Montmartre is a tourist magnet with its views of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur church, but COVID-19 has scared off the usual guests. Instead, the hotel has opened its doors to the homeless. The hotel’s management have, for a year, handed over their rooms to homeless charity Emmaus Solidarite, which is now using them to accommodate people who would otherwise be on the streets. At the Hotel Avenir Montmartre, the cost of his room is covered by the charity. Residents receive three meals a day in the hotel’s breakfast room, and each room has a television and an en suite shower room. For the charity, the hotel provides a safe base from which they can try to help rebuild residents’ lives.
Azerbaijan fully reclaims lands around Nagorno-Karabakh (AP) Azerbaijan on Tuesday completed reclaiming territory held by Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century after a peace deal ended six weeks of fierce fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That conflict left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but large chunks of surrounding lands in Armenian hands. In 44 days of heavy fighting that began on Sept. 27, the Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces and moved deep into Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing Armenia to accept a Russia-brokered peace deal that took effect Nov. 10. The agreement saw the return to Azerbaijan of a significant part of Nagorno-Karabakh and also required Armenia to hand over all of the regions it held outside the separatist region. Russia deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers for at least five years to monitor the peace deal and help the return of refugees. The Russian troops will also ensure safe transit between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the Lachin region.
Islamophobia in India (Foreign Policy) A Muslim man in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has been arrested by police for allegedly attempting to convert a Hindu woman to Islam. The man’s arrest is the first under the state’s new law which prohibits “forced” religious conversions, which critics say is Islamophobic and is designed to forcibly segregate religious groups. The arrest comes after recent depictions of interfaith couples in Indian media were condemned by right-wing Hindu groups. Four other states, which like Uttar Pradesh are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are planning to pass their own laws targeting interfaith marriage.
South Korea’s university entrance exams were stressful enough. Then a pandemic arrived. (Washington Post) The biggest mission for Jo Yong-seok this week has been to keep coronavirus out of his Seoul home, where his 18-year-old son is studying 15 hours a day for the most important exam of his lifetime. On Thursday, nearly half a million students are taking the annual College Scholastic Ability Test. Known as suneung in Korean, it’s a multiple-choice standardized test similar to SATs, but with considerably higher stakes in education-obsessed South Korea. The eight-hour exam determines not only which university the younger Jo can attend, but also his future career opportunities, social standing and even marriage prospects. Students spend days and long evenings at expensive private cram schools preparing for the hypercompetitive exam. Only this time, there was a pandemic. South Korea is struggling to contain a third wave of the coronavirus. The elder Jo, determined not to infect his son, has avoided seeing friends and gave up his favorite pastime of hiking. He even offered to forgo family meals and dine separately until the day of his son’s exam. “My son has been studying all these years for this one day,” he said. “I can’t let the virus ruin it.”
Iran Moves to Increase Uranium Enrichment and Bar Nuclear Inspectors (NYT) Iran responded Wednesday to the assassination of its top nuclear scientist by enacting a law ordering an immediate ramping up of its enrichment of uranium to levels closer to weapons-grade fuel. The measure also requires the expulsion of international nuclear inspectors if American sanctions are not lifted by early February, posing a direct challenge to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. It was not clear whether the action was the totality of the Iranian response to the killing of the scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, whom American and Israeli intelligence agencies regarded as the guiding force of past efforts by Tehran to design a nuclear weapon, or whether more was to come. Iranian officials have vowed to avenge his killing. Just three weeks ago, after news of modest advances in the size of Iran’s nuclear stockpile, Mr. Trump asked his advisers about military options to stop the country from producing the fuel. He was talked out of considering an attack by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, one of the fiercest of the Iran hawks in the administration, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark A. Milley, among other senior officials.
U.S. to withdraw some Baghdad embassy staff as tensions with Iran and its allies spike (Washington Post) The U.S. government has decided to withdraw some staff from its embassy in Baghdad through the final weeks of the Trump administration, officials say, as tensions rise throughout the region. A person familiar with the withdrawal described it as a temporary “de-risking” that will continue after the Jan. 3 anniversary of the slaying of senior Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani last year by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The individual spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss security matters. The number of personnel to be withdrawn was unclear. The department official said that U.S. Ambassador Matthew Tueller would remain in Iraq and that the embassy would continue to operate.
Old Business (NYT) When it comes to companies that have been in operation for a long time, Japan is chock-full of them. It’s home to over 33,000 businesses that have been in operation for over 100 years. While that’s a great run that makes for some fun trivia for some well-known companies—Nintendo is 131 years old! They first sold playing cards!—there are other businesses in an entirely different league, including 3,100 that have existed for more than 200 years, 140 that have been around for 500 years, and at least 19 that have generally accepted claims of continuous operation since the first millennium. One of these companies, Ichiwa, sells mochi, another named Tanaka Iga Butsugu has made Buddhist religious supplies since 885.
0 notes
andrewdburton · 4 years ago
Text
Two Years Without Health Insurance (and What I’m Doing Now)
Two years ago, I was unsatisfied with my options for health insurance. The premiums were rising even as the quality dropped in the form of an ever-increasing deductible. I am guessing that you might feel the same way these days – most of us Americans are in the same boat.
I felt like I was being squeezed from both ends and it was starting to piss me off. So I decided to take some action, by doing the math for myself using a spreadsheet. I needed to answer the question, “Is this insurance really as bad a deal as I think it is?”
Sure enough, the risks and rewards of the coverage did not justify the premiums, so I decided to try an experiment and simply drop out of the market and insure myself. In other words, just rolling the dice and going through life with no form of health insurance at all.
Doubling down on the bikes, barbells and salads, I did my best to eliminate any risk factors that are in my control, while accepting that there are still much less likely but more random factors that are not.
Tumblr media
Figure 1 – DIY Health Care
Almost two years and $10,000 in premium savings later, I have found the experiment to be a success: I have slept well and not worried about the fact that I could be on the hook for a big bill if I did ever need major care. And as luck would have it, I also enjoyed the same good health as always over this time period – probably the best in my life so far because the extra healthy living has been working its magic.
But.
This situation has not been quite ideal, because my life is not a very useful model for everyone to follow. Most people don’t have the luck of perfect health, many have a larger family than I do, and very few people are in a financial position to self-insure for all possible medical bills.
Also, I found myself wishing I had a doctor that actually knew me, who I could call or visit on short notice if I ever did need help.
Finally, I wanted to switch back to having some form of insurance so that I could learn about it and write about it as time goes on. But was I really willing to be part of that unsatisfying and broken insurance model?
Then something magical happened: I learned about the new and vastly improved world of Direct Primary Care physicians.
What is DPC?
DPC is a fairly new trend in the US, but it is also a return to a very old tradition: a direct relationship between you and your doctor, with no insurance company in the way. 
As a customer, you pay for a monthly subscription (somewhere around $100), and in exchange you get unlimited access to super elite, personalized medicine for the vast majority of your medical needs. Diagnoses, prescriptions, skin conditions, stitches, even fixing a broken bone if you don’t need surgery. All covered, with no co-pay and in an environment that feels to me like Presidential-level health care, in striking contrast to some of my past experiences where I felt like an anonymous numbered ticket in a sloshing sea of bureaucratic institutional medicine.
Oh, and direct email, phone and text message contact with your doctor, prescriptions over phone or video call, and in some cases even house calls depending on the practice and the situation.
Through some sort of magic, the Direct Primary Care model offers much better medical care and much lower prices, at the same time.
How could it be? It’s because of the incentives.
Figure 2: The Insurance Model for Health Care
In our famously broken US healthcare model, an insurance company is wedged in between you and your doctors, and it has different objectives than you do.
You just want the best overall health for yourself, and when the shit does hit the fan and you need medical care, you want it to be quick, effective, and at minimum cost. And you don’t want to be hounded with years of stressful stray bills after an expensive medical procedure.
Your Doctor wants to help as many people as possible and make a good living, without having to wade through a sea of paperwork or stress or lawsuits. Your Insurance company wants to make as much profit as possible, which means maximizing the amount they collect from you, and minimizing the amount they pay to your doctor. In theory, they benefit from helping you to stay healthy. But they have also developed elaborate contracts (putting in as many loopholes as possible to allow them to drop your coverage or deny claims), become masters of delaying payments, limiting which procedures and tests they will authorize doctors to do, and just generally throwing the biggest monkey wrench into the system that they can.
Over the decades, there has been a complex battle of lawmaking, lobbying, compromise and complexity to try to regulate away some of these problems. Sometimes the new laws help, sometimes they don’t, but the end result will never be optimal simply because there are a lot of people involved, and big crowds of humans make for slow and shitty decision making.
The Direct Primary Care Model
Tumblr media
Figure 3: The Direct Primary Care Model
With DPC, it’s just you and your doctor. You both have the same incentives, but now the model works much better because there is no chaotic and expensive force in the middle to mess things up.
And because you operate on a subscription, the doctor gets paid whether you come into the office or not. At the same time, you are free to come in whenever you do need something, at no additional cost. So she has an incentive to keep you healthy, so that you have no need to come into the office in the first place. 
On top of this, you get to decide together what is the best course of healthy prevention and treatment, without the overhead and complexity of constantly fighting with insurance companies. This drastically cuts the costs by eliminating the large staff of paper-pushers and attorneys that you normally need to operate a medical office, and frees up the doctor to spend more time with each patient during each visit.
How could the doctor possibly make a living with such low fees?
As it turns out, a small practice with a full-time doctor and 2-3 credentialed medical assistants can handle over 1000 subscribers while still giving each person much more time than they get under the old model. At $100 per month, this is $1.2 million in annual gross subscriber income, which is enough to pay everybody well, and rent a suitable clinic space. And as you scale up the operation, some economies of scale on things like space and equipment make it even better.
Just as importantly, running a practice like this tends to make a dramatic improvement in a doctor’s quality of life. It’s better medicine, with more flexibility and less hassle and stress. No wonder this model is growing rapidly and has become a favorite of physicians who happen to be MMM readers, as I hear from more of them every month.
Direct Primary Care is now a nationwide movement, with many hundreds of practices spanning the country and many more opening each year. Today’s screenshot of https://mapper.dpcfrontier.com/ shows the current state of the market. 
Tumblr media
Direct care locations everywhere
In fact, it turns out this whole trend might even be a Mustachian-originated phenomenon, as I joined my own local practice called Cloud Medical, met the founder Dr. David Tusek, and he revealed halfway through our introductory visit that he was both a founder of DPC pioneer Nextera Healthcare in 2009, and a lurking reader of this blog for several years before I discovered him right here in my own town.  A note for locals: if you are considering joining Cloud, mention that you would like the MMM discount to save a further $12/month! (we have no affiliation, they are just looking to expand the practice and I’ll remove this notice if they fill up)
My experience (so far) with Cloud Medical
Tumblr media
Cloud Medical’s Longmont office – definitely a step up over past medical office experiences! (although they do need to add a proper bike rack)
I signed up with Cloud this past summer, about five months ago. Although I have been feeling great, I figured it was time to put myself through an extensive battery of “middle-aged man” tests just to make sure I am not missing any hidden problems. 
With the doctor’s guidance, I did a very thorough blood test, plus an electrocardiogram scan of my heart performance and ultrasound Carotid artery scan which involves a practitioner lubing up your neck and sliding a Star-Trek-style probe around on it while recording images of your body’s most critical plumbing to check for signs of clogging. Plus the usual checks of an annual physical exam. All clear.
I also finally got around to a long-awaited diagnosis and prescription for my Adult Attention Deficit Disorder condition, something which took me seven years to get organized enough to achieve, paradoxically one of the crippling effects of ADD. Although this is a very personal health detail, I mention it here because there are many friends and readers who also suffer from this condition, and I encourage you to learn more about it and seek help if appropriate. It can be life-changing.  I found this process was much easier in a DPC environment, because of the more personal nature of the doctor-patient connection. 
This DPC model addresses perhaps 90% of typical medical needs in-house, and a “menu” of optional specialists knocks out another 5%. 
Cloud and other DPC practices have a “menu” of standardized prices, typically much lower than traditional offices. Full PDF here.
But there is still a chance you will need the more rare (and expensive) services of a hospital or specialist. In this case, your DPC physician can provide referrals and guidance to allow you to get the right help at a discounted, direct-pay price, or even handle your needs with a conventional insurance company.
Part Two: But What About Bigger Expenses?
Health share options, with the one I chose (Sedera) in the center.
At this point, you can add another layer of protection: High deductible conventional insurance, or a health share plan which offers a similar end-result while being careful not to be classified as insurance. 
These plans started out catering only to members of certain religions. Then a provider called Liberty Health Share opened up the market slightly while still requiring some fairly specific spiritual affirmations.
The latest incarnation is a company called Sedera* , which has addressed some of the shortcomings of earlier companies, has no religious basis, and now seems to be the place that most of my more analytical friends and their families are ending up. Even my DPC physician Dr. Tusek is now recommending Sedera.
Sedera is worth a whole separate article in itself, and in fact I am starting a dedicated page for questions and answers and discussion on the experience. But for now, we’ll take a shortcut and just say that I was convinced and willing to give it a try, so I signed myself up as a Sedera customer.
A quick comparison of the closest standard insurance plan I could find on the standard Colorado health insurance exchange, versus what I got from Sedera (click for larger version):
Tumblr media
For me, Sedera cuts my monthly cost in half, even while delivering better coverage.
Another thing I like about all this is that there is no concept of “in network” and “out of network” doctors or hospitals. You can even use hospitals in other countries while traveling, and get reimbursed in US dollars after you return home. It’s simpler, cheaper and more flexible.
So in the end, by combining DPC with a health share plan, I am hopefully ending up with the best of all worlds:
The best personalized, advanced medicine and quick response time, possibly anywhere in the world through my DPC subscription, with unlimited “free” (zero co-pay) doctor visits.
Flexible coverage for any additional needs and support for decision-making and billing, even when traveling internationally
A financial backstop just in case things get really expensive
At a total monthly cost that is still lower than the most basic ho-hum plan on standard insurance
A further bonus – Sedera incentivizes you to be a member of a DPC, with a solid discount if you are, because they know their costs to cover you will be lower if you are healthier and have hassle-free access to a doctor.
This all sounds good to me, but it is important to state that this is an experiment. I still don’t have much experience with the US healthcare system – it helped deliver my son in 2006, and then repair that same boy’s broken arm in 2016. Conventional insurance offered some halfhearted support for both of those expenses, but aside from that I don’t have many stories to tell. 
By collecting more information from readers and from my new helpers at Cloud Medical and Sedera, we should be able to make more sense of all this. And hopefully continue to expand and improve this new, better form of health care so it is accessible to more US residents.
If it gets big enough, we might end up solving this whole problem together – better, cheaper health care for everyone.
My past articles and experiences have shown that for many of us, a big hurdle when considering early retirement or self-employment is “what about health insurance”? Hopefully the is DPC + Healthshare method will put that question to rest for many of us. After all, shouldn’t our career and life choices be separate from our healthcare?
—–
Interested in Learning More? A long-time friend of mine (and fellow early-retiree, and co-owner of the HQ coworking space) Bill and his family have been Sedera customers and enthusiasts for about two years. So much that he even took it upon himself to meet the company’s management, sign himself up as a representative to streamline some of the inefficiencies he perceived when joining, and then teach me about the whole thing.
Because of that, I am sharing Bill’s Sedera signup link in this article. His is unique among the Sedera affiliates in that he charges zero administrative fee, typical brokers charge $25 per month and up.
https:/sedera.community/thefireguild1
*note: Sedera does pay its affiliates a small referral fee for new customers, which does not affect your monthly bill – in fact, this link offers a lower price than subscribing directly through the company’s website. Thus, we believe this is the lowest cost way on the Internet to get this coverage.
As mentioned above, I’m giving Bill his own page to maintain on this site, where he can share his ongoing research and updates and answer questions: mrmoneymustache.com/sedera
Further Reading:
I was quite moved by this piece that Cloud Medical’s Dr. David Tusek wrote about “the ten heartbreaks” that led him to work since 2009 towards accelerating this better way to do healthcare.
An interesting story from Bill’s hometown, from a doctor who took this path way back in 2013:
South Portland Doctor Stops Accepting Insurance, Posts Prices Online (from the Bangor Daily News)
from Finance https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2020/11/09/direct-primary-care/ via http://www.rssmix.com/
0 notes
ubeb0nes · 5 years ago
Text
Chap. 2 of CONTRACT KILLER: OC x Natasha Romanoff
Chap. 2 of this mess. Ofc I didn’t proof read. 
Word Count: 2852
Summary: One week after Jean returns home from assassinating James Wagner. Nothing particularly important happens in this chapter, only serving to slowly build the dynamic of her household. 
---Holiday Household---
INDIGO STRIKES AGAIN. JAMES WAGNER ASSASSINATED. 
"Quite the headline, anak," Grandma Harper said as she watched the reporter on the national news detail the events. 
"Eh," I called from the kitchen, more concerned with how the hell I was supposed to tell if the spam was cooked well enough or not, "Nothing special." 
"If it was nothing special, you wouldn't have come back with so many bruises," Grandma replied as she walked into the kitchen and tapped the stitches on my brow. "Black Widow?" 
I nodded and pursed my lips. "Black Widow." Somehow, the SHIELD Agent had become a household name in a household of people who worked against her. 
Grandma clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "When you're not using deadly force, you're far too less efficient. You need to figure that out," she said. 
I scoffed. "I was about to use deadly force," I replied. 
"Why?" 
"She almost had me," I said as I checked the underside of one of the spam slices. "Is that cooked, mama?" I asked dumbly, doing a double take between grandma and the food. 
Grandma Harper rolled her eyes. "World's Greatest Mercenary can't tell when spam is cooked," she echoed. 
"World's Greatest Mercenary is the reason you're living large, grandma," I said with a grin. Grandma Harper threw her head back and laughed. She'd been a horse breeder (among other things) back in her day. It might've been a lucrative business in 1910, but I don't know how well she'd fare now. 
Of course, she’d had other means of attracting income. Not too unlike my own. 
"It's only a matter of time before they send their big guns after you, Jean."
"Yeahhh…" I drawled, "Nothing that I can't handle. I'm surprised they haven't gotten the message by now, though. I don't kill good people." 
Wagner had been a rapist. My target preceding Wagner was a genocidal terrorist. And the man before that had been one of my worst targets yet. A popular singer and actor. I'd found child pornography in his living room, and a ten year-old boy in his bed. 
And somehow, the deaths of all those monsters had turned me into public enemy number one. 
Grandma Harper sighed as she took a seat at the dinner table. She looked more tired than usual, her eyes looking 123 years old even if the rest of her only looked about forty. 
"My day was simpler. The law was more lenient, more understanding," she said, "But at the same time, ruthless. I think you would've done better in my time, anak." 
I laughed mirthlessly as I stacked the spam up on a plate next to the eggs. Grandma Harper was actually my great grandma, a woman who was born and thrived as an outlaw near the turn of the century. I hadn't seen her in a real fight during my insignificant life span, but the look in her eye hadn't seemed to dull. 
"Kids! AJ! Isiah! Food's ready!" I called, picking up the pan and hitting a metal spoon against its underside. Grandma Harper sent me a sour look, and I put it down. 
Like the stampede from Lion King, AJ and Isiah’s three kids came crashing into the kitchen. They came in with so much heat that they would've slid to their doom and hit their heads on the corner of the table if Grandma didn't stop them. 
"Careful, you three," she said sternly. 
Reggie, the oldest at seven years, apologized sheepishly. "Sorry, grandma," he said, and with a kiss on her cheek was back in her good graces. His little siblings followed his lead to sit at the table, where I had to help four year-old Jenny sit down properly, and quickly stopped five year-old Katie from stabbing herself with a butter knife. 
AJ and Ian streamed in after them, talking quietly and critically. 
"You guys alright?" I asked, turning one of the table seats backwards and settling into it. 
AJ looked at me with a tired smile, not even bothering to hide her conflictions. "Yeah. It’s just been a rough week, what with all that,” she replied, gesturing to the tv screen. Katie extended her stubby hands towards the tv remote. I pointed towards the window to distract her, and then hid the remote.
“Auntie J, that’s you!” Reggie exclaimed, pointing at the screen as the name of my dual identity and my masked figure crossed over the screen. 
I shot Reggie a crooked smile. “Dang right it is.”
“Language,” Grandma shook a fork at me.
“I said dang!” 
“Language.”
I conceded, raising my hands in defeat and then looked at the couple still standing in the doorway. “Would you two sit down?” I said with slight exasperation, “I didn’t cook for you to just look at the food.”
“I wouldn’t call frying spam cooking, J,” Isiah said as he took a seat and started piling up his plate. AJ rolled her eyes as she followed suit. To her, this little bickering feud between Isiah and me was about ten years too old. 
“But you’re eating it, aren’t you, you walnut?” I retorted. Isiah shot me the “touche” nod, and went about chowing down. 
“You just cashed in a million dollar check, and we’re eating spam,” AJ said with a grin. 
“Broke people act rich, rich people act broke,” I said waving my own fork at her, “I swear, you two are just gonna eat the grease off the pan next time.” A ripple of laughter sounded through the table. Jenny and Katie laughed along for the hell of it. 
“A million dollars, auntie?” Reggie said wistfully, looking at me with his mouth wide open and showing off his munched up spam and rice. Isiah shook his head, and pushed up the boy’s chin with the end of his fork. 
“Yeah,” I replied. Grandma Harper sent me a look, and I nodded. “Uh... You know how much doctors make, though?”
“How much?” Reggie asked. 
Way less, I thought. “Three million,” I said. AJ hit her head against the table as she watched me resort to lying to cover my ass. Isiah looked at me, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk with his food, and just stared at me blankly. Grandma Harper sighed, and got up to find her pills.
Reggie shrugged. “But your job’s cooler. And you’re still making, like, a million dollars!” He exclaimed. 
I sputtered for a moment, and would’ve been done for because of it if Reggie was a little older. “Yeah, but don’t you wanna save lives like a doctor?” 
“You save lives,” he fired back. 
“Eh…” I cringed a bit at that, “I don’t exactly-”
“And you get to have guns!”
“Hold on-”
“And you didn’t have to go to college.”
“Kid-”
“But daddy told me you ‘officially started when you were twelve’. Is that true?”
I kicked Reggie’s mother in the shins, jolting her from her stupor as her son's questions evolved horribly. Help, I mouthed. 
AJ cleared her throat, and put her best mom’s voice on. “Junior, finish your food, okay?” She said, “Then you and dad can play Street Fighter until nine.” 
Reggie gawked, forgetting all about his blossoming ambitions to be a mercenary. “Until nine?”
“Finish your food first.” “Yes ma’am.” I don’t know why he emphasized “ma’am” like that, but I thought it was funny as hell and guffawed loudly, while simultaneously slumping over at dodging a (metaphorical) bullet. 
---
“I can’t believe you told the kid about how I first killed somebody,” I growled in a hushed tone at Isiah, just barely kept from ripping his head off by the grace of god and AJ’s occasional tentative hand on my shoulder. 
“It flew right over his head, don’t worry,” Isiah said flippantly, more focused on trying to get Ken to do a Hadouken without it being on accident. 
“That’s not the point, you perpetual loser,” I said quietly. The kids were still gathered around on the carpet, which I laid haphazardly on as I stared up at Isiah with vengeance in my eyes. I would save the more colorful insults for when they all went to bed. 
“Dad, stop cheating!” Reggie yelled as Isiah moved to casually stand in front of Reggie and obscure his view of the screen as they played against each other.
“Your children will grow up to hate you, Isiah Bradley,” I called from the carpet. Isiah raised his foot up, threatening to step on me. I scoffed. “I wish you would, Isiah. I wish you would.”
“So,” AJ said, sitting down next to me on the carpet as she attempted to avert my murderous gaze from her husband, “You went toe-to-toe with Agent Romanoff again?” I heard Grandma let out a faraway snort from the kitchen.
I sat up and subconsciously put a hand to the stitches on my brow. “Yeah. It dragged on a little longer than I originally planned,” I said. Then again, it was hard to plan ahead when faced with the Black Widow. 
“You need to get control over all your powers,” AJ advised, and I nodded, “You’d be Iron Man-level with them.” I scoffed. “What, am I not Iron Man-level without all the pyromania?” I asked. Sure, Black Widow might’ve nearly executed me by way of thigh, but I’d still won. 
“Don’t know. I mean, are you completely confident you can take a guy like that down when it comes to it?” She replied, “Because it will. Once SHIELD gets tired of this game of cat and mouse.”
And I was honestly surprised they hadn’t played one of their enigmatic little trump cards yet, seeing as we were three years into this little “game”. They could call upon Iron Man, War Machine, Black Widow, and even throw in Hawkeye, just for shits, if they wanted to. And I’d be a long since resolved problem. 
I gazed down at my own hands. They were slender and heavily scarred, but I’d covered up the flaws with tattoos. And within them was a power kept locked away in slumber, a power that, to be blunt, would turn me from a pesky mercenary to a worldwide threat. But it’d been sleeping in my family’s blood since Grandma Harper, so it was something even she couldn’t explain to me. 
“I mean, you remember that time you activated your powers on accident though, right?” AJ asked, recalling that one spar almost five years ago. 
Isiah had said something that pissed me off- big surprise there- during a spar, and I’d gone in for perhaps the angriest and most uncoordinated punch of my life. Flames had been born from my knuckles, licking at the back of my hand and then shooting forward at Isiah like something out of Avatar. The flames looked as if they were truly alive, and as angry as me at Isiah as they tried to consume him. But they died the moment I panicked at their birth, fearing what permanent damage they’d do to Isiah. And, unfortunately, he lived on.
“I doubt it’ll ever happen again,” I said. Since then, I hadn’t felt that dangerous heat rising in my palms. And I’d never tell any of my friends or even Grandma Harper, but it was the greatest feeling in the world. That power was beautiful. So beautiful, so enticing, in fact, that I couldn’t help but fear it. Just a little. 
Isiah chuckled. “Can’t wait to watch your kids figure it out, then,” he quipped, as Ryu- controlled by Reggie- Ultra Hadkouken’d his Ken into oblivion. 
“I thought we already went over this,” I replied with a chuckle, “I’m not popping any babies out.”
“Good. Imagine the power of those little devils,” he said with a snicker. 
AJ gave him a warning look. “Isiah.”
“Honey, you don’t understand,” Isiah insisted, shaking his head, “The power that was radiating off of this kid for that split second?” He shivered dramatically, “If I’m being honest, it might be that kind of thing that’s better left never discovered.”
“Even though I would’ve done us all a huge favor if I’d just made you a crispy chicken nugget,” I muttered under my breath. Isiah rolled his eyes, while AJ shook her head with a smile. 
“...” 
“...Back to the popping babies thing, though,” AJ said.
“Oh, heck no.” I started to stand up. 
“You’re young! A young bachelor! With money!” AJ made sure to emphasize the money factor heavily, making an emphatic ‘make it rain’ gesture. 
“No,” I said, marching up the stairs to the guest room that I stayed in whenever I was here, while Isiah yelled something about me having to play against him. To my chagrin, AJ followed me. “Go to your family, heathen,” I spat over my shoulder. 
“But you are family, kid,” she replied, throwing an arm over my shoulder as she rapidly switched into her Isiah-like persona, which only came out when we started to talk about relationships. Her reply would’ve warmed my heart if the conversation topic itself wasn’t revolting. 
“No.” I rushed into the guest room and tried to close it behind me before AJ could slip in, but slip in she did. 
“But yes,” she replied as she sat down at my desk, “C’mon Jean, you’re twenty-two! At least try and have a little fun more often.” I cringed, as I knew exactly what AJ’s idea of ‘fun’ was. Clubbing, house parties, and (before Isiah) plenty of unadulterated sex. She’d settled down from all of that since marrying that walnut, but she’d take some time to herself every now and then, and her ventures usually involved dragging me with her. 
“I have plenty of fun,” I replied sourly as I collapsed on my bed, ruining the perfect lines of Grandma Harper’s work to keep it tidy. 
“You haven’t changed one bit since you were a kid, you know that?” She said, “You still find pianos and books more attractive than actual people.”
“I find people attractive, Aliyah Jackman,” I retorted, sitting up, “I just don’t act on it. Leave me alone.”
There was a beat of silence. And I knew it was coming. 
“...I know for a fact that you were hitting on Black Widow while you guys fought.” I tried to keep a smirk down. “So what if I was?”
AJ let out a howl of laughter. “Be careful with that one, Jean Holiday.”
“Nothing about our lives involves the word ‘careful’,” I replied.
“True. But I gotta tell you, if I liked women, I’d like Black Widow too,” she quipped. 
“...You know, I can’t help but be a little jealous of her.”
“How so?”
I let out a sigh, rubbing my forehead. I was too young to constantly be feeling this old. “Remember those corrupted SHIELD files you and Isiah found?” I asked. 
“Yeah… You found some dirt on her, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. She wasn’t much better than us at one point. If not worse,” I replied, “How come she gets a second chance? And we continue to be prey?”
“It’s not like any of us are seeking redemption.” And I couldn’t disagree with that. 
I let out a sigh. “From what that file said, it seemed like Clint Barton took a chance on her. Likely that she wasn’t looking for redemption either. It just fell in her lap.”
“Look, you’ve got no reason to be jealous of her, kid,” AJ said. I looked up at her, furrowing my brow curiously. “It’s not like you don’t have your own chance. If you want to leave this behind, nobody’s gonna stop you.”
That weight settled back in my stomach. That weight that should’ve been carried by someone much older, much sadder. “It’s not that simple,” I muttered.
AJ scoffed, and I heard the chair creak as she stood up. “Look, you don’t need me to tell you that we’re not exactly good people. The only one making it ‘not that simple’ is you, Jean,” she said, “You have a choice. Don’t act like you don’t.” And with that, she left. I flopped down on my bed. 
It was an odd relationship I had with AJ, Isiah, and Grandma Harper. They willingly conditioned me to take on this life, and yet it seemed like they always wanted me to follow the other path at the crossroad. 
But Grandma Harper had been an outlaw, an idea I’d never romanticized. I knew she did nasty things, probably killed good people (although I’d never ask). Then after her, Grandpa Josiah had gone on an angry tirade for reasons I still didn’t know, rebelling against the law until it killed him. And after him, my mom… Emery Holiday. I think she might’ve tried to be good. She joined the military, flew in the name of the US. But somewhere along the way, I guess the curse of our family’s selfishness and corruption caught up to her. Again, I didn’t really know, too cowardly to ask. 
If that was all they ever were, how could I be any different? What right did I have to be any different?
And if we put that all aside, what hope did I have to be any different?
0 notes
jack-fact · 8 years ago
Text
The Senate’s Obamacare “Repeal”
Friends, countrymen, lend me your ears! The Senate’s replacement bill for Obamacare is going to kill tens of thousands of poor children and the elderly! Wait, no, it’s going to keep Obamacare’s crushing regulations and taxes in place and the government will complete its dictatorial takeover of our pocketbooks! Wait, no…
The truth is in the middle. It’s always in the middle. The Republican Party has made the promise to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Barack Obama’s proudest accomplishment as President, a core campaign issue for the last seven years, and after seven years they have unified control of all three branches of government. Wait, then why are we talking about this? Well, it turns out that even members of the same party can have vastly different opinions on healthcare. I’ll elaborate.
First, I’ll go over the history so far for those who haven’t been paying attention so far. (Don’t worry, it’s ok, as long as you’re here now. Better late than never.) In March the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), released a bill called the American Health Care Act, or AHCA. The bill was received… poorly. I did a rundown of the bill’s contents and its tumultuous journey through the House two months ago, and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t yet. As I describe the Senate bill, I’ll also make sure to highlight how it differs from the House bill.
Anyways, the Senate signalled after the AHCA was passed that it was going to go its own way on healthcare reform and essentially ignore the House’s bill. And they did this for good reason: an underrated accomplishment of Obamacare’s passing was that it fundamentally changed the way America as a whole views healthcare. At its lowest, Obamacare had an astoundingly low approval rating of 37% in 2014-2015, as the law first began to take effect. However, in April polls found that the ACA had a 55% approval rating, the first time ever that more than half of Americans said they liked the law. We’ve seen, over the last 3-4 years, a fundamental shift in American culture, and that’s the growing attitude that affordable healthcare is something you’re entitled to, not something you have to earn. So naturally, Republicans in Congress had to move away from the idea of repealing Obamacare entirely and bringing us back to pre-2009 healthcare, and instead come up with a new system to make health insurance affordable. 
The House used a system of flat tax credits in their bill, essentially giving people a set amount of money to pay for health insurance depending on how old you are. Twenty-year-olds would get $2000, forty-year-olds $3000, sixty-year olds $4000. Unfortunately, on average, sixty-year-olds making $20,000 a year would have to pay more than their monthly salary in order to pay their premiums under this bill, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The AHCA didn’t affect the young very much, since a twenty-year-old isn’t likely to get sick very often, but it had potentially bankrupting effects on the elderly. 
ENTER THE SENATE. Now, Senators are renowned for being more level-headed and more moderate than their counterparts in the House. After all, they do represent entire states instead of just small districts (except for Rep. Liz Cheney from Wyoming, who represents the entire state because it’s so empty, but I digress.) Republican Senators took one look at the predictions that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office made about the House’s bill (the ones that said that 23 million people would lose coverage if it passed), and took another look at the bill’s horrendous 21% approval rating and said “hmmm, let’s not do that.” Instead, the Senate’s newly-minted bill, boringly dubbed the Better Care Reconciliation Act or BCRA, keeps Obamacare’s system of government-run markets where you can buy health insurance at low prices paid for by government money. (Hint: this is the part that conservative Senators say is too similar to Obamacare. Hint #2: they’re saying that because it is very similar to Obamacare.) The Senate only tweaks this part of the system slightly, by making the markets available to only people making 350% or less of the Federal Poverty Line, which is $12060. Therefore, if you make $42,210 or less you can get government-subsidized health insurance, but if you make $42,210-$48,240 this bill just pulled the rug out from under you. Fortunately, at that level paying for health insurance is not as hard as it is for people making poverty-level salaries. 
The new bill also keeps a number of important protective regulations from the ACA in effect. For example, children can still stay on their parents’ plans until they are 26. Most importantly, insurance companies cannot charge you more or deny your coverage if you have a pre-existing condition. This is where the bills’ similarities end, however.
A major issue that many have with the new bill is that it could possibly lead to an adverse-selection cost spiral, or “death spiral”. This term has been thrown out a lot in argument’s over the ACA’s future, and honestly, many people don’t seem to understand what it means. I’ll try to explain to the best of my ability why this bill has a possible issue: first of all, the BCRA protects people with pre-existing conditions, which is great. When this protection was first put in place, however, the drafters of the ACA encountered a problem. Essentially, if you don’t let insurance companies charge people with a lot of healthcare needs more, then they need to start charging everyone more money in premiums so that they don’t run out by spending it all on the people with chronic illnesses. This problem was made even worse by the fact that people who are young and healthy, and therefore pretty much never need to go to the doctor and don’t cost health insurance companies any money, oftentimes make the decision to just not buy any health insurance at all. So now, you’ve got permanently sick people using health insurance like crazy, you’ve got insurance companies running out of money because they can’t charge the really sick people more money than everyone else, and healthy people who pay in to insurance companies without taking much out choose to opt out of health insurance as prices increase. In short, prices skyrocket, and the market enters a “death spiral” as sick people take out more and more money, and healthy people bail. The architects of the ACA came up with a simple solution: if someone chooses not to buy health insurance, they pay a fine, called the “individual mandate” (it was officially called a “tax” to keep it constitutional, but it was basically a fine.) The fine would be paid back to the insurance companies and would help ensure that they don’t enter the death spiral; it would also encourage people to skip the hassle and just sign up for health insurance. You can tell that there’s a fundamental idea here: you can’t have a bill protect people with pre-existing conditions without some form of individual mandate. The financial contributions of healthy people who don’t need insurance basically pay for the extra healthcare that persistently sick people need. The BCRA, however, has no individual mandate. It keeps the protections for pre-existing conditions without ensuring healthy people stay in markets, and therefore the situation is ripe for a death spiral to occur. This is basic, logical economic stuff, and the Senate bill doesn’t have a good solution right now. 
Another huge difference in the bill is that it cancels a massive planned money injection into the Medicaid system. Medicaid is a government-run health insurance program for people of low income. Under the ACA, Medicaid was massively expanded to any state that chose to accept funds from the federal government. Many states chose not to accept federal expansion funds, and over half of the nation’s uninsured live in the states that refused expanded funding. The BCRA does away with the expansion of Medicaid entirely, and the bill cuts about $772 billion from Medicaid according to the CBO’s score. The Republican authors of the bill believe that people who lose Medicaid coverage will be able to buy coverage from the subsidized insurance markets, but the CBO still asserts that 22 million will lose coverage by 2026 due to the bill. No one knows whether those numbers are accurate; the CBO has had difficulty forecasting coverage changes in the past, but the evidence is there to at least partially support what they’re saying. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have both said they cannot vote for the bill because of these cuts. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) both have expressed concerns about the cuts as well, since Medicaid funds have been important to those states’ fights against opioid abuse. 
A final aspect of the bill I’ll go over is the fact that it cuts funding to Planned Parenthood for one year. This is an extremely polarizing issue for a lot of people, so I won’t editorialize at all, but I will say that Sen. Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have both said they will not vote for a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood.
Republicans have 52 Senators out of 100. That means they can only lose three Senators or the bill will not pass. So far, Republican Senators Heller and Collins have said they do not plan to vote for the bill because of the insurance coverage losses it will cause; they want the bill to move to the left. Republican Senators Paul, Cruz, Johnson, and Lee have said they will not vote for it because it is too similar to Obamacare; they want the bill to move to the right. Seven more Republicans have voiced concerns or disappointments with the bill but haven’t come out as a “yes” or “no”. Already, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has had to postpone a vote until after the July 4th break due to a lack of support. This bill is by no means the sure thing it seemed in January, but if the House of Representatives taught us anything, it’s that no bill is too unpopular or too controversial to bring back to life.
0 notes
newstfionline · 4 years ago
Text
Headlines
Amid virus, uncertainty, parents decide how to school kids (AP) Joshua Claybourn is leaning toward sending his kindergarten daughter to in-person classes at a private school next month. Holly Davis’ sixth-grade daughter will learn online, though the family has not yet decided what to do for school for a teenage daughter who requires special accommodations for hearing problems and dyslexia and another who’s starting college. As they decide how their children will learn this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, parents are anxiously weighing the benefits of in-person instruction against the risks that schools could shut their doors again or that their children could contract the virus and pass it on. “To say we are stressed might be an understatement,” said Davis, of Zionsville, Indiana, whose family is self-isolating after one of their daughters was exposed to COVID-19 at a cross country meet. “We’re being forced to make impossible decisions.” Across the country, chaos and disarray have marked the start of the school year as families await directives from district officials and, where they have a choice, make agonizing decisions over whether to enroll their children online or in person—often with very little guidance. If their kids are not in classrooms, parents will have to line up child care—or find the time to help them learn online. They have no idea if it will be safe to send their children to school—or whether the school doors will open at all or stay open if someone is diagnosed with the virus.
Cities in Bind as Turmoil Spreads Far Beyond Portland (NYT) A series of strident new protests over police misconduct rattled cities across the country over the weekend, creating a new dilemma for state and local leaders who had succeeded in easing some of the turbulence in their streets until a showdown over the use of federal agents in Oregon stirred fresh outrage. With some demonstrators embracing destructive protest methods and police often using aggressive tactics to subdue both them and others who are demonstrating peacefully, the scenes on Saturday night in places like Seattle, Oakland, Calif., and Los Angeles recalled the volatile early days of the protests after the death of George Floyd at the end of May. The latest catalyst was the deployment of federal law enforcement agents in Portland, Ore., whose militarized efforts to subdue protests around the federal courthouse have sparked mass demonstrations and nightly clashes there. They have also inspired new protests of solidarity in other cities, where people have expressed deep concern about the federal government exercising such extensive authority in a city that has made it clear it opposes the presence of federal agents. Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle said in an interview Sunday that the city is in the middle of a self-fulfilling prophecy, with protesters infuriated by the federal presence in Portland smashing windows and setting fires, the very images of “anarchy” that the president has warned about.
Uncertainty pushes gold price to record, over $1,930 per oz (AP) The price of gold surged to a record above $1,934 per ounce on Monday as investors moved money into an asset seen as a safe haven amid jitters about U.S.-Chinese tension and the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Prices of gold and silver have jumped as rising infection numbers and job losses in the United States and some other economies fuel concern the recovery from the virus and the worst global downturn since the 1930s might be faltering.
Tourism, diplomacy facing pushback as virus caseloads surge (AP) Countries are considering putting away their welcome mats to tourists and regional meetings are being put on hold as the coronavirus pandemic strengthens its grip in many of the worst-affected countries. The biggest driver of new infections in Australia’s biggest current outbreak is people continuing to go to work after showing symptoms, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said. The state on Monday reported a record 532 new cases, while its biggest city, Melbourne, is almost half way through a six-week lockdown aimed at curbing community spread of the virus. “This is what is driving these numbers up, and the lockdown will not end until people stop going to work with symptoms and instead go and get tested,” Andrews said. Australia is among many nations in the Asian-Pacific where foreign travelers are essentially banned or, when allowed to enter, required to submit to tests and strict quarantines. At the same time, some countries that have let limited international travel resume are reconsidering as clusters of cases grow into new outbreaks. Some European nations were warning citizens not to visit Spain after some of its most beloved summer venues turned into coronavirus hot spots facing renewed pandemic lockdowns.
Colombian guerrillas are using coronavirus curfews to expand their control (Washington Post) Lorena Paredes sat in the passenger seat of a silver SUV as it sped through the night roads of Colombia’s Pacific coast. The 28-year-old lawyer was nervous. She was returning from a doctor’s appointment late—well past the start of a coronavirus curfew that can be as deadly as the virus itself. Armed groups in this violence-fraught nation of 50 million are imposing new levels of control during the coronavirus outbreak, and enforcing some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world—with harsh penalties for violators. In the port city of Tumaco, a narco-trafficking hub in the Colombian southwest, guerrillas posted pamphlets declaring all curfew violators “military targets.” In a warning to all, a medical transport responding to a call after curfew was torched in early May, its driver and patient killed. Paredes, driven by a friend, thought she might get lucky. Then she saw the roadblock. Enforcers with shotguns and automatic weapons opened fire, piercing the SUV. Paredes felt stabs of pain as three bullets struck her leg. Her friend, hit in the face and arm, nevertheless managed to pull over, where the pair begged for their lives. They were released with a warning, to seek assistance on their own. Human rights groups, community leaders and government officials say a toxic slate of leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug cartels are using the outbreak to consolidate control over parts of a country still reeling from the aftermath of five decades of armed conflict. The increasingly violent competition shows the power of the pandemic to deepen preexisting societal challenges and loosen the grip of government in fragile states.
Full ceasefire takes effect in eastern Ukraine (Reuters) A full and comprehensive ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists has entered into force in eastern Ukraine, opening the prospect of an end to military and civilian casualties, the two sides said on Monday. The deal was backed by the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who agreed “the need for an urgent implementation of extra measures to support the ceasefire regime in Donbass”.
U.N. says nearly 3,500 Afghans killed or hurt in first half of 2020 (Reuters) More than 1,280 Afghan civilians have been killed in the first six months of the year as fighting rages in Afghanistan despite a pact between the United States and Taliban militants, the United Nations said on Monday. The violence, mainly between Afghan government forces and the Taliban, killed 1,282 and injured 2,176 for a tally of 3,458 civilian casualties, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report. “The reality remains that Afghanistan continues to be one of the deadliest conflicts in the world for civilians,” it said in the mid-year report.
Following Houston, U.S. Consulate Closes In Chengdu (Foreign Policy) The flag at the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu was lowered in the early hours of this [Monday] morning, signaling the end of U.S. diplomatic operations in the capital of Sichuan province for the foreseeable future. It marks another low point in U.S.-China relations after the U.S. government ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston on Friday. The tit-for-tat leaves the two countries with an equal, but diminished, diplomatic presence: At present, both countries still maintain four consulates and an embassy on each other’s soil. The pro-government Chinese newspaper Global Times lamented the fraying of ties, while being in no doubt of where to lay the blame. “Right now, it is no longer a matter of whether China-U.S. ties are in freefall, but whether the line of defense on world peace is being broken through by Washington,” a Sunday editorial said. “The world must not be hijacked by a group of political madmen.”
For kitchen-less Hong Kongers, new ban on restaurant dining is a bitter pill (Reuters) A new Hong Kong ban on dining at restaurants and food stalls aimed at reining in a spike in coronavirus cases threatens to complicate life for the many people in the city who depend on eating out for daily meals. Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers live in subdivided tiny apartments, shared by multiple families and which often do not have kitchen facilities or even if they do, are too cramped to be used often. “Many people don’t cook or cannot cook. Lots of old people cannot cook. Most of my friends don’t have kitchens—they eat out for every meal,” said a car driver who gave his surname as Chong as he walked through the bustling Wan Chai district where food stalls line the streets. For the seven-day duration of the ban, people without a kitchen will have to make do with takeout or food purchased at supermarkets.
As the World Gets Tougher on China, Japan Tries to Thread a Needle (NYT) Earlier this year, as it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic was not going to pass quickly, the Japanese government delayed plans for what would be the first state visit by a Chinese leader to Tokyo since 2008. Now, with Chinese military aggression rising in the region and Beijing cracking down on Hong Kong, Japan is considering canceling Xi Jinping’s visit altogether—but very gingerly. “We are not in the phase of arranging a concrete schedule now” was how Toshimitsu Motegi, the foreign minister, put it this month. While its top allies have taken a harder line on China—especially the United States, which dramatically escalated tensions this past week by closing the Chinese Consulate in Houston—Japan has pursued a delicate balancing act, mindful of the economic might of its largest trading partner and its own limited military options. To some extent, Japan’s mild-mannered response to China echoes its broader approach to foreign policy, in which it tends to avoid direct conflict or public rebukes of other nations. It has also sometimes sought a mediating role, as when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met last December with Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, to try to ease tensions in the Middle East.
Lebanon reimposes COVID-19 restrictions as infections spike (Reuters) Lebanon reimposed severe COVID-19 restrictions on Monday for the next two weeks, shutting places of worship, cinemas, bars, nightclubs, sports events and popular markets, after a sharp rise in infections. Shops, private companies, banks and educational institutions would be permitted to open, but only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with a near total lockdown in place Thursday through Monday until Aug 10. This week’s lockdown coincides with the Eid al-Adha holiday when Muslims normally hold large gatherings. Officials said they were alarmed by a spike in cases in recent days, with at least 132 new infections and eight deaths confirmed in the last 24 hours. Lebanon has recorded just 51 deaths from the coronavirus since February.
Zimbabwe calls U.S. ambassador 'thug' as anti-government protests loom (Reuters) Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party on Monday called the United States ambassador a “thug” and accused him of funding the opposition ahead of this week’s planned anti-government protests that authorities say are meant to overthrow the government. Without providing evidence, ZANU-PF spokesman Patrick Chinamasa told reporters that U.S. ambassador to Harare, Brian Nichols, was involved in subversive activities to topple President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Relations between Zimbabwe and the West were promising when Mnangagwa replaced Mugabe after a coup in 2017, but have soured over the government’s human rights record.
0 notes
khalilhumam · 5 years ago
Text
Coronavirus means a ceasefire in Yemen is needed now more than ever
Register at https://mignation.com The Only Social Network for Migrants. #Immigration, #Migration, #Mignation ---
New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/coronavirus-means-a-ceasefire-in-yemen-is-needed-now-more-than-ever/
Coronavirus means a ceasefire in Yemen is needed now more than ever
Moeen Alzuriqi (Protection Officer) at hygiene kit distribution in Alkoba IDP Camp, Taiz, Yemen. Wael Algadi/Oxfam
This blog was written by Awssan Kamal Oxfam GB Humanitarian Campaign Project Manager, a British Yemeni aid worker and activist. In 2015 he was forced to return to the UK when the conflict began. The people of Yemen like many in across the world in conflict affected states now face COVID-19, hospitals have been destroyed, borders are closed, and humanitarian assistance is difficult to access It is now a critical time for the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to show leadership and take action. People in Yemen need a sustainable peace, global funding and cooperation to contain the pandemic and protect millions of people who are suffering the devastating consequences of conflict. Only this week, just over 3 months since the UN Secretary-General came out and called for a global ceasefire, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to support the call for a global ceasefire and to help fight COVID-19.  Resolution 2532 called for “a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days” which was reportedly broken by continued fighting in Yemen hours after the announcement.   In the last five years conflict in Yemen has caused over a hundred thousand people to lose their lives. It is hard to imagine from the outside, with many people struggling to even put three meals a day on the table, what that means until you see it with your eyes. The effects of increased food insecurity and malnutrition levels can be seen with the naked eye but it is so hard for the media to report the story. Last week, UNICEF warned that an additional 30,000 children could develop life-threatening malnutrition over the next 6 months, and the overall number of malnourished children under the age of 5 could increase to a total of 2.4 million (a rise of around 20%). The war has driven people out of their homes, not just once but sometimes 2 and 3 times, and has led to the displacement of 3.6 million people, including 76 per cent of women and children. This makes it even more tragic that their voices and needs are shut out from any solutions to their situation. The recent escalation and fighting across the country are making an already dire situation even worse. Aid groups and local civil society organisations are struggling to find funds, as well as ensuring that their staff can safely respond to the humanitarian needs. You might wonder, why it is so important for aid organisations and civil society groups to be able to respond in Yemen now, when the people of Yemen have struggled for many years?  Access to water and sanitation is going to fighting the spread of COVID-19. Due to increasingly depleted groundwater basins and now the conflict that has raged for 5 years people are having to travel even further across conflict lines to access water and pay more to pump it out of the ground. For communities (especially in rural areas) washing hands is a luxury. Many only wash their hands before eating their only meal of the day. Simple measures for preventing the spread of Coronavirus, such as handwashing, are impossible for many.   War has brought a broken health system to its knees. In a country where doctors have struggled for many years to get equipment, you can imagine how difficult it is now to get the necessary PPE to respond safely to Coronavirus. In the already struggling health system, a caesarean section for a woman could cost the family nearly 5 months of their wages. Just a simple procedure like a broken arm could cost the equivalent of 3 months of wages.   According to the UN, “COVID-19 is spreading rapidly across Yemen. About 25% of Yemenis confirmed to have the disease have died. That’s five times the global average.” In his briefing to the UN Security Council on 24 June 2020, Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said, “We know many cases and deaths are going unrecorded. Burial prices in some areas have increased by seven times compared to a few months ago” The UK Government’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, announced that UK aid-funded research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimates that infections in Yemen have already reached 1 million cases. The research states that in the worst-case scenario, there will be up to 85,000 deaths.  
(The publicly available London School research can also be found here, the Press Release from the UK government is here on Gov.uk)
(The publicly available London School research can also be found here, the Press Release from the UK government is here on Gov.uk) In early June, the UK Government and other donors met virtually to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The UN called for $2.4 billion to be able to respond to new challenges in the country. This virtual meeting generated $1.35 billion, more than $1 billion short of the UN’s target. Unfortunately, there was no sight of the record-breaking $1 billion pledge from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to humanitarian operations in Yemen 2018, and it is unclear when this money might be dispersed.   At this meeting, the UK Government pledged £160 million to Yemen. Given the current situation, it is positive to see continued support from the Government for the crisis in Yemen. However, it is disappointing to see a reduction in UK funding since last year, when the UK pledged £200 million at a similar event and subsequently gave an additional £40 million, bringing overall spending in Yemen to £240 million in 2019. Since the conflict escalated in 2015, the UK has contributed nearly £1 billion in assistance to Yemen. This figure is huge, but it contrasts with over £6 billion that the UK earned over the 5 years of war from selling of arm to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. So called “open licences” add at least hundreds of millions more but are not publicly reported If a more permanent, nationwide ceasefire and a political solution is not reached soon, and more funding to support humanitarian activity is not found, the food security situation will further deteriorate, more children will become malnourished, and many may die as Coronavirus gains a stronger hold within the country. The UK should now show global leadership by taking concrete action to make this ceasefire a reality in Yemen, ensuring respect for international law and stop fuelling the conflict by halting arms sales. In his statement calling for a global ceasefire three months ago the Secretary- General said, “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war.” He added, “It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives.” Now is the time to silence the guns and stand with those who are unable to access adequate health care and sanitation. We need to focus on ensuring inclusive and lasting peace, so that global efforts focus on the real challenges of inequality, and our drive to overcome Coronavirus. 
Author
Awssan Kamal
Awssan is an Oxfam GB Humanitarian Campaign Project Manager, a British Yemeni aid worker and activist. In 2015 he was forced to return to the UK when the conflict began.
0 notes