#the Veteran Families Health Services Act

[coochiequeens]

No one is entitled to biological offspring and how can they include surrogacy in the Act without implying that couples are entitled to women to be surrogates?

A trio of Democratic senators are introducing a "Right to IVF Act" that would, among other things, force private health insurance plans to cover assisted reproduction treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, and gestational surrogacy.

The measure provides no exception or accommodations for religious objections, all but ensuring massive legal battles over the mandate should it pass.

The "sweeping legislative package" (as the senators describe it) combines several existing pieces of legislation, including the Access to Family Building Act and the Family Building Federal Employees Health Benefit Fairness Act sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D–Ill.), the Veteran Families Health Services Act from Sen. Patty Murray (D–Wash.), and the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act from Sen. Cory Booker (D–N.J.).

Booker's contribution here is probably the most controversial. It requires coverage for assisted reproduction from any health care plan that covers obstetric services.

A Reverse Contraception Mandate

Remember the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, which required private health insurance plans to cover birth control (allegedly) at no cost to plan participants? It spawned some big legal battles over the rights of religious employers and institutions not to offer staff health plans that included birth control coverage.

Booker's Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act is a lot like the Obamacare contraception mandate, except instead of requiring health care plans to cover the costs of avoiding pregnancy it would require them to cover treatments to help people become pregnant.

The bill states that all group health plans or health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance must cover assisted reproduction and fertility preservation treatments if they cover any obstetric services. It defines assisted reproductive technology as "treatments or procedures that involve the handling of human egg, sperm, and embryo outside of the body with the intent of facilitating a pregnancy, including in vitro fertilization, egg, embryo, or sperm cryopreservation, egg or embryo donation, and gestational surrogacy."

Health insurance plans could only require participant cost-sharing (in the form of co-pays, deductibles, etc.) for such services to the same extent that they require cost-sharing for similar services.

What Could Go Wrong?

It seems like it should go without saying by now but there is no such thing as government-mandated healthcare savings. Authorities can order health care plans to cover IVF (or contraception or whatever) and cap point-of-service costs for plan participants, but health insurers will inevitably pass these costs on to consumers in other ways—leading to higher insurance premiums overall or other health care cost increases.

Yes, IVF and other fertility procedures are expensive. But a mandate like this could actually risk raising IVF costs.

When a lot of people are paying out of pocket for fertility treatments, medical professionals have an incentive to keep costs affordable in order to attract patients. If everyone's insurance covers IVF and patients needn't bother with comparing costs or weighing costs versus benefits, there's nothing to stop medical providers from raising prices greatly. We'll see the same cost inflation we've seen in other sectors of the U.S. healthcare marketplace—a situation that not only balloons health care spending generally (and gets passed on to consumers one way or another) but makes fertility treatments out of reach for people who don't have insurance that covers such treatments.

Raising costs isn't the only issue here, of course. There's the matter of more government intervention in private markets (something some of us are still wild-eyed enough to oppose!).

Offering employee health care plans that cover IVF could be a good selling point for recruiting potential employees or keeping existing employees happy. But there's no reason that every employer should have to do so, just because lawmakers want IVF to be more accessible.

It's unfair to employers—big or small, religious or non-religious—to say they all must take on the costs of offering health care plans that cover pricey fertility treatments. And Booker's bill contains no exceptions for small businesses or for entities with religious or ethical objections.

A lot of religious people are morally opposed to things like IVF and surrogacy. This measure would force religious employers to subsidize and tacitly condone these things if they wanted to offer employees health care plans with any obstetrics coverage at all.

As with any government intervention in free markets, there's the possibility that this fertility treatment mandate would distort incentives. IVF can certainly be an invaluable tool for folks experiencing infertility. But it's also very expensive and very taxing—emotionally and physically—for the women undergoing it, with far from universal success rates. The new mandate could encourage people who may not be good candidates for IVF to keep trying it, perhaps nudging them away from other options (like adoption) that might be better suited to their circumstances.

'Access' Vs. Whatever This Is

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, many Americans have worried that the legal regime change would pave the way for outlawing things like contraception or IVF, too. Encoding into law (or legal precedent) the idea that fertilized eggs are people could have negative implications for these things, even if many conservative politicians pledge (and demonstrate) that IVF and birth control are safe. In response, some progressive politicians—perhaps genuinely concerned, perhaps sensing political opportunity (or why not both?)—have started talking a lot about the need to protect access to IVF across the country.

As much as I agree with this goal, I think IVF's legality is better off as a state-by-state matter. That said, the "protect IVF nationwide" impulse wouldn't be so bad if "protecting access" simply meant making sure that the procedure was legal.

But as we've seen again and again over the past couple decades, Democrats tend to define health care and medicine "access" differently.

The new Right to IVF Act would establish a national right to provide or receive assisted reproduction services. In their press release, the senators say this last bit would "pre-empt any state effort to limit such access and ensur[e] no hopeful parent—or their doctors—are punished for trying to start or grow a family." OK.

But that's not all it would do. The bill's text states that "an individual has a statutory right under this Act, including without prohibition or unreasonable limitation or interference (such as due to financial cost or detriment to the individual's health, including mental health), to—(A) access assisted reproductive technology; (B) continue or complete an ongoing assisted reproductive technology treatment or procedure pursuant to a written plan or agreement with a health care provider; and (C) retain all rights regarding the use or disposition of reproductive genetic materials, including gametes."

Note that bit about financial cost. It's kind of confusingly worded and it's unclear exactly what that would mean in practice. But it could give the government leeway to directly intervene if they think IVF is broadly unaffordable or to place more demands on individual health care facilities, providers, insurance plans, etc., to help cover the costs of IVF for people whom it would otherwise be financially out of reach.

This is the distilled essence of how Democrats go too far on issues like this. They're not content to say "People shouldn't be punished for utilizing/offering IVF" or that the practice shouldn't be illegal. They look at authoritarian or overreaching possibilities from the other side (like banning or criminalizing IVF) and respond with overreaching proposals of their own.

The proble with increasing access to IVF is what happens when the couple needs a surrogate to have biological offspring? Will they beg and pester the women in their lives? Will the affordable IVF compensate surrogates fairly?

[oneofthosecrazycatladies]

Hitler and the Nazi party took over Germany in 53 days. March 1st marks 41 days of the Trump administration. My hope for March is that the list you’re about to read won’t be the in-real-time evidence of America sliding further into autocracy.

Here we go again…

January-February 2025

March 2025:

Trump has made English the official language of the country [x]

Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine [x]

Trump has imposed new tariffs on China and Canada and they have retaliated [x]

Linda McMahon has been confirmed as Secretary of Education [x]

The Department of Education has set up a witch-hunt for DEI in schools [x]

Trump has delayed his tariffs on the auto industry [x]

Trump suspends tariffs on Mexico [x]

ICE is now targeting migrant families who entered the US with their children [x]

Trump is threatening new tariffs on Canada, including 250% tariffs on dairy products [x]

The Department of Homeland Security is performing polygraph tests on employees [x]

Because of cuts to USAID, Afghan women who fled the Taliban might be forced to return [x]

The Department of Health and Human Services is offering all of their employees a $25,000 buyout [x]

Trump says he will double Canadian tariffs on steel and aluminum [x]

Trump administration has rebranded the CBP One app as the CBP Home app for migrants to self-deport [x]

Trump created a strategic crypto reserve [x]

The Department of Education is cutting nearly half its workforce [x]

The Department of Agriculture has cut $1 billion in funding to bring fresh food to schools [x]

The Trump administration is rolling back dozens of environmental protections and regulations [x]

The Senate passed the spending bill that had been passed by the Housw earlier this month [x]

Trump administration has shut down the media organization Voice of America [x]

The US is bombing Houthi targets in Yemen [x]

The EPA has dismissed a case against a chemical plant in Louisiana [x][x]

Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education [x]

Homeland Security is going after foreign-born academics and scholars [x]

Trump says the Small Business Administration will take over the oversight of federal student loans [x]

Trump administration has deported Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador without due process [x]

NOAA is making cuts to weather data collection due to layoffs [x]

Trump stacks military academy boards with MAGA loyalists, including Michael Flynn and Charlie Kirk [x]

Trump tells the Attorney General to sanction lawyers who file lawsuits against his administration [x][x]

The IRS is going to share tax data with ICE to help them track down undocumented immigrants [x]

Trump signs executive order that requires proof of citizenship to vote [x][x]

Supreme Court upholds regulations on ghost guns [x]

An endangered sea turtle is stranded in Wales because of Trump’s funding freeze [x]

Federal appeals court maintains temporary block on Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations [x]

Trump is imposing 25% tariffs on all automobiles brought into the US [x]

HHS has cut 10,000 employees [x]

A Tufts University graduate student from Turkey has been arrested by ICE agents who wore masks as they grabbed her off the street [x]

This happened in February but I didn’t learn about it until just now — Trump created a White House Faith Office [x][x]

Trump signed an executive order to control the Smithsonian [x][x][x]

Ohio has passed a bill coined the Higher Education Destruction Act by opponents. It bans all DEI from Ohio public universities, bans faculty from going on strike, and eliminates services to veterans and people with disabilities [x]

Trump has pardoned Trevor Milton [x]

Trump won’t rule out a third term [x] (that’s not allowed)

Miscellaneous News:

A federal judge has ruled against another one of Trump’s attempted firings. [x]

Federal workers are fighting back against DOGE cuts [x]

Musk had a closed-door meeting with Republican senators to cement DOGE cuts in law [x]

There was a heated exchange in the House over the misgendering of Sarah McBride [x]

House Republicans block a vote to end Trump’s tariffs [x]

A federal judge has ordered that thousands of federal employees be reinstated [x]

Trump says he wants to use the Justice Department to go after his political enemies [x]

A judge has blocked Trump’s transgender military ban [x]

Elon Musk is spending millions of dollars on a Wisconsin Supreme Court election [x]

Arlington National Cemetery has taken down information about female veterans and veterans of color from their website [x]

The person in charge of defending DOGE cuts is a social media fashion influencer [x]

A chorus of ladies wrote a song for Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) [x]

The UK, Germany, and Nordic countries have all issued travel warnings about traveling to the US [x]

Columbia University has given in to Trump’s demands in order to restore federal funding [x]

Usha Vance and Mike Waltz, along with other US officials are planning to visit Greenland this week [x]

Trump administration accidentally sent secret war plans to the editor of a magazine [x]

Trump defends Mike Waltz who accidentally added a journalist to text chain about secret war plans [x]

The White House is seeking corporate sponsorships for its annual Easter Egg roll [x]

Florida is trying to loosen their child labor laws [x]

Ohio is trying to pass a bill to completely ban all DEI in public universities [x]

Alabama board defunds local library in first action under new book ban law [x]

Utah has banned fluoride in its drinking water [x] (I hope you like tooth decay)

JD Vance says Greenlanders want to join the US [x]

April-June 2025

This post is constantly being updated so if this comes across your dash, check OP’s blog to see the most up-to-date version.

Remember that you have a voice. Remember that Donald Trump and his spineless cronies want you to just give up and accept their control. REMEMBER: NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT.

[girlactionfigure]

He told his wife, "I love you," then left for work that morning. He never returned. It was September 11, 2001.

He was a husband. He was a veteran. He was an immigrant. And, he was a hero.

According to the Homeland Security web site, Rick Rescorla is credited with saving 2,700 lives that morning, when he defied official instructions to stay in the building and instead evacuated employees at his company on the 44th floor of the South Tower.

Another hero was Betty Ong, who was one of the flight attendants aboard American Airlines Flight 11, who gave vital information to the ground crew that eventually led to the closing of airspace by the FAA for the first time in United States history.

Flight 93 passengers Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick fought their hijackers, preventing the plane from reaching its intended target, possibly the White House or the U.S. Capitol Building.

There were also 412 First Responders who died in the line of duty - 343 firefighters (including a chaplain and two paramedics) of the New York City Fire Department, 37 police officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, 23 police officers of the New York City Police Department, and 8 emergency medical technicians and paramedics from private emergency medical services and 1 patrolman from the New York Fire Patrol.

There were also smaller acts of bravery, such as Michael Benfante and John Cerqueira carrying a woman in a wheelchair down 68 floors of the north tower of the World Trade Center to safety and Frank De Martini and Pablo Ortiz of the Port Authority who saved at least 50 lives in the North Tower.

They and many others were the heroes of 9/11.

In all, there were 2,977 people who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The victims were mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers who belonged to many faiths, races, and cultures, from more than 90 countries.

Of the Americans - they were white, they were black, they were brown, they were red, they represented all the different colors that built this nation. They were LGBTQ, they were straight, they were men, they were women, they were liberal, they were conservative, they were young, they were old . . . they were ALL Americans.

No one questioned whether they stood for the national anthem or put their hand over their heart, no one demanded they show their citizenship papers, no one questioned their love for their country.

I remember 9/11. I remember the names of the victims being read. I remember the heroes who bled. I remember the families who cried. I also remember that for one day, the entire world cried with us, marched in candlelight vigils in support of "America," whether it was in England or Iran -- for one moment the world was one.

I post this each year not just to remember the victims, the heroes, all the people who were directly touched in some way that day, but I also want to post this for those who are still suffering today, the families who had no choice but to continue without their loved ones, the veterans of the wars who were not supported upon their return and represent a majority of the suicides in this nation (on this World Suicide Prevention Day), the first responders who sacrificed their lives and their health and are still suffering today and their brothers and sisters fighting fires this very moment, and, most importantly, all the people of the world still hoping for, still seeking, still dreaming of a world without HATE, a world without fear, a world without greed.

A world instead focused with Love, a world with Hope, a world with . . .

Peace ~

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

[mariacallous]

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the US Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In its lawsuit, the ACLU accuses the agencies of violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by ignoring the ACLU’s requests and subsequent appeals for information concerning the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) “attempted or actual access” to sensitive federal databases.

The ACLU began pursuing documents under the federal transparency law in February, as WIRED first reported, responding to reports that Elon Musk’s DOGE operatives were seeking access to troves of personal information belonging to US citizens, including US Department of Treasury records that contain “millions of Social Security numbers, bank accounts, business finances,” and more.

Over the last few months, extensive reporting by WIRED and other outlets has exposed DOGE’s attempts to access and analyze sensitive data on federal employees, the American public, and immigrants to the US.

In its complaint, the ACLU argues that DOGE’s access to highly sensitive information about Americans’ health and finances raises “acute concerns” due to the “extraordinary harm” that can result from any unauthorized use of those files. According to the complaint, the ACLU pressed the SSA to expedite the release of public records associated with DOGE’s work; a process permitted when documents are deemed urgent to inform the public about government activities at the center of significant public debate or concern. The organization cited, among its other materials, a letter from Senator Mark Warner detailing the unprecedented secrecy shrouding DOGE’s activities.

The SSA rejected the ACLU’s claim but then later ignored its attempts to file an appeal, the ACLU says—a procedure the SSA is required to abide by under FOIA. The VA was even less responsive, the ACLU alleges; it acknowledged the ACLU’s request in February then ceased any further communications.

“If DOGE is forcing its way into our private data, it is forcing itself into our private lives,” says Lauren Yu, one of the attorneys representing the ACLU in court. “Congress mandated strict privacy safeguards for a reason, and Americans deserve to know who has access to their social security numbers, their bank account information, and their health records … Government actors cannot continue to shroud themselves in secrecy while prying into our most sensitive records.”

The organization’s lawsuit is also informed, it says, by growing public concern over the ongoing push by DOGE to implement artificial intelligence (AI) systems, “which raises alarms about the potential for mass surveillance and politically motivated misuse of that deeply personal information.”

Earlier this month, WIRED reported that a DOGE operative was attempting to use an AI tool to implement code at the VA, which administers benefits to roughly 10 million American veterans and their families, including health care and disability payments. Sources at the agency voiced concerns about the rush to implement AI, saying the operation had failed to follow normal procedures and threatened to put US veterans’ access to the benefits they’d earned at risk.

“Granting DOGE access to VA data systems would not only violate federal law but it would undermine the very core of the VA mission to care for veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors,” Michelle Fraling, the ACLU’s counsel, said in a statement.

WIRED reported last week that DOGE is knitting together data from the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Internal Revenue Service that could create a surveillance tool of unprecedented scope. The ACLU’s initial records requests were prompted in part by concerns, its FOIA filings say, about the use of computer matching programs that are able to cross-reference information on individuals using disparate government databases.

The ability of the government to cross-reference personal information using databases from different agencies is tightly regulated under the US Privacy Act. The act was amended in 1988 to require agencies to enter into written agreements before engaging in computer matching, and agencies are required under the law to calculate how such initiatives might impact individuals’ rights.

“The federal government cannot dodge accountability by ignoring our lawful demands for transparency,” Nathan Freed Wessler, deputy director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a statement.

[the1younevernoticed]

Keeping up momentum.

I am editing some things down. I will be sharing non-political facts and personal concerns as they relate to me on a personal level through my job. My opinions and beliefs do not represent the VA, the government, or any political party. These posts are to encourage transparency for all.

I’ll continue to show the exact emails we have been getting in federal service (VA social worker)

The next email to come through:

MESSAGE FROM THE ACTING SECRETARY

To increase the efficiency and accountability of our workforce, I intend to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs is in full compliance with President Trump’s January 20, 2025, memorandum, Return to In-Person Work, which states:

Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary.

This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law.

To take these steps, I will provide more detailed guidance for managers and supervisors in the coming days, including on exemptions.

I appreciate your support in this effort and your continuing focus on service to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

Todd B. Hunter

Acting

This one may take some background to explain why those in my department and team reacted so negatively to it.

For those that have been watching and reading the news, it’s not a surprise that a mandate to go full time in office is would come through. Elon and those in the DOGE said they would.

I cannot speak personally to the narrative of other sections of the federal workforce. I haven’t worked in those. We have heard, just like they mention in the news, that other systems have empty buildings sitting around with everyone working fully remote. That is not the case for the VA.

I am hybrid remote. My agreement is “AD HOC”, or “as needed” for remote work. My whole team is. My job requires me to work directly in the primary care clinics at the VA for various psychosocial problems veterans could be facing. I work directly with the primary care providers and RNs. And a chronic issue has always been space.

In my position I do not have the recommended space to do my position. We do not have enough desks for our staff to be on site and we do not have the “consult” rooms (where we can meet veterans for walk ins) for our service either. Other discipline, such as nutritionists, mental health providers, pharmacists, and others, are all taking turns for the limited rooms and space we are allowed to take. I often see my veterans in rooms I beg for from RNs and PCPs, even though veterans are uncomfortable meeting me in an exam room, I try to make it work.

Working remotely is the only way we get our work done. I can make calls one after the other in my home office in ways that don’t put HIPAA and privacy at risk, and I don’t have to worry about taking turns with several other workers (for calls that can last 30+ minutes at times).

Forcing us back into the office would do exactly what Elon and his colleagues predicted: we would quit. It is not because we are not adaptable and “hate to be inconvenienced”. It’s because we physically couldn’t do our jobs effectively.

Our team is already doing more than double the work (more like x4 for some) recommended in our handbook. We are fighting to make sure that any and all requests for our veterans can be done within a 7 day timeline. But this would be the straw for many of us.

The solution for us to be in office full time would be to give us the space to do so. But this is not feasible. Getting new spaces approved takes (literal) years. I wish I was joking. And we also do not have the budget for it, as we have been told time and time again.

My discipline is important, but any additional space to see patients in person would HAVE to go to RNs and PCPs and specialties. I want it to.

Remote work is not laziness. Studies show how productive people can be when in an environment without distractions of the office. I know I personally get much more work done when I’m home and able to set up my focus.

This mandate shook our whole service. Even as I write this, we still have not been mandated to return to office, as it’s logistically not possible. We receive daily updates telling us that “more news will be coming soon”.

I hope it’s good news

Disclaimer: this post is for educational purposes and is in no way supporting any particular political party and is not meant to incite any political activity

[beauty-funny-trippy]

[Condensed from a June 11, 2024 Military.com article by Ronald Lackey (Retired Major, U.S. Air Force)] –

When running for president in January 2016, Trump held a "fundraiser" for veterans. However, he didn't give the money to veterans' charities until after investigative reporters revealed that veterans had not received the donations. [Turns out, Trump was illegally siphoning money from the charity, using it like a piggy bank for his own personal gain.] Trump was fined $2 million by a judge for fraud and deceptive practices tied to the event.

As president, Trump canceled a visit to an American Cemetery near Paris, telling staffers, "Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers." During that same trip, he also told senior staffers that the U.S. Marines who died there were "suckers" for getting killed. Trump didn't even want to be seen with veteran amputees because, he said "it doesn't look good for me."

More ominously, Trump said high-ranking military members who disagreed with his political beliefs should be executed.

This is the total disregard Trump has for the honorable men and women who sacrifice their bodies, family time, and even their lives for an American cause greater than themselves.

President Biden, however, has been concerned with veterans for decades. His late son, an Army officer, died of cancer that the president believes came from his exposure to chemicals in wartime burn pits. That loss has driven a very personal commitment to the welfare of military members. While serving as president, Biden has signed more than two dozen laws that benefit veterans, including the PACT Act, which expanded the benefits and services for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals.

Working with partners in Congress, Biden's administration also expanded veterans access to health care and child care; took steps to curtail veteran homelessness (and asked Congress to triple its housing vouchers to needy veterans); lowered health care costs for World War II veterans; and expanded support to military suicide prevention programs (and established the 988 Veterans Crisis Line).

Biden has demonstrated his commitment to veterans' welfare throughout his decades of public service. His reelection would genuinely benefit military members and veterans.

Trump has shown only contempt.

~Ronald Lackey, Retired Major, U.S. Air Force

[theobjectivemind]

Kamala Harris’s Economic Plans: A Path to Empowerment, Not Socialism

In recent discussions, Vice President Kamala Harris has introduced a series of economic proposals that aim to address pressing issues such as food prices, housing, taxes, and medical costs. While some critics may attempt to label these initiatives as “socialism,” it’s essential to understand that Harris’s plans are firmly rooted in the principles of fairness and economic empowerment within a capitalist system. Let’s break down how these proposals can benefit Americans and why they should not be confused with socialism.

Addressing the Real Needs of Americans

1. Lowering Prescription Drug Costs: Americans are paying significantly more for prescription drugs than people in other high-income countries. A 2022 analysis by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed that U.S. prices for all drugs were nearly three times higher than prices in 33 other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Specifically, U.S. prices for brand-name drugs were 422% of the prices in these comparison countries. This means that for every dollar spent on brand-name drugs in other countries, Americans are paying $4.22.

While the U.S. has managed to keep the prices of generic drugs relatively low—demonstrating that affordable medication is possible—the exorbitant prices of brand-name drugs still place an unfair burden on American consumers. Harris's proposals aim to bring these prices in line with what is seen in other high-income countries, ensuring that all essential medications, not just generics, are affordable for everyone.

2. Expanding Housing Access: The vice president’s housing plan calls for the construction of 3 million new housing units over four years to address the severe housing shortage in the U.S. By promoting tax incentives for builders of “starter” homes and expanding funding for affordable rental housing, Harris is working to make homeownership and rental options more accessible to first-time buyers and low-income families. Additionally, she plans to limit bulk home purchases by investors and curb price-setting tools that drive up rental costs.

3. Reducing Medical Costs and Expanding Access: As a veteran, I’ve personally benefited from the healthcare services provided by the Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA system ensures that veterans like myself have access to the medical care we need, recognizing our service to the country. But here’s the thing—I don’t believe that healthcare should only be guaranteed to those who have worn the uniform. Every American deserves access to affordable, quality healthcare, regardless of their military status.

Veterans and current service members share a common bond—we have either worn or continue to wear the uniform to protect our nation and its citizens. But right now, millions of Americans are being treated unfairly by corporate greed and the exorbitant costs of healthcare. It’s time for us to stand up and go to war with big pharma and the corporations that prioritize profits over people’s well-being. Harris’s proposal to expand Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices is a critical step in this battle, aiming to reduce the financial burden on all Americans, not just a select few.

4. Tax Relief for Families: The vice president’s tax proposals include making permanent the $3,600 per child tax credit and introducing a new $6,000 tax credit for newborns. She also plans to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, providing significant tax relief to frontline workers and lowering taxes on healthcare plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

These initiatives reflect a commitment to making life more affordable and manageable for middle-class Americans, ensuring that everyone has a fair shot at success.

Why These Policies Are Not Socialism

It’s important to clarify that these policies do not constitute socialism. Socialism, in its true form, involves government ownership and control of major industries and resources. In contrast, Kamala Harris’s proposals work within the existing capitalist framework, using targeted regulations and incentives to make the economy fairer and more inclusive.

The U.S. already has a number of social programs that provide essential services without transforming the nation into a socialist state. For example:

Social Security: Provides financial support to retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors of deceased workers. It’s a program that ensures a safety net for millions of Americans.

Veterans Affairs (VA): Offers healthcare, education, and housing benefits to veterans who have served the country. This program is a recognition of their service and a commitment to their well-being. However, the need for affordable healthcare isn’t exclusive to veterans; it’s a right that should be extended to all citizens.

These programs demonstrate that integrating social initiatives within a capitalist system is not only possible but also beneficial to society as a whole.

Learning from Other Countries

The United States is not alone in using social programs to enhance the well-being of its citizens. Many other countries with similar capitalist economies have implemented successful social initiatives that benefit their populations without adopting socialism. For example:

Germany: Germany’s social market economy combines free-market capitalism with social policies that ensure universal healthcare and other welfare programs. This approach allows for a thriving economy while ensuring that citizens have access to essential services.

Australia: Australia’s Medicare system provides universal healthcare coverage to all citizens and permanent residents, funded by taxes. This system ensures that healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of income, without sacrificing quality or innovation.

These examples show that it’s possible to incorporate social programs into a capitalist economy to address the needs of the population effectively.

Conclusion: A Balanced Approach for a Stronger America

Kamala Harris’s economic proposals are not about shifting the U.S. toward socialism but about making the current system more equitable and responsive to the needs of everyday Americans. By addressing food prices, housing, medical costs, and taxes, these plans aim to empower the middle class and ensure that all citizens can participate fully in the economy.

As a veteran, I’ve experienced how vital access to quality healthcare can be. But this isn’t something that should be reserved just for those who served—it’s a right every American should have. Integrating fair social programs into our system isn’t radical; it’s a practical step forward. Other countries have successfully done this, and so can we. Let’s focus on how these proposals can truly benefit us—by supporting families, improving health, and making life better for everyone.

By supporting these initiatives, we’re not moving away from capitalism—we’re strengthening it by ensuring that it works for everyone, not just those at the top.

Sources:

[synonymouswithanonymous]

☺☺ you were right!

you were right! That's so exciting, he's completely integral to the plot!!! A catalyst for later drama, at least in part. I'm excited to see him play this character! A broken Vietnam vet. He's going to be great in this part!

So the article from last month that named him, was a bit off, but that's ok bc now we know more! 😊😊 and EM is Swintons characters daughter! He plays Swintons character's lover/father to her child! This confirms he's definitely got scenes with the leads!

"or her recounting the death of her child’s father, a Vietnam veteran with PTSD, in a house fire on the side of a highway."

----------

This will be a great character, the catalyst for so much drama within one family later, it makes you wonder what would be the lifelong impact of such a tragedy. A character sent off to proverbial slaughter, who most likely had to commit and witness acts he'd never wished to have even witnessed. And then returning to a country that doesn't understand PTSD or what soldiers went through, but are instead spat at in the streets and their mental health largely ignored/misunderstood. And then to have such a tragic end. That's so sad. This is a movie aiming to make me cry in a variety of ways. Lol I'm excited!

Sidenote: please skip if uninterested. I don't think his interview says he's given up on his career, so to speak, but maybe taking a more realistic view on his career prospects is healthy and warranted. Not everyone is going to be Brad Pitt, someone has to be Gary Oldman  (for differences in career paths, as an example).

Perhaps he's just not getting his hopes up bc in another interview he said his hopes were dashed, repeatedly by covid/strikes/not getting hired for gigs immediately after Vikings etc. AND the fact that Vikings isn't as popular a show as the fandom bubble created around all these actors in it made it seem like they were (I'm still calling them all, even Winnick an underdog bc she's "B list" or lower by "hollywood" standards. She's not up there in the hierarchy like say Reese Witherspoon. AHA realistically would be B list too.

That's not an insult but realistic. How many actors are in SAGAFTRA? Currently? And how many more newbies each year? Hollywood is always about the next big thing. But Hollywood is losing its grip on its dominance due to streaming and other factors.

Plus how many movies/shows are actually shot in Los Angeles nowadays? it's always a location elsewhere it seems.

His more humble approach is good, didn't he say he was aiming for a mads mikklesen (sp?) or NCW career? If so then he's well on track to having great character roles. He's going for longevity, not a quick buck. Maybe he has been picky, but it's working for him. He doesn't need to be in every lame remake hollywood comes up with that's destined to lose money. Tinseltown has lost its shine in the wake of technology from jets, to streaming services letting us see originals in original languages, instead of watered down remakes that pale next to the original. Or just original innovative stories, the foreign films/shows on netflix alone are great! I'm looking at you Nightwatch american remake that was just bad. 😳😳 He's even been able to write and star in his own idea for a tv show. There might be a second season. He can fly to locations, it's a modern world, he doesn't have to be isolated in "hollyweird made of vices" away from his home, family/gf and language/culture. And while Hollywood might take offense to him "complaining" about really long days, in the cold, and that Denmark has better labor laws....where's the lie? If there's something that isn't right, why should he be silent? Why should people be worked to the point that they can't even recover from being in hospital, no sick days or back up plan in case of illness on set. To the point that they've been broken down physically and mentally. Isn't that the reason labor laws exist, to protect people from suits who only care about schedules and money instead of the actors health? That goes for any job not just actors. Or their mental health, most people don't have to fly to a different country for jobs either, that's got to be rough no matter how much you love your job. But anyway, it doesn't seem to have affected his hiring status that much. 😊

But I think he's playing the long game quite smartly. He's going for a real career, not to be a teenage idol. Why be a small fish in an overlarge pond (hollywood) when he can be a bigger fish in a much smaller pond and build a career like Mads M? The same reason Ole Bornedal and Pedro Almodóvar stay in their respective countries (mostly). Bornedals's movie was remade, and changed, instead of just releasing It with subtitles. It could be that there they can create the art they want to without time/money/script restrictions? Bc in Hollywood they've even put time/plot limits on THE Ridley Scott! To the detriment of many of his films post gladiator ( kingdom of heaven should have just been the directors cut imo bc they cut important story parts). I say let him create art the way he wants to, he's on his timetable, not fans. It's his career that We are hoping to watch for the next 30-40 years. Or longer, Almodóvar is 74! Clint Eastwood is how old? We will just have to be patient for new projects. 😊😊 I know its fun to get all my Gary Oldman movies immediately bc he's been around for over 40 years ! I don't have to wait between Leon, Sid & Nancy or even The Scarlett Letter! To much newer works. Im working my way through from the beginning. 😳😳 imagine how his OG fans felt getting one or two projects every so often or a year. Having to wait to see the next film, if it was even released for very long in theaters (that's imo wild to think about). And then waiting months for it to come out on a dvd to see it if wasn't released for long. Or if you missed a show you would have to wait for it to repeat?!?! Things not being readily available would be so brutal, and here I was complaining that bridgerton season 3 was cut up in 2 parts!!! I couldn't binge it all in one day!! Patience is a virtue. And even Alan Rickman didn't get his "american debut breakthrough" until he was in his 40swith die hard. And he is a legend (just bc he passed away doesn't change the tense of his legendary status)! AHA has plenty of time, and is doing great. Imo.

Sorry for the side ramble, but I take issue with the idea that he can somehow do more than what he's done. He's right there are some things beyond our control. Or that his work ethic is somehow lacking, bc between owning a stake in a watch company( it being sold wouldn't change his stake/shares too much, maybe it made him more money?), doing multiple voice works, making movies, creating his own show and filming other shows/short films, and working for charities (plural) he's been a really really busy person. And side projects with photography. He's working fairly steadily and a lot. Choosing great projects from Shadows to RND. How much do they want him to work? Lol he doesn't exactly have a 9-5.

I'm still hoping that this movie will be the one that makes people see his skills, and set him up for the longevity he so desires. 😊😊😊 Best wishes to him and his lovely JM.

Edited to add, even though it's just his character that gets a mention, the reviews are positive. If he wasn't right or good in a stellar movie, it would have been mentioned. So he at the very least performed well enough to not get a bad review. So he's given another great performance!!!! But really with those two ladies as leads, with the story mostly focused on them, I'm impressed that his small role has been mentioned several times. Even if not by name right now, his part was noticed enough to make the articles, moreso than Nivola, in a P Almodóvar film that has Moore and Swinton in it. 😊😊 huzzah to anyone that's made it this far, still always surprised lol.

[xlntwtch2]

ap news 11/12/23 from this article...

Trump would ... strip tens of thousands of career employees of their civil service protections. That way, they could be fired as he seeks to “totally obliterate the deep state.”

... he would ...undertake the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. He would target people who are legally living in the United States but harbor “jihadist sympathies” and revoke the student visas of those who espouse anti-American and antisemitic views.

... U.S.-Mexico border, Trump says he will move thousands of troops currently stationed overseas and shift federal agents, including those at the Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI, to immigration enforcement. ...more border wall.

His aim: bar “dangerous lunatics, haters, bigots, and maniacs,” as well as those who “empathize with radical Islamic terrorists and extremists.”

...he has said he would end birthright citizenship..

...he will institute ... system of tariffs of perhaps 10% on most foreign goods. .... proposed a four-year plan to phase out Chinese imports of essential goods, including electronics, steel and pharmaceuticals. he will force Chinese owners to sell any holdings “that jeopardize America’s national security.”...

...claims .. before he is inaugurated, he will have settled the war between Russia and Ukraine. That includes, he says, ending the “endless flow of American treasure to Ukraine” and asking European allies to reimburse the U.S. for the cost of rebuilding stockpiles.

...he will stand with Israel in its war with Hamas and support Israel’s efforts to “destroy” the militant group. He says he will continue to “fundamentally reevaluate” NATO’s purpose and mission.

..he will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that “only two genders,” as determined at birth, are recognized by the United States.

...he will declare that hospitals and health care providers that offer transitional hormones or surgery no longer meet federal health and safety standards and will be blocked from receiving federal funds..

Under the mantra “DRILL, BABY, DRILL,” ... he would ramp up oil drilling on public lands and offer tax breaks to oil, gas, and coal producers.

...he will exit the Paris Climate Accords, end wind subsidies and eliminate regulations imposed and proposed by the Biden administration..

...pledged to terminate the Department of Education, ....he would cut funding for any school that has a vaccine or mask mandate ... promote prayer in public schools....“the nuclear family” including “the roles of mothers and fathers”...allow trained teachers to carry concealed weapons. ... federal funding so schools can hire veterans, retired police officers, and other trained gun owners as armed school guards.

...force the homeless off city streets... wants to bring back large mental institutions to reinstitutionalize those who are “severely mentally ill” or “dangerously deranged.”

...use federal government’s funding and prosecution authorities to strong-arm local governments.... use controversial policing measures such as stop-and-frisk ...police should be empowered to shoot suspected shoplifters in the act.

...called for the death penalty for drug smugglers and those who traffic women and children. ..also pledged a federal takeover of the nation’s capital, calling Washington a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap” unbefitting of the country.

[girlactionfigure]

THURSDAY HERO: Jeanne Brousse

Jeanne Brousse was a Frenchwoman and devout Catholic who put her own life at risk to save Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of France.

Born in 1921, Jeanne grew up in a working-class family in Annecy, a charming town in the French Alps. Her mother worked as a maid, and her father, a cheesemaker, was a veteran of World War I who had been gassed by the Germans and suffered lifelong health problems as a result. After helping care for her injured father as a young girl, Jeanne decided to become a nurse and help other suffering patients. She moved to Paris at age 18, to train at a nursing school run by the French Red Cross, however war was declared and she was unable to enroll. Instead she returned to her hometown and became a civil servant in Annecy. In 1941 Jeanne joined the brand-new Refugee Service, an agency of the local government formed to help new arrivals to the region.

In her new position, Jeanne did much more than the job called for. Seeing an immediate need for French Jews to find a safe haven from encroaching Nazi persecution, Jeanne used her contacts in the government and the clergy to find out when deportations of Jews were scheduled so she could warn them and help them flee to safety in Switzerland. Incredibly, Jeanne had never met a single Jew before she decided to devote her life to saving them. She later said, “I felt horrified by the atrocious fate likely to befall all these innocent victims whose only ‘mistake’ was to be born Jewish. I was determined to find solutions so that the greatest number of those who came to me could be saved.”’

Word got out among the Jews of Annecy that Jeanne was an ally. In November 1942, a Jewish woman named Suzanne Aron approached Jeanne with a desperate request. Her husband, Francis Aron, was a reserve officer in the French army who was injured in 1940 and received the Legion of Honor, the highest award given by the French government. When he and his wife were ordered in 1941 to affix a yellow star prominently to their clothing, identifying them as Jews, Francis was furious. He was a decorated war hero who’d given everything to his country, and now he was being persecuted and humiliated by the government he’d sworn to protect and serve? Defiant, Francis refused to wear the yellow star and burnt his identity papers identifying him as Jewish. This impulsive act however did not provide freedom but rather increased danger. Francis’ wife Suzanne had heard about the woman at the Refugee Service who was helping Jews, and she went to Jeanne’s office and begged for help getting false identity papers.

Despite the danger not only to her career but her life, Jeanne immediately created new identity papers for the Arons, giving them the non-Jewish name of “Caron.” If the Nazi occupiers, or the collaborationist French police, discovered that Jeanne was creating fake documents, she would have been sent to a concentration camp, but her moral compass, inspired by her Catholic faith, was stronger than her fear.

Other desperate Jewish families approached Jeanne, and she started providing “survival kits” for each family, consisting of fake identity papers, clothes, food and ration cards. She tapped into her extensive network of friends and colleagues to find safe homes and jobs for the Jewish refugees. Prominent French Rabbi Henri Schilli and his three daughters were among those saved by Jeanne.

As the war dragged on, Jeanne’s rescue activities intensified. As a government employee, she was not subject to curfews and had a coveted “nightpass” which enabled her to move around freely at night. She used this opportunity to distribute anti-Nazi leaflets, and warn young local men who were on the government’s list to be drafted to work in Germany, helping the Nazis. Because of Jeanne’s actions, many young men avoided the labor draft and instead became resistance fighters.

Annecy and the surrounding region were liberated by Allied forces in 1944. Soon after, Jeanne married Jean Brousse, who had also worked with the French resistance. Jeanne had three children, and spent the next three decades focused on her family, not spending much time thinking or talking about her astonishing wartime heroism.

In 1973, Jeanne was honored as Righteous Among the Nations by Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem, partly because of the testimony of Rabbi Schilli. After that, Jeanne began speaking to schoolchildren and other groups about her experiences during the war. She said of herself, “I am not a hero, I am not a lecturer. I am, quite simply, an ordinary woman who lived through extraordinary times.”

Jeanne Brousse died in October 2017 at the age of 96.

For risking her life to save others, we honor Jeanne Brousse as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[mariacallous]

Senate Republicans voted Thursday to block a bill put forward by Democrats that would guarantee access to in vitro fertilization nationwide.

The legislation failed to advance in a procedural vote by a tally of 48-47. It needed 60 votes to advance. Republicans criticized the Democrat-led legislation as unnecessary overreach and a political show vote.

“Why should we vote for a bill that fixes a non-existent problem? There’s not a problem. There’s no restrictions on IVF, nor should there be,” Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, told reporters.

The vote is part of a broader push by Senate Democrats to draw a contrast with Republicans over reproductive health care in the run up to the November elections. Democrats are highlighting the issue this month, which marks the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Republicans who voted against the bill, saying that they are being “pushed by the MAGA hard right.”

“These are the very same people who pushed to get rid of Roe in the Dobbs decision,” Schumer told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront” Thursday evening, referring to the blockbuster 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned a constitutional right to abortion. “We know what they’re up to. They want to get rid of IVF, they’re afraid to say it.”

Biden attacked Senate Republicans after the vote.

“Once again, Senate Republicans refused to protect access to fertility treatments for women who are desperately trying to get pregnant,” Biden said in a written statement. “And just last week, Senate Republicans blocked nationwide protections for birth control. The disregard for a woman’s right to make these decisions for herself and her family is outrageous and unacceptable.”

Republicans have criticized the Democrat-led legislation as unnecessary overreach and a political show vote.

The legislation the Senate will take up – the Right to IVF Act – would enshrine into federal law a right for individuals to receive IVF treatment as well as for doctors to provide treatment, which would override any attempt at the state level to restrict access.

The bill seeks to make IVF treatment more affordable by mandating coverage for fertility treatments under employer-sponsored insurance and certain public insurance plans. It would also expand coverage of fertility treatments, including IVF, under US military service members and veterans’ health care.

The IVF legislative package was introduced by Democratic Sens. Patty Murray of Washington state, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Cory Booker of New Jersey.

The vote comes after Alabama’s Supreme Court said, in a first-of-its-kind ruling earlier this year, that frozen embryos are children and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death – a decision that reproductive rights advocates warned could have a chilling effect on infertility treatments.

While the state’s legislature took action aimed at protecting IVF in the wake of the ruling, Democrats argue that this is only one example of how access to reproductive health care is under threat across the nation.

Southern Baptist delegates, for instance, expressed alarm Wednesday over the way in vitro fertilization is routinely being practiced, approving a resolution lamenting that the creation of surplus frozen embryos often results in “destruction of embryonic human life.”

The IVF vote is the latest move by Democrats to bring up a bill expected to be blocked by Republicans. Last week, Senate Republicans voted to block a Democrat-led bill that would guarantee access to contraception.

Most Republicans dismissed the effort as a political messaging vote that was unnecessary and overly broad, though GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine crossed over to vote with Democrats in favor of advancing the bill.

Republicans have introduced their own bills on IVF and contraception. GOP Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and Ted Cruz of Texas have introduced a bill called the IVF Protection Act and Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has put forward a separate bill to promote access to contraception.

Cruz and Britt attempted to pass their IVF legislation on the Senate floor Wednesday through a unanimous consent request, but Democrats blocked the effort.

Murray, who objected to the request, criticized the GOP bill, arguing that states could “enact burdensome and unnecessary requirements and create the kind of legal uncertainty and risk that would force clinics to once again close their doors.”

Under the IVF bill from Britt and Cruz, states would not be eligible for Medicaid funding if they prohibit access to IVF, but the legislation “permits states to implement health and safety standards regarding the practice of IVF,” according to a press release.

[nicklloydnow]

“An investigation by The New York Times found that many of the troops sent to bombard the Islamic State in 2016 and 2017 returned to the United States plagued by nightmares, panic attacks, depression and, in a few cases, hallucinations. Once-reliable Marines turned unpredictable and strange. Some are now homeless. A striking number eventually died by suicide, or tried to.

Interviews with more than 40 gun-crew veterans and their families in 16 states found that the military repeatedly struggled to determine what was wrong after the troops returned from Syria and Iraq.

All the gun crews filled out questionnaires to screen for post-traumatic stress disorder, and took tests to detect signs of traumatic brain injuries from enemy explosions. But the crews had been miles away from the front lines when they fired their long-range cannons, and most never saw direct fighting or suffered the kinds of combat injuries that the tests were designed to look for.

A few gun-crew members were eventually given diagnoses of P.T.S.D., but to the crews that didn’t make much sense. They hadn’t, in most cases, even seen the enemy.

The only thing remarkable about their deployments was the sheer number of artillery rounds they had fired.

(…)

But it meant that a small number of troops had to fire tens of thousands of high-explosive shells — far more rounds per crew member, experts say, than any American artillery battery had fired at least since the Vietnam War.

Military guidelines say that firing all those rounds is safe. What happened to the crews suggests that those guidelines were wrong.

The cannon blasts were strong enough to hurl a 100-pound round 15 miles, and each unleashed a shock wave that shot through the crew members’ bodies, vibrating bone, punching lungs and hearts, and whipping at cruise-missile speeds through the most delicate organ of all, the brain.

More than a year after Marines started experiencing problems, the Marine Corps leadership tried to piece together what was happening by ordering a study of one of the hardest-hit units, Fox Battery, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines.

The research was limited to reviewing the troops’ medical records. No Marines were examined or interviewed. Even so, the report, published in 2019, made a startling finding: The gun crews were being hurt by their own weapons.

More than half the Marines in the battery had eventually received diagnoses of traumatic brain injuries, according to a briefing prepared for Marine Corps headquarters. The report warned that the experience in Syria showed that firing a high number of rounds, day after day, could incapacitate crews “faster than combat replacements can be trained to replace them.”

The military did not seem to be taking the threat seriously, the briefing cautioned: Safety training — both for gun crews and medical personnel — was so deficient, it said, that the risks of repeated blast exposure “are seemingly ignored.”

Despite the concerns raised in the report, no one appears to have warned the commanders responsible for the gun crews. And no one told the hundreds of troops who had fired the rounds.

Instead, in case after case, the military treated the crews’ combat injuries as routine psychiatric disorders, if they treated them at all. Troops were told they had attention deficit disorder or depression. Many were given potent psychotropic drugs that made it hard to function and failed to provide much relief.

Others who started acting strangely after the deployments were simply dismissed as problems, punished for misconduct and forced out of the military in punitive ways that cut them off from the veterans’ health care benefits that they now desperately need.

(…)

Firing weapons is as fundamental to military service as tackling is to football. And research has started to reveal that, as with hits in football, repeated blast exposure from firing heavy weapons like cannons, mortars, shoulder-fired rockets and even large-caliber machine guns may cause irreparable injury to the brain. It is a sprawling problem that the military is just starting to come to grips with.

The science is still in its infancy, but evidence suggests that while individual blasts rippling through brain tissue may not cause obvious, lasting injury, repeated exposure appears to create scarring that eventually could cause neural connections to fail, according to Gary Kamimori, a senior Army blast researcher who retired recently after a career studying the problem.

“Think of it like a rubber band,” he said. “Stretch a rubber band a hundred times and it bounces back, but there are micro tears forming. The hundred-and-first time, it breaks.”

Those blasts might never cause a person to see stars or experience other signs of concussion, but over time they may lead to sleeplessness, depression, anxiety and other symptoms that in many ways resemble P.T.S.D., according to Dr. Daniel Perl, a neuropathologist who runs a Defense Department tissue bank that preserves dead veterans’ brains for research.

“It’s common to mistake a blast injury in the brain for something else, because when you walk into a clinic, it looks like a lot of other things,” Dr. Perl said.

His lab has examined samples from hundreds of deceased veterans who were exposed to enemy explosions and blasts from firing weapons during their military careers. The researchers found a unique and consistent pattern of microscopic scarring.

Finding that pattern in living veterans is another matter. There is currently no brain scan or blood test that can detect the minute injuries, Dr. Perl said; the damage can be seen only under microscopes once a service member has died. So there is no definitive way to tell whether a living person is injured. Even if there were, there is no therapy to fix it.

The lab hasn’t examined any brains from artillery units sent to fight the Islamic State, but Dr. Perl said that he would not be surprised if many of them were affected. “You have a blast wave traveling at the speed of sound through the most complex and intricate organ in the body,” he said. “Wouldn’t you think there would be some damage?”

The military for generations set maximum safe blast-exposure levels for eardrums and lungs, but never for brains. Anything that didn’t leave troops dazed was generally considered safe. But that has recently changed.

Over the last decade, veterans suffering from brain injury-like symptoms after years of firing weapons pressured Congress to rethink the potential dangers, and lawmakers passed a number of bills from 2018 to 2022 ordering the Pentagon to start a sprawling “Warfighter Brain Health Initiative” to try to measure blast exposure and develop protocols to protect troops.

(…)

In response to questions from The Times, both the Army and Marine Corps acknowledged that some gun crew members were injured by blasts during the fight against the Islamic State. In part because of that experience, the branches say they now have programs to track and limit crews’ exposure.

But a Marine officer currently in charge of an artillery battery questioned whether that was accurate. He said recently that he has never seen or heard of the new safety guidelines, and that nothing was being done to document his troops’ blast exposure.

The officer, who asked that his name not be used because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said he was experiencing splitting headaches and small seizures, but was worried that his injuries would not be acknowledged because there was no documentation that he was ever exposed to anything dangerous.

In short, he said, there is little in military regulations now that might stop what happened to the artillery troops in Syria and Iraq from happening again.

(…)

Night and day they hurled rounds, using some of the military’s most sophisticated cannons, M777A2 howitzers. The 35-foot-long guns had modern, precisely designed titanium parts and a digital targeting system, but when it came to protecting the crew the design had changed little in a century. Gun crews still worked within arm’s reach of the barrel and fired the gun by pulling a simple cord.

The resulting blast was several times louder than a jet taking off, and unleashed a shock wave that hit the crews like a kick to the chest. Ears rang, bones shivered, vision blurred as eyeballs momentarily compressed, and a ripple shot through every neuron in the brain like a whipcrack.

“You feel it in your core, you feel it in your teeth,” said Carson Brown, a corporal from Idaho who pulled the firing cord for hundreds of shots. “It’s like it takes a year off your life.”

(…)

The demands of Task Force 9 led to rates of artillery fire not seen in generations.

During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, artillery crews fired an average of 70 rounds during the entire six-week campaign, said John Grenier, a historian at the Army’s Field Artillery School. During the initial months of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, crews fired an average of 260 rounds. In Syria, each gun in Alpha battery shot more than 1,100 rounds in two months — most of them using high-powered charges that produce the strongest shock waves. Some guns in Fox battery, which replaced Alpha, fired about 10,000 rounds each.

“It’s shocking, insane,” Mr. Grenier said.

Under the relentless tempo, Marines would wake up feeling hung over and stagger to the guns like zombies. Their sense of taste changed. Some threw up. Crews grew irritable and fights broke out.

The symptoms were telltale signs of concussion, but also what anyone might feel after a string of stressful 20-hour workdays in the desert, sleeping in foxholes and eating rations from plastic pouches. Medics came around daily to check on the crews but never intervened. And Marines trained to endure didn’t complain.

(…)

Traumatic brain injuries can have profound effects on parts of the body that are nowhere near the skull, because the damage can cause communication with other organs to malfunction. Dozens of the young veterans interviewed by The Times said they now had elevated, irregular heartbeats and persistent, painful problems with their digestion.

(…)

All four of the artillery batteries examined by The Times have had at least one suicide — a striking pattern, since death by suicide is rare even in high-risk populations. Some batteries have had several, and many service members said in interviews that they had tried to kill themselves.

(…)

The Defense Department has spent more than a billion dollars in the last decade to research traumatic brain injury, but it still knows very little about what might have happened to the artillery crews. Nearly all of the research has focused on big explosions from roadside bombs and other enemy attacks, not the blast waves from the routine firing of weapons.

Still, as that research progressed and studies tried to define the threshold at which an explosion caused brain damage, a growing amount of data suggested that the level was much lower than expected — so low, in fact, that it wasn’t much different from what troops experienced when they pulled the cord on an artillery cannon.

(…)

Under an electron microscope, a ravaged neural landscape came into focus. Sheaths of myelin, vital for insulating the biological wiring of the brain, hung in tatters. In key parts of the brain that control emotion and executive function, large numbers of mitochondria — the tiny powerhouses that provide energy for each cell — were dead.

“It was remarkable — the damage was very widespread,” Dr. Gu said. “And that was just from one explosion.”

Of course, the brains of mice and humans are very different. Dr. Scott Cota, a Navy captain and brain injury expert, said it was unclear whether the same damage would occur in human brains. Researchers can’t expose humans to damaging blasts, and then dissect them the way they can mice, he said. And techniques are not yet available to detect microscopic trauma in living brains.

“It’s very hard to study,” Dr. Cota said. “And unfortunately, we can only do it post-mortem at this point.”

The artillery gun crews present a rare and valuable chance to understand how blasts affect the brain, but no researchers are tracking them. It’s not clear if anyone in a position to learn from them is even aware that this unique group of combat veterans exists.

Most of the crew members have drifted out of the military to corners of the country where they continue to quietly grapple with headaches, depression and confusion that they don’t understand.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Judd Legum at Popular Information:

In 2024, reliable access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it is a basic necessity. From job applications to managing personal finances and completing school work, internet access is an essential part of daily life. Without an internet connection, individuals are effectively cut off from basic societal activities. 

But the reality is that many people — particularly those living around the poverty line — can not afford internet access. Without internet access, the difficult task of working your way from the American economy's bottom rung becomes virtually impossible.   On November 21, 2021, President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The new law included the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provided up to $30 per month to individuals or families with income up to 200% of the federal poverty line to help pay for high-speed internet. (For a family of four, the poverty line is currently $31,200.) On Tribal lands, where internet access is generally more expensive, the ACP offers subsidies up to $75 per month.  The concept started during the Trump administration. The last budget enacted by Trump included $3.2 billion to help families afford internet access. The FCC made the money available as a subsidy to low-income individuals and families through a program known as the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. The legislation signed by Biden extended and formalized the program.  It has been a smashing success.

Today, the ACP is "helping 23 million households – 1 in 6 households across America." The program has particularly benefited "rural communities, veterans, and older Americans where the lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet contributes to significant economic, health and other disparities." According to an FCC survey, two-thirds of beneficiaries "reported they had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP." These households report using their high-speed internet to "schedule or attend healthcare appointments (72%), apply for jobs or complete work (48%), do schoolwork (75% for ACP subscribers 18-24 years old)." Tomorrow, the program will abruptly end.  In October 2023, the White House sent a supplemental budget request to Congress, which included $6 billion to extend the program through the end of 2024. There is also a bipartisan bill, the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would extend the program with $7 billion in funding. The benefits of the program have shown to be far greater than the costs. An academic study published in February 2024 found that "for every dollar spent on the ACP, the nation’s GDP increases by $3.89." The program will lapse tomorrow because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) refuses to bring either the bill (or the supplemental funding request) to a vote. The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act has 225 co-sponsors which means that, if Johnson held a vote, it would pass. 

[...]

The Republican attack on affordable internet

Why will Johnson not even allow a vote to extend the ACP? He is not commenting. But there are hints in the federal budget produced by the Republican Study Committee (RSC). The RSC is the "conservative caucus" of the House GOP, and counts 179 of the 217 Republicans in the House as members. Johnson served as the chair of the RSC in 2019 and 2020. He is currently a member of the group's executive committee.  The RSC's latest budget says it "stands against" the ACP and labels it a "government handout[] that disincentivize[s] prosperity." The RSC claims the program is unnecessary because "80 percent" of beneficiaries had internet access before the program went into effect. For that statistic, the RSC cites a report from a right-wing think tank, the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), which opposes the ACP. EPIC, in turn, cites an FCC survey to support its contention that 80% of ACP beneficiaries already had internet access. The survey actually found that "over two-thirds of survey respondents (68%) reported they had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP."

[...] The RSC also falsely claims that funding for the precursor to the ACP, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB), "was signed into law at the end of President Biden’s first year in office." This is false. Former President Trump signed the funding into law in December 2020. The RSC's position is not popular. A December 2023 poll found that 79% of voters support "continuing the ACP, including 62% of Republicans, 78% of Independents, and 96% of Democrats."

In 2024, access to the internet is a necessity and not just a luxury, and the Republicans are set to end the Affordable Connectivity Program if no action is taken. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provided subsidies to low-income people and families to obtain internet access.

[gunlovingpacifist]

Now I have to block you because people on the right celebrate ignorance and Mooch of blue states. Them gunz ain't gonna feed your family......

I have posed this question a few times and never get a response

.... 🤔

Here is why I am a liberal...

Why are you a Republican?

The 40-hour work week, and thus, weekends!

Overtime pay and minimum wage.

Paid Vacations.

Women’s Voting Rights

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

The right of people of all colors to use schools and facilities.

Public schools.

Public libraries

Public transportation

Public universities

Public broadcasting

Public police and fire departments

Worker’s rights

Labor safety and fairness laws

*Nixon gave us the EPA

Child-labor laws.

The right to unionize

Health care benefits

National Parks, Monuments, and Forests, “America’s Best Idea”

Interstate Highway System (Eisenhower (R) and Al Gore Sr. (D)

Safe food and drugs (via the FDA)

Social Security

NASA

The Moon Landing and other space exploration

Satellites

The Office of Congressional Ethics.

The Internet

National Weather Service

Product Labeling/Truth in Advertising Laws

Rural Electrification/Tennessee Valley Authority

Bank Deposit Insurance

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Consumer Product Safety Commission

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Rights of the disabled (via Americans With Disabilities Act)

Family and Medical Leave Act

Clean air and water (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency).

Civilian Conservation Corps

Panama Canal

Hoover Dam

The Federal Reserve

Medicare/Medicaid

The United States Military

The FBI

The CIA

Peace between Israel and Egypt

Peace between Israel and Jordan

Veterans Medical Care

Federal Housing Administration

Extending Voting Rights to 18 year olds

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Religion/Separation of Church and State

Right to Due Process

Freedom of The Press

Right to Organize and Protest

Pell Grants and other financial aid to students

Federal Aviation Administration/Airline safety regulations

The end of slavery in the USA (The Emancipation Proclamation, The 13th Amendment)

Unemployment benefits

Smithsonian Institute

Americorps

Mandatory Food Labeling

Peace Corps

United Nations

World Health Organization

The Lincoln Tunnel

Sulfur emissions cap and trade to eliminate acid rain

Earned Income Tax Credit

The banning of lead in consumer products

National Institute of Health

Garbage pickup/clean streets

Banning of CFCs.

LGBT rights

Expanded voting access via polling places

Erie Canal

Bailout — and thus continued existence — of the American Auto Industry

Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Established the basis for Universal Human Rights by writing the Declaration of Independence

Miranda Rights

Banning of torture

The right to a proper defense in court

An independent judiciary

The right to vote

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Fair, open, and honest elections

The founding of The United States of America

The defeat of the Nazis and victory in World War II

Paramedics

Woman’s Right to Choose

The Civil Rights Movement

National Science Foundation

Vehicle Safety Standards

NATO

The income tax and power to tax in general, which have been used to pay for much of this list.

911 Emergency system

Tsunami, hurricane, tornado, and earthquake warning systems

The Freedom of Information Act

Water Treatment Centers and sewage systems

The Meat Inspection Act

The Pure Food And Drug Act

The Bretton Woods system

International Monetary Fund

SEC, which regulates Wall Street (weaked by conservatives)

National Endowment for the Arts

Campaign finance laws (weaked by conservatives)

Federal Crop Insurance

United States Housing Authority

School Lunch Act

Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act

Vaccination Assistance Act

The creation of counterinsurgency forces such as the Navy Seals and Green Berets.

Voting Rights Act, which ended poll taxes, literacy tests, and other voter qualification tests (weaked by conservatives)

The Brady Bill (5-day wait on handgun purchases for background checks)

Lobbying Disclosure Act

"Motor-Voter" Act

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Job Corps

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

Teacher Corps

Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966

National Trails System Act of 1968

U.S. Postal Service

Modern Civilization

BIDEN WINS:

• Inflation Reduction Act

• CHIPS & Science Act

• PACT Act for veterans

• First major gun safety legislation in decades

• Took out the leader of al Qaeda

• Historic job growth (+12.8 million)

• Historically low unemployment

• Expanded the NATO alliance

• American Rescue Plan led to fastest jobs recovery in history

• Confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

• Rallied our allies in support of Ukraine

•Once-in-a-generation infrastructure investments

• Student loan forgiveness

• Rural broadband investment

In not a republican. I lean right on one issue. The second amendment. Why's that hard for leftists to comprehend

[bestdualdiagnosisrehabinca]

The Definitive Expertise of Ona Treatment Center in Dual Diagnosis Treatment

In an era where mental health and substance use disorders intertwine all too frequently, finding an organization with comprehensive expertise in treating these co-occurring challenges is crucial. Enter Ona Treatment Center, a beacon of hope and recovery in Northern California. With an innovative approach rooted in evidence-based methodologies, Ona Treatment Center positions itself as the preeminent dual diagnosis treatment center. Established in 2018 in the serene rural setting of Browns Valley, this facility offers unmatched inpatient rehab services tailored to individuals seeking profound recovery experiences. Through its Gold Seal accreditation by The Joint Commission, Ona Treatment Center's reputation for excellence is unequivocal. Pioneering Dual Diagnosis Treatment Throughout its five years of operation, Ona Treatment Center consistently excels as the best dual diagnosis rehab center. *Evidence-Based Therapies* Ona Treatment Center integrates evidence-based therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) into its 28-day residential program. These modalities facilitate personalized healing tailored to each client's unique needs. *Holistic Modalities* Complementing traditional therapies, Ona Treatment Center harnesses holistic approaches like mindfulness and art therapy. By doing so, the center cultivates an environment where clients learn to heal both body and mind, making it a holistic rehab program par excellence. Each phase transitions naturally into broader life skills development. As clients progress, they benefit from an emphasis on relapse prevention, which leads seamlessly into the center's dedication to extensive aftercare support. Comprehensive Inpatient Rehab in Northern California Location matters. Situated in Browns Valley, Ona Treatment Center serves as the ideal inpatient rehab venue for Northern California residents. *Tailored Programs* Specialized programs for veterans and active-duty military form part of Ona's comprehensive offerings, addressing unique stressors and fostering community through shared experiences. *Innovative Residential Programs* The residential addiction treatment at Ona encourages communal living, offering clients the advantage of a supportive network, pivotal in the journey to sustained recovery. The center's residential model exemplifies how group support can transition into long-term success strategies. Our exploration into Ona's inpatient offerings naturally segues into the individualized care plans utilized here. Individualized Care for Co-Occurring Disorders At the heart of Ona's philosophy is individualized care, integral to treating co-occurring disorders. *Counseling Across Contexts* Offering individual, group, family, and couples counseling, Ona Treatment Center provides therapeutic outlets suited to diverse support systems. *Skill Development* Life skills development is key to Ona's approach, ensuring clients are equipped with the necessary tools to thrive beyond the facility's boundaries. The transition to aftercare furthers this holistic skill-building approach. Understanding the impact of such comprehensive services illustrates the importance of ongoing community involvement and awareness. Community Involvement and Industry Impact Ona Treatment Center's influence extends beyond individuals to the wider community. *Local Collaborations* By partnering with local healthcare providers and organizations, Ona builds bridges for greater mental health awareness, creating a lasting industry impact. *Recognition and Achievements* Ona's dedication to excellence in dual diagnosis treatment has not gone unnoticed, with indus

[bllsbailey]

Why saying 'Happy Memorial Day' misses the true meaning of the holiday

This Memorial Day, many Americans will gather for barbecues, enjoy a long weekend, or mark the start of summer. But amid the festivities, one phrase you won’t—or shouldn’t—hear is "Happy Memorial Day." Unlike Veterans Day which celebrates service members past and present, Memorial Day is a solemn occasion, a time to honor the American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. To wish someone a "happy" Memorial Day completely misses the purpose of the day.

Memorial Day, established after the Civil War and formalized as a federal holiday in 1971, is dedicated to those who died in military service. Each flag at half-staff, each wreath laid at Arlington National Cemetery, represents lives cut short—sons, daughters, parents, and friends who never returned home. Their sacrifice secured the freedoms we cherish. 

That’s why the words we choose on this day matter. Memorial Day actually isn’t about celebrating service members. It isn’t even a time to advocate for greater benefits for our veterans. It’s a day to reflect on the sacrifice of those few brave men and women in uniform who gave their lives for our country. Accordingly, we ought to choose words that promote the true purpose of the day. 

Few learned this lesson quicker than "Squad" members, Rep. Ilhan Omar and former Rep. Cori Bush who received well-deserved backlash for their tone-deaf Memorial Day messages last year. Both members of congress posted messages that appeared to confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. Omar wrote, "On #MemorialDay, we honor the heroic men and women who served our country," advocating for veterans’ access to mental health services, housing, and jobs. Bush echoed similar rhetoric, stating, "This Memorial Day and every day, we honor our veterans in St. Louis," followed by a call for universal healthcare. The misguided messages earned swift rebuke from Americans, including many veterans, around the country. 

The social media outrage served an important purpose. The backlash was bigger than an opportunity to score political points against the Left. Americans on both sides of the aisle came together to defend the sacredness of the one day in the year completely dedicated to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. So, the social shame attached to misunderstanding the purpose of Memorial Day is not only justified – it's necessary. In a political era marked by so much frivolity, Americans—especially those in elected leadership—ought to choose words that reflect the gravity of this day.

To be clear, this isn’t about political correctness. It’s not about virtue signaling. And it certainly isn’t about promulgating more of the noxious "language policing" that happens so frequently on Ivy League campuses. It’s simply about protecting the solemnity of the day. 

Memorial Day is not a festive holiday, but rather one deserving of reverence. It’s a day for pause. Simply put, today is about showing proper respect to those who made it possible to enjoy freedom today.

It is not difficult to honor Memorial Day with the solemnity it deserves. Simply taking a moment to reflect, to attend a local remembrance ceremony, or to learn the story of a fallen service member can have a meaningful impact. Visit a cemetery, join moments of silence, or offer support to Gold Star families. Organizations across the country hold events—large and small—to commemorate the fallen. Local veterans' groups lay wreaths, play taps, and read names aloud. Schools sometimes host programs to teach younger generations what the day is truly about. These rituals are not political or performative; they are acts of collective memory, meant to keep the stories of our nation’s heroes alive.

The sacrifices of over one million Americans who died while serving in the armed forces demand a language of respect and gratitude. Of course, we can and should celebrate those who currently serve in uniform on other days throughout the year, but Memorial Day demands humility and respect for our fallen heroes. Their sacrifice deserves nothing less.

Jeremy Hunt, a West Point graduate, served as a U.S. Army intelligence captain. He’s now a media fellow at Hudson Institute and chairman of Veterans on Duty, a nonprofit organization focused on national security. Follow him on X @thejeremyhunt.