#pre-election coverage

[qqueenofhades]

I think the Aaron Sorkin fic people are writing about the convention to be extremely silly. It's going to be Biden. And if Biden's health takes a downturn and he feels the need to step down its going tk be Harris. This fantasy where we skip over her to whip up two random white guys(or like maaaybe Witmer) and somehow cruise to victory instead of fragmenting the party months before the election is simply not going to happen.

Look, I'm just saying, I got an email from the Biden campaign this morning where they seemed pretty darn happy with the actual (i.e. not-bloviating media) results of the debate: $38 million raised in 4 days ($30 million from individual small-dollar donors), 10K new volunteers in a week, 3x surge in campaign volunteers for battleground states, essentially no change or even a modest boost in the polls. So I think at this point, we can cautiously conclude the following things:

The debate looked bad for Biden, perhaps, but doesn't seem to have hurt him nearly as much the incredibly bad-faith BIDEN NEEDS TO STEP DOWN NOW takes being pumped out by the NYT and its other compatriots would suggest. Especially when these same media outlets have been gleefully sabotaging Biden at every turn for years already and whose fake-sanctimonious hand-wringing "for the good of the nation" pieces honestly should get them dropped into Superhell for Bad Journalists;

Biden went to Raleigh NC right after the debate and gave a fiery rally speech that was very well received. Now, I don't know why we didn't have that Biden at the debate, but it was the same night and there clearly was not any "cOgnItiVe dEcLinE" happening there (also Biden has a stutter and has for literally his entire life, and had a cold on debate night, so it was just an unfortunate confluence of factors)

There are very few actually undecided voters in this election (once again: HOW???) and those who tuned into the debate were largely already convinced of which candidate they were voting for and this didn't do much to change their minds. Just like, you know, pretty much every other debate in the history of presidential elections.

Ordinary voters, and not mainstream media outlets with BIDEN IZ BAD goggles clamped over their eyes, were able to see Trump's insane Gish gallops, lies, and full-blown dementia; this isn't going to get any better for him when he's already lost 20%-25% of GOP voters in every state primary and still is going to be sentenced in his criminal trial;

The D.C. political elite screaming about how Biden should step down (FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE ELECTION) and leave the Democrats to start from scratch with some Star Chamber-selected candidate with no money and no incumbency record and no organization apparatus and a divided party are either fucking weapons grade morons or working secretly for Trump, because that IS in fact the best way to lose the election;

Such speculation seems to fall chiefly on Gavin Newsom, who (to his credit) has shut down any and all suggestion that he should try to step in and take the place of an incumbent who has won every state primary with 90% or more, because he's remotely sane and understands that this year is too important to fuck around with;

I've somehow never seen any suggestion that Biden should step aside for the duly elected (brown, female) Vice President, because everyone seems to think some Young Miraculous White Guy is coming and/or should step in;

All this while SCOTUS is clearly so confident of Trump getting back in that it's willing to grant him Absolute God King status pre- and post-emptively;

Yes, Biden needs to up his game before the next debate (though that's on Fox News iirc, blargh), but I think it's far enough post-debate that we can say it was bad but did not sink him, and if anything, reinforced the fact to many ordinary, non-brainwormed voters that Biden is old (which has been the number one chief theme of news coverage for four years and is no surprise to anyone) but is a decent and principled man doing a good job, while Trump is an absolute gibbering insane orange shitmonger fascist. I don't think he did himself any favors in that regard.

....anyway. The point is, do not be fucking insane people, Biden is not going to step down and frankly shouldn't, don't read the NYT (as noted, they've openly admitted to sabotaging him for personal ego reasons so I don't know why the hell anyone would listen to what they have to say about him), this is still an eminently winnable election, and let's go get those motherfucking fascists. I want Trump in jail and all of SCOTUS and the MAGAGOP fucking crying over it because they fucking suck. Let's go.

[shannendoherty-fans]

Shannen Doherty’s Untimely Death Sparks Important Conversations About Healthcare Access And Equity

By Janice Gassam Asare

Shannen Doherty, the actress best known for her roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed has died after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 53. In a 2015 statement to People magazine, the actress revealed her breast cancer diagnosis, stating that she was “undergoing treatment” and that she was suing a firm and its former business manager for causing her to lose her health insurance due to a failure to pay the insurance premiums. According to reports, in a lawsuit Doherty shared that she hired a firm for tax, accounting, and investment services, among other things, and that part of their role was to make her health insurance premium payments to the Screen Actors Guild; Doherty claimed that their failure to make the premium payments in 2014 caused her health insurance to lapse until the re-enrollment period in 2015. When Doherty went in for a checkup in March of 2015, the cancer was discovered, at which time it had spread. In the lawsuit, Doherty indicated that if she had insurance, she would have been able to get the checkup sooner—the cancer would have been discovered, and she could have avoided chemotherapy and a mastectomy.

Under the IRS, actors are often classified as independent contractors, which comes with its own set of challenges. Although it is unclear what Doherty’s situation was, for many independent contractors, obtaining health insurance can be difficult. Trying to get health insurance as an independent contractor can be a costly and convoluted process. A 2020 Actors’ Equity Association survey indicated that “more than 80% of nonunion actors and stage managers in California have been misclassified as independent contractors.” A 2021 research study revealed that self-employment (which is what independent contractors are considered to be) was associated with a higher likelihood of being uninsured.

Doherty’s tragic situation invites a larger conversation about healthcare access and equity in the United States. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare,” was signed into law in 2010 and revolutionized healthcare access in two distinct ways: “creating health insurance marketplaces with federal financial assistance that reduces premiums and deductibles and by allowing states to expand Medicaid to adults with household incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.” The ACA helped reduce the number of uninsured Americans and expanded healthcare access to those most in need. It also helped close gaps in coverage for different populations, including those with pre-existing health conditions, lower-income individuals, part-time workers, and those from historically excluded and marginalized populations.

Despite strides made through the ACA, healthcare access and equity are still persistent issues, especially within marginalized communities. Research from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) examining 2010-2022 data indicated that in 2022, non-elderly American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) and Hispanic people had the greatest uninsured rates (19.1% and 18% respectively). When compared with their white counterparts, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and Black people also had higher uninsured rates at 12.7% and 10%, respectively. The Commonwealth Fund reported that between 2013 and 2021, “states that expanded Medicaid eligibility had higher rates of insurance coverage and health care access, with smaller disparities between racial/ethnic groups and larger improvements, than states that didn’t expand Medicaid.” It’s important to note that if a Republican president is elected, Project 2025, the far-right policy proposal document, seeks to upend Medicaid as we know it by introducing limits on the amount of time that a person can receive Medicaid.

When peeling back the layers to examine these racial and ethnic differences in more detail, the Brookings Institute noted in 2020 that the refusal of several states to expand Medicaid could be one contributing factor. One 2017 research study found that some underrepresented racial groups were more likely to experience insurance loss than their white counterparts. The study indicated that for Black and Hispanic populations, specific trigger events were more likely, as well as “socioeconomic characteristics” that were linked to more insurance loss and slower insurance gain. The study also noted that in the U.S., health insurance access was associated with employment and and marriage and that Black and Hispanic populations were “disadvantaged in both areas.”

Equity in and access to healthcare is fundamental, but bias is omnipresent. Age bias, for example, is a pervasive issue in breast cancer treatment. Research also indicates that racial bias is a prevalent issue—because the current guidelines in breast cancer screenings are based on white populations, this can lead to a delayed diagnosis for women from non-white communities. Our health is one of our greatest assets and healthcare should be a basic human right, no matter what state or country you live in. As a society, we must ensure that healthcare is available, affordable and accessible to all citizens. After all, how can a country call itself great if so many of its citizens, especially those most marginalized and vulnerable, don’t have access to healthcare?

[whencyclopedia]

Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions

"Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions" offers a detailed account of the revolutions in Spain, Naples, Portugal, Piedmont, Sicily, and Greece in the 1820s. The author’s focus complements other studies emphasizing revolutions in British North America, France, Haiti, and Spanish America to provide more thorough coverage of the Age of Revolutions. This book, well suited for scholars and students, guides readers through a tumultuous period in southern European history and is highly recommended.

From the outbreak of war in the 13 British North American colonies in 1775 to the conflicts that erupted throughout the Spanish New World colonies in the 1810s, revolutions convulsed the Atlantic World for half a century. The power and consequences of the revolutionary wave that swept throughout the Atlantic should not be understated. Scholars have spent a great deal of time examining the birth of the United States, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, and the Spanish American Revolutions. However, contends Maurizio Isabella, currently Professor of Modern History at Queen Mary University of London, scholars have spent far less time on revolutions in southern Europe, such as the simultaneous revolutions in Spain, Portugal, Piedmont, Naples, Sicily, and Greece. Although southern Europe has long been absent or minimized in the vast scholarly literature on the Age of Revolutions, Isabella demonstrates that the books that have dismissed or neglected these struggles need revision and argues for a broader understating of a critical period in world history.

Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions is divided into four parts. Part I, “War, Army and Revolution” contains five chapters that explore the complex relationship between the army, war, and revolution. Chapter Five, “Crossing the Mediterranean,” is particularly noteworthy. Isabella examines three individuals involved in the revolution in Sicily – Sir Richard Church, Emmanuele Scordili, and Andrea Mangiaruva – to illustrate mobility and conflict as well as connected revolutions and counterrevolutions throughout the Atlantic World. Part II, “Experiencing the Constitution: Citizenship, Communities and Territories” includes three chapters about petitions, political culture, and demands from the people. The people did indeed speak. As Isabella notes in Chapter Seven, “Electing Parliamentary Assemblies,” revolutions during the 1820s, in contrast to pre-revolutionary electoral practices, saw national assemblies elected by quasi-universal suffrage. Part III, “Building Consensus, Pracising Protest: The Revolutionary Public Sphere and its Enemies” analyzes, throughout three chapters, the birth of a revolutionary public sphere. Readers will particularly appreciate Chapter Ten, “Taking Control of Public Space,” which discusses revolutionary ceremonies and the fascinating role singing played in this revolutionary moment. Finally, Part IV, “Citizens or the Faithful? Religion and the Foundation of a New Political Order” concludes with two chapters covering the relationship between constitutional culture and religion. Chapter Twelve, “Christianity against Despotism,” cautions against making assumptions about religion and revolution. Indeed, southern European constitutionalism placed a tremendous amount of emphasis on a religious definition of the nation, and religious figures joined both revolutionary and counterrevolutionary camps.

Throughout the book, Isabella contends that revolutions in southern Europe were part of the same global crisis of sovereignty as other revolutions throughout the Atlantic World. Thus, rather than treating them as minor events – as other studies of the Age of Revolutions have done – Isabella offers a detailed and incisive analysis of the revolutions and the people who drove them. That point is also critical. Isabella does not focus exclusively on theoretical debates but, rather, seeks to explore how the population at large experienced constitutions and revolutions. Critically, these revolutions “politicised new sectors of society, generated unprecedented quantities of printed material and fostered the discussion of novel ideas and experimentation with practices such as elections” (28). Isabella introduces readers to a wide array of people – revolutionaries and counterrevolutionaries, soldiers and civilians, elites and the masses, religious and non-religious, men and women – and shows how these people experienced the tumult of revolution and new political awareness. Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions makes an important contribution to scholarly understandings of the Age of Revolutions, and Isabella anchors his analysis in extensive primary and secondary sources. This book will appeal to students and scholars interested in revolutions, politics, and Atlantic history.

Continue reading...

[leviantapolitics]

I got very very bored at one point looking at the coverage. Yes, we just stole Truss’s seat. But what about other former party leaders? What happened to their constituencies?

With every seat now declared, I decided to look at every Conservative, Labour, Liberal Party, Liberal Democrat, and pre-continuing SDP leader from 1960 to 2010 only and the seat they held when they were in government. If the borders changed, I tracked down the constituency closest to it. Then I looked at the results from this general election. Here’s some things I learnt.

- The former Conservative leader seats that stayed Tory were the ones of Harold Macmillan, Edward Heath, John Major, William Hague, and of course Iain Duncan Smith. The seat of Bromley and Biggin Hill (Macmillan’s Bromley seat) had a majority of only 302. Hague’s stayed Conservative because… well it’s Sunak’s seat.

- The seats of former Tory leaders more closely associated with One Nation Conservatism or Thatcher’s “wets” stayed Tory with majorities within the 4000s (i.e. Edward Heath and John Major)

- Douglas-Home’s went to the SNP. This is the only case of this happening among them all

- Thatcher’s seat went to Labour. Michael Howard’s seat also went to Labour

- Former Labour leader seats had the highest consistent safe seat majorities. The highest was for Knowsley which was created from Knowsley South which was then created from Harold Wilson’s Huyton seat.

- The seats for Hugh Gaitskell’s Leeds South, James Callaghan’s Cardiff South and Penarth and Michael Foot’s Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney (created from his Blaenau Gwent seat) all achieved over 10,000 for a majority.

- Neil Kinnock out of all the former Labour leaders had the lowest majority regarding the seat of Caerphilly (merged with his seat of Islwyn). This seat had a lower majority than Kinnock’s son Stephen, a current MP.

- All the former Labour leader seats were either holds or Labour gains. The gains were for Airdrie and Shotts (John Smith, created from Monklands East), Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (Tony Blair, created from Sedgefield) and Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Gordon Brown).

- The Liberal Democrats gained three seats where a former leader of the party held it. These are North Devon (Jeremy Thorpe), Yeovil (Paddy Ashdown) and Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (Charles Kennedy, created from the seat Ross, Skye and Lochaber). Excluding the parameters I set yearwise, this number goes up to four with the seat of Mid Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson, created from the seat East Dunbartonshire).

- The seat of Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (created from David Steel’s Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) is the only Conservative hold among all former non-Conservative leader seats.

- The seats of the two SDP leaders who led in the Alliance before the 1987 election, Roy Jenkins and David Owen, both had their seats gained by Labour. Jenkins’ was a gain from the SNP and Owen’s was a gain from the Tories.

- The two Liberal Democrat holds for their former leaders were for Orkney and Shetland (Jo Grimond, Liberal Party) and Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Robert Maclennan, the SDP leader who helped with the merger).

- Nick Clegg’s seat Sheffield Hallam is a Labour hold with the Liberal Democrats second. The majority is 8,189.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

B.Deutsch

* * * *

Preparing for a consequential week

June 24, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

It was a relatively quiet weekend on the political front as President Biden and his advisers huddled at Camp David to prepare for the presidential debate on Thursday. None of his senior advisers appeared on the Sunday talk shows, suggesting that they are helping in the preparation process or laying low to avoid creating unnecessary controversy before the debate. Biden is appropriately allocating his most limited resource—his time. He is, after all, also running a country as he runs for reelection.

Biden’s campaign is launching a pre-debate offensive in the battleground state of Georgia to coincide with the debate. See Atlanta Journal Constitution, Biden campaign launches pre-debate offensive across Georgia. Per the AJC

President Joe Biden’s campaign will hold more than 200 events across Georgia the week of his debate against former President Donald Trump, part of a mobilization effort aimed at rebuilding the coalition that powered his 2020 win. The Democrat’s campaign said Sunday the spate of events ranges from watch parties for Thursday’s CNN debate, grassroots mobilizing events, community barbecues, news conferences with national figures and visits from Padma Lakshmi and other celebrities.

Organizing 200 events suggests that the Biden ground game in Georgia is strong!

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post wrote over the weekend about the emerging role and strength of Vice President Harris. See Jennifer Rubin, WaPo, Opinion  A closer look at Harris shows how effective she’s become. (Accessible to all.) Per Rubin,

Harris told me her campus visits have been standing room only, with overflow rooms. “Students stood in line for hours,” she said, “not for a rock concert, but to have a conversations with the vice president.” Contrary to the impression that Gen Z voters are disengaged, she came away “inspired” and more certain that they will mark a “sea change” in politics. Guns, abortion rights and climate are not academic issues to this generation. “It is a lived experience. In the height of their reproductive years, the Supreme Court took away the right to make decisions about their own body. . . . They understand we need practical solutions.”

The campaign season is in full swing. From every objective indication, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are running a professional, disciplined, and effective campaign.  Trump is not. Although I don’t traffic in polls, the trend from spring to summer has been one of growing strength for Biden nationally, in key swing states and key demographics—especially the youth vote. But the only poll that matters is the one that takes place on election day. So, let’s not take our eye off the ball: Historic turnout that will give Biden an incontestable victory.

But . . . if you watched any broadcast or cable news over the weekend, the coverage was all-Trump-all-the-time. Why? Remember, Joe Biden is preparing for the debate. Trump was on the campaign trail, repeating his stories about Shark-apocalypse and Hannibal Lecter. But he added new gibberish, talking about creating an Ultimate Fighting Championship league with “migrants” because “they are so tough,” complaining about dishwashers, which he called washing machines, bragging about his thick luxurious hair, and saying, “If I took this shirt off, you would see a beautiful, beautiful person.”

But the clearest sign of cognitive decline came in this clip, where he wondered aloud whether the correct pronunciation was “refuttal” (with an “oo” sound) or “refuttal” (with an “uh” sound). Of course, “refuttal” is not a word in the English language. Trump could not recall the word “rebuttal.” Just imagine the 72-point font on the front page of every newspaper in America if Joe Biden mused aloud about whether the correct pronunciation for a non-existent word was “refootal” or “refuhtal.”

Although the media ignored those mistakes over the weekend, they will not likely do so during the debate. This is why Trump's team is already spreading lies about the reasons for Joe Biden’s victory in the first debate. While that feels unfair, you would much rather be the guy they are making excuses about than the one they are making excuses for.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[steddiebang]

The Center Cannot Hold

Author: @mashawisotsky l Artist: @boiiko Posting on Monday, November 27

Days after an earthquake rocks Hawkins, Indiana, citizens struggle with how the strange event has impacted their lives. Rising sophomores strain to complete their first year of high school. The Wheeler family pretends everything is fine; Mike remains a member of Hellfire Club while Nancy gets a unique opportunity – intern-at-large in support of an AP crime reporter for the Northern Midwest region. The coverage of the Munson Murders is thick on the ground while the lead suspect is still at large. Lucas and Erica Sinclair have two enemies, the unfair house arrest imposed by their parents and the rising racial hatred as the mid-term elections of '86 rumble with the fractures of the Reagan presidency. Meanwhile, Susan Mayfield can't balance her thankless night job with a daughter in a hospital where no one will answer her questions. Rumors swirl around a Hawkins day-care while former King of Hawkins High, Steve Harrington, convalesces at home. One intrepid Roane County prosecutor is convinced the two are linked. Corroded Coffin is no longer playing at The Hideout but one member – the bassist – is certainly signing a tune for county officials. Joyce Byers and her kids return to a town that isn’t sure why they bothered to come back and has no interest in welcoming them. Underneath it all, there is something stirring. What was dead had risen once again

Keep reading for a sneak preview!

He’s bored of being bored. The first while had slipped away under a haze of painkillers and sleep. Mid-week Wayne had driven him back to the hospital to get the lingering stitches removed, the skin healing pink and itching around the black thread. The doc had snipped away the knots and then with tweezers pulled the thread right out of him. Eddie would find himself rubbing the scars and trying to ease the itch on the inside. He prodded the edges of the puffed pink lines and felt the tacky fluid of his body trying to keep itself together. The docs had gone in and manhandled his organs. The morphine was excellent, he remembers. It was like the best of anything he’d ever taken. Nothing bothered him. Everything easy, calm, and warm. The whole world kind and full of comfort. He had never had a sleep that good in his life.

Now at the motel and officially cleared for activity Eddie mourned a little. He’d been forced cold turkey off the booze and the dope; even after the feds had awkwardly returned his paraphernalia it was only the music shit he got back. Nothing he could move. The problem was that he sucked at planning ahead for so-called important shit. Stuff like drafting a campaign, was no effort at all. Burning through Off Season when he finally got his hands on it - not even stopping to eat or take a piss, eyes going dry from staring at the page, not even turning on the light after the sun got low - the usual when he liked a book. Taking all his codeine the first week, leaving him to lay on the bed and grit his teeth and drink whisky to sleep, well. He was predictable. Bucking convention exactly as expected. The refill was still days away.

The issue with drinking to sleep was that it made him have to piss early in the morning, pre-dawn light smearing across the floor, mouth dry and flooded with spit, stumbling into the bathroom and trying to hit the bowl. Everything grey-washed and even standing making him feel like his guts were water. When he had lived with Wayne after the disastrous first-last year of high school he had enough shame to creep around. They gave up the pretence after Wayne caught him in the dark eating a dry cheese sandwich and leaning on the counter, drunk in the witching hour after being drunk in the afternoon after being drunk the day before. Days bleeding one into the other. His dad would have brought out the belt. Would have swung so the buckle hit. 

“Go to your room,” was all Wayne said, and didn’t comment on the pull tabs littering the ground outside like shrapnel.

Getting to the bathroom today almost saw Eddie break his neck. He stepped on something that cracked underfoot but it was too dark to figure it out. The whole cleaning thing for him came in waves. Dirty clothes and books and scrap paper would pile up until it bothered him, then some kind of second wind would catch him around the throat then he’d spend the weekend scraping down to the carpeting and washing two weeks' worth of dishes until ten at night. Then he would feel good - scoured even - and his mind would be quiet. He always fucking himself over. The minute Master of Puppets dropped in his hands everything else fell away. Eddie spent hours listening to the tracks, could pick apart every section and examine it, turning over the riffs in his mind. Meditating on the progression. Sitting there and thinking about the rhythm. Drilling the solos over and over until the calluses were bruised underneath. Despite what the guys said, he wasn’t good. Music wasn’t magic to him, but it was his mother tongue. Some guys could talk Quenya or Conan or whatever, and sure he could do that, but he dreamed music. When he was showering or driving or even taking a shit sometimes a phrase would fall into his head, fully formed. He tried not to let the frustration get to him but playing at Jeff so the guy could play it back at him was always torture. Not to mention fighting with Gareth about, fucking, polyrhythms while Eddie could only say, look, look, like this man, and slap it out on his own thighs. As if he knows what tempo means.  Just listen, that’s all, recreate the noise in his brain out there in the open.

Read more on November 27!

[ktsumu]

hi this is so unrelated but I’ve seen you post about being a stem student (I think) and literally how do you cope with finals 😭😭 i did so bad last sem and I need advice (1st year chem eng) if you have any!

i am so unqualified to answer this but here’s like …. my tips … for having written 8 finals in like 6 days last semester in the same boat as you basically SO!

this might be different because I’m a biochem major (technically bio with a chem minor now but still taking courses for introductory BSc requirements) and not chem eng BUT my friends in chem eng share a lot of my courses right now SO:

for math, physics, chem: practice problems until u want to die. like until you seriously want to scratch your eyeballs out. i aced my physics final by JUST doing practice problems FOR HOURS and watching theory videos on youtube for long-answer questions!! if you get stuck (ESPECIALLY on physics) take a break or get a fresh set of eyes to set you in the right direction. if i ever got stuck I literally just left it for an hour, came back and could do it

for calc (calc 2 especially because jesus fuck) i do active recall on a whiteboard for all of the trig substitution stuff (power reducing, product sum etc) because there’s a LOT. also the trig subs for like 1+x^2 and all that. OR i remember one and learn how to get the others from that but that’s kinda hard … mainly I focus trig because that’s what i think is the most dense but reddit forums can help you deal with any problem areas you have!! discord math help servers rock too

if you’re taking biology or psych as an elective or pre req, ACTIVE RECALL. bio pathways on whiteboards especially!!!! so good for metabolic pathways (we did a baseline coverage of them) and the krebs cycle!!! acronyms and rhymes are super good for bio (mainly bio 1 but you know)

also biochem if you’re taking it before second year: the app ‘amino acid quiz’ is a LIFESAVER i memorized them by doing it like once a day … i could draw them in my sleep right now i swear to fod

OVERALL: prioritize yourself overall! also do not compare with your friends outside right before the exam, i found it could be helpful but overall just stressed everyone out because we all studied the content in different ways. you’ll do great!! 🤍🤍 be kind to yourself always, university is hard!

drink water and you got this!!! sending you hugs for finals season friend!

[xtruss]

Pakistani Corrupt Military Use Age-Old Tactics To Keep Imran Khan Away From Election

Former Prime Minister, Once Corrupt Military’s Golden Boy, Has Been Sentenced In Two Separate Politically Motivated Cases To 10 and 14 Years

— Hannah Ellis-Petersen, South Asia Correspondent | Guardian USA | Wednesday January 31, 2024

A vendor holds a picture of the jailed Former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan. Photograph: Bilawal Arbab/EPA

The script seems eerily familiar. Imran Khan, once the golden boy of Pakistan’s Corrupt Powerful Military Establishment, found himself at the receiving end of not one, but two, damning court verdicts this week.

Sentenced to 10 years in jail on Tuesday, and 14 years on Wednesday, the brazen timing of the convictions in two separate cases made one thing abundantly clear: the military will stop at nothing to keep Khan away from Pakistan’s general election, which will be held next week.

It was not so long ago that Khan himself benefited from these age-old tactics utilised repeatedly in Pakistan’s chequered political history. In 2018, when Khan was running for prime minister, it was the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who had fallen out of grace with the military and found himself facing charges of corruption and being barred from office. Less than two weeks before the election in July 2018, Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Now the tables have turned again. Khan has become the military’s harshest critic, confined behind bars, while a cowed Sharif has reconciled with the army generals and his path back to power has been cleared. As allegations of pre-poll rigging have abounded, Sharif is expected to be all but escorted into an election win.

Khan was already banned from running in the election, but the back-to-back convictions and hefty prison sentences speak to the strength of the military’s campaign against its former protege.

Since he was toppled from power in April 2022 – after a vote of no confidence widely acknowledged to have been orchestrated by the military – Khan’s criticisms of the army establishment and its tight control over Pakistani politics has been unprecedented.

Yet his campaign against the military was always doomed to fail given its iron grip, and since August, when Khan was finally arrested, it was made clear that the military would stop at nothing to sideline Khan and destroy his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Any pretence of due judicial process being followed was abandoned entirely at both cases where Khan was sentenced this week. Instead of an open courtroom, the trials were conducted inside the jail where Khan is being detained and his lawyers were not allowed to choose or cross-examine any witnesses.

Given the hefty crackdown on PTI in recent months, including all rallies being shut down by police and all coverage of the party largely banned from news channels, the party is a shadow of its former self, even if it still commands huge support from voters.

For many observers, Khan’s double convictions only serve to confirm that the elections are likely to be among the least credible in Pakistan’s recent history, pushing the country several steps back on its turbulent path towards democracy.

It is reflected too in the unusually muted political campaigning period. As the military has proved to be unafraid to show its hand in “managing” the election, even as it claims to be apolitical, all semblance of a fair fight has dissipated, with parties barely even putting forward a manifesto.

Among Pakistan’s voters, many of whom still revere Khan, there is a sense of anger and apathy. Yet most will echo the same refrain; in Pakistani politics, nothing ever really changes.

********

Imran Khan, Pakistan Former PM, Sentenced To 14 Years in Prison For Corruption (Politically Motivated Charges)

Ruling against Khan and wife Bushra Bibi comes just a day after a 10-year sentence was handed down, and just before Pakistan goes to the polls in a general election

— Hannah Ellis-Petersen, South Asia Correspondent | Wednesday 31 January 2024

Pakistan former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, has been sentenced to 14 years in jail on corruption charges. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in jail in a corruption case, a day after he was given a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets.

Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was also handed a 14-year sentence in the case, known as Toshakhana, which accused them both of illegally selling state gifts. The judge also banned them both from holding political office for 10 years.

The sentence, given at a hearing held in the Rawalpindi prison where Khan, 71, is being held, further worsens the plight of the beleaguered former prime minister, who has been in jail since August and is facing more than 100 different charges.

The judge had denied Khan’s lawyers’ request to cross-examine witnesses in the trial and his lawyers were not present on Wednesday, when the sentence was given.

Khan questioned why there was an apparent rush to wrap up the case. “Why are you in a hurry to announce the verdict? I have not even recorded my final statement,” he told the judge, before exiting the courtroom. The verdict was then given without either Khan or Bibi present.

Bibi surrendered to the authorities at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday morning.

The Toshakhana verdict came a day after a special court, also held in prison, found Khan guilty of leaking state secrets in relation to a sensitive diplomatic cable that allegedly went missing in his possession. Khan had described the trial as a sham and lawyers said he would be appealing against the verdict.

The timing of both consecutive convictions was deemed as significant by observers, coming a week before Pakistan goes to the polls in its long-delayed general election. Though Khan is already banned from running, he remains hugely popular among voters.

This is Khan’s second sentencing in the Toshakaha case, which related to allegations that the former prime minister bought several gifts given by rulers and government officials at low prices and sold them on for an undeclared profit. Khan had denied all wrongdoing.

The anti-corruption watchdog alleged that Khan and his wife had received 108 gifts from heads of state and foreign officials, some worth millions of rupees, during his term as prime minister and that many had been illegally kept or sold by the pair.

Khan was initially given a three-year sentence in the case in August, but after a higher court threw out the judgment, the legal proceedings began again after investigators presented fresh evidence relating to jewellery given by the Saudi crown prince and allegedly kept by Khan and his wife.

On Wednesday, the judge issued an even more severe sentence against both Khan and his wife, which included a collective fine of 787m rupees ($2.8m).

Khan, who was toppled from power in 2022, has claimed that the mounting cases against him are politically motivated.

Since he was removed from office in a vote of no-confidence, Khan began to publicly criticise the country’s powerful military, who have long been accused of meddling in politics. He alleged the military leadership bore a “grudge” against him and were orchestrating his imprisonment so he could not run in the elections.

Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has also faced harassment and intimidation, with senior leadership imprisoned or put under pressure to leave the party, while workers have been prevented from campaigning or holding political rallies in the buildup to the election.

A statement by PTI on X after Wednesday’s verdict said Khan and Bibi had faced “yet another kangaroo trial in which no right to defence was given to both”.

The party said there had been a “complete destruction of every existing law in Pakistan in two days”.

[qqueenofhades]

I know this may be hard to explain, but if you can try, would you be able to break down how "medicare for all" is different than expanding Obamacare as approaches to universal healthcare?

As passed in 2009, Obamacare substantially expanded free and low-cost health insurance options, and also made it illegal to deny coverage based on certain pre-existing conditions (as had often been the case before). But it did not replace or even phase out the private insurance market, and it still relied on the individual directly seeking out and enrolling for coverage, though funds were provided to subsidize most or all of that care. However, the implementation of the specific provisos was left up to the states, and several of them (you can guess which party was in charge!) flat-out did not do that. Several of them have subsequently been forced to do so after citizens voted for it, but yes. A decade-plus of Republican court challenges that were bent on repealing it entirely did not succeed, but have left its effects piecemeal and still very dependent on which state you live in.

As such, expansion of Obamacare would just mean that the existing model is adopted in all 50 states to the same standard, which is logistically very unlikely for several reasons (not least the above and Republicans' pathological hatred of it, despite its relative popularity with voters since hey, lowering healthcare costs is a good thing!) If the US was ever to achieve Medicare for All, that would be a radical restructuring where free and automatic government-provided coverage would replace or largely replace the existing opt-in private/public insurance patchwork of coverage that currently exists now. I have previously discussed some of the logistics of that and why it would not be feasible to achieve in the current political climate, but yes. At the moment, people are eligible to enroll in Medicaid/Medicare if they are over 65 or below a certain income threshold (and live in a state that has adopted the Obamacare program/funding), and that provides free or very low-cost care and prescription drugs. Even that is enough to get Republicans to hate it; viz. their pre-election threats to cut both it and Social Security because Freedom. I guess. Or something. Anyway, they suck.

Medicare for All would thus require a significant amount of new tax revenue to fund free coverage for everyone in America, and not just seniors and the poor. This would probably come from taxing billionaires and high-net-worth individuals, which is another reason Republicans hate it so much. So yes, it would be quite different from just expanding Obamacare, which is enough of a battle and something that would need to be achieved before we could think about moving to the next step.

[bwhitex]

Hunter Biden's Indictment: A Case of Subversion in the Democratic Party?

I'd like to unpack a political tactic that seems to be more and more prevalent recently. It's called projection. This is a strategy that, as far as I've observed, is particularly used by the Democratic party.

So, what is projection? In psychology, projection is a defense mechanism where someone deflects their own actions, feelings, or thoughts onto someone else. In politics, this can manifest as accusing an opponent of the very thing that they themselves are doing.

Why would a party do this? The goal is often to divert attention and criticism away from their own actions by pre-emptively pointing the finger at someone else. In the process, they hope to frame the narrative in their favor and confuse the issue at hand. The truth is pretty damning to be honest. Half of this country ended up voting for a subverted president on what they thought was voting against a subverted president ?

The Politics of Distraction: Indicting Trump to Divert Attention from Biden?

All ignorance aside, in the convoluted world of politics, the art of diversion and distraction is not a new strategy. With the recent developments surrounding President Biden's potential re-election and the legal issues involving his son, Hunter Biden, some critics have suggested that indicting former President Trump could be a tactic used to divert attention from the Biden family's impending challenges. Former President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. The first impeachment in December 2019 was for charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, related to allegations that he improperly sought help from Ukraine to boost his chances of re-election in 2020. When in reality he was inquiring about Biden’s business deals in Ukraine. That we now know are true, we have the bank statements, testimony, and obviously the evidence that DOJ is claiming in these soften charges that Hunter Biden evaded taxes. Evaded taxes over what, an influence peddling pansy scheme?

The Indictment of Trump: A Distraction?

The theory posits that launching legal proceedings against Trump could shift the public's focus away from the allegations against Hunter Biden and the speculation surrounding Biden's decision to run for re-election. This is not the first time that such a strategy has been suggested, as political figures often face accusations of using legal proceedings to divert public attention from other issues.

The criminal charges that have been brought against Trump, including those related to his business practices, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, has certainly commanded a significant amount of media attention. Remember, these are for international and for-profit corporations, they do not have an invested interest in nations like the U.S. they are here to make money off U.S viewers, that’s it. Yet, it’s all Democrat voters really have for information. So this scenario with Trump and relationship to media coverage, in turn, does overshadow the issues surrounding Biden and his family.

Democrats, more importantly Independents, it's important to note, that indictments and legal proceedings are serious matters that should not be taken lightly. Kind of like how Republicans were told Trump’s indictment and collusion with Russia. By the way, none of Trump’s family, nor him had the level of evidence Biden’s family and he does. There were never bank records showing Russia or China donating to Trump’s family or him to influence American establishment. There is in the case of Biden though. Indictments should be based on evidence and legal merit, not used as political tools for diversion or distraction. Are you confident Democrats won’t vote to protect Biden? Considering they indicted Trump with less evidence.

Is The Biden Subversion Scandal Not A Cause for Concern?

The recent indictment of Hunter Biden and President Biden's comments about his decision to run for re-election have certainly raised eyebrows. Critics suggest that Biden's decision to run might be an attempt to shield himself and his family from potential scandals. The indictment of Hunter Biden on several tax-related charges has further fueled this speculation.

However, it's essential to remember that these are individual cases, and it's unclear how they will unfold in the future. That’s because we have Democrats, and their armies of collective narcissist, believing in “social justice”, but not this kind of justice. It's also worth noting that launching an indictment against Trump would not erase these issues or absolve the Biden family of any potential wrongdoing. What it does is some small way, in the collective narcissist mind is make people think their crimes aren’t as bad, because they now can point fingers and say “Well, Republicans were indicted, and Republicans are subversion too”. It’s a deflection and minimization but still manipulative tactics.

Do you know that manipulation is psychological abuse?

In the end, the narrative that a Trump indictment was set up to be used to divert attention from the Biden family's issues is just that - a narrative. While it's certainly possible for political figures to use diversionary tactics, it's equally important to approach such theories with a critical mind.

The legal issues involving both Trump and Hunter Biden is not being addressed independently, based on the merits of each case. David Weiss, likes the Biden’s and was selected because he just so happens to be a Trump nominee, served the Biden’s by being a front in this way. Democrats use one to distract from the other, it’s a pattern visible to us all now. It is not only unethical but also undermines the integrity of the legal system when we have David Weiss and the DOJ handing down watered down charges that got dismissed with simple questions by a judge. The classism in that situation and coming from party of Marxism, oh dear! A good chunk their voters think Republicans are the party of the rich, not really and this evidence of not being much of that narrative at all.

This can be a powerful tactic because once an accusation is made, it can be difficult to change people's perceptions, even when the truth comes to light. It's important for the U.S people to be informed, to be aware as citizens, of this strategy and to scrutinize accusations carefully, seeking out reliable sources and evidence before forming our opinions. There's a striking irony in the fact that while some accusations, like Russian collusion, endure rigorous scrutiny and emerge without substantiating evidence, other instances of potential wrongdoing are seemingly shielded by political connections, societal status, or even animosity. Paradoxically, those who fervently champion social justice may inadvertently perpetuate injustice if they allow these biases to cloud their judgment. This contradiction calls into question the very foundations of moral authority and emphasizes the need for a consistent and unbiased pursuit of justice.

Basically there is now enough damming evidence to indict a sitting president for subversion. Congrats Democrats, who is laughing now?

[wartakes]

Three Conflicts to Keep an Eye On (OLD ESSAY)

This "essay" (its another listicle really) was first posted on August 11th, 2021 when I was struggling for ideas in the Summer doldrums.

Honestly, this one is a little dated now and maybe even OBE but still useful for looking at some of the situations we're in today (and for checking to see how accurate or not I was) so it may still be worth reading now.

(Full essay below the cut).

You don’t have to look far today to see either an ongoing violent conflict with significant impact, or a tense situation that could very quickly turn into such a conflict. War continues to rage in Yemen, Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan (though at the rate the Taliban is advancing at the writing of this piece, it may not be going on much longer), causing mass upheaval, hardship, and other repercussions throughout their respective regions. Meanwhile, other geopolitical points of contention have the potential to turn to bloody conflict under the right circumstances in the coming years, such as a Russian invasion of the Baltic States or escalation of their invasion of Ukraine, a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan or more territory in the South China Sea, a war with the United States, Israel, and their respective allies against Iran over its nuclear program or regional ambitions, or the ever-recurring threat of war or instability emanating from North Korea – just to name a few.

However, between these conflicts and other global stressors like the effects of climate change, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and much more, it’s easy for other conflicts to fall beneath the radar of most people until they finally become bad enough to be noticed. Conflicts involving countries that may not capture attention in the same way that China, Russia and the other usual suspects do. Conflicts that are no less important, but that people who aren’t gigantic nerds about this kind of stuff (like me) may not be spending a lot of time thinking about, if at all.

So, this month, I wanted to do a quick around-the-horn on three of what I think are some of the most important conflicts or potential conflicts to keep an eye on in the near future due to how bad they could get and the potential impact they could have on their respective regions and the rest of the world. This list is by no means all-inclusive, and I thought about adding more, but I decided to keep this installment to a tight three because I felt these three have been the ones most pressing in my mind lately that have not had as much coverage in the news. I also wanted to flesh each of them out a bit more than I could have done with a bigger list (and also, frankly, because I’m wiped and the thought of writing any more pre-emptively exhausted me). I may follow this up sometime in the near future with additional conflicts for the list and I’ll likely make this a recurring segment as conflict map of the globe continues to shift and morph.

For now, though, let’s begin:

1. Burma (Myanmar)

Years of perceived progress towards democratization in Burma (officially renamed “Myanmar” by the previous military junta) came crashing down in February 2021. The political party of former dissident and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had just maintained their majority in November 2020 elections after being swept into power in the 2015 elections – the first free and fair elections in the country since the de jure dissolution of the previous military junta in 2011 (one of two successive military governments that had ruled Burma since 1962).

However, as it often goes, the election of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy had not immediately fixed all of Burma’s persistent issues. Under the new government, Burma’s long-time persecution of minority groups within its border persisted – including actions that the United Nations has called crimes against humanity and even genocide against the Rohingya people. Despite elections, the military still maintained significant influence over politics and wished to maintain it. When the party they backed failed to regain control of the government in the 2020 elections, military denounced the election as illegitimate due to fraud – a claim that was rejected by the country’s electoral commission on January 29th, 2021.

It was only a few days after the military’s claims were rejected in the courts that it decided to change the situation by force, launching a coup de tat and deposing the government. It arrested Suu Kyi and other members of her government and inner circle, initially charging her under trumped-up offenses of violating the country’s COVID-19 emergency regulations before unveiling more serious charges weeks and months later, including violating the country’s official secrets act and bribery. The coup and arrests almost immediately resulted in mass protests against the military that are still ongoing at the time of writing this essay. The natural inclination of the military has been to respond with violence, which has predictably only toughened resistance to them. As of July 19th, the activist group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimated that at least 914 people had been killed by security forces since the coup.

As the military continues to crack down on protests and the possibility of non-violently rolling back the coup fades, many protestors and activists have resorted to taking up arms to defend themselves, or even with the intent of removing the military from power by force. There’s already been reports of attacks by newly organized opposition groups on military and security forces in recent months. This is in addition to the already existing, long-running internal armed conflicts within Burma between the military and rebel forces associated with multiple different minority groups, which the military has reportedly stepped up its attacks against following the February coup. Some of the existing ethnic rebel forces have reportedly offered their assistance and support to newer anti-coup forces, which raises the possibility of a more expansive armed front against the military and a wider war should one break out.

Six months on from the coup, neither the military nor opposition forces show any signs of wavering. The conflict has even taken on an international dimension, with a alleged plot to assassinate Myanmar’s UN Ambassador who is one of multiple officials and diplomats who have opposed the coup and the junta (the junta denies all involvement in the plot). The longer this struggle goes on, the greater the likelihood of more open and intense conflict going forward – a possibility that neighboring regional powers like India, China and others will almost certainly take an interest in when it comes to their own interests as well as regional stability.

2. Ethiopia

It was only in 2019 that Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize after successfully negotiating a peace with long-time adversary and former internal-subject Eritrea. Just a year later, Abiy was going to war against his own people.

The origins of this conflict come from actions Abiy took the same year as his Nobel Prize win, consolidating several regional and ethnic-based political parties into a new political party under his leadership. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front – which has a checkered authoritarian past, its old coalition having previously dominated Ethiopian politics for some thirty years – refused to join the new party after having been ousted by Abiy from its role as leader of the previous governing coalition a year prior. The TPLF accused Abiy and his government of being illegitimate after postponing August 2020 elections due to COVID-19, and went on to hold its own regional elections in September in defiance of the federal government.

The federal government initially responded by declaring these elections illegal, following that up with a build-up of military forces – along with regional paramilitary forces from the Ethiopian region of Amhara – on the Tigray border. The political conflict suddenly escalated to a military one on November 4th, 2020, when the TPLF launched a series of coordinated surprise attacks on multiple Ethiopian National Defense Force bases throughout the region, overrunning several units, capturing weapons and equipment, and even taking thousands of ENDF troops prisoner.

In the weeks that followed, the ENDF appeared to regroup and retake the initiative. On November 28th, the ENDF entered the Tigray capital of Mekelle as the TPLF withdrew. Riding high on this apparent victory, Abiy declared that Ethiopia had “completed and ceased the military operations in the Tigray region” (a statement that did not remind me of anything else I had ever seen in that context before). He then proceeded to impose a large-scale communications and media blackout on the restive region. Information on what was happening in Tigray became hard to come by for the next eight months as a result, with little activity being seen.

The communications blackout – along with Abiy’s claim of the war being over – was shattered when the TPLF launched a counter-offensive in June, retaking the regional capital of Mekelle. The dramatic reversal of fortune was one of several factors that no doubt influenced the Abiy’s government into declaring a unilateral ceasefire following the ENDF’s withdrawal from Mekelle.

What the TPLF’s June counter-offensive has made clear is that any hopes the federal government had of this conflict being short and decisive are now long gone. The unilateral cease fire appears to be unravelling, with the TPLF occupying parts of fellow Ethiopian regions Afar and Amhara and both the federal government and Amhara’s regional government threatening counter-offensives of their own against the TPLF. Abiy has called upon “all capable Ethiopians” to join the war effort against the TPLF, accusing foreign powers of supporting them. Blames and recrimination for various offenses have gone back and forth between the factions. This bodes ill for a conflict that, less than a year in, has already exacted a heavy toll. The war has reportedly displaced some two million people and placing thousands under famine conditions as the conflict keeps them from being able to plant new crops. The death toll is hard to pin down with competing claims from both sides but is likely in the thousands – many of those civilians, including children, as well as aid workers.

The fresh TPLF incursions and the reactions to them threaten to widen the war beyond Tigray itself and engulf more of Ethiopia into violent conflict. As the federal government relies increasingly on regional paramilitary forces in an effort to regain the initiative in the conflict, it may only further entrench and even worsen the regional and ethnic politics that Abiy intended to extinguish when he undertook the political initiative that contributed to the outbreak of war in the first place. Meanwhile, the TPLF is not without allies of its own apparently, for just today as I post this essay the Oromo Liberation Army – another armed force in Ethiopia based around the Oromo, the largest single ethnic group in the country – has apparently allied with the TPLF with the stated aim of overthrowing Abiy’s government by force, despite past differences between the two. Any hopes of de-escalation now appear to be solidly in the rear-view mirror as the regions and ethnic groups of Ethiopia stake sides in this growing conflict.

3. Lebanon

Lebanon – like the other countries on the list – is no stranger to conflict. Its brutal, 15-year long, multi-sided civil war was both a hotspot for intervention and competition between regional powers, as well as in the wider Cold War between East and West. Even with the official end of that civil war in 1990, Lebanon has still been subjected to recurring violence of all stripes – from both outside and within its own borders – as well economic instability, political corruption and deadlock, and a whole host of other adverse conditions.

However, all of these stressors have been intensified over the last year, starting with a massive explosion that occurred around a year ago on August 4th, 2020, when hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrite exploded in the capital city of Beirut’s port, causing mass destruction and the death of over 200 people. Since that explosion, things only seemed to have worsened in Lebanon. The country is in the midst of one of the world’s worst economic collapses, with the costs of essential supplies rising dramatically while the country’s money simultaneously drops in value almost as quickly. Not that there’s many essentials to buy, with things like food, fuel, and medicine all in short supply. Blackouts and power cuts can last so long that you may only get one hour of power a day if you can’t afford a generator and fuel for it. Many have left the country in search of relief and better opportunities, while those forced to stay find day to day life more and more difficult.

It appears now that things may be coming to a head with Lebanon’s current crisis, with the frustration and anger over Lebanon’s ills naturally finding form as violence. On August 9th, three people were killed in disputes over fuel supplies. Police and protestors clashed on the one-year anniversary of the Beirut explosion, when protestors attempted to storm the main building of Lebanon’s parliament. Just three days prior to that anniversary, five people were killed at a funeral procession for a Hezbollah member – who had himself been killed only the night before. Violence, never far from the fore in Lebanon’s tumultuous political environment, appears to be returning as the situation in the country continues to deteriorate.

Hezbollah itself is another point of contention that could lead to additional violence. The Shia Islamist paramilitary organization which is closely aligned to Iran has been a powerful force in Lebanese politics since its founding during the Lebanese Civil War, and in many ways is a state and a military unto itself within Lebanon. It has clashed multiple times with Israel since its creation, most recently in the last few days, launching fresh rocket attacks across the border between Lebanon and Israel after Israel declared it would respond against Iran for a fatal drone strike against an Israeli owned tanker (the latest in an ongoing, shadowy tanker war between the two countries). This has brought the predictable Israeli  military response in the form of large scale artillery barrages, with muscular threats of further escalation by newly-minted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett – as well as promises of further retaliation by Hezbollah on their part.

Ruther rifts and conflict between Hezbollah and the rest of Lebanon may also be a concern amidst the specter of renewed war with Israel. On August 10th, the country’s President condemned criticism of the patriarch of Lebanon’s Maronite Christian community after he made comments encouraging the military to confront Hezbollah and halt its rocket attacks against Israel. Between Israel, Hezbollah, a corrupt, ineffectual, and entrenched political and security establishment, an economy in free fall, and many other ails, Lebanon isn’t lacking in potential sparks to set alight the tinder of a fresh conflict. If a new war does break out, the bigger question may be whether the new war would be as chaotic, bloody, and long-lasting as the previous civil war was, and whether it would be as much of a hotspot for competition and proxy fighting among both regional and great powers on an increasingly tense global stage.

And many, many more… As I said before, this list is by no means all-inclusive. I have other conflicts in mind that I could talk about after these three and I almost certainly will cover them in the future. Likewise, I know with everything else going on in the world, these may be the last things in the world anyone wants to think about.

But, part of the reason I started writing here is because I wanted to make sure folks in my political neck of the woods (as it were) are a bit more aware when it came to international relations and war and things of that nature, so I offer this initial list of three conflicts to keep an eye on with the intent of arming you with knowledge and being more aware of a shifting international landscape that can and will touch your life somehow at some point – and that actions that you or your government take could also affect them. My intent isn’t to bum you out at the state of the world and the fact it could get much worse quickly, but to keep you in the know and better equip you for what may happen and the potential impacts that could have. Ok, that came more self-important and lecture-y than I intended it too but I’m not sure how to word it any better. Just know my heart and brain are in the right place here. Promise. Lacking any better way to wrap this up: thanks for reading and see you again for next month’s essay.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

In November, millions of voters in red, blue and purple states voted on the future of our health care directly on the ballot. And Senator Warnock ran his re-election campaign and run-off on health care. Health care, and Warnock, won decisively.

Voters decided to expand Medicaid in South Dakota, meaning more than 40,000 low-income South Dakotans will finally have the health care they should have had years ago. More than 17 million Americans have gained health coverage as a result of Medicaid expansion, part of the Affordable Care Act that became optional as a result of a 2012 Supreme Court decision. Every time expansion of health care through Medicaid is on the ballot, health care wins.

In Arizona, the voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 209, the Predatory Debt Collection Act, with a whopping 72% approval. This measure will protect Arizonans from predatory debt collection, including families suffering from medical debt.

Voters in states as varied as Michigan, Vermont, California, Kentucky and Montana supported abortion rights. In Michigan, Vermont and California, voters approved ballot measure enshrining abortion rights into their state constitutions. In Kentucky and Montana, voters rejected initiatives to restrict access to reproductive health care.

And in Oregon, Measure 111 passed. Voters there made Oregon the first state in the nation to guarantee affordable health care as a constitutional right. Now the state legislature needs to deliver on it, perhaps by moving forward a state-based public health insurance option as Colorado, Nevada and Washington have done so far.

Senator Warnock just won re-election in Georgia as a champion for lower drug prices, as did candidates across the country last month such as Representative Susan Wild in Pennsylvania.

Health care was on the ballot across the country, and the results are clear: Americans want affordable, accessible health care.

This issue is personal for me, because I've been on the front lines fighting for my health care and for the health care of 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions like me. I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2017. The day after my first chemotherapy treatment, Republicans in the U.S. House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act – the insurance paying for the treatments I needed to survive. But health care voters fought to defend the Affordable Care Act from a Congress and President determined to repeal it. We won.

And in the past couple years, health care voters have finally seen progress from Congress: with the American Rescue Plan making health insurance more affordable than ever, and the Inflation Reduction Act lowering prescription drug costs for seniors and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices at last. Yet already those gains are under attack.

Whether voting to expand health insurance through Medicaid, protect families from medical debt, preserve the right to reproductive freedom, or guarantee health care as a human right, Americans showed up and made their priorities known. Health care is a winning issue, no matter the state or political party of the voter.

Voters in South Dakota and elsewhere also demonstrated that state legislatures are blocking overwhelmingly popular legislation. It's time for Representatives in the remaining eleven hold-out states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, to do their jobs. They must represent the interests of their constituents by finally expanding Medicaid so low income Americans in their states can get health care too.

It's also time for Congress to get on board and work to expand lower drug prices to all, instead of threatening to take away what gains on affordable prescription drugs we made through the Inflation Reduction Act.

And once again, we are reminded that the majority of Americans support affordable, legal and accessible abortion access. Abortion is health care. We must continue to advocate for reproductive freedom and show our elected officials that their restrictions on our bodies are unwarranted and unwelcome.

Our fight for affordable, accessible health care continues. There's so much more to do, from tackling prescription drug costs for the rest of us not on Medicare, to ensuring lower health insurance costs to ensure everyone can get access to care.

Voters want health care. Listen up, elected officials.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 28, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

Behind the horse race–type coverage of the contest for presidential nominations, a major realignment is underway in United States politics. The Republican Party is dying as Trump and his supporters take it over, but there is a larger story behind that crash. This moment looks much like the other times in our history when a formerly stable two-party system has fallen apart and Americans reevaluated what they want out of their government.

Trump’s takeover of the party has been clear at the state level, where during his term he worked to install loyalists in leadership positions. From there, they have pushed the Big Lie that he won the 2020 election and have continued to advance his claims to power. 

The growing radicalism of the party has also been clear in Congress, where Trump loyalists refuse to permit legislation that does not reflect their demands and where, after they threw House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of office—dumping a speaker midterm for the first time in history—Trump lieutenant Jim Jordan (R-OH) threatened holdouts to vote him in as speaker. Jordan failed, but the speaker Republican representatives did choose, Mike Johnson (R-LA), is himself a Trump loyalist, just one who had made fewer enemies than Jordan. 

The radicalization of the House conference has led 21 members of the party who gravitate toward actual lawmaking to announce they are not running for reelection. Many of them are from safe Republican districts, meaning they will almost certainly be replaced by radicals.  

The Senate has tended to hang back from this radicalization, but in a dramatic illustration of Trump’s takeover of the party, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell today announced he would step down from his leadership position in November. McConnell is the leading symbol of the pre-Trump party, a man whose determination to cut taxes and regulation led him to manipulate the rules of the Senate and silence warnings that Russian disinformation was polluting the 2016 campaign so long as it meant keeping a Democrat out of the White House and Republicans in control of the Senate.

The extremist House Freedom Caucus promptly tweeted: “Our thoughts are with our Democrat colleagues in the Senate on the retirement of their Co-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-Ukraine). No need to wait till November…Senate Republicans should IMMEDIATELY elect a *Republican* Minority Leader.”

Trump has also taken control of the Republican National Committee (RNC) itself. On Monday, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel announced that she is resigning on March 8. Trump picked McDaniel himself in 2016 but has come to blame her both for the party’s continued underperformance since 2016 and for its current lack of money.

Now Trump has made it clear he wants even closer loyalists at the top of the party, including his own daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. She has suggested she is open to using RNC money exclusively for Trump. This might be what has prompted the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity to pull support from Nikki Haley in order to invest in downballot races. 

But the party that is consolidating around Trump is alienating a majority of Americans. It has abandoned the principles that the party embraced from 1980 until 2016. In that era, Republicans called for a government that cut taxes and regulations with the idea that consolidating wealth at the top of the economy would enable businessmen to invest far more effectively in new development than they could if the government interfered, and the economy would boom. They also embraced global leadership through the expansion of capitalism and a strong military to protect it. 

Under Trump, though, the party has turned away from global leadership to the idea that strong countries can do what they like to their neighbors, and from small government to big government that imposes religious rules. Far from protecting equality before the law, Republican-dominated states have discriminated against LGBTQ+ individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, and women. And, of course, the party is catering to Trump’s authoritarian plans. Neo-nazis attended the Conservative Political Action Conference a week ago. 

But these changes are not popular. Tuesday’s Michigan primary revealed the story we had already seen in the Republican presidential primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Trump won all those contests, but by significantly less than polls had predicted. He has also been dogged by the strength of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. With Trump essentially running as an incumbent, he should be showing the sort of strength Biden is showing—with challengers garnering only a few percentage points—but even among the fervent Republicans who tend to turn out for primaries, Trump’s support is soft.

It seems that the same policies that attract Trump’s base are turning other voters against him. Republican leadership, for example, is far out of step with the American people on abortion rights—69% of Americans want the right to abortion put into law—and that gulf has only widened over the Alabama Supreme Court decision endangering in vitro fertilization by saying that embryos have the same rights as children from the moment of conception. That decision created such an outcry that Republicans felt obliged to claim they supported IVF. But push came to shove today when Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced a bill to protect IVF that Republicans had previously rejected and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) killed it again. 

The party has also tied itself to a deeply problematic leader. Trump is facing 91 criminal charges in four different cases—two state, two federal—but the recently-decided civil case in which he, the Trump Organization, his older sons, and two associates were found liable for fraud is presenting a more immediate threat to Trump’s political career.

Trump owes writer E. Jean Carroll $88.3 million; he owes the state of New York $454 million, with interest accruing at more than $100,000 a day. Trump had 30 days from the time the judgments were filed to produce the money or a bond for it. Today he asked the court for permission to post only $100 million rather than the full amount in the New York case, as required by law, because he would have to sell property at fire-sale prices to come up with the money.

In addition to making it clear to donors that their investment in his campaign now might end up in the hands of lawyers or the victorious plaintiffs, the admission that Trump does not have the money he has claimed punctures the image at the heart of his political success: that of a billionaire businessman.   

Judge Anil C. Singh rejected Trump’s request but did stay the prohibition on Trump’s getting loans from New York banks, potentially allowing him to get the money he needs.  

As Trump’s invincible image cracks with this admission, as well as with the increased coverage of his wild statements, others are starting to push back on him and his loyalists. President Biden’s son Hunter Biden testified behind closed doors to members of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees today, after their previous key witness turned out to be working with Russian operatives and got indicted for lying.

Hunter Biden began the day with a scathing statement saying unequivocally that he had never involved his father in his business dealings and that all the evidence the committee had compiled proved that. In their “partisan political pursuit,” he said, they had “trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism—all the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face. You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn’t any.” 

After an hour, Democratic committee members described to the press what was going on in the hearing room. They reported that the Republicans’ case had fallen apart entirely and that Biden had had a “very understandable, coherent business explanation for every single thing that they asked for.” While former president Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself more than 440 times during a deposition in his fraud trial, Biden did not take the Fifth at all. 

The discrediting of the Republicans continued later. When Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN) tried to recycle the discredited claim that “$20 million flowed through” to then–vice president Biden, CNN host Boris Sanchez fact-checked him and said, “I’m not going to let you say things that aren’t true.” 

That willingness to push back on the Republicans suggests a new political moment in which Americans, as they have done before when one of the two parties devolved into minority rule, wake up to the reality that the system has been hijacked and begin to reclaim their government. 

But can they prevail over the extremists MAGA Republicans have stowed into critical positions in the government? Tonight the Supreme Court, stacked with Trump appointees, announced that rather than let the decision of a lower court stay in place, it would take up the question of whether Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for his actions in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. That decision means a significant delay in Trump’s trial for that attempt. 

“This is a momentous decision, just to hear this case,” conservative judge Michael Luttig told Nicolle Wallace of MSNBC. “There was no reason in this world for the Supreme Court to take this case…. Under the constitutional laws of the United States, there has never been an argument that a former president is immune from prosecution for crimes that he committed while in office.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

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ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES RACHEL SCOTT PROMOTED TO SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT 

ABC News president Kim Godwin sent the following note to the news division announcing Rachel Scott as senior congressional correspondent.

Credit: ABC/Danny Weiss Good morning, ABC News –

I wanted to share the exciting news that Rachel Scott has been promoted to senior congressional correspondent. Rachel has had a meteoric rise at ABC News, and with this promotion, she rightly takes her place as a senior member and leader of our unparalleled and formidable Washington team.

In just two years covering Congress, Rachel has brought sharp, incisive reporting to a historically busy period at the Capitol. Rachel’s first day on the beat was Jan. 6, 2021, when she unexpectedly found herself providing live coverage of the unprecedented attack on the Capitol. She stayed with that story through the second impeachment of President Trump and, more recently, with expert coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings. Rachel has also led our coverage of the negotiations and ultimate passage of multiple pieces of significant legislation, including the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, and the first major gun safety legislation in decades. Rachel is an integral part of our powerhouse political team, most recently working the ‘Big Board’ alongside Rick Klein and Nate Silver during midterm election night. And just this month, she provided superb, tireless coverage of the historic speaker fight through all 15 votes on the House floor. 

Rachel has also repeatedly brought her trusted voice to reporting outside the Beltway. She has received numerous awards for her relentless coverage of the state of abortion in America, both pre- and post-Dobbs, in communities across the country. She was also on the front lines during the racial unrest following George Floyd’s murder, providing weekslong, on-the-ground live coverage of the nationwide protests surrounding police brutality and COVID-19’s impact on communities of color. Rachel boldly pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin on human rights abuses in 2021 during a press conference in Switzerland. She also reported extensively on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, traveling thousands of miles covering both the Democratic Party primary and former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Her work earned her three of the most prestigious journalism awards all in one year, winning a Peabody for her coverage of abortion on “Nightline”; an Edward R. Murrow Award for her podcast series “Accountable,” which she hosted with senior White House correspondent Mary Bruce; and the inaugural Emerging Journalist Emmy Award. She has also been recognized with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Emerging Journalist of the Year and Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, both in 2020.  

Rachel is an exceptional teammate and colleague, and I look forward to seeing more impactful and thoughtful reporting from her. With another consequential election season right around the corner, Rachel and the entire Washington team’s straightforward journalism couldn’t be more valued. 

Please join me in congratulating Rachel. 

#oneabcnews 

Kim

[tamanna31]

Clear Aligners Market Size, Share, Growth, Analysis Forecast to 2030

Clear Aligners Industry Overview

The global clear aligners market size was valued at USD 5.13 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.7% from 2024 to 2030.

Clear aligners are a series of tight-fitting custom-made mouthpieces or orthodontic systems that are useful in correcting misaligned or crooked teeth. Clear aligners are virtually discreet and removable alternatives to braces designed around patients’ convenience and flexibility. Factors such as the growing patient population suffering from malocclusions, rising technological advancements in dental treatment, and growing demand for customized clear aligners are driving the overall market growth. The pandemic had a positive impact on the market globally and key players recovered with high revenues in 2020 as compared to previous years. For instance, according to Dental Tribune, Align Technology sold a record 1.6 million cases of clear aligners in 2020 as compared to 1.5 million cases in 2019.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Clear Aligners Market

The company also stated that the adoption of Invisalign aligners by adults and teenagers increased by 36.7% and 38.7%, respectively in 2020 and the adoption of aligners among teens or younger patients was highest during the pandemic. The major factor for the growth of this marker was that people were more reluctant to go to an orthodontist’s office to get traditional teeth braces which increased the adoption of clear aligners. The advent of pandemics helped the industry prosper in terms of adoption, sales, and revenue, and this trend is expected to continue in the future.

In the advent of escalating dental disorders, advancements like 3D impression systems, additive fabrication, Nickel and Copper-Titanium Wires, digital scanning technology, CAD/CAM appliances, temporary anchorage devices, and incognito lingual braces, clear aligners are among the latest advancements that are making orthodontic treatments more efficient, predictable and effective. Dental treatments have become customized and technologies like a digital impression system like iTero by Align Technology is assisting in developing accurate and customized clear aligners systems to treat mild to moderate misalignment conditions.

These invisible aligners are developed through virtual digital models, computer-aided design (CAD-CAM), and thermoformed plastic materials like copolyester or polycarbonate plastic. Inconvenience caused by the metal and ceramic braces and the long-term gum sensitivity has caused an increased adoption of clear aligners by patients and dentists. The aligner is designed for the wearer’s comfort and is flexible. According to Dental Tribune, clear aligners technology has quickly become an increasingly popular alternative to fixed appliances for tooth straightening, since it is an aesthetically appealing and comfortable choice. Invisalign is the largest producer of clear aligners, and other brands include Clear Correct, Inman Aligner, and Smart Moves. However, factors like the high cost of clear aligners, less number of dentists in emerging areas, and limited insurance coverage for orthodontic treatments are likely to hinder the market growth.

The advent of COVID-19 was eminent on the dental market as the majority of elective procedures were postponed. As dentistry is considered an elective and high-contact service, most of the dental practices were closed. However, In the U.S., 27 states allowed dental offices to open for elective care by May 2020, and by June around 48 states opened for elective dental care. The American Dental Association predicted spending projections to be more optimistic in the future due to resuming of dental practices and recovering patient volume. The ADA also predicted that dental expenditures will grow and bounce back completely to pre-pandemic levels or 80% of pre-pandemic volume by October 2020 or January 2021.

Browse through Grand View Research's Medical Devices Industry Research Reports.

• The global cardiac safety services market size was estimated at USD 870.48 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2024 to 2030.

• The China blood pressure monitoring devices market size was estimated at USD 438.0 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.0%, from 2024 to 2030.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

One of the key factors driving competitiveness among clear aligners companies is the rapid adoption of advanced digital technology like intraoral scans, digital tooth set-ups, 3D printers, and CAD/CAM appliances. Moreover, a prominent number of these players are rapidly opting for strategic expansions and collaborations for increasing their geographical presence, and increasing sales volume in emerging and economically favorable regions and product launches. For instance, in April 2023, Henry Schein Inc. entered into a partnership with Biotech Dental Group for making expansion in its digital workflow, provide clear aligner solutions to customers, and improve clinical results for dental professionals.

Key Clear Aligners Companies:

The following are the leading companies in the Clear Aligners market. These companies collectively hold the largest market share and dictate industry trends. Financials, strategy maps & products of these Clear Aligners companies are analyzed to map the supply network

Align Technology

Dentsply Sirona

Institute Straumann

Envista Corporation

3M ESPE

Argen Corporation

Henry Schein Inc

TP Orthodontics Inc

SmileDirect Club

Angel Aligner

Recent Developments

In May 2023, SmileDirect Club declared the US launch of patented SmileMaker platform that will expand the technology for teeth straightening. This platform uses AI for capturing 3D scan of teeth, thus making it easier for consumers to undertake the clear aligner treatment.

In May 2022, Straumann Group acquired PlusDental for expanding its position in the field of consumer orthodontics, and providing clear aligner treatments to potential patients.

In December 2021, Henry Schein Inc. launched Studio Pro 4.0 which is a treatment planning software for clear aligners. This software allows dental practitioners to customize, visualize, and communicate plans for the treatment of clear aligner.

Order a free sample PDF of the Clear Aligners Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

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Nova Eye Centre - How to Save Money for LASIK and Cataract Surgery in Singapore

Part 1: Setting Your Sights on Affordable LASIK and Cataract Surgery

If you're dreaming of clearer vision through LASIK or need cataract surgery cost in Singapore, you're in the right place. These procedures can be life-changing, but they often come with a hefty price tag. Fear not! We've got seven fantastic ways to help you save money for these eye surgeries without breaking the bank.

1. Craft a Vision-Focused Budget

Let's start with the basics. Create a budget specifically tailored to your LASIK or cataract surgery goal. Map out your monthly income and expenses, and identify areas where you can cut back. Channel those extra dollars directly into your surgery fund. It's like giving your financial vision a 20/20 upgrade.

Crafting a vision-focused budget for LASIK and cataract surgery cost in Singapore is essential to ensure that individuals prioritise and plan for these significant eye care expenses. These surgeries can significantly improve one's quality of life by enhancing vision, reducing dependence on corrective lenses, and preventing further deterioration. 

By allocating a dedicated budget, individuals can set realistic financial goals, explore insurance coverage options, and save accordingly. This proactive approach not only eases the financial burden but also underscores the importance of maintaining good eye health. Ultimately, a vision-focused budget empowers individuals to make informed decisions and invest in their visual well-being.

2. Explore Insurance Options

Check if your health insurance covers any part for LASIK or cataract surgery cost. While these procedures are often considered elective, there might be exceptions or supplemental plans available. It's worth a phone call to your insurance provider to explore your options.

3. HSA or FSA Contributions

If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you're sitting on a goldmine for medical expenses. These accounts allow you to set aside pre-tax money for healthcare costs, including LASIK and cataract surgery cost. Max out your contributions to maximise your savings.

Part 2: Smart Saving Strategies

Now, let's dig deeper into some strategic saving tactics.

4. Open a Dedicated Savings Account

Create a separate savings account exclusively for your cataract and LASIK surgery cost in Singapore.This not only keeps your savings organised but also prevents you from accidentally spending it on other expenses. Consider an account with a higher interest rate to help your money grow over time.

5. Set Milestone Goals

Break down your savings goal into manageable milestones. Celebrate each small victory along the way to keep your motivation high. For instance, when you reach 25% of your target, treat yourself to a little something special – just make sure it doesn't dent your surgery fund for LASIK surgery cost in Singapore!

6. Side Hustle for Extra Cash

Think of side hustles as your secret weapon for boosting your surgery fund for LASIK surgery cost in Singapore. Whether it's freelance work, selling items online, or offering your skills, the extra income can add up fast. Plus, it'll make reaching your goal all the more satisfying.

Part 3: Explore Financial Assistance

Now, let's explore options for financial assistance.

7. Investigate Financing and Payment Plans

Many LASIK and cataract surgery cost centres in Singapore offer financing options or flexible payment plans. These can help you spread the cost over several months or even years, making the surgeries more manageable on your budget. Just be sure to check the terms and interest rates before committing.

Now that you're equipped with these savvy strategies, it's time to take action and make your vision goals a reality. Start saving for LASIK or cataract surgery cost today and schedule a consultation with a reputable eye specialist in Singapore. Your clearer, brighter future awaits!

So, there you have it – seven practical ways to save money for LASIK and cataract surgery cost in Singapore. With a little financial finesse and determination, you'll be seeing the world through new eyes in no time. Happy saving so contact Nova Eye Centre if you’re ready for the surgery. 

Read More: https://valbonneyoga.com/how-to-save-money-for-lasik-and-cataract-surgery-in-singapore/