Gaythia Weis @Gaythia@qoto.org

If you tell the story of the burnt ballot boxes in Portland and Vancouver this week (an important story that warrants attention), also tell how good fire-suppressant design saved all but three ballots in the Portland box, and the efforts of the election workers who contacted those three voters and arranged for replacement ballots.

Things are scary and bad, and often literally on fire. But there are good people and good systems too. Making us forget that is always a win for the worst ones.

"Oxfam’s research found that the world’s fifty richest billionaires produce on average more carbon emissions in under three hours than the average British person does in their entire lifetime."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/28/carbon-emissions-of-richest-1-increase-hunger-poverty-and-deaths-says-oxfam
#ClimateDiary #ClimateCrisis #Climate

“We cannot and will not support any candidate that does not respect our democracy, the Constitution, the rule of law, the military, veterans, our allies, or our citizens.”

https://concernedwestpointgrads.medium.com/character-matters-c5bb7abc7b25

#USpol #military #KamalaHarris

Eleven months ago, Robert Kagan published “A Trump Dictatorship Is Increasingly Inevitable” in the Washington Post.

He has now resigned from the Post because it refuses to endorse Trump’s opponent.

When his warning came out, I dove deep into why Kagan was essentially correct:

https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/donald-trump-american-dictator

The LA Times editorial board voted to endorse Kamala Harris

The LA Times owners vetoed the endorsement

Now the head of the LA Times editorial board has resigned in protest

THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA PROFITS OFF TRUMP — they have an inherent bias and must NOT be taken at face value

Judge Aileen Cannon was appointed to her position by Donald Trump.

It was Judge Cannon who dismissed all federal charges against Trump in his classified documents case.

Now, she's reportedly on a shortlist of Trump's potential Attorney General candidates.

See how this works?

“Not Medically Necessary”:

Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care

Every day, patients across America crack open envelopes with bad news.
Yet another health insurer has decided not to pay for a treatment that their doctor has recommended.
But the insurance companies don’t always make these decisions.
Instead, they often outsource medical reviews to a largely hidden industry
that makes money by turning down doctors’ requests for payments, known as #prior #authorizations.
Call it the denials for dollars business.

The biggest player is a company called #EviCore by #Evernorth, which is hired by major American insurance companies
and provides coverage to 100 million consumers
— about 1 in 3 insured people.
It is owned by the insurance giant #Cigna.

A ProPublica and Capitol Forum investigation found that
EviCore uses an algorithm backed by artificial intelligence,
which some insiders call “the dial,”
that it can adjust to lead to higher denials.

Some contracts ensure the company makes more money the more it cuts health spending.
And it issues medical guidelines that doctors have said delay and deny care for patients.

EviCore and companies like it approve prior authorizations
“based on the decision that is more profitable for them,” said Barbara McAneny, a former president of the American Medical Association and a practicing oncologist.
“They love to deny things"

https://www.propublica.org/article/evicore-health-insurance-denials-cigna-unitedhealthcare-aetna-prior-authorizations

More than $8 million had been spent through Tuesday by state-level super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, on legislative contests

https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/23/colorado-legislative-race-spending-2024/

#GiftArticle

Must read.

#Trump became angry. “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a fucking Mexican!” He turned to his chief of staff, #MarkMeadows, & issued an order: “Don’t pay it!” Later that day, he was still agitated. “Can you believe it?” he said, according to a witness. “Fucking people, trying to rip me off.”

#racism #WhiteSupremacy #MaleSupremacy #misogyny #UnitedStates #military #ServiceMember #Unfit #disrespect #disgrace

#Vote #HarrisWalz2024
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-military-generals-hitler/680327/?gift=guxsrl_dAdXUP9zqbQPWxeXgG6TzRGw9UxuZ0SJ0TQw&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

@knittingknots2 What a weird GOP custom— here’s another one doing the same thing last month

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/childless-gop-candidate-posed-with-friends-wife-and-kids-for-campaign-video_n_66f814e1e4b027bd4385edd9

Former Republican lawmakers, advisers and Justice Department officials have called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate tech billionaire Elon Musk for awarding cash prizes to voters in swing states if they sign his political organization’s petition. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/10/21/elon-musk-voting-petition-justice-department-trump/

@futurebird @JonChevreau @mergy Does he hold a food-worker’s card? If not, that outlet has committed a health violation, and should be shut down for a deep cleaning, including discarding all food supplies he’s been in contact with.

Shapiro Wants Musk Investigated for Giving Cash to Registered Voters (Peter Wade/Rolling Stone)

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/shapiro-elon-musk-million-cash-giveaway-1235138501/
http://www.memeorandum.com/241020/p36#a241020p36

Another Netanyahu war crime that won’t make any headlines.

IDF bombed & killed 4 engineers en route to repair water infrastructure in south Gaza. They coordinated with & had approval from Israeli authorities to travel. Israel killed them anyway. Horrific.
https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-condemns-killing-water-engineers-gaza

I want all hostages released. So why is it that every person defending Netanyahu's genocidal siege on Gaza screams "release the hostages taken by Hamas"—but never mentions Palestinian hostages?

The Israeli Govt currently holds ~8000 Palestinian civilians in prisons and torture camps without charge, trial, conviction, or even access to counsel—many of whom have been held hostage for several years.

I want ALL hostages released. If you only care about one side—stop pretending you're seeking peace

“History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves”
― Jared Diamond,

It’s no wonder that Musk is spending millions, & working 24/7, in nefarious ways, to get #TFG elected. Elon would become his closest advisor, amass greater profits, not constrained by regs & legal woes.

“Musk: poised to live out the ultimate techno-authoritative fantasy. With his influence, he stands to capture the state, not just to enrich himself. His entanglement with Trump will be an Ayn Rand novel spring to life, bc he’s explicitly invited Musk into the g-.”

#USPol https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2024/10/donald-trump-is-elon-musks-trojan-horse/680309/