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Trump will not be president forever. And when he goes, Democrats will face a defining choice: exploit the executive machinery he has exposed, or dismantle it. The temptation to exploit it will be enormous—and yielding to that temptation would be a historic mistake. If post-Trump America is to be a post-authoritarian one, it will have to embark on a Second Reconstruction, and Democrats will need to lead it.   In the first Reconstruction, the Union faced the challenge of reintegrating the South under a rule of law guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens. Republicans led the task then, with some support from loyal Democrats. They undertook not minor technocratic tinkering but major structural interventions—constitutional amendments and new institutions—that remade our governing framework and ensured democratic inclusion. Something similar is needed now.   ~ Shikha Dalmia and Andy Craig

I chose original Medicare because I’d read about all the problems, delays and overcharges in Medicare “Advantage.” So far, I’m happy with that choice, and things don’t seem to be improving with Medicare “Advantage.” Now, it appears the Trump Administration has decided to throw sand in the gears of a government program that works. “Traditional Medicare beneficiaries generally don't need prior authorization before receiving medical treatment. “In January, however, a new pilot program launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began bringing prior authorization, including the use of artificial intelligence to review requests for care, to parts of traditional Medicare. “And it's not going smoothly. “The program, known as the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, requires additional approvals for a range of procedures, including epidural steroid injections, treatments for spinal stenosis and knee osteoarthritis, and nerve stimulation for c...

One of the many outrages of this political moment in America is the refusal by the Republican majorities in the House and Senate to assert the powers accorded the legislature. With the right-wing majority on the Roberts court asserting the “unitary executive theory” and presidential immunity, the only remaining threat to Trump’s seizing dictatorial powers is the power of impeachment and removal from office. I’m seeing lots of bleating about how, if Democrats take Congress in the midterms, they should impeach Trump. Folks, Trump has already been impeached twice. To remove him from office requires a 2/3 vote in the Senate. A few Senate Republicans did vote to convict after Trump’s second impeachment. They’re out of office now, and *all* congressional Republicans know that if they cross Trump, they’ll be primaried. Lowering the number of votes required for conviction would require a constitutional amendment. That’s a high bar. But short of that . . .   “. . .  allow a secret ball...

As a molecular biologist, I’m a huge fan of mRNA vaccines. I enrolled in the phase III Moderna clinical trial for the COVID mRNA vaccines. Starting in August 2020, I’ve had 8 jabs. Yes, I did get a COVID infection, but I didn’t end up in the ED or the morgue. It’s easy to see the opportunity to develop other vaccines based on the mRNA technology. They’re cheaper to produce and easier to modify, which for a virus that evolves every year is a huge advantage.  “ An FDA advisory panel on Thursday unanimously endorsed the use of Moderna's trivalent flu vaccine candidate, which uses mRNA technology that's come under fire from the nation's top health official. “In two 9-0 votes, the  Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee  said the benefits of the mRNA vaccine outweigh its risks for preventing the flu in adults 50 to 64 years and in those 65 and up.” It’s gratifying to read this episode of sanity in an RFK Jr-hijacked FDA. As a member of the 65+ demographic,...

Inheritances should be taxed as income from the first dollar. For those who bleat that it’s double taxation, the answer is that all taxation is double taxation. I pay taxes on my income, then use some of the taxed remainder to pay for gas and the associated fuel tax. Every time money changes hands, it’s taxed. Why should money transferred from one generation to the next be any different? With the growing wealth inequality, there are increasing discussions about a wealth tax. But inheritance taxes *are* wealth taxes. Wealth taxes are assessed annually while inheritance taxes are assessed whenever wealth changes hands. I’ve linked to a Youtube that elaborates on this. As Gary Stevenson explains, if nothing is done to halt the concentration of wealth in the hands of billionaires, they will eventually buy up all the assets, leaving none for the middle and working classes.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8mfqPNdENw

As any pharmacologist or toxicologist will tell you, the dose makes the poison. Most rice contains arsenic. Baked goods contain acrylamide. Seafood contains methylmercury. Natural groundwater contains fluoride. But in moderation, none of those things are toxic. Thanks to RFK Jr, there’s been a lot of silly nattering about the alleged dangers of ultraprocessed foods. But there’s no evidence that, consumed in moderation, ultraprocessed foods are either dangerous or toxic. In fact, they could even promote good health. “ In the third and longest ad libitum trial, individuals with overweight or obesity in the UK consumed either a UPF-rich or a non-UPF diet, with both diets adhering to national dietary guidelines on nutritional adequacy and healthfulness. Contrary to the other two trials, the UPF-rich diet reduced energy intake and promoted modest weight loss (0.9 kg) relative to baseline. These results suggest that a UPF-rich diet designed according to established dietary principles that em...