A teacher shortage of epic proportion is raging across California, creating even more challenges for our already overwhelmed schools. Though the teacher shortage is a complex issue, Congress has a powerful tool that can attract second-career teachers: eliminating Social Security penalties.
The forever war between America’s pharmaceutical industry and America’s public interest is approaching a climactic moment. At stake is whether Big Pharma and its allies will keep drug prices zooming upward, or whether the federal government can slow that rise by negotiating prices for some expensive drugs taken by Medicare beneficiaries. The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote on legislation requiring such negotiations in the next few days as a crucial element of the $3.5 trillion budget plan, and the drug industry is in overdrive to make sure that doesn’t happen.
In an op-ed piece which appeared recently in the HSJ Chronicle, senior writer Rusty Strait asks, “Church or Political Podium” regarding a community event which was held at 412 Church San Jacinto on the evening of Wednesday 8, 2021.
In late July, sponsored content appeared sandwiched between paragraphs of legitimate journalism in Politico Pulse, the outlet’s daily health care newsletter. Humana, the country’s second-largest seller of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, told readers that “with Medicare Advantage, seniors save an average of $1,640 in annual out-of-pocket spending compared to fee-for-service Medicare.” Humana added that it was “committed to affordable quality care,” echoing that shopworn slogan from the marketing pitch used to sell Obamacare in 2009.
I couldn’t hold my tears back as I watched the testimony of four police officers in front of the House select committee on the January 6 insurrection. Strong, burly men turned into an emotional mess as they described what they went through that day in order to protect the men and women serving in the congress. I couldn’t help but feel their anguish, as the testimony was that moving and that charged. You have to be an individual of very low class if you hear about their pain and suffering and make light of it, make jokes about it, or try to diminish it in any way. Sadly, there were quite a few individuals on social and other media doing just that. As if these men, who have spent their entire adult life trying to protect the country from our enemies, are somehow themselves the enemy.