"Gas" by Skooly (click here for website featuring Skooly - thank you)

[Verse 1: Skooly]

My partner stuck behind the wall so he taking work
I found a plug inside the wall so I make it work
I know that’s one hell of a fall if you face it first
So don’t make it worse, try to make it work, take your Perc
We in the club with the Act, we had to sneak out the back
I got your bitch in the back, I’m tryna beat down her back
I feel like a phantom, I hop in the Phantom, the camera it see out the back
She got the goodies like Ciara, she see me counting, it be [?]
You pussy niggas need ER
Oops, I done killed all the DRs
You pussy niggas need tiaras, came a long way from the Miata
I bought my mama a Fiat, it’s good on gas
I’m in the hood on gas

[Hook: 2 Chainz]

Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Chilling at the moment
Winning at the moment
Women at the moment
Who with me at the moment?

Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Chilling at the moment
Winning at the moment
Women at the moment
Who with me at the moment?

[Verse 2:Skooly]

They screaming out Skooly in the bleachers
Might as well call me a teacher
These niggas scared to do features
How much for a feature?
Look, you might just pay him a 40
But that nigga spit like a 40
See you can just give me a ten
I’mma spit like an FN
I promise these niggas ain’t none of my friends
My flow is never gon’ end
I’m in this shit till the end
I never slip up again
Now look, I hope I never acquire the fucking desire to ever go fucking retire
I want this shit here forever
I want them diamonds and bezels
And all of you niggas that didn’t put the effort
Look right back at me and left me
I know you’re gonna regret it
I promise you’re gonna regret it
I come in this bitch like it’s Belly
To take my shit back, hope you ready
And hop in the Jag, and give it some gas
And hand you the gas, you might need a mask

[Hook: 2 Chainz]

Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Chilling at the moment
Winning at the moment
Women at the moment
Who with me at the moment?

Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Gas gas gas gas gas gas
Chilling at the moment
Winning at the moment
Women at the moment
Who with me at the moment?

Think twice about the deconstruction of the Hamilton Dam of the Flint River.

June 27, 2017

by Steve Carmody

A century-old legacy of Flint’s industrial past (click here) is the focus of a major cleanup project this summer.

The Flint River is the main artery flowing through Flint’s industrial heart. For decades, from the late 1800’s and into the 1920’s, a gasification plant located along the river turned coal into much-needed natural gas.

Over time, the coal tar waste produced by the plant ended up in the Flint River, just upstream from the Hamilton Dam. The dam helped contain the coal tar, which sunk deep into the river bed....

The dredging should definitely go forward, but, caution should be instituted when removing dams near or through cities. I never recommend it because we are captured in a climate crisis and dams control water, flooding and save lives.

Dams are always viewed as a threat to people. The one in mind is the Oroville Dam. That dam performed incredibly well. There was never any worry about the integrity of the dam. I want people to think about the water that dam contained after severe storms. What would have happened if the dam was not there to contain it?

It was a portion of the spillway that failed. How much of that failure was due to drought? Land will develop weak areas when drought exists.

In the case of the Hamilton Dam, it's destruction should go forward with caution. Flood control is necessary. Dams provide that control. If they are aged, usually all they need are concrete repairs which cost far less than deconstruction of the dam.

This includes recent data since the gun lobby has received so many concessions manufactured by ALEC to state legislatures.

June 29, 2017
By Michele Gorman

...A Stanford Law School professor, (click here) John Donohue, and his team analyzed crime data from 1977 to 2014 and didn’t find evidence that areas where more Americans carry guns enjoy enhanced public safety or less crime. On the contrary, the researchers discovered that states that have enacted so-called right-to-carry (RTC) concealed handgun laws have experienced higher rates of violent crime than states that did not adopt those laws....

I would like to point to the fact that every mass murder scenarios NEVER includes "a good guy with a gun" regardless of the astronomical amounts of guns on the street in the USA. Name the mass killing. Go ahead. How were they stopped. Either a self-inflicted wound or by police.

The statistics have NEVER pointed to the 'theory' of the NRA, gun advocacy groups and Republican law makers. Mass murders have high numbers of people involved. the statistics in favor of a person (1) owning a gun, (2) carrying a gun and (3) intervening such deadly events. YET, that never happened. By all rights with more people gathered together there should be a "good guy with a gun" somewhere in the crowd, but, yet there never is.

...States that adopted RTC laws have experienced an average 13 percent to 15 percent increase in violent crime in the 10 years after enacting those laws, the researchers wrote in a working paper published on June 21 by the National Bureau of Economic Research....

Mr. Ayres was co-author of the 2003 work with Mr. Donohue. I am not surprised Mr. Ayers is involved in the financial end of education. Statistics are best conducted by those most familiar with them and their accuraacy.

Ian Ayers, Distinguished Financial Literacy Speaker (click here)

William K. Townsend Professor of Law, Yale Law School
Professor, Yale’s School of Management

If one of the authors is John Donohue III, (click here) he is not a new name to this topic. He has been stating there are too many guns on the street for decades.

I strongly suggest the gun control advocacy groups latch onto Mr. Donohue and bring his work forward as a platform THAT HAS LASTED DECADES.


The NRA political message works for a few reasons, (1) they always say the same thing and it is logical. If there was a good guy with a gun within the people dead or in the case of children a policeman nearby with a gun; everyone would still be alive except the gunman.

AGV Sport Cruz Kevlar Riding Shirt (click here)

Kindly think about that a minute. Is it realistic? How many mass killings could have been stopped IF? None. These people came out of nowhere and with powerful weapons. The entire idea loses validity when realizing the only defense is REAL under armor. There is just no time to react. Equestrians are finding Kevlar handy to wear riding because it stops branches of trees and the such from causing injury.

(2) The NRA message carries empowerment with fear. Doesn't everyone want to overcome fear? When an American goes to a scary movie do they come out elated about the loss of control within that picture? Heck, no. They come out of the theater looking over their shoulder if the film is convincing enough. The same phenomena is noted with the NRA message. The fear is the unknown. The gunman without identity. The feel good feelings of a gather of people turning to their worst nightmare.

June 11, 2012
By Randee Fenner

...Among his (click here) highly acclaimed articles are “Shooting Down the ‘More Guns, Less Crime’ Hypothesis” (with Ian Ayres) and “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime” (with Freakonomics co-author Steven D. Levitt).

But recently, Donohue’s scholarship has plunged him into a contemporary drama with life or death consequences. As the use of capital punishment has come under increasing scrutiny, with DNA evidence freeing some death-row inmates and the multimillion-dollar cost of death penalty appeals making headlines, movements have begun to roll back the statutes that were passed with frequency during the 1970s. Litigation has become a large part of that effort and that’s where Donohue has stepped in....

(3) LEARNED COMPLACENCY. One of the saddest statements I heard after the Aurora, Colorado mass murder was made by a twenty something woman in the hospital that basically stated, 'These things happen.' She was powerless and helpless in that statement all compliments of loose gun laws. 

Americans feel helpless. They aren't empowered anymore, they have witnessed tragedy too often and it has made them complacent in their resolve to stop the violence.

There is one thing about a man like John Donohue. He knows he is correct. He knows the data he has collected and for DECADES he has been seeing the same facts and THE SAME OUTCOMES. That is called dedication. The Republicans like to say he is a politico and nothing more. Does anyone actually believe that? 

Mr. Donohue knows the reality of gun violence and every American should be thanking him for his dedication and efforts to 'right the ship.' He is exceptional and should not be ignored. Every time some spokesman comes forward to lie to Americans about gun safety. THAT IS WHAT IT IS, ISN'T IT? Gun safety. The end of gun violence? That is what good decent Americans are fighting for, right? The parents of Sandy Hook want gun safety. They want children and people safe, right?

So when someone comes forward to lie to the American public about gun safety, Mr. Donohue's message should go out on the same media and as frequently as necessary to match the danger with safety. Perhaps even exceed it. Don't let this valuable work be squandered. Let's get this done already.

Texas nurse believed to have killed 60 people. She was a pediatric nurse. There is no statute of limitations on murder.

June 29, 2017
By Tammy Prout

Genene Jones, (click here) centre, arrives at court in Georgetown, Texas, where she was sentenced to 99 years in prison, in 1984. 

The count is now up to four new murder charges (click here) against “Killer Nurse” Genene Jones, with Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas Lahood announcing today that a grand jury has just handed down two more true bill indictments.

“These new indictments are for the July 3, 1981 murder of 8-month-old Richard ‘Ricky’ Nelson and the Jan. 17, 1982 murder of 4-1/2-month-old Patrick Zavala,” Lahood said in a press conference this afternoon.

In late May, Lahood announced a grand jury indictment against Jones for murder in the death of 11-month-old Joshua Sawyer on Dec. 12, 1981.

Last week, Lahood announced a murder indictment against Jones for the Sept. 16, 1981 death of 2-year-old Rosemary Vega.

“In all four cases, Jones was working as a nurse at a pediatric intensive care unit at a local (San Antonio) hospital,” Lahood said. “Additionally, all four of these innocent children were murdered within a 5-1/2 month period."...

In 1995 she used succinylcholine, a drug that deteriorates muscles in children. In particular the heart muscle and death follows.

Hostile work environment.

Mika Brzezinski doesn't work for the White House or Mr. Trump, but, she works in journalism within politics everyday. She is known for her interviews and show appearances with a large percentage of discussions surrounding politics, White House politics and the American people.

The hosts of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC (click here) criticized President Donald Trump's Twitter habit Thursday — "that's your president of the United States lying to you," Mika Brzezinski said of one tweet — and then, as if succumbing to involuntary spasms, Trump's thumbs tapped out whatever nasty, sexist thought popped into his head"

"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.."

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017

"...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"...

MSNBC's "Morning Joe" is conducted in a studio where guests drop in and are brought in via cable or some sort of data line. That means Mika's work environment extends far, far beyond the walls of the "Morning Joe" Studio.

Trump's gossip column is no different than tabloid press. That means it is tended to her both emotionally and financially. If Mr. Trump is going to practice tabloid journalism then he is open to lawsuits no different than any other exploitative news rag. 

MSNBC needs to step up and file a sexual harassment suit against Mr. Trump and his crude and rude speech that is intended to inflict harm. We have laws in this country that punish people that use their language to injure others. This is no different. Communication has become instant and frequently injurious. Mr. Trump is a bully and in the USA we don't allow bullies to get away with it. Either NBC values the clientele they have as well as the journalists that bring them information and opinion or they don't. Which is it?

Trump has no room to talk he has admitted to multiple plastic surgeries on his scalp to improve his hairline. I don't recall ever seeing him in bandages.

Republicans do no care about the people. Nothing else needs to be said. They just don't care.

June 29, 2017 
By German Lopez 

New data shows (click here) people are being diagnosed with opioid addiction nearly eight times faster than they’re getting the standard of care...

In a book entitled "Health Policy and Politics" there is an entry discussing the ABILITY of prescribing pain medication which references the DEA and then Attorney General John Ashcroft. Page 167 (click here)  The idea prescribing nurses saw a problem with the government should be an alert to everyone that something is very wrong with our view of the world.

In 1995, the "Pain Management Society" designated pain as "the fifth vital sign." (click here) The problem is profound and effects us as a country. The professions are at odds as to what to do to contain pain and end opioid addiction. Until the country's addicted, the government and the medical profession come up with solutions to end such deadly trends in the USA, opioid addiction must be treated and lives saved. It is wrong to abandon so many and abandon society in general.

April 18, 2017

...The Joint Commission (click here) first established standards for pain assessment and treatment in 2001 in response to the national outcry about the widespread problem of undertreatment of pain. The Joint Commission’s current standards require that organizations establish policies regarding pain assessment and treatment and conduct educational efforts to ensure compliance. The standards DO NOT require the use of drugs to manage a patient’s pain; and when a drug is appropriate, the standards do not specify which drug should be prescribed.

Our foundational standards are quite simple. They are:

The hospital educates all licensed independent practitioners on assessing and managing pain.

The hospital respects the patient's right to pain management.

The hospital assesses and manages the patient's pain....

BY DEFINITION THIS IS A GOVERNMENT PROBLEM. It is a federal government problem because it brings to bear the entire country experiencing this problem, professionals at odds with their treatment plans, their patients well being and the government standards for law enforcement.

Local law enforcement was the most active in recognizing A MAJOR PROBLEM in our society and instituted rescue plans for citizens that then enter into a relationship with the law enforcement community to end the addiction and redefine a productive life lost to that addiction.

Natalia E. Morone, MD, MS and Debra K. Weiner, MD, Clin Ther. 2013 Nov; 35(11): 1728–1732.

In clinical practice pain as the 5th vital sign (click here) has proven to be more complex to assess, evaluate, and manage than originally anticipated. It has also had some serious consequences which were never intended. Associated with the national push to adequately manage patients in pain has been a rise in prescription opioids as well as a rise in opioid related death. Guided by pain as the 5th vital sign mandates, patients report pain and expect their providers to respond. Many clinicians do not know what the appropriate response is because they lack adequate education in the approach, examination, and management of patients in pain. Pain education starting in medical school and through postgraduate training usually involves piecemeal incorporation of pain topics into existing curricula or clinical rotations, without devoted stand-alone class-time....

The federal government MUST address the Opioid Crisis in the USA from all perspectives and provide treatment to the people AND local law enforcement so they can continue their vital work.

Abandoning the problems of the country is INCOMPETENCE and it has to end!

The Democrats passed The Affordable Care Act to begin to heal a country up to their necks in medical neglect and skyrocketing costs. That is competent government. To end these programs is Plutocratic vision of personal wealth to a few Americans, that is CORRUPTION and Americans die because of it!

Kentucky (click here)

Roughly 45% of all Kentuckians who enter treatment for substance abuse do so for opioid abuse—the 8th highest proportion in the country.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 

I never thought a USA President would terminate highly qualified people from important federal agencies, but, it is happening.

The people being fired are at this moment filing grievances with their unions and they will be back. Government employees at any level, federal, state or local, are usually represented by unions to protect them from vicious politics like that of Donald Trump. So, what this boils down to is a political dog and pony show for the constituents of "Mean People." I have nothing against dogs and ponies, just mean people.

These employees are not being fired, they are being purged. 

It would seem as though the goal of the Trump administration is to defund all the agencies they don't like by at least one third every year from the federal budget until they are gone at his re-election campaign. It would be interesting to begin to think outside the box to realize there may be no EPA, Interior Department, except for the lease department, Department of Education, Labor, Energy or Agriculture. The area outside the box is going to have to wait, because, here again Mr. Trump and his Executive Branch are acting against the USA Constitution.

The Executive Branch Cabinet was established in Article Two, Section Two of the US Constitution and again in Amendment 25. Need I say more?

But, the US Congress can defund the departments and make them completely ineffective. I also believe that is unconstitutional and anti-American. Please know that is also not going to happen either because Congress persons are complaining to the Secretaries of the agencies they are creating problems in the country by advocating defunding of the department in the next US Budget for fiscal year 2018.

Honestly. Trump and his cabinet actually thinks they can make fools of people and expect them to vote for him again in 2020? I don't think so.

You know the more I think about it, maybe CNN is just trying to keep up ratings like FOX News Fake News Network.

It has a nice ring to it:

"FOX News the First in Fake News"

"Turn to FOX for all your weather information, "Sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine.""

At least the sexual harassment was real. Funny, it never made the news, then again, not that funny.

Bill O'Reilly, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

It seems like fake news to me.

Mitch McConnell is scared.

June 26, 2017
By Frank Bruni

...Republicans were fortunate enough. (click here) McConnell became the majority leader. And if you can find committee hearings, transparency, full participation, comity, respect or anything akin to good faith in the way he just tried to ram his health care bill through the chamber, then I want you on the hunt for the yeti and, pretty please, the Fountain of Youth.

His approach may prove fatal: On Tuesday, he had to postpone any vote on the legislation until after July 4....

He and his Republicans are running home to mommy to find out if he is still a good boy.

He wants his Republicans to go home, march in a parade, shake hands, kiss babies and basically run a campaign so there can be a vote after July 4th. He wants the Republicans to count heads to understand how many that will be left without health care are Republican voters.

Mitch is scared. He wanted to go home a hero waving an American flag that will destroy health care coverage of millions of Americans and people will die as a result.

The fireworks aren't going to drown out the outrage over the direction the Plutocratic Republicans are taking. There is a lot of damage done to the average American and they don't think they can sustain the path forward with the viciousness already shown by the Republican Party.

FOX News is backing up the Plutocratic Republicans with a war on Democrats. They state they are "Revealing the Left" as if there is some kind of radical movement taking over the country. More propaganda fear campaign at FOX while they they tout watching CNN is illegitimate information.

Of all people Governor Terry McAuliffe is in the sites of FOX News. Really? Terry McAuliffe the Health Care Governor

June 21, 2017

Richmond, Va. - A ceremonial bill signing (click here) was held in Richmond on June 7 to celebrate new efforts to support veterans in Virginia.

Democratic Governor Terry Mcauliffe was joined by republican leaders in the General Assembly to recognize these actions.

The commonwealth will boost services for health care, education, and families of veterans. At the ceremony, a new Veterans Care Center in Virginia Beach was a major focal point.

Leaders on both sides of the aisle said the federal government was falling short of providing quality, timely health care. This has resulted in a push for the state and private sector to step up.

The governor also signed legislation that will allow certain cuts to community college tuition and fees for active duty service members.

Gov. McAuliffe said, "There has never been an inch of space between our administration and the General Assembly when it comes to taking care of our veterans. This has truly been a great bipartisan effort."

The other legislation enhances access to mental health, rehabilitative services, and supporting families who have been impacted by deployments.

The new Veterans Care Center will specialize in patients with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other chronic illnesses.

Governor Terry McAuliffe the governor that declared war on PTSD? That Terry McAullife? 

Governor Terry McAuliffe, the UNITER and not the divider? Really? Terry McAullife?

Governor Terry McAuliffe that called for gun control after the shooting of Scalise and stated 93 Americans die every day from gun violence. 93 Americans. Every day. Every day 93 Americans die of gun violence. That Terry McAulliffe?

The worst controversy Governor Terry McAullife has is trying to find a way forward for Pritchard Colon (click here). Is FOX News running interference for the family of a quite possibly brain dead boxer? No. They are trying to CREATE controversy and scandal out of thin air. That is unhelpful.

I think calling for the firing of every person working at the time Pritchard Colon succumbed to what is stated as illegal boxing blows, isn't going to do anything for the boxer or his family. There needs to be an effort to address concussion in boxing and the lack of head gear. There needs to be appropriate measures to identify the serious disabilities that occur because of boxing and the Colon family should be out front raising money for their son and ending the disabilities of the sport of boxing.

Governor Terry McAuliffe is a great governor. He cares about the people, not gold watches, fast cars and expensive weddings. Most Democrats want to be in government because of the people and not because the power entitles them to corruption and wealth. All Democratic Governors are treading water as fast as they can to protect their people from the ruthlessness of the Trump White House and Republican Congress.

I am curious as to how the Republican Governors and their 'taker governments' are going to cover the lost health care of their people. If their share of federal health care dollars dry up what will they do?       

You can't blame Scott Pruitt. No, no. This is the way they do things in Texas.

Let's say the Trump Administration has every right to harass and exit any scientist it wants without reason or cause. That is the way most southern states see employment, as if a beauty contest. "If I like you then the job is yours. If I don't then I get to throw you out the door."

In other words, if from some reason Scott Pruitt didn't like his secretary because she had hazel eyes, then he could fire her without any reasons or backlash. I think we all know where and why that standard exists. By the way, how is Scalise doing?

June 27, 2017
By Rhett Jones

...According to emails (click here) obtained by the New York Times, the top scientist on the Environmental Protection Agency’s scientific review board was instructed to downplay the mass dismissal of advisors when she testified before Congress. “I felt bullied,” she says now.

The EPA is technically required to listen to official scientific advice when setting policy. In fact, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Whitman v. American Trucking Associations that the Administrator of the EPA is not even allowed to factor in the costs of implementation when setting new air quality standards. It, therefore, behooves the current climate change-denying administration to clean house and try to find some kooky (or greedy) scientists that agree with them.

In May, EPA head Scott Pruitt informed 18 members of the agency’s Board of Science Counselors that their terms would not be renewed. The scientific community was outraged and several scientists on the board resigned in protest. One member of the board told the Washington Post, “I’ve never heard of any circumstance where someone didn’t serve two consecutive terms.” Two weeks later, Dr. Deborah Swackhamer, an environmental chemist, and leader of the board was due to testify in front of the House Science Committee.
Her formal testimony had already been submitted to the committee when she received emails from the EPA’s chief of staff, Ryan Jackson. The emails reportedly informed Dr. Swackhamer that when it came to the dismissals she should follow the agency’s “talking points.” He also pressed her to publicly note that “a decision had not yet been made” about the dismissals. But according to the Times, “several scientists on the board had already received notices that their terms would not be renewed.” In the weeks following her testimony, dozens of scientists at the EPA have been informed that their terms would not be renewed and according to Dr. Swackhamer, “The Board of Scientific Counselors had 68 members two months ago. It will have 11 come September 1.” That date is also when the EPA is expected to eliminate more than 1,200 employees....

But, the people are expecting fairness and high quality employees in their government. When manipulation of the truth, in the name of domestic tranquility of course, is at the center of an administration the idea quality employees get paid reasonably good salaries, becomes a real issue because THEY ARE SMARTER THAN THEIR BOSS!

Conway is lying.

The Republican Governors are already throwing large numbers of recipients off Medicaid. It is palpable some say.

June  ...“You yesterday on the Sunday (click here) shows were saying that is not true, no cuts,” Earhardt said. (On ABC’s “This Week,” Conway told host George Stephanopoulos that “these are not cuts to Medicaid.”) “Now, if we watch the mainstream media this morning, they’re saying you were caught in a lie.”...

The Governors are disqualifying people above 133% of the national poverty level. There simply wasn't enough money in the state budget to shovel to cronies. It had to happen some way, 2018 is coming.

January 24, 2017
by Shefali Luthra

...It’s called “block granting.” (click here) Right now, Medicaid, which was expanded under the 2010 health law to insure more people, covers almost 75 million adults and children. Because it is an entitlement, everyone who qualifies is guaranteed coverage and states and the federal government combine funds to cover the costs. Conservatives have long argued the program would be more efficient if states got a lump sum from the federal government and then managed the program as they saw fit. But others say that would mean less funding for the program —eventually translating into greater challenges in getting care for low-income people....

The only way to fight corruption and right wing politics is to educate the public. Why are Americans continuing to be ignorant of their own best interests? Republicans flourish in a sea of ignorance. Their politics count on it.

February 10, 2017
By Laura Joszt

...Recently, (click here) The American Journal of Managed Care® polled readers and found that while 49% of respondents do not agree with the GOP’s plan to fund Medicaid through block grants, 33% admitted that they don’t fully understand what block grants are....

...2. So how do they work? Block grants are a lump sum from the federal government that is provided to the states. The plan caps what the federal government spends on Medicaid each year. The fixed spending is based on the state and federal spending and would grow each year to account for inflation.  

3. The pros and cons Currently, states must cover certain services and people. However, under a block grant, states would be given more flexibility to design their own Medicaid program. States could decide who is eligible for the program and what services are covered. Avalere Health recently published an analysis that found block grants could save the federal government $150 billion by 2022.  
Unfortunately, these savings might mean gaps in services. In addition, while the block grant amount grows yearly with inflation adjustments, medical inflation is often higher and so the growth in block grants is unlikely to keep up. As of now, it is expected that North Dakota is the only state that would receive an increase in funding under the block grant model, while the rest of the states and the District of Columbia would see a decrease in funding....

Democrats should always know the facts and state the truth; where it is working and where it is not and why radical changes to the health care law imperils the lives of Americans, including block grants.

Democrats should be open minded to their constituents and the road ahead. This is about American lives and how to improve their quality of life. The additional financial burden because of block grants is enormous. Services to many people; 133% coverage compared to 400% is enormous no matter how you look at it. Additionally, paying physicians and hospitals are one thing, but, what about medications. When Florida refused the Medicaid expansion Americans died. They may have had the emergency room to go to and in some instances that doesn't even exist, but, the medications are impossible to pay for and that is why they die. Regardless the quality of care provided, it all unravels and Americans die because they can't afford the medications.

January 25, 2017
by Shefali Luthra

...Many Republicans say that, (click here) because states will have greater flexibility, they can innovate with their Medicaid programs.

But opponents note that experimentation alone won’t make up for smaller budgets. The fixed grants could mean states cut benefits or force beneficiaries to take on more cost-sharing, for instance.

Some federal requirements are necessary, said Tom Miller, a resident fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Block granting could “be great or a disaster,” he said, depending on how it’s implemented. “The ideal model from the view of states is, ‘Give us the money, and I’ll let you know what I did.’ That’s not going to work,” he said.

The potential impact is significant. More than 10 million who got insurance through Obamacare are on Medicaid and could be affected. That’s also why some Republican governors — particularly in states that embraced the health law’s Medicaid expansion — have joined their Democrat peers in expressing qualms....

Republicans always say a common health clinic will solve the problems of the poor. That is not the case. Where does the Working Poor and the abject poor find the monies for vaccines, medications and surgeries? It doesn't exist. So, while medical clinics can provide expert and competent diagnosis, the treatment plan can never be met.

And forget about physical therapy. The idea the Working Poor or abject poor would ever consider physical therapy the way back to health and wellness is out of the question. Who can possibly pay for physical therapy?

Why not "Internet Explorer?" It dictates commercial sites even when not searching for them. It is a horrible platform.

Google should appeal and point to the fact a large company, namely Microsoft, uses a platform worse than anything Google has done.

June 27, 2017
By Mark Scott

Google suffered a major blow (click here) on Tuesday after European antitrust officials fined the search giant a record $2.7 billion for unfairly favoring some of its own search services over those of rivals.

The penalty, of 2.4 billion euros, highlights the aggressive stance that European officials have taken in regulating many of the world’s largest technology companies, going significantly further than their American counterparts.

By levying the fine against Google — more than double the previous largest penalty in this type of antitrust case — Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s antitrust chief, also laid claim to being the Western world’s most active regulator of digital services, an industry still dominated by Silicon Valley.

“In Europe, companies must compete on the merits regardless if they are European or not,” she said on Tuesday. “What Google has done is illegal under E.U. antitrust rules.”...             

CNN has made Vladimir Putin very happy. HIs latest student, Trump, is coming along nicely and CNN wants to help.

Trump's Saudi Arabia is his first real exercise in ruling over a country that he has no sovereign right to engage. I suppose Trump is going to make the USA the most powerful and influential country in the world. 

Wait. The USA is already the most powerful and influential country in the world. Oh, Trump is simply a Putin wannabee. Dictator and Chief.

If Trump is taking lessons from Putin the USA is no longer the most powerful and influential country in the world. As a matter of fact, with Trump emulating Putin there are probably more missiles pointed at it than ever before.

CNN seriously lost credibility and probably because the 

27 June 2017

Three journalists, (click here) including the executive editor of a new investigative branch, have left CNN following the recent retraction of a story on an alleged Congress investigation into a “Russian investment fund with ties to Trump officials.”

Report author Thomas Frank and two senior CNN Investigations Unit figures resigned over the story. Investigations Unit editor Eric Lichtblau and Lex Haris, CNN Investigations executive editor, who was building a team that includes notorious Russia-hawk Michael Weiss, both resigned.

“In the aftermath of the retraction of a story published on CNN.com, CNN has accepted the resignations of the employees involved in the story’s publication,” CNN stated....

Well, Trump and Twitter. Don't need anything else. Trump should pay for the license to run the White House from any location in the world. Who knew 160 characters could manage an entire country and it's military?

30 May 2017

The White House communications director (click here) has resigned only three months after being hired by President Donald Trump.

Mike Dubke, an experienced Republican strategist, was hired in March to revamp the White House media strategy.

As part of the shake-up, White House press secretary Sean Spicer will reportedly hold on to his position, but there will be fewer media briefings.

The reshuffle follows reports of disarray in the White House communications team....

Some middle east Arab countries take terrorism seriously and take it head on. Qatar has never taken that approach.

14/06/2017

Four UAE nationals (click here) have been condemned to sentences ranging between placement in a counselling center and imprisonment terms by the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court today for joining terror organisations and promoting their fanatic ideologies.

The first person, "KH.S.A.S.A", has been condemned to life in prison and the court bore him to pay all the charges and expenses of the judicial lawsuits pressed against him.

The second, "K.SH.M.A'.S.", has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to inflict damage to UAE's relations with a sisterly country.

The third, "A'.A.A.A.", has been placed under surveillance for five years for attempting to join the terrorist organisation of Daesh, and the court ordered to confiscate all means and devices of communications used by the convict during his criminal endeavours, bearing him to pay all the charges and expenses of the judicial lawsuits pressed against him.

The court ordered to place the fourth convict, "A'.M.A'.R.A.A", in a counselling center under surveillance for six months effective upon the issuance of the court ruling.

I congratulate the Arab countries for taking on a very difficult set of values to end the threat of terrorists, but, Daesh is a very different threat.

November 16, 2015
By Peter Kovessy

...Nonetheless, (click here) in spite of last year’s threats on ISIS forums about bombing the 2022 World Cup, a foreign policy analyst said it’s unlikely that Qatar would be attacked by the group.

This is because the Gulf country has a “low profile” in the ongoing military campaign against ISIS, Andrew Hammond, a policy analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Doha News:...

I am uncertain that Qatar has the ability to carry out the intelligence to end any presence or predict the next attack. There is a USA military base in Qatar and it might be best if the Qatar leadership consulted with them to engage a strategy that would work.

Qatar can no longer take a back seat to ending terrorist networks; it has to stop being a hostage to dangerous people. Daesh is a very different threat than other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda (where it still may exist). Daesh is seeking to end all middle east countries as we know them, including Sunni Arab countries.

Qatar's approach is not dissimilar to that of Saudi Arabia. Qatar's position is strongly based in the Muslim belief expressed in the five pillars.

Qatar is committed (click here) to fighting extremism and terrorism in all its forms, in co-ordination with its Coalition partners. By providing humanitarian aid, supporting educational and economic development initiatives, and building more resilient communities, Qatar aims to contribute to the security, stability and prosperity of the region.

There is a very big difference, however, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in that the Saudis have very big guns. The country has a substantial military.

The real danger to the region comes from the instability created by Daesh. It is a brutal regime and if it can establish itself among the people that is the beginning of government infrastructure failure and any defense. The people must remain loyal to their current sovereign and protect from such a regime as Daesh.

13 June 2017
By Tom Keatinge

The dispute (click here) that has seen Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies isolate Qatar stems from allegations that the tiny gas-rich nation is sponsoring extremist groups which are destabilising the Middle East.

This is not the first time Qatar's neighbours have expressed their displeasure over its individualist foreign policy - diplomatic relations were severed for nine months in 2014.

Tensions have arisen from Qatar's support for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood; its close relationship with groups such as the Taliban and certain al-Qaeda affiliates; and its relationship with Iran, which has most recently led to allegations from Saudi Arabia that the state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera is supporting Houthi rebelsin Yemen fighting government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Doha has strongly denied Riyadh's accusations, and said it has taken more robust counter-terrorism measures than some of its neighbours.

The events of 2011 surprised and shocked Saudi Arabia. First the rebellion in Yemen, which no one expected to have succeed and then the removal of Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Houthis became a force to contend with and Saudi Arabia was caught off balance in it's southern region.

Just as surprising to Qatar were the events of 2017. This was no less a shock and surprise than the rebellion in Yemen that lead to an unstable southern Saudi border.

...In April, it reportedly paid a ransom of as much as $1bn (£790m) to a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria and to Iranian security officials as part of a deal that resulted in the release of 26 royal family members reportedly kidnapped by Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militiamen and of dozens of Shia fighters captured by jihadists in Syria.

Thus it is Qatar's alleged continued funding of radical ideology and extremism that is seemingly the cause of concern this time....

I don't call that funding of terrorists, so much as love of family. We all know the tragedy of repeated hostage taking and Somalia. Somalia is a failed state, but, because of the poverty the people face, most shipping companies see the hostage amounts of pirated ships as a cost of business.

The idea there are elements within Iran and Syria willing to put precious royal family members in peril is a deep concern. Is there any wonder why the Shia are not embraced by the Sunnis. The Iranian security forces (which I doubt were acting under government orders, so much as an independent extremist group) must be brought to justice for this act of violence. The Somali model of kidnappings cannot enter the frey in the middle east and should be ended with Somalia as well.

The Arab countries seeking a stronger Qatar should be looking to the infrastructure that will protect a country and it's beautiful cities from Daesh as well as any hostage takers.

Qatar is not supporting terrorists, so much as reacting to threats in the way it has always worked in the past. Qatar needs to follow the leadership and example of it's neighbors and affiliates (click here) because Qatar's well honed methods no longer work. The kidnappings should have been a very stark reality to that fact.

It would be best if Qatar is heard by the other countries in the region so it can develop methods that will be consistent across the security spectrum and will end the dangers that concerns Qatar leadership. I see this as a stronger middle east and not a weaker one, however, a weaker middle east can occur if there is not a common underlying effort to end the presence of Daesh and other independent terrorist groups be they Sunni or Shia.

June 24, 2017

Saudi Prince Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud, (click here) who lives in Germany, has revealed what he claims are the US conditions for helping Mohamed Bin Salman to become King of Saudi Arabia before his father’s death, thenewkhalij.org reported on Friday.

Writing on Twitter, Khalid said that he had received the information from an informed source within Saudi Arabia’s ruling family.

The alleged conditions include “absolute obedience to the US and Israel and carrying out whatever they ask him to do.” Three other conditions, claimed Khalid, are stated in return for helping Bin Salman take the throne before the death of his father: “Working to settle all Gaza residents in north Sinai as an alternative homeland and Saudi Arabia along with the UAE will afford the needed funds; getting rid of Hamas and whoever supports it; and getting Sanafir Island from Egypt.”

Bin Farhan said that the last condition would make the Gulf of Aqaba international waters instead of Egyptian territorial waters, which would facilitate Israeli shipping to and from the port of Eilat. It would also help Israel to carry out a project planned to operate in parallel to the Suez Canal. A retainer of around $500 million is also involved, he claimed.

The prince said that this issue split the ruling family even before the death of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz in 2015, as a wave of royal decrees ousted several officials from within the royal family and others.

This is Trump's middle east peace plan? I have no problem with the son of the current ruler taking over after his father's death. It seems more secure in that he holds the loyalty to the people in the same manner of his father, however, the CONDITIONS by Mr. Kushner is nothing less than blackmail.

Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Salman should be placed in leadership for the good of the people of Saudi Arabia, not because Mr. Kushner wants to be the savior of Israel.

Is there any wonder why the USA Secretary of State is ineffective when there is nothing but back room deals being conducted by the Oval Office?

Stability in the middle east is based on POLICY that will stabilize a region, not a reassignment of an entire race of people to the Sinai. This is astounding.

I look forward to Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Salman taking leadership of Saudi Arabia. He must lead and giving in to back room deals with Kushner and Trump is not leadership. I apologize to the Saudi Prince for such an illegal demand and look forward to him being the mitigator of peace that will last with consent of all the people.

There can be no such agreement between Saudi Arabia and the USA without the consent of all other parties involved and the USA Congress. The President of the USA is allowed to negotiate peace agreements and treaties, but, it is the Congress that ultimately has to pass the treaty into law. The good Saudi Prince Khalid is be commended for coming forward to free his country of such demands by Trump. Mohamed Bin Salman is probably too kind to stand against the demands of an immoral administration only interested in personal goals. I wish the King ease in passing and solace to his family, including Prince Khalid and Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.

These shocking demands by the USA's current president should not derail any agreement between the regions countries to end the threat of terrorism and Deash. I wish all the leaders great success in bringing about a stable middle east where family is not used as bargaining chips to terrorist wealth.

Iran has a lot to answer for in the circumstances of a royal family of Qatar. I would expect the UN Security Council summon the Iranian ambassador to explain these circumstances and how they occurred.

First it is ill health of Americans leading to their deaths by disease and now it is power brokering in the back rooms of deal making. What else should we expect from the USA Republican Plutocrats? I demand an investigation to the role of the President and Kushner in manipulating the fate of a Saudi Prince.