Eye torture day. I’m in a big rush. I’ll comment when I return, if I can.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:18 (average 4:32). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: A little more than a year after the Russian effort to interfere in the American presidential election came to light, the diplomatic fallout — an unraveling of the relationship between Moscow and Washington on a scale not seen in decades — is taking its toll.
President Vladimir V. Putin bet that Donald J. Trump, who had spoken fondly of Russia and its authoritarian leader for years, would treat his nation as Mr. Putin has longed to have it treated by the West. That is, as the superpower it once was, or at least a major force to be reckoned with, from Syria to Europe, and boasting a military revived after two decades of neglect.
That bet has now backfired, spectacularly. If the sanctions overwhelmingly passed by Congress last week sent any message to Moscow, it was that Mr. Trump’s hands are now tied in dealing with Moscow, probably for years to come.
House and Senate Republicans got their quid, when the Fuhrer took the White House. They don’t care if Putin [R-RU] gets his quo. Trump [R-RU] signed the bill, only because he knew Congress would override a veto. Passing sanctions helps Republican legislators hide their seditious participation in covering-up Trump’s Treason. RESIST!!
From Washington Post: Even if they weren’t able to snuff out Obamacare, Republicans appear determined to ensure its marketplaces accelerate their meltdown.
Over the weekend, President Trump castigated the Senate for failing to pass multiple versions of legislation repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act, despite a marathon health-care debate that spanned four days last week. The president has few options left at this point, but he does have power over one crucial part of the ACA marketplaces: payments covering cost-sharing discounts (or CSRs) that insurers must offer to the lowest-income customers. These payments are estimated to total $7 billion this year — making up about 15 percent of all federal subsidies on which marketplace plans are counting.
At this moment, it’s up to the administration whether to make the monthly CSR payments to insurers. So far, it has delivered them around the 20th of each month. But the president tweeted on Saturday that he’s considering withholding the next batch (presumably in August), if Republicans don’t find a way to mov past their seemingly insurmountable gridlock on health care:
Click Through. I would hope the insurers could sue the Reich. Howl, Protesters! Howl! RESIST!!
Cartoon:
23 Responses to “Open Thread – 7/31/2017”
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good luck, 4:42, stand strong, stand together, resist
NYT: Putin confirmed this by sending 755 diplomats back home. Will dt go behind backs and covertly/continue to have relations w/Russia, Putin? At this point, nothing would surprise me, if he does… just sayin’, imho.
WaPo: Good grief, Repugs, just STOP! Seriously!! Don’t mess with the Health Care coverage! What JL said.
Cartoon: The stomping never stops…Kind of like an eeny meeny miny mo thing, isn’t it?
Healing thoughts and prayers, hope all goes well for you. Take care, Tom.
I think Trump will have relations with Putin in the open.
Hope all goes well – including the transport to and from! (Seems like getting there and back has frequently been a major issue)
I absolutely agree. Depending on others for transport seems to me the most stomach-churning, blood-pressure-raising issue of limited mobility.
BTW, so sorry, no more fandangos, Scaramucci has been fired before his official start date even arrived. Donner und Blitzen!
Mooch the Douche Screws the Pooch Then Gets Scooched Out The Door
Yup.
I’m impressed . . . with your word play, not the Mooch!
Actually, neither the transport, nor the torture, were that bad. What was is the buildings AC wasn’t keeping up.
4:29 That is one ugly sky there. I hope it was shot with a yellow filter, because if it wasn’t there is some serious air pollution there.
I will gladly admit that this article fits right in with my confirmation bias. However, I have read it to the end, and it appears to me that the article is right on, and that the WikiLeaks tweet was fake (old news and out of context).
NYT – In Trump’s place, I would have vetoed it. Just as Pilate washed his hands. From my standpoint, I think I’m glad he signed it.
WaPo – Trying to be a little sunbeam – at least this was so predictable the insurers are probably already lawyered up and briefed, just in case. And they have the best case (The insurers.)
What wasn’t fake is that Assange is bending over for both Putin and Trump.
True that!
Puzzle — 3:37 Well that time won’t float my boat any time soon!
NY Times — Looks like Putin’s Puppet had his strings cut! Since, as I understand, the Senate’s vote was veto proof, Drumpf had little choice but to sign. Had he insisted on vetoing the bill, the Senate would overturn his veto and Drumpf would look like an even bigger fool than he already does, if that is at all possible.
Wa Po — This smells an awful lot like extortion by a man (I use that term loosely) who is accustomed to getting his own way and is craving a win to brag about. In his mind, that should bury the “Russia thing”. — Drumpf: Senators, you did not get the healthcare bill approved, nor did you repeal Obamacare. As a result of your perfidy, I am not going to pay the subsidies to the insurance companies. They will likely change their services covered, or take some other action that does not contravene the ACA to mitigate their losses. That will be on your heads! BTW, you also will have the same healthcare coverage as everyone else. — Sound about right? With 2018 midterms coming up, I think Drumpf is playing with fire (of course that depends on the progressive vote getting out!). I do so hope that the insurance companies take Drumpf and the Reich to court over this, bigly! Healthcare in the US is one big SNAFU from top to bottom.
Cartoon — Just hate everyone that hates you! Hey, according to your supply side pseudo Jesus, that is the pseudo Christian thing to do.
Resist, Persist and Remove!!!
Well I hope that your eye appointment was bearable and the travel not too onerous. I must admit, I like my freedom using my car, although I know there will come a day when I won’t be able to drive, especially if my doctor pulls my license because I am a diabetic. No danger of that right now though. I was worried about that when my mother was alive because it would have made visiting her very difficult, almost impossible. It has been very warm today at 29 C (84 F) but the winds are at 15 km/hour and the humidity 33% which cools things down a bit. Look out for Thursday this week though.
I stopped driving by choice almost 20 years ago. I habe no beef with public transit. Loosing the leg and most of my eyesight was the problem.
One of the first situations I was involved with when I stated working in insurance was a diabetic driver whose accidents involved police since he appeared to be under the influence. Well, I guess he was under the influence – of insulin shock. Underwriting told him never to be without meds and appropriate snacks in the vehicle again, because, if he was, he would lose his insurance with us. I know you are smarter than that!
Yup! I carry glucose tablets everywhere — grape or raspberry flavoured (yum! yum!) I frequently have to take some while I am at physio when I do bike riding. If I am driving, I pull over, take glucose and wait 10 minutes to take effect and then go get something to eat. About 3 years ago I fell and ended up with multiple avulsion fractures on my right foot. Paramedics had to respond and found that I was having a severe blood sugar low which caused the low. The paramedics were impressed that I was prepared with glucose. Unfortunately, this low was unlike any I had had previously so I did not take any. I thought I was having a stroke because one side of my body was not functioning. That was one way to meet a nice young single man, although I don’t recommend it!
Back! Eye passed. Cancer still in remission. Good Night!
Woo Hoo!
At the airport in between flights at the moment, soms little possibility to comment. Hope your eye torture sounded worse than it was and I’m so glad you’re still in remission, TomCat.
Woooo Hoooo! Are you upside down yet?
Thanks all. Heat Wave Hugs!
Like your word play. lol. It has been a very long time since I heard the word “scooch” used.