“These numbers could have been cleared up in a phone call, so it’s really slapdash,” said Fiscal Policy Institute senior #health #policy adviser Michael Kinnucan, whose recent analysis called attention to the #Trump admin’s inaccurate claim.

The mistake appeared in comments made last month by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for #Medicare & #Medicaid Services, in a social media video & in a letter to #NewYork’s #Democratic governor announcing the “fraud”investigation.

#law

China telecoms face potential US market exit as the Federal Communications Commission considers broader measures to bar Chinese telecom carriers from operating data centres in the United States. China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom - all on the US Covered List of entities deemed to pose national security risks - could be affected. The proposal would also bar US carriers from interconnecting with those companies. https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349699/china-telecoms-face-us-exit-risk-fcc-deepens-crackdown-data-centres #China #Tech #Policy

This does not mean that every individual in the government is emotionally or psychologically unstable. Nor is it a clinical diagnosis of #Trump himself [though, if it walks like a duck & talks like a duck…]. The issue is that the admin as a whole lacks a consistent attachment to #reality & the ability to organize its thinking coherently. Trump’s grandiosity, his impulsivity, inconsistency & his outright breaks with reality have become state #policy.

#PsychoticState

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has met with Moonshot AI founder Yang Zhilin at a high-level symposium, urging faster implementation of the country's AI plus strategy to accelerate digital transformation of manufacturing. The 32-year-old entrepreneur was among a select group of business leaders invited to discuss China's economic resilience and future growth drivers. https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder #China #Tech #Policy

The NSA Would Like You To Secure Your Router...some of the same ones the FCC just ruled could no longer be updated in a year without special approval. 🤔 (Bonus update post)

https://blog.ppb1701.com/the-nsa-would-like-you-to-secure-your-router-bonus-mini-update

#blog #nsa #fcc #geopolitics #isp #networking #policy #routers #security #selfhosting #userhostile

🟢 ІНФОРМАТИВНО | Загроза: 2/10
██░░░░░░░░
Тип: Political Statement
🇺🇦

Представник СБУ запропонував кримінальну відповідальність за ухиляння від мобілізації
Представник Служби безпеки України висловив пропозицію щодо введення кримінальної відповідальності за ухиляння від мобілізації. Ця заява пролунала на тлі триваючих обговорень щодо ефективності системи призову в Україні.

Висновок: Заява свідчить про триваючі дискусії щодо вдосконалення системи мобілізації в Україні.
——————————————————
SBU Official Proposes Criminal Liability for Draft Evasion
A representative of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has proposed introducing criminal liability for draft evasion. This statement comes amid ongoing discussions about the effectiveness of Ukraine's mobilization system.

Conclusion: The statement indicates ongoing discussions about improving Ukraine's mobilization system.
💬 SENTINEL: Пропозиція не є офіційною позицією уряду, а лише думкою окремого представника. Необхідно очікувати офіційних заяв Міноборони.

#Ukraine #Mobilization #SBU #Military #Policy

https://www.europesays.com/people/9963/ In the Senate, Thune resurrects idea of reconciliation – Roll Call #Appropriations #Budget #Conservatives #democrats #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity #DonaldJTrump #DonaldTrump #election #Elections #ExecutiveBranch #Filibuster #Florida #HomelandSecurity #house #Iran #JamesLankford #JohnThune #Leadership #LindseyGraham #maine #MarkwayneMullin #MikeLee #Missouri #NorthCarolina #Oklahoma #Pennsylvania #Policy #Republicans #RonJohnson #Senate #SouthCarolina #SouthDakota #Summer

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters as he returns from the Senate floor to his office in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Meet the members of Cincinnati’s historic LGBTQ+ commission

Cincinnati appointed 12 members to Ohio’s first LGBTQ+ commission in March.

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/xljvl

#carson-hartlage #cincinnati #jan-michele-kearney #jeniece-jones #jeremy-jay-phillippi #jonah-yokoyama #karen-morgan #lgbtqia+-commission #policy-legislation #sarah-pickle #storm-boyd
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2026/04/01/cincinnati-appoints-lgbtq-commission/

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Meet the members of Cincinnati’s historic LGBTQ+ commission

Group Pushing #AgeVerification Requirements For #AI Sneakily Backed By #OpenAI

OpenAI hasn't been shy about spending money #lobbying for favorable laws and regulations. But when it comes to its involvement with #childSafety advocacy groups, the company has apparently decided it's best to stay in the shadows -- even if it means hiding from the people actually pushing for #policy changes.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/04/02/0345206/group-pushing-age-verification-requirements-for-ai-sneakily-backed-by-openai?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

OS-level age checks in California and Apple shift verification from apps to devices, classifying users and sharing age signals across services 🔐.
Centralized OS identity APIs can entrench platform control and expose sensitive data, impacting privacy, shared-device access and open ecosystems 🌐

🔗 https://proton.me/blog/age-verification-operating-system

#TechNews #Privacy #AgeVerification #Apple #Regulation #DigitalID #FOSS #OpenSource #Security #Data #Freedom #Internet #Policy #Surveillance #Tech #OS #California

@newsgroup

Thank you! I'm glad to be here, too. 🙂

I also want to note that I am far from unique as a #disabled person in having to be creative to navigate pointless yet firm #regulations or #lease requirements that may result in becoming #homeless if not followed precisely … even though some items, such as #ExtremeHeat mitigation should be both a #PublicHealth and #Landlord responsibility to made suitable amendments for #tenant #safety.

I am extraordinarily fortunate that I have been able to remain ambulatory and still have access to some transportation. And while I am often in enhanced pain dueing and after such projects, so far I have been able to accomplish them without help.

Many folks are not so fortunate. And the outcome is poor indeed. 😢😡

No one should end up dead for reasons that are *entirely* preventable by landlords or #policy change! 😡

Republicans bus in ‘lesbian Democrats’ to support Ohio bill protecting parents who reject their trans children

Wednesday’s hearing featured the claim that gender-affirming care is

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/bhpm3

#alliance-defending-freedom #gay-ohio #hb-693 #heritage-foundation #lgbt-ohio #lgbtq-ohio #policy-legislation #transgender-ohio
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2026/03/27/hb-693-second-hearing/

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Republicans bus in ‘lesbian Democrats’ to support Ohio bill protecting parents who reject their trans children

So the last couple weeks have been nuts on keeping up with the news....but here's another that might have slipped under your radar and will effect basically everyone in the US. Your home router has basically been declared a security risk.

https://blog.ppb1701.com/all-this-has-happened-before

#blog #routers #fcc #networking #security #policy #geopolitics #selfhosting #isp #userhostile

https://ippr-org.files.svdcdn.com/production/Downloads/Adapt_or_die_Mar26.pdf

Interesting ideas for #progressives on #policy -
"only push policies that are directly connected to reducing the #risk of #climate impacts (either directly or on people)
• only promise outcomes that policy is actually capable of delivering
• fit adaptation to the wider promise that progressives are offering the public
• ensure #mitigation policy has an #adaptation angle and vice versa."

systemd adds an optional “birthDate” field to user records, letting Linux apps access sensitive age data for compliance 📄
Critics warn this creates privacy risks, centralizes sensitive user info, and could be misused if poorly secured, making Linux systems a potential target for data leaks 🔐

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/

#TechNews #Linux #Systemd #Privacy #OpenSource #Security #Data #DigitalRights #Compliance #Tech #Software #Freedom #Cybersecurity #Policy #DataProtection #AgeVerification

Who would’ve thought? Oh yeah, EVERYONE!

#Trump’s #tariffs are hurting #US manufacturers instead of helping them

#law #economy #policy #inflation #labor #employment #business #recession
https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-manufacturing-china-030d58f482ce2505721a3ce86820d1da

📝 New post 🚀

"Openness, transparency and reach: three reasons why public institutions should embrace the Fediverse"

🔗 : https://blog.elenarossini.com/openness-transparency-and-reach-three-reasons-why-public-institutions-should-embrace-the-fediverse/

mentioning @europeanspodcast @haubles @aral @Gargron @tferrer @rstockm @samvie @EUCommission

#SocialMedia #FOSS #DigitalSovereignty #SocialSovereignty #policy #BigTech #Fediverse #TheFutureIsFederated #RSS #SocialWeb

RE: https://mastodon.social/@_elena/116238453716406471

"Public institutions are funded by taxpayers' money: their communications serve public interests and should be open to all - without the need of creating social media accounts on proprietary, for-profit closed systems. This is especially salient for European governmental communications: isn’t it absurd that they would require social media accounts owned and run by U.S. based companies?"

#SocialMedia #FOSS #DigitalSovereignty #SocialSovereignty #policy #BigTech #Fediverse #RSS #SocialWeb

AodeRelay boosted

Elena Rossini ⁂ » 🌐 2026-03-16
@_elena@mastodon.social

📝 New post 🚀

"Openness, transparency and reach: three reasons why public institutions should embrace the Fediverse"

🔗 : https://blog.elenarossini.com/openness-transparency-and-reach-three-reasons-why-public-institutions-should-embrace-the-fediverse/

mentioning @europeanspodcast @haubles @aral @Gargron @tferrer @rstockm @samvie @EUCommission

#SocialMedia #FOSS #DigitalSovereignty #SocialSovereignty #policy #BigTech #Fediverse #TheFutureIsFederated #RSS #SocialWeb

📝 New post 🚀

"Openness, transparency and reach: three reasons why public institutions should embrace the Fediverse"

🔗 : https://blog.elenarossini.com/openness-transparency-and-reach-three-reasons-why-public-institutions-should-embrace-the-fediverse/

mentioning @europeanspodcast @haubles @aral @Gargron @tferrer @rstockm @samvie @EUCommission

#SocialMedia #FOSS #DigitalSovereignty #SocialSovereignty #policy #BigTech #Fediverse #TheFutureIsFederated #RSS #SocialWeb

Instagram removed end‑to‑end encrypted chats on May 8, 2026 🔓.

Without E2EE, private messages could become accessible for data analysis or AI training, raising serious privacy and user‑trust concerns 🤔.

🔗 https://proton.me/blog/instagram-end-to-end-encryption

#TechNews #Facebook #Instagram #Meta #Privacy #Encryption #Security #DataProtection #SocialMedia #Chat #Policy #AI #Surveillance #UserRights #FOSS #DigitalRights #Technology #E2EE

Tensions flare in Ohio House Committee over whether trans people exist and ‘parental alienation’

The bill on the table would grant protections to parents who reject their trans children

https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2026/03/13/tensions-flare-in-ohio-house-over-whether-trans-people-exist/#gay-ohio #lgbt-ohio #lgbtq-ohio #policy-legislation #transgender-ohio

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Tensions flare in Ohio House Committee over whether trans people exist and ‘parental alienation’

Two new studies conclude that stabilizing long-term #climate risks will require sustained net-negative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for centuries.

Approaching the problem from distinct perspectives—legal and technological feasibility on the one hand, and #economic optimization under #uncertainty on the other—the research converges on a consistent message: reaching net zero is not enough.

The former study examines how to halt the growth of delayed climate impacts, such as sea-level rise and permafrost thaw, that continue to intensify even if global temperatures stabilize at 1.5°C.

Following the 2025 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice affirming states' obligations to prevent significant climate harm, the authors assess what would be required to stop these impacts from worsening.

Their conclusion is clear: net-zero emissions alone will not stabilize these long-term damages.

The second study addresses how uncertainty in the Earth system should shape optimal climate #policy.

Widely used integrated assessment modeling approaches seldom account for uncertainty when designing optimal climate policies.

Crucially, the results indicate that sustained, potentially century-long net-negative emissions are needed, not to offset temporary overshoot, but to reduce long-term Earth system risks.

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-centuries-net-negative-emissions-required.html

Paper by Gasser et al. (2026):
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69896-x

Paper by Bednar et al. (2026):
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae34ca

“The #NACC looked at whether former prime minister #ScottMorrison should have further questioned the #policy during cabinet discussions.

Mr Morrison was the #SocialServices minister when the scheme was proposed.

The report found his failure to detect misleading information was not in breach because he was expected to rely on the advice of his department.”

The fact corruption charges were not found against #ScottyFromMarketing is a good indicator of corruption in NSW Labor as well.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal <https://abc.net.au/news/2026-03-11/anti-corruption-investigation-into-robodebt-findings/106440278>

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Some idiot at the NRL football.

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Some idiot with a marketing style haircut.

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Some idiot in a suite in a doorway.

Governments have multiple pathways for acquiring LLMs; the choice is not binary.

Check out our latest #ACMTechBrief, which offers a deep dive into the strategic choices facing nations today—balancing control, cost, and capability.

Download today for actionable insights: https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/3797946

#LLM #Policy #SoverignAI #Tech

China will advance its "AI Plus" initiative, promoting faster application of new-generation intelligent terminals and AI agents, and encouraging large-scale commercial application of AI in key sectors. The country also proposes raising its value added of core digital economy industries to 12.5 percent of GDP over the next five years.

https://www.technologynewschina.com/2026/03/china-to-advance-smart-economy-promote.html #China #Tech #AI #Policy

A group seeks to eliminate Ohio property taxes. Experts warn it would create devastating budget cuts

A group of activists is signing people up to eliminate Ohio’s property tax. That’s a terrible idea, finance and policy experts say.

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/03/06/a-group-seeks-to-eliminate-ohio-property-taxes-experts-warn-it-would-create-devastating-budget-cuts/#affordability #ax-ohio-tax #election-2026 #ohio-ax-the-tax-property-tax-elimination #ohio-eliminate-property-taxes #policy-matters-ohio #public-services #tax-foundation

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Columbus Metropolitan Library Sign

New #Trump #ACA Plans Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000

The Trump admin is proposing #Obamacare plans that it says will lower #HealthInsurance premiums. But critics warn they will make #healthcare unaffordable.

#Republicans #Congress #law #policy #insurance #AffordableCareAct #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/health/obamacare-health-insurance-rollbacks.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

EFF is drawing a line in the sand with regards to inclusion in their OSS projects. But it isn't where I thought it would be.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/effs-policy-llm-assisted-contributions-our-open-source-projects

#genai #policy

Thank you Todd Bettison for holding your police accountable.

https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/detroit-police-chief-terminating-two-officers-border-patrol/

#police #republicans #ice #unconstitutional #policy

Abundant research shows that #trans people are faced with serious #discrimination at every turn.

I am pleased to have been able to be a part of slowly changing that in the realm of #regulation, #policy, and #statute, and even helping #Alberta media broadly be the most #trans-appropriate in their reporting compared to most other English-speaking media I've observed. ❤️

Alas, in recent years I've watched in horror as #media and #law in the #UK chose to become more trans-exclusionary or outright #transphobic. Likewise with the #USA, particularly at a policy and law level. The latter seems to be going out of their way to take draconian steps to erase trans people across all spheres, including their military. 😢

5/x

Spain plans to ban social media for under-16s, with tougher age checks and penalties for platforms that boost illegal content via algorithms. 🇪🇸
The move, pitched as protecting kids from a “digital Wild West,” raises questions about enforcement, teen rights, and platform accountability across Europe ⚖️

🔗 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2nddvmryo

#TechNews #Spain #SocialMedia #Safety #Children #Teens #AI #Algorithms #Privacy #Regulation #EU #TikTok #Instagram #Grok #X #OnlineSafety #Policy #AgeVerification #Europe

#Federal #Vaccine “Advisers” Take Aim at #Covid Shots

One panelist accused the #FDA of withholding data on potential harms. The advisers also are reviewing research on #vaccines given to pregnant women.

#Trump #law #policy #HealthInsurance #PublicHealth #health #medicine #science #ConspiracyTheories #RFKJr
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/health/vaccines-covid-acip-malone-kennedy.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Members of the #federal #vaccine panel chosen by #Health Secy #RFKJr are setting sights on their next targets: the mRNA #Covid shots, & #vaccines offered to pregnant women.

The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [#ACIP], already has imposed some limits on access to Covid vaccines & has rescinded recommendations for some routine childhood shots.

#Trump #law #policy #HealthInsurance #PublicHealth #medicine #science #ConspiracyTheories

Several of the panelists have said — contrary to scientific consensus — that they believe the #Covid shots are dangerous & should be taken off the market.

In an interview with The NYT, Dr. Robert Malone, one of the panelists, claimed that the #FDA was “hiding” data on the risks of Covid #vaccination & had refused to share it despite multiple requests.

#Trump #law #policy #HealthInsurance #PublicHealth #health #vaccines #medicine #science #ConspiracyTheories #RFKJr

@Nonilex

Meanwhile, a study of literally millions of people shows:

"Vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 … **and a 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality**"

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842305

#Trump #law #policy #HealthInsurance #PublicHealth #health #vaccines #medicine #science #ConspiracyTheories #RFKJr
#Covid

Leaders urge LGBTQ+ Ohioans to protest ICE at national general strike rallies across the state

‘Queer people need to show up because this is all connected.’

Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/97txe
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2026/01/29/leaders-urge-lgbtq-ohioans-to-protest-ice-at-national-general-strike-rally/#cleveland #demonstration #general-strike #i.c.e. #ice #immigration #immigration-customs-and-enforcement #minneapolis #minnesota #policy-legislation #public-square #renee-good #strike #ucc #united-church-of-christ

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Leaders urge LGBTQ+ Ohioans to protest ICE at national general strike rallies across the state

Intel's roadmap adds mysterious 'hybrid' #AI processor
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/infotech.html#45

Have lopsided 'Rivalry Series' wins over #Canada established
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/canada.html#26

The Most Important #Foreign #Policy Speech in Years
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html#5

#Bitcoin trend line cross mimics 2022 amid ‘insane’
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/markets.html#18

NTSB arrives to investigate #Maine plane crash that
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/us-cities.html#10a

#Home Now
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/politics.html#32

📌 The demolition by Israeli authorities of the facilities of the 🔵 #UnitedNations Relief and Works Agency for #palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in #EastJerusalem constitutes a serious violation of Israel’s obligations as an occupying power

🔹 It reflects a deliberate #policy to undermine the United Nations, reduce its presence and role in the city, and impose new on-the-ground and administrative realities that entrench Israeli control
--

Euro-Med #humanrights Monitor JAN-20

https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6965/Israel%E2%80%99s-demolition-of-UNRWA-facilities-undermines-UN,-imposes-de-facto-annexation-in-East-Jerusalem

WTF??

Judge refuses to block new #DHS policy limiting #Congress members' access to #ICE facilities

A federal judge refused Monday to temporarily block the #Trump admin from enforcing a new #policy requiring a week’s notice before members of Congress can visit #immigration detention facilities.

#law #oversight #SeparationOfPowers #HumanRights #UseOfForce #PoliceBrutality #Trump #AbuseOfPower #MafiaState #Gestapo #Sturmabteilung #WhiteSupremacy
https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-shooting-congress-visit-ice-5eb6749b18d59ed8c47b5eeab9784432

Canada's deal with China signals it is serious about shift from US

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm24k6kk1rko

#HackerNews #Canada #China #Relations #Shift #US #Policy #International #News #Diplomacy

The expiration of the extra #subsidies has DOUBLED the amount people will have to pay for #insurance, on average. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the result will result in 2 million more Americans becoming uninsured this year. But other analysts have estimated larger losses of coverage.

#Trump #Republicans #Congress #healthcare #law #policy #HealthInsurance #AffordableCareAct #ACA #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying

About 1.4 million fewer people have enrolled in the #AffordableCareAct [#Obamacare] coverage this year in the face of soaring #premiums thanks to #Trump & #Republicans in #Congress, acc/to an early report, following the expiration of the enhanced #subsidies that helped lower the cost of #HealthInsurance for millions of Americans.

#healthcare #law #policy #insurance #ACA #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/health/obamacare-enrollment-decrease-subsidies.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Fed's Powell says #Trump admin has threatened him with a #criminal #indictment

The Trump admin has threatened to indict #FederalReserve Chair #JeromePowell over Congressional testimony he gave last summer about a Fed building project, an action Powell called a "pretext" to gain more “influence” over the #CentralBank & #monetary #policy.

#law #economy #independence #autocracy #despotism #dictatorship #tyranny #recession #trumpcession
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/feds-powell-says-administration-has-threatened-criminal-indictment-over-his-2026-01-12/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement

#RFKJr Scales Back the Number of #Vaccines Recommended for #Children

Federal health officials now recommend that children be routinely inoculated against 11 #diseases, not 17, citing standards in other wealthy nations.

#PublicHealth #HealthCare #science #medicine #Trump #ConspiracyTheories #disinformation #law #policy #regulations #insurance #HealthInsurance #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #SocialCleansing #eugenics
https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-9b8df9e2767c1261aaac4e2331e77fa3?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2026-01-05-Breaking+News

France plans a 2026 social media ban for under-15s - enforced via mandatory digital ID age checks.

Child safety vs privacy is becoming a global infosec issue.

https://www.technadu.com/france-plans-2026-ban-on-social-media-for-children-under-15/617508/

Thoughts?

#Privacy #DigitalIdentity #Policy

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France Plans 2026 Ban on Social Media for Children Under 15

FreeBSD context: https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/03/freebsd_project_update_no_ai/ @lproven

Cc @trashheap

#FreeBSD #LLM #policy

The stunning move comes after #House #Republican leaders pushed ahead with a #healthcare bill that does not address the soaring monthly #premiums that millions of people will soon endure as the tax credits for those who buy #insurance through the #AffordableCareAct expire at year’s end.

#Democrats led by Minority Leader #HakeemJeffries of New York needed 218 signatures to force a floor vote on their bill, which would extend the subsides for 3 years.

#Trump #law #policy #HealthInsurance #ACA

Republican Reps Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan & Ryan Mackenzie, all from #Pennsylvania, & Mike Lawler of #NewYork signed on Wednesday morning, pushing it to the magic number of 218. A vote on the subsidy bill could come as soon as January under #House rules.

“Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome.” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

#Trump #Congress #healthcare #law #policy #HealthInsurance #ACA #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving

4 centrist #Republicans defied Speaker #MikeJohnson & signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a #House vote on extending for 3 years an enhanced #AffordableCareAct pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans.

#Trump #Congress #healthcare #law #policy #HealthInsurance #insurance #ACA #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying
https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-aca-speaker-johnson-1087a9f64168d66b2acf9082af16c253

"If someone threatens to burn your house down unless you follow orders, and then they burn it down anyway, you really don't have to keep following their orders."

https://pluralistic.net/2025/12/16/k-shaped-recovery/#disenshittification-nations

#tech #politics #Canada #economics #policy

Speaker #MikeJohnson on Tuesday shut the door on a vote to extend #AffordableCareAct subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year, bucking moderates in his party who had urged action to prevent millions of Americans from facing higher #health care costs starting Jan 1.

#Trump #Republicans #Congress #healthcare #law #policy #HealthInsurance #insurance #ACA #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/us/politics/obamacare-subsidies-house.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Though #MikeJohnson had signaled openness to allowing debate on the proposal, he ultimately rejected a bid to do so by politically vulnerable #Republicans who had hoped for a vote that would, at the very least, allow them to show voters they had tried to avoid rising premiums.

#Trump #House #Congress #healthcare #law #policy #HealthInsurance #insurance #AffordableCareAct #ACA #subsidies #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying

Higher #costs, worse #coverage: #AffordableCareAct enrollees say expiring #subsidies will hit them hard

< 3 weeks remain until the expiration of COVID-era enhanced #TaxCredits that have helped millions of Americans pay their monthly fees for #ACA coverage for the past 4 years.

#Trump #Republicans #Congress #healthcare #law #policy #HealthInsurance #insurance #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #affordability #CostOfLiving #CostOfDying
https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-subsidies-cost-aca-premiums-6a69b51aee8a6b04353b914e044f4efa?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-12-13-ACA+subsidies

Amazon’s Ring is rolling out “Familiar Faces,” an opt-in facial-recognition tool that catalogs up to 50 known visitors 🚪

Amazon says data is encrypted, but past law-enforcement partnerships and security issues raise concerns about biometric handling 🔒

🔗 https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/09/amazons-ring-rolls-out-controversial-ai-powered-facial-recognition-feature-to-video-doorbells/

#TechNews #Privacy #AI #Surveillance #Security #Data #Biometrics #ConsumerRights #SmartHome #BigTech #Policy #Safety #Ethics #DigitalRights #Accountability #Amazon #Ring #Encryption

Age-verification laws now cover half the US, requiring IDs or face scans to access “harmful” content 📄

Advocates warn these mandates expand surveillance, increase breach risks, and could enable censorship under bills like KOSA ⚠️

Groups like @fightforthefuture.org are pushing for safer alternatives 🛡️

🔗 https://www.wired.com/story/age-verification-is-sweeping-the-us-activists-are-fighting-back/

#TechNews #Privacy #DigitalRights #Censorship #Security #Data #AI #Policy #Internet #Safety #Freedom #Surveillance #USA #OnlineSafety #AgeVerification #US

New Scientist has used freedom of information laws to obtain the ChatGPT records of Peter Kyle, the UK's technology secretary, in what is believed to be a world-first use of such legislation

These records show that Kyle asked ChatGPT to explain why the UK’s small and medium business (SMB) community has been so slow to adopt AI. ChatGPT returned a 10-point list of problems hindering adoption, including sections on “Limited Awareness and Understanding”, “Regulatory and Ethical Concerns” and “Lack of Government or Institutional Support”.

#GPT #ChatGPT #AI #UKPol #policy #BadIdeas