Bezos Guts The Washington Post

Posted on by Lone Candle

The Washington Post is making massive cuts. It could be cutting the stuff that fewer readers care about and focusing on the things they are best at. Or, they could be cutting, then losing readers who wanted that stuff, then cutting, and losing more readers, then cutting and losing more readers before shutting down altogether.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvhTmcNHIYk

More Americans are picking higher-deductible Obamacare plans, possibly risking their health

Posted on by Lone Candle

“More Americans are turning to cheaper Obamacare plans to avoid premium sticker shock, according to preliminary data from states.

But the switch comes with a caveat: thousands in extra out-of-pocket costs that policy researchers say may make people hesitate to get medical care when they are sick or injured.

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The subsidies’ expiration on Jan. 1 caused annual premiums to spike more than $1,000 on average for subsidized enrollees, according to one estimate from the health research organization KFF.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/04/more-americans-are-picking-higher-deductible-obamacare-plans-possibly-risking-their-health-00763306

Brad Raffensperger has a 2020 problem. Trump keeps making it worse.

Posted on by Lone Candle

“As Georgia’s top elections official, Raffensperger rebuked efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results, turning him into a target of attack from Trump and his allies for years. That has created a deep tear between the Georgia secretary of state and Republicans in his state, many of whom continue to echo the president’s false claims of widespread fraud.

Now, Raffensperger is running for governor — and Trump just made 2020 the top issue in the GOP primary again.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/04/raffensperger-2020-election-trump-00763913

Mike Johnson promised Cruz a House vote on air safety bill

Posted on by Lone Candle

“The legislation addresses various issues tied to last year’s fatal Washington air disaster, including advanced location-tracking technology on aircraft. But the ROTOR Act has met stiff resistance from the chair of the House Transportation Committee.

…

The Senate passed the bill, S. 2503, from Cruz and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), via unanimous consent in December.

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Transportation Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) has objected to the bill, saying he wants big changes to it.

In a series of recent interviews, Graves has cited concerns over impacts to general aviation, the small-scale flights that range from recreational trips on single-engine planes to crop dusting.

On Tuesday, the top Democrat on the House transportation panel, Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington, said in an interview he was mulling two options: either adjusting the ROTOR Act or crafting new legislation after the National Transportation Safety Board last week issued 50 recommendations related to the catastrophe, which killed 67 people.

In a separate interview Tuesday, Graves said his committee will have a bipartisan response to the midair collision.

Victims’ families and the chair of the NTSB have backed the ROTOR Act.

One of the NTSB’s recommendations mirrors a key component of the Senate bill: a mandate of an advanced location-receiving technology — called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In, or ADS-B In — on planes and helicopters flying in busy airspace.

Graves, an avid pilot and longtime general aviation booster, doesn’t support the ROTOR Act’s ADS-B In requirement, as written.”

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/04/congress/mike-johnson-promised-cruz-a-house-vote-on-air-safety-bill-00764270

Labor leaders blast Gavin Newsom over AI, demand more regulation

Posted on by Lone Candle

“National labor unions are pushing AI regulations as a top policy priority amid polls showing growing and bipartisan majorities fear the technology’s potential impacts. Those include AI-fueled layoffs, youth suicides allegedly linked to AI chatbots and increasing use of high-tech surveillance technologies in workplaces. Layoffs have been particularly acute in California and other tech hubs as giants like Amazon and Meta shed staff to compete for AI dominance.

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Newsom has defended his AI stance as striking a balance between curbing safety concerns associated with technology and promoting its innovation to boost California’s budget, which is heavily reliant on tax income from Silicon Valley and the ultra-rich. In 2025, he signed an internationally-watched AI safety bill from Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener among a slate of other rules for chatbots and AI-generated deepfakes, despite vetoing a labor priority.

The California Labor Fed began unveiling its latest AI agenda this week. Proposed measures include SB 951, which would require employers laying off workers due to AI to give advance notice, as well as SB 947, which would again attempt to require human oversight over algorithms used to make discipline or firing decisions.

Gonzalez also vowed to continue work on a bill introduced in 2025, AB 1331, which would ban the use of surveillance tools in bathrooms and public spaces in the workplace. She said the rest of the bills will largely fall under addressing surveillance issues, safety concerns related to AI and combatting joblessness.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/04/labor-leaders-blast-gavin-newsom-over-ai-demand-more-regulation-00764927

Government attorney who told judge in ICE case, ‘This job sucks,’ removed from detail

Posted on by Lone Candle

“Raguse, who was in the courtroom, reported that Le said it was like “pulling teeth” to get the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Justice Department to follow court orders.

DHS, which oversees ICE, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Le could not be reached for comment.

She made the remarks after U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell ordered the government to explain why it had not followed court orders in immigration proceedings, including not releasing several immigrant detainees he had ordered be let out.

Blackwell said in an order this week that the government’s “failures” were “alarming” because the government’s “persistent noncompliance with orders in this District was extensively detailed just last week,” pointing to a decision from Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee. Schiltz wrote that his “patience is at an end” and that the government had failed to comply with “dozens of court orders.”

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Multiple lawyers at the U.S. attorney’s office have departed over ethical concerns in recent weeks, people familiar with the matter told NBC News. Trump administration officials have been trying to surge resources into the district to fill the gaps.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/attorney-government-tells-judge-ice-052336949.html

‘My own government attempted to execute me,’ Chicago woman shot by Border Patrol testifies

Posted on by Lone Candle

“CBP agents shot the Chicago woman and U.S. citizen five times last October after her vehicle was involved in a collision with an SUV with Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum.
The federal government charged Marimar with ramming border patrol agents.

Those charges were later dropped. Marimar was one of many, calling the administration’s narratives into question on Tuesday.

…

Martinez followed the agents for several blocks before the vehicles collided, resulting in minor dents and scrapes on both vehicles.

According to testimony and documents from Martinez’s now-dropped assault case, she stopped her vehicle directly after the collision and the agents’ SUV came to a halt just ahead of Martinez. She then accelerated away, testifying in court that she swerved left to avoid hitting the agents, who were exiting their vehicle.

That’s when the agents opened fire, ultimately striking Martinez five times in the arm, chest and both legs. Only one of the three agents had a body camera activated at the time.

While the body camera footage hasn’t been released publicly, lawyers for Martinez have said in court that it shows an officer shouting “do something b–.”

The agent who shot her allegedly said in a group text to friends: “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys.””

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/own-government-attempted-execute-chicago-043218412.html