July 6, 2025

OBBBA and Medicare/Social Security

I wanted to put this into the MC and SSA heading after yesterday’s general discussion for those who missed it. Even though some people clarified the OBBBA impact on the SS trust fund via the senior tax deduction, I thought it should be here.

Yesterday’s post: Thanks DOC!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220460843


https://govfacts.org/explainer/how-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-impacts-social-security/

SNIP————————————————

The CRFB’s analysis indicates that because the OBBBA hastens the insolvency date, the automatic cut that would occur in 2032 would be deeper than previously projected. Beneficiaries would face an across-the-board cut of approximately 24%. This is significantly larger than the 19% cut projected under prior law.

For a retiree receiving the average monthly benefit of $1,976 in 2025, a 24% reduction would amount to a sudden and permanent loss of about $474 per month, lowering their monthly payment to just $1,502.

This creates a direct and damaging feedback loop: a short-term, targeted tax cut for some current retirees is financed in a way that guarantees a deeper, permanent benefit cut for all future retirees, including those who received the initial tax break. A senior who is 70 years old in 2025 and benefits from the tax deduction will, upon turning 77 in 2032, be subject to the very 24% benefit cut that their own tax break helped accelerate.


The OBBBA not only ignores this advice but actively moves in the opposite direction, using a partisan budget process to weaken a dedicated funding stream in service of tax cuts. This reveals a fundamental shift in legislative priorities, prioritizing short-term tax reduction over the long-term stability of America’s primary social insurance program.

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Given all the changes the Felon is making and the domino affects mentioned in the article along with the risk of various economic shocks due to tariffs, significant cuts to the federal workforce including FEMA, weather forcasting, and the slashing of IGs who investigate fraud, this is a very significant issue.

I also hate that SSA was used to send a political email misleading beneficiaries. I’m sure it’s illegal but who is going to stop him?

April 4, 2025

5 nurses in one unit (5th floor maternity) found to have brain cancer -Newton Wellesley Hospital

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/5-nurses-in-1-unit-at-newton-wellesley-hospital-diagnosed-with-brain-tumors/3676081/?amp=1

Snip——
The hospital says 11 staff members have been interviewed since April 1. In addition to the five diagnosed with brain tumors, six others were found to have other health concerns.

"After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants," officials with Newton-Wellesley Hospital said in a statement. "Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors. To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December," the hospital wrote. "The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor."

But the Massachusetts Nurses Association tells NBC10 Boston the hospital's environmental testing was not comprehensive.

The union says it has received more than 300 responses from people who work at Newton-Wellesley and is now working to contact those who want a direct follow-up and obtain medical records.
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Nothing more really at the article. There is no way this is a coincidence.

Anyone remember the child leukemia cases in Woburn years ago? WR Grace and contaminated water supply?

I worked at a hospital up north and knew one of the nurses who was a parent to one of the kids. What they had to go through….

They are going to have to support these people and drill down deep to figure out this brain cancer finding, benign or not.

April 3, 2025

22 seconds of George Carlin's truth. They don't care about you.

?si=NHdUPtA41E--GY68

April 3, 2025

Senator Warren says some people have reported not receiving SS

https://www.newsweek.com/elizabeth-warren-raises-alarm-social-security-benefits-doge-2054621

Snip—

Senator Elizabeth Warren has said people in Massachusetts have been marked as not receiving Social Security benefits as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigations continue at the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Some 70 million Americans receive benefits from the SSA every month. But recent actions by DOGE, which is headed by tech billionaire and White House adviser Elon Musk, have prompted warnings that benefits may be interrupted.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Warren said: "I'm hearing from Social Security recipients in MA who've been marked as 'not currently receiving payments,' on the Social Security website."

Newsweek has been unable to independently verify these claims, and has contacted Senator Warren and the SSA for clarification and comment via email outside of regular working hours.

Snip-
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I can’t imagine why the Republicans are avoiding their SS receiving constituents if this is happening to them, if they can get on the site since those who ran the website were fired.

Goal: show the system doesn’t work by breaking it then carve it up into little pieces and sell it off like private equity firms. Calling Mitt Romney…

July 9, 2024

Someone should tell the news media that when you are tired

Your stuttering gets worse and it is an insult to all people who stutter to keep making it to be more than it is. I think when this happens to Biden he stops speaking sometimes if he can’t get unstuck.

And let’s remind them how few of them at half Biden’s age can hold this fucker to account. They don’t even try to keep up with his rapid fire lies.

I’m tired of Biden being held to a higher standard. It’s as if they think - well, Biden is a man of integrity so we need to call him out (even though they neither listen nor accept the answers) but the felon does this all the time with his lies and gibberish and since that is who he is what is the point?
The media demands Biden speak to them and answer questions but what’s-his-name goes to his safe space with Fox or newsmax. Give me a break.

I’ve stayed away because everything has been so stressful but it’s not getting better and the satisfaction of either the civil case or the NY criminal case have been wiped away by his successful delays.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m voting for Biden all the way but this group of high powered dems who circle the wagon and shoot inward is driving me mad.

Other than all this life is more or less fair to middling. Hope you all are doing ok…

June 25, 2022

Best signs from women's marches

This was 5 years ago but still very apt now, unfortunately. I couldn’t grab any of the pictures.

I like the one that says “I’m so mad I stitched this just so I could stab something 3000 times.”

https://www.boredpanda.com/best-protest-signs-womens-march-washington-donald-trump/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

June 5, 2022

Liz Cheney interview - preview of the Jan 6 insurrection.

I am sooooo hoping this has an impact.

May 28, 2022

The gun question they can't answer

I have been very frustrated with the questions asked of politicians by reporters that are quickly deflected. It’s BS but they fend off the questions easily.

Here is what I want at a press conference preferably asked by an older citizen and not by a reporter.

“ Regarding mass school shootings It has been said that the best defense for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. My question is - how did law enforcement handle mass school shootings in the 50s, 60s, and 70s?”

I imagine the politician acts confused as he tries to figure out how to respond. You could leave it at that - let it hang in the air or twist the knife a little bit more.

The person could say “my grandkids do lock downs and shooter drills at school. I never had to do that. Now you want to arm teachers and put in steel doors. My grandkids will be living in a police state and you call that freedom?”

Let the networks show that!!

April 16, 2022

Do you have a male or female brain? Optical illusions

I couldn’t embed the video or save the picture so here is the article with video included.

https://nypost.com/2022/04/06/optical-illusion-reveals-if-you-have-a-female-or-male-brain/amp/


Some more optical illusions. I usually have a hard time with them because my eyes rapidly alternate between the two options.
Warning for anyone who has photosensitive epilepsy, but they probably already know this.

https://www.creativebloq.com/features/optical-illusions

Favorites?

March 28, 2022

I'm mesmerized by Leon the lobster, saved from the grocery store

Why did this come recommended on YouTube? I don’t know but I am now invested in this story. The guy’s voice is also soothing.