The Trump-Muskrat plot to kill Social Security, Robert Reich Sorry to intrude on your inbox for a second time today, but Elon Musk has revealed the truth about what he plans to do with his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): Gut Social Security and Medicare. Musk retweeted a series of posts by Utah’s Republican […]

10 programs that could be on the ‘government efficiency’ chopping block, Washington Post The programs without separate spending authorization that Ramaswamy would do away with represent more than $516 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The 10 largest make up $380 billion. Here’s a look at what some of those programs do (click on […]

 – by New Deal democrat Most of the commentary about Friday’s jobs report for November was positive. By contrast, my summary – in which I averaged the two last reports to take into account the hurricane whipsaw – was much more cautious, as were the takes by a few other commentators I respect, like Ernie Tedeschi. […]

CBO: Not extending IRA subsidies will cause 3.8M to lose coverage, ~7.9% avg *additional* premium hike | ACA Signups, Charles Gaba Not that this should surprise anyone, but it’s good to have the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) formally chime in: It’s important to keep in mind that the 4.3% average premium hike in 2026, as well […]

RFK Jr continues in his crackpot crusade against fluoridated water. There is *zero* evidence that artificial fluoridation of water at or below the approved level (0.7 mg/liter) has any pathological consequences. Why do we fluoridate public water? “Bacteria in the mouth that serve to break down food also create acids that degrade the enamel on […]

I believe it was about 4-5 years ago, we decided to move from our of 2600 square feet on 2/3rds of an acre. We also wanted to get to some place warmer. We did eventually do both and not exactly where we wanted. The first year we went exploring in the areas around Phoenix and […]

Social Security adjustments are coming up starting January 2025. As if typical the increase in payment did not keep up with inflation last year. If you have not been keeping track of forth coming Social Security changes in 2025, here they are: Starting in 2025, Medicare Part B premiums will increase from $174.70 per month […]

This is something Angry Bear has been following for a few years. A person may go to the doctor for one issue and the office wants to expand the visit to other supposed issues. An example being having a comprehensive blood test two months previous and their wanting to repeat the same blood test. The […]

We often talk about poverty and people living in poverty as measured by the government, Then, we set policy with regards to them. We never quite realize the impact of the programs on the people on the receiving end. A brief recital of facts and figures in charts. I also do not believe we get […]

Robert Kutner has a paywalled article in The New York Review of Books about the history of free trade and the efforts since Trump’s first term to impose tariffs, particularly on China, beginning with the first Trump Administration. “Free trade ideology once aligned with America’s economic and security interests. After World War II, open markets […]