Progressive search for action

7+ min ago (397+ words) Ten and a half long months ago, America began spiraling in a terrifying direction. We knew Trump was bad; his first term had been a calamity. But few of us were prepared for the catastrophe that awaited us in the second. Part of it came because Republicans gained control of both chambers of Congress, and Trump was able to intimidate and browbeat them into submitting to whatever he wanted to do. Now, finally, the ground is shifting. Some congressional Republicans are turning hawkish on the budget and reject Trump's zany notion of $2,000 "tariff dividend" checks, as well as his stated desire to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years. Russian hawks dislike Trump's love fest with Putin on Ukraine. Nor did they appreciate his happy meeting with Zohran Mamdani. Or his refusal to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. Some…...

34+ min ago (586+ words) Running a gas-powered leaf blower for an hour emits as much pollution as driving from Los Angeles to Denver.Sarah Dussault/MediaNews Group//Getty via Grist This story was originally published by'Grist and is reproduced here as part of the'Climate Desk'collaboration. "With every year that passes, more and more communities across the country are taking action to address the shocking amount of pollution and noise from gas lawn equipment," said Kirsten Schatz, clean air advocate at the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, called CoPIRG. Gas-powered leaf blowers aren't just annoying; they're bad for public health. Closing the windows can't shut out their low-frequency roar, which can be louder than the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 55 decibels'up to 800 feet away. The unwanted sound can'lead to high levels of stress, along with disturbing people's sleep and potentially damaging hearing over time....

1+ hour, 1+ min ago (791+ words) In a now infamous moment in television history, former US President Richard Nixon, three years after leaving office in scandal, was asked by interviewer David Frost if the US President could commit illegal acts. Nixon replied: "If the President does it, that means that it is not illegal." With those twelve words, Nixon dismissed the core idea of republican government and the very essence of the rule of law. For Nixon (and far too many today), some people and some institutions are simply above the law. And not only are they not bound by the law that binds the rest of us, but we must follow their orders. Afterall, this is the divine right of kings." Almost a half century later, Nixonian ideology is alive and well." While the Security Council (UNSC) is an immensely powerful institution, is subject to…...

1+ hour, 24+ min ago (1811+ words) from Sick in a Hospital Town The story of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital " the dominant political and economic institution of Albany, Georgia " is the story of American health care. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify But perhaps what most bothered Dr. Parker " which is what everyone called him because he'd earned a Ph.D. and because honorifics are considered good manners in the South " was that his severely irregular heartbeat had begun to affect his golf game. So, on the day before he checked into Phoebe Putney Memorial, Albany's only hospital, Dr. Parker was anxious to get his stamina back. Because Betancourt was relatively new to Phoebe, the Parkers sought a second opinion from a close friend, a cardiologist who was godfather to their second child. After he heard what other measures had been taken to try to address Dr. Parker's…...

1+ hour, 24+ min ago (104+ words) on Apple Podcasts or Spotify The story of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is the story of American health care. Founded in 1911 as a community hospital, a hundred years later Phoebe becomes a sprawling health care system and wages a yearslong battle to eliminate its competition. Phoebe pays an exorbitant sum to acquire its rival hospital, and its debt increases and patients suffer. The board that oversees Phoebe decides not to release a report that finds the cost of care at the hospital is higher than its peers. Phoebe gets its way and sidelines its critics. Mrs. Parker learns what happened to her husband....

1+ hour, 24+ min ago (1386+ words) from Sick in a Hospital Town Founded in 1911 as a community hospital, a hundred years later Phoebe becomes a sprawling health care system and wages a yearslong battle to eliminate its competition. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify "Yes, Dr. Mehta," she nodded, thanking him for being there. Dr. Dianna Grant, the health system's chief medical officer and a friend " she'd been the one who'd hired Kim " arrived shortly after. She told Mrs. Parker that the health system's entire executive team had been notified about what had happened. Your Phoebe family is here, she said, and we love you. This was the embrace Mrs. Parker had hoped for " the one Phoebe reserved for its inner circle. Whether Grant intended it, her words felt to Mrs. Parker like a secret handshake, an invitation to let down her guard and cry, and…...

1+ hour, 24+ min ago (1811+ words) from Sick in a Hospital Town The board that oversees Phoebe decides not to release a report that finds the cost of care at the hospital is higher than its peers. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mrs. Parker froze for a second and then asked Palazzolo what he meant. She hadn't been preparing for the end of her husband's life. She'd been preparing for a "Grey's Anatomy" moment. He seemed so close. He'd already opened his eyes. Palazzolo asked her if she had spoken with a neurologist. Mrs. Parker suddenly didn't know whom to believe. The previous doctors had told her that they were going to give her husband's brain time to rest and recover and then would wake him. No one had raised the possibility that he wouldn't recover. "Anthony opened his eyes," she reminded Palazzolo. That was…...

1+ hour, 32+ min ago (411+ words) You'll feel even more passionate once the late afternoon rolls around as the moon enters fiery and flashy Leo. It's time to put on a show. What if you could take all the feelings swirling around inside of you and turn them into something real? An inspiring new creative project is being born out of what's currently in your heart. With so much chatter echoing through the atmosphere, it might be time to come home to yourself. Sit with your own thoughts. What does your heart think the next step is? Don't dive blindly into holiday spending "you'll end up free-falling. Go in with a budget, a clear-cut shopping list, and a plan to keep things in check. You know what you'd like to achieve, but do you have the resources necessary to make it happen? Take stock of what…...

1+ hour, 34+ min ago (1708+ words) from Sick in a Hospital Town Phoebe pays an exorbitant sum to acquire its rival hospital, and its debt increases and patients suffer. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Just a little more than 24 hours had passed when Mrs. Parker realized that word about her husband's condition had gotten out. She received a text from someone she and Anthony barely knew, a middle manager in Phoebe's human resources department. But somehow the woman had heard he was in critical condition and messaged to say that she was praying for him. "How does she know?" Mrs. Parker wondered. "Had news about Anthony gotten out? If that wasn't intrusive enough, the woman stopped by the room. You don't want to move him to Emory or somewhere? she whispered. Shouldn't you get him out of here? It seemed an inappropriate question on so…...

1+ hour, 34+ min ago (1896+ words) Listen to this article on Apple Podcasts. But perhaps what most bothered Dr. Parker " which is what everyone called him because he'd earned a Ph.D. and because honorifics are considered good manners in the South " was that his severely irregular heartbeat had begun to affect his golf game. So, on the day before he checked into Phoebe Putney Memorial, Albany's only hospital, Dr. Parker was anxious to get his stamina back. Because Betancourt was relatively new to Phoebe, the Parkers sought a second opinion from a close friend, a cardiologist who was godfather to their second child. After he heard what other measures had been taken to try to address Dr. Parker's condition, he agreed that an ablation was an appropriate next step." He scheduled the ablation for the Thursday before Memorial Day in 2022. He assured his staff he'd be…...