Target $10
Thursday, May 16, 2024
'Kerry Washington, Adam Kinzinger to help lead poll worker recruitment effort'
Kerry Washington and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) are teaming up to help lead an effort to recruit election poll workers ahead of November.
The former “Scandal” star and the ex-congressman will be among the co-chairs on an advisory council for Power the Polls, the nonpartisan organization announced Thursday.
They are part of a 14-member “diverse roster of prominent cultural, political, veteran, and advocacy leaders” whose aim will be to urge more Americans to volunteer at the ballot box.
“Poll workers are frontline heroes of democracy! Their work helps to ensure that ALL Americans are able to cast our votes safely and securely,” Washington said in a statement.
“By recruiting poll workers who are excited to serve their communities, Power the Polls has proven its ability to preserve trust in our electoral system, especially when democracy is under threat,” the 47-year-old actor, who campaigned for President Biden in 2020, said.
Kinzinger, who left Congress last year after choosing not to run for a seventh term, said, “At a time when our democracy is facing unique and historic threats, the role poll workers play in keeping our elections free and fair has never been more important.”
The ex-lawmaker was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and was one of two Republicans who served on the committee investigating that day.
Other figures on Power the Polls’s bipartisan advisory council include: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D), Civic Responsibility Project founder Ashley Spillane and Florida Rights Restoration Coalition president Desmond Meade, among others.
Officials have warned for years that the U.S. is facing a shortage of election workers due to a rise in threats that experts have linked to false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. A Brennan Center survey conducted last year found that 11 percent of local election officials said they were likely to quit before the 2024 election due to an uptick in harassment and threats against them.
“By recruiting potential poll workers, supporting election administrators, and housing a centralized hub for localized poll worker information, Power the Polls is filling in the gap between informed citizens who want to engage in civic life and the election officials who need their help,” Power the Polls national program manager Marta Hanson said in a statement about the initiative, which was first launched in 2020.
“I am tremendously excited to be able to partner with these important voices from across the political spectrum to recruit poll workers and ensure a safe, secure, and accessible election this fall,” Hanson said.
Manchin, GOP senators move to overturn retirement investment planning rule
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and a group of Republican senators are moving to overturn a retirement investment planning rule that was finalized by the Labor Department last month.
The Labor Department unveiled the new rule last month that would update the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Manchin and 15 Republican senators joined in co-sponsoring a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn this new rule.
Manchin argued that the rule, if enacted, would cause people to “lose access to investment advice due to how broadly the rule defines fiduciary.”
“This Department of Labor rule is yet another example of dangerous federal overreach. While I understand the Administration’s intent to protect Americans’ retirement savings, the truth of the matter is this does the exact opposite,” Manchin said.
The Labor Department said the rule will require “trusted investment advice providers to give prudent, loyal, honest advice free from overcharges.”
Under the new rule, these fiduciaries need to avoid giving recommendations “that favor the investment advice providers’ interests — financial or otherwise — at the retirement savers’ expense,” according to the department.
“Hardworking West Virginians and Americans need protection, not uncertainty when it comes to their long-term financial security, and they certainly do not want or need the federal government further involved in their personal retirement decisions,” Manchin said.
Sen. Ted Budd (N.C.), one of the Republicans who introduced the CRA resolution, described the rule as the “Biden administration’s latest executive overreach” in a statement.
“Consumers would lose access to financial advice, reduce the number of financial management options, and throw a would-be retiree’s financial security into uncertainty,” he said. “That’s why I am proud to lead the Senate’s bipartisan CRA to overturn this dangerous new regulation, and look forward to it receiving a vote on the floor.”
Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) also led the companion bill for this legislation in the House and took aim at the Labor Department’s new rule in a statement.
“By muddying the waters with burdensome overregulation, the Biden [Labor Department’s] finalized fiduciary rule does more harm than good to the very people it is claiming to protect — retirees and savers,” he said.
Consumer groups accuse Temu of manipulating online shoppers
European consumer groups on Thursday accused Chinese shopping app Temu of using "manipulative techniques" to make users spend more and other violations of a landmark EU tech law.
One of the fastest-growing apps, Temu only entered the EU market in April 2023 and says it has on average around 75 million monthly active users in the 27-country bloc.
Europe's BEUC umbrella consumer rights group filed a complaint with the European Commission while 17 member organisations in Europe including in France, Germany and Spain have done the same with national authorities.
The groups accuse Temu of "failing to protect consumers and for using manipulative practices which are illegal" -- known as "dark patterns" -- and demanded an investigation.
They believe Temu is distorting or impairing consumers' ability to make "free and informed decisions" while shopping online, in violation of the EU's mammoth online content law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Contacted by AFP, the company said it took the complaint "very seriously". It promised to "study it thoroughly" and to cooperate with the relevant stakeholders.
"Where we identify areas for improvement, we are eager to work together to enhance our service and to rectify any shortcomings," Temu said in a statement.
"We are committed to transparency and full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations."
Under the DSA, digital platforms must remove illegal content quickly, be more transparent about how they use users' data and ensure the safety of shoppers online.
BEUC charged that Temu fails to provide enough information about traders on the platform, "frequently leaving consumers in the dark about who they are purchasing products from".
And there is not enough information about how its "opaque" recommendation system works, it added, despite transparency being mandatory under the DSA.
- Under scrutiny elsewhere -
Temu, owned by China's PDD Holdings, has already come under pressure in Europe.
German consumer groups warned Temu earlier this year about similar issues, which led to the platform announcing it would no longer display notices telling consumers to "Hurry up! Over 126 people have this item in their shopping cart".
It has faced fierce scrutiny elsewhere including in Asia and the United States.
South Korean regulators in April began investigating Temu on suspicion of false advertising and unfair practices.
The EU is expected to add Temu to its list of "very large" digital platforms under the DSA, which will force the company to comply with stricter rules, including providing regular information about how it is mitigating risks.
Brussels has already added Chinese-founded online retailer Shein to that list, which also includes AliExpress, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube among a total of 23 platforms.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/consumer-groups-accuse-temu-manipulating-050433875.html
I asked for hospital prices and got a police visit instead
Parents will do anything to help their sick or injured child. Sadly, the American healthcare system often takes advantage of our desperation to overcharge and profiteer. Healthcare price transparency is urgently needed to protect families like mine and restore trust in the medical system. This Congress has the opportunity to deliver it.
Consider my story. My 18-month-old son slipped and broke his leg. He received the standard of care from a Los Angeles pediatrician, but I wanted a second opinion. The subsequent physician we saw in Long Beach dismissed the pediatrician’s treatment and said my son needed rushed spica cast surgery via the emergency room.
This was a stressful situation. I had two medical opinions from respected doctors, one conventional and one aggressive, and I didn’t know what to do. To help inform my decision, I asked the hospital staff for the price of the spica cast procedure. I had no idea whether it would cost $500 or $50,000.
But when I tried to get basic price information, nurses and staff were incredulous and even hostile. They gaslit me into thinking I was crazy for merely asking for the price. They acted like I was nickel-and-diming over Angels tickets, not inquiring about the often wildly inflated price of major hospital care.
I decided that if I couldn’t trust the hospital about the price of the procedure, then I couldn’t trust it about the quality either. I pulled my son from his hospital bed and made plans to discuss this second opinion with his L.A. pediatrician.
But the story doesn’t end there. Hours later, I received a call from the second physician guilt-tripping me for my decision. “Just to confirm, you won’t be returning to the hospital for the treatment?” he concluded ominously. The next morning, I woke up to a knock on my door from the police. The hospital had called Child Protective Services. Outrageous.
After I cleared things up with the police and CPS, I looked into the second opinion further. It turned out my instinct was correct. The pediatrician said the procedure was unnecessary. My health insurer told me that it wouldn’t have been covered and would have cost me around $10,000. By demanding an upfront price, I protected my family’s health and wealth.
But what about the vulnerable people who don’t have the English skills or confidence needed to stand up to aggressive hospital staff, let alone the police? Are they just railroaded by the medical system?
Statistics suggest they are. Approximately 100 million Americans have medical debt. One in six people of color have medical debt in collections, i.e., ruined credit scores and garnished wages. Most Americans now avoid or delay care for fear of financial devastation.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Americans of all backgrounds and political persuasions support healthcare price transparency. According to a recent Marist poll, 94% of people say hospitals and health insurers should publish their actual, upfront prices, including discounted cash and negotiated insurance plan rates.
Bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate, cosponsored by Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), would make real healthcare prices a reality. The Health Care Price Transparency Act 2.0 would codify and strengthen federal price transparency rules on hospitals and health insurers. It requires the publication of actual prices, not estimates, which don’t provide financial protection and prevent meaningful comparisons. The bill would unleash a competitive, pro-consumer marketplace, as clear prices do in other economic sectors.
This is a bipartisan issue for a bipartisan Congress. It should prioritize passing this vital healthcare reform this year. Healthcare price transparency can empower patients and families to choose the best care at the best prices and avoid overcharging when we’re in our most vulnerable state.
Michael Klein is a sales engineer in Palos Verdes, Cal.
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/05/15/i-asked-for-hospital-prices-and-got-a-police-visit-instead/
As Gaza Aid Pier Completed, Pentagon Vows To Protect US Troops Overseeing It
The Pentagon announced Thursday that its floating pier built for Gaza aid has finally been completed and installed. Badly needed humanitarian aid, especially food, will begin being delivered by ships imminently.
The completion comes more than two months after President Biden first unveiled the plan, and has been fraught with challenges including inclement weather as well as threats on Hamas against any potential foreign troop presence.
On this latter point, Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper of Central Command, said that "protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel."
He added, "We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved." Israel's military will provide security on the shore while the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius patrol waters just off the coast.
US CENTCOM has further confirmed, "Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days." The military statement added, "The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza."
Overseeing and handling the inbound humanitarian aid itself will be the UN's World Food Program.
Israel's military commented that "We have been working for months on full cooperation with (the U.S. military) on this project, facilitating it, supporting it in any way possible."
Some humanitarian aid organizations and leaders have still criticized the costly pier project, questioning why Israel doesn't just let overland convoys into the Gaza Strip:
Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route "is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist," said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization.
One recent issue to arise is the increased number of attacks by Israeli settlers on aid trucks and convoys. Israeli media has confirmed these attacks, including the below:
Several examples of such filmed attacks on aid convoys have been widely circulating over the last days...
The US military has further described of what comes next as follows: "Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days." The statement added: "The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza."
Biden's own inflation
Inflation cooled slightly in April, but even the slower price increases revealed this week still added to a tally that is perhaps the Biden campaign's most intractable economic challenge in the 2024 campaign season.
Prices as measured by the seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) are now up over 19.4% in the three-plus years since Biden took office.
The cumulative price increase has been a GOP focus for months, and that continued Wednesday as new data showed the tally inching ever closer to a psychologically significant milestone of 20%.
The Trump campaign didn't even wait for the threshold to be crossed Wednesday, with a statement from the campaign press secretary flatly stating that "overall prices are up 20%."
Trump himself, as he tends to do, exaggerated the numbers further and largely beyond recognition. In a video response to the inflation report, he said without offering any evidence that inflation "takes away 30% to 50% of every dollar you have."
President Biden himself reacted to the latest report with a statement calling costs his top economic priority while acknowledging that "even though we've made progress we have a lot more to do."
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