Another Witness Demurs

Posted on 24 September 2018 by eehines

In an email to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Saturday, Leland Ingham Keyser, a former classmate of Ford’s at the Holton-Arms all-girls school in Maryland, said she doesn’t know Kavanaugh or remember being at the party with him.
“Simply put, Ms Keyser does not know Mr [sic] Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr Ford,” lawyer Howard J Walsh III of Bethesda, MD, conveyed in an email to the committee that was obtained by Fox News [and by Politico].

This is a preview of Another Witness Demurs. Read the full post (329 words, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)

Free Markets for Health Care

Posted on 24 September 2018 by eehines

Here’s an illustration of why one is badly needed. The Wall Street Journal‘s article is centered on health coverage plans, but the underlying problem is in health care provision and the monopolistic nature of both provision and coverage.

Last year, Cigna Corp and the New York hospital system Northwell Health discussed developing an insurance plan that would offer low-cost coverage by excluding some other health-care providers, according to people with knowledge of the matter. It never happened.
The problem was a separate contract between Cigna and NewYork-Presbyterian, the powerful hospital operator that is a Northwell rival. Cigna couldn’t find a way to work around restrictive language that blocked it from selling any plans that didn’t include NewYork-Presbyterian, according to the people.

This is a preview of Free Markets for Health Care. Read the full post (365 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

A Hearing

Posted on 23 September 2018 by eehines

Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault ‘way back in their high school days, now doesn’t want to testify about her accusation—to back up her claim—in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She wants an FBI investigation of the alleged crime—never mind that she knows, because her lawyers know, and they’ve surely briefed her, that such a thing is not a Federal crime, and so the FBI has no standing to investigate.

Her lawyers also are claiming that Ford is afraid to come to DC because of the alleged backlash she’s faced since Senator Dianne Feinstein (D, CA) outed her.

This is a preview of A Hearing. Read the full post (339 words, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)

Promise

Posted on 22 September 2018 by eehines

The People’s Republic of China has been rolling out its system for spying on surveilling its citizens for a while now. This is the system that develops social scores for every PRC citizen, and the system has bennies for achieving high scores:

…waived deposits on hotels and rental cars, VIP treatment at airports, discounted loans, priority job applications, and fast-tracking to the most prestigious universities.

Things that can detract from those high scores include

[j]aywalking, late payments on bills or taxes, buying too much alcohol, or speaking out against the government….
Other mooted punishable offences include spending too long playing video games, wasting money on frivolous purchases, and posting on social media….

This is a preview of Promise. Read the full post (212 words, estimated 51 secs reading time)

Jobs

Posted on 21 September 2018 by eehines

French President Emmanuel Macron had the effrontery to say to a heretofore unsuccessful job seeker that, were the latter not absolutely set on a job in his chosen career field, the man easily could find work in France. And the man wouldn’t even have to relocate very far. The Left is in an uproar over Macron’s arrogance in saying an obvious truth.

The jobseeker, an aspiring gardener, said to Macron at an Elysee Palace open house,

I’m 25 years old, I send resumes and cover letters, they don’t lead to anything[.]

Macron’s terrible advice?

This is a preview of Jobs. Read the full post (233 words, estimated 56 secs reading time)

Foolish

Posted on 21 September 2018 by eehines

Senator Bernie Sanders (I, VT) has offered legislation, in coordination with Congressman Ro Khanna (D, CA), that is his latest bit of socialism. His legislation would hit large businesses with a tax equal to 100% of the welfare payments any of their employees might receive while working.

Sanders and Khanna say—and they’re actually serious—that this would pay for the welfare programs involved.

Andy Puzder has a different view of such legislation.

This is a preview of Foolish. Read the full post (245 words, estimated 59 secs reading time)

Bots and Comments

Posted on 20 September 2018 by eehines

As a result of a bit of censorship in which The Wall Street Journal engaged on a comment of mine over the weekend, I had the following exchange with them.

On Sunday, in responding to their piece on trade and tariffs, I tried to post the comment below to the WSJ‘s Comments section, but they blocked it: there were, they claimed, one or more offending words in it [the non-italicized sentences are cut/paste quotes from the article].

This is a preview of Bots and Comments. Read the full post (355 words, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

Responsibility

Posted on 20 September 2018 by eehines

The government of Puerto Rico is insisting on some in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

The Puerto Rican government is taking a hard line on rebuilding properties decimated by last year’s Hurricane Maria, offering homeowners federal financial assistance only if they move out of flood-prone areas.

It’s about time some politicians stood tall and required some personal responsibility instead of subsidizing its lack with taxpayers’ money.

This is a preview of Responsibility. Read the full post (100 words, estimated 24 secs reading time)

Likenesses

Posted on 19 September 2018 by eehines

Vanity Fair thinks Progressive-Democratic Party candidate for Senator from Texas is Kennedyesque.

Really? Does Vanity Fair really think O’Rourke abandoned a young woman, trapped in his car, to drown in a Texas creek? Does the magazine really think O’Rourke nakedly lied about a Supreme Court Justice nominee to smear him during a confirmation hearing?

That’s an interesting connection for the magazine to draw.

This is a preview of Likenesses. Read the full post (97 words, estimated 23 secs reading time)

Talks and Conflicts

Posted on 19 September 2018 by eehines

The Saturday Wall Street Journal had a piece that worried about President Donald Trump’s decision to add more tariffs to People’s Republic of China’s goods just prior to another round of trade talks with the PRC.

[T]he decision’s timing risks deepening the already bitter trade fight by starting another tit-for-tat round of tariffs.

And

The tariffs are bound to complicate—if not derail—talks with top Chinese officials, which are currently scheduled in Washington for Sept 27 and Sept 28, say people familiar with the plans.

This is a preview of Talks and Conflicts. Read the full post (161 words, estimated 39 secs reading time)

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