Issues You May Know, 7 March 2025.
A list of things you might want to know about - or write your reps about.
Medicare telehealth coverage is set to at the end of March if congress doesn't act.
Experts call for continued federal aid to state, local telemedicine services - February 20, 2025 By Kaitlyn Levinson, Reporter, Route Fifty “I would anticipate that [the Trump administration] would be supportive of telemedicine efforts going forward,” Benjamin said, but “we will have to wait and see if they carve out that [IIJA] funding — and we hope that that funding doesn’t get clawed back.” Another concern for state and local health centers is the future of the federal Telehealth Modernization Act, which passed last year but is set to expire next month unless Congress acts to extend it, said Amy Simmons Farber, associate vice president of communications and public relations at the National Association of Community Health Centers, in an email to Route Fifty. The legislation extended pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities and has helped community health centers to continue delivering virtual care, particularly in rural areas where community health centers serve more than 10 million patients, she said.
My letter to reps (congressperson and us senators):
Telehealth services via Medicare must not be allowed to expire at the end of March. Telehealth service should be a permanent option for all patients, and covered by all insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, going forward. This is an essential option for patients in rural communities, high risk disabled, homebound elderly, people with conditions that require specialists located geographically distant, and people infected with contagious respiratory diseases that need a prescription from urgent care but are better off not driving and not exposing others. It's really that simple, telemedicine is here to stay because it just makes sense, and it should be covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
Please feel free to repurpose for your own letters to reps.
Gavin Newsom is pushing state workers to get butts in seats downtown for fossil fuel and business interests.
This guy's sad podcast platforming a far right bigot isn't the first or only extremely anti progressive garbage from Gavin Newsom. Just write this guy off.
SEIU Local 1000 Files Legal Action to Challenge the RTO Mandate Yesterday, SEIU Local 1000 officially filed an Unfair Practice Charge (UPC) with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), standing together with PECG workers in taking legal action against the Governor’s executive order on return to office. This filing is a direct challenge to an unlawful mandate that violates our members’ collective bargaining rights under the Dills Act and disregards our contract. The Governor imposed this order unilaterally, without negotiation, without consideration for its impact on state workers, and without following the law. We’re demanding that PERB rescind this illegal order immediately and return decision-making on telework and return-to-office policies back to individual departments, where it belongs. Agencies should be making operational decisions based on business needs – not political mandates. But this fight doesn’t stop with legal action. On March 12, we’re taking to the streets. Workers from across the state will be joining us for protests in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Francisco to stand against this reckless policy. We’re not alone – other unions are standing with us because this affects all state workers. We fought hard for telework options, and we won’t let them be taken away without a fight.
Decimation of NOAA is a threat to public safety.
Union Of Concerned Scientists: Protect NOAA: Our Safety in a Climate-Changed World Depends on It As part of the Project 2025 assault on basic and essential government functions, President Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). With recent firings at NOAA announced, information that is a lifeline in a weather emergency event is at grave risk. And, the potential that they may eliminate free public access to weather forecasts, hurricane tracking, wildfire alerts, and more would not just decimate the nation's premier climate science agency, it would undermine public safety and put lives at risk.
My letter to reps:
I oppose the dismantling of NOAA and any privatization of public data. We need NOAA for a functional society. And we need people in government to make sure NOAA stays as it has been serving Americans for so long.
Please feel free to copy or repurpose the contents of my letter for your own letters to reps.
The New Republic - Kate Aronoff / March 5, 2025 water safety Elon Musk’s DOGE Cuts Could Kill Your Dog The ax has come down on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and that could have unexpectedly deadly consequences for your pets—not to mention your own health. “When you remove a staffer, there’s not another staffer that can just pick up that work. I don’t want to say we don’t have a deep bench. There’s no bench. We’re one deep everywhere,” he told me. “If we can’t do our job, you can’t drink the water.” NOAA is best known for its weather forecasts that alert people about the path of oncoming hurricanes, tornadoes, and tsunamis. Its lesser-known “wet side” operations perform a long list of vital services baked into the operations of other federal agencies and private businesses, often in sparsely staffed offices. Close allies of Trump—including several now serving in his administration—laid out plans to virtually abolish the entire agency in Project 2025, clearing the way for private companies like Accuweather to snap up lucrative new government contracts for work that has long been considered a public service.
Out of touch Republican in Tennessee blames outsiders with nose rings for unpopularity of Trump & Musk policies.
I was really just gobsmacked by the things that Representative Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee was saying at her town hall, as recorded by Youtuber Kristi Burke who identifies as a constituent of Tennessee's 1st District. This reps statements were just a mish mash of appalling misinformation and propaganda talking points. Much of the audience in attendance wasn't buying it. It really seemed like she was clumsily trying to gaslight constituents with talking points she herself doesn't even understand.
Then, Right Wing Watch reported that Harshbarger literally brought out the antisemitic accusation that the people who were angry at her town hall were paid by George Soros. If I were in her district I would want to birddog her to get her on record answering a question about how she views Jewish people considering that she's repeating an anti-semitic conspiracy fiction.
Diana Harshbarger also claimed that the people in attendance weren't local because some had hair dyed purple or teal and wore nose rings. What?
Nose Rings And Purple Hair: Rep. Diana Harshbarger Says Angry Constituents Are Probably 'Paid Protesters' 03/04/2025 by Kyle Mantyla - Right Wing Watch "Nose rings do not fly in East Tennessee," Harshbarger added. "Every now and again you'll see one, but Lord have mercy. No, they're not from my area."
Kristi Burke went and got her nose pierced on purpose after Harsbarger's obtuse and ridiculous remarks.
I don't live in Tennessee, but I live smack dab in Appalachia and I've had my nose pierced for 35 years. I got my nose pierced in January 1990 when I was attending university in the "Pennsylvania Wilds" region, in the rural town of Williamsport Pennsylvania, at a hair salon called The Best Little Hair House In Town. That was 35 years ago, and back then it was unusual to have a nose ring.
Tennessee's 1st District includes the famous resort town of Gatlinburg and also Pigeon Forge – home of Dollywood. I visited these places when I visited family who lived in Oak Ridge and Knoxville in 1994. Harshbarger's district is more affluent and metropolitan than anything in northern Pennsylvania.
So this is such an embarrassing thing to say in 2025. And it seems like such a lame grasping at straws to try to claim "outside agitators" or "paid protesters" in this way. Aside from this not being some cloistered rural backwater, I've known more conservatives with all sorts of body piercings and known Republican women who dye their hair all sorts of unusual hues. It's just silly to use this as a reason to dismiss constituents. But this also demonstrates why nobody should neglect writing reps, with a verifiable address within their district as it’s a sure way to send them a message that people they represent are sending the message, and they can't deny it – so don't let them.
Even the guy who is Trump aligned and got promoted at Social Security for leaking to DOGE is worried now about DOGE.
Marin Scotten / March 6, 2025 Social Security Chief Privately Admits DOGE Will Wreck Things The acting head of the Social Security Administration warned his staff that Elon Musk’s DOGE could make some costly mistakes. “I am relying on longtime career people to inform my work, but I am receiving decisions that are made without my input. I have to effectuate those decisions,” acting Commissioner Leland Dudek said in a staff meeting Tuesday, The Washington Post reported. He described Musk’s cronies as “outsiders who are unfamiliar with nuances of SSA programs,” and warned that their aggressive approach could hurt the some 73 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits, according to meeting notes from the Post. Still, he said Musk’s DOGE minions should be given a chance. “DOGE people are learning, and they will make mistakes, but we have to let them see what is going on at SSA,” he told staff. Dudek has only been acting commissioner for two weeks, and has been open about his views on the “bureaucratic stagnation, inefficiency, and a lack of meaningful service improvements,” at the SSA. Previously a mid-level staffer, Dudek was rewarded the position because he cooperated with DOGE’s demand for information. Trump’s official nominee to run the SSA, Frank Bisigano, is yet to be confirmed by Congress.
I think we deserve to know what Elon's dog crew is confused about regarding "nuances of SSA programs" so we know what they intend to go fiddling with and maybe stop people's payments going out.
My letter to reps:
We deserve to know what exactly Elon Musk's hacker gang crew is doing at Social Security, and what "nuances" they don't understand that may wind up wrecking things for senior citizens. It's unacceptable that there aren't intense scrutiny and investigations on this operation that could crash the economy in some places – close nursing homes, entire apartment complexes, and maybe even entire gated retirement communities, sending elder Americans into homelessness or needing to stay with family who may then have to leave their jobs to care for them. And all because Elon Musk's hacker kids are maybe just after data and are being careless because they don't understand "nuances" that even recent mid-level staffer Leland Dudeck recognizes as risky.
Please feel free to copy or repurpose the contents of my letter for your own letters to reps.
How the Super Rich Are Killing Social Security | Robert Reich Robert Reich
Info cocoons and the fired IRS worker saying that silly comment about thinking Trump had “business acumen” .
The fired IRS worker thought Trump had "business acumen" because he was in an info cocoon. He probably watched The Apprentice and believed it was reality not just a fictionalized reality tv show. He was likely well situated enough during the first Trump term to not pay much attention to politics.
Many people, even government workers, ignore politics. I know from having offered voter registration for several years as a non-political job duty, that the chief reasons people gave for not registering to vote is that they either felt that no politicians of any party represented their interests, or they thought politics was too harsh and nasty and would require more emotional and mental energy than they could invest. Of course I once read that Putin’s paid trolls main objective was to make political discussions “so stinky” no normal person would want to engage, to get people to disengage entirely.
This business acumen stuff with he IRS worker is just totally demonstrative of the info cocoons everyone lives in these days, where people often have no idea of any reality outside of their narrow media and entertainment consumption. This is true even when people try not to be like this, and know the problem exists. All of us are subject to it. I notice this all the time because I just happen to be at the intersection, existing myself in a few different silos, and have the benefit of people in other silos telling me specifically information they're getting in their scenes. It's very obvious to me sometimes when people can't understand why someone else doesn't know about something. For example, if someone didn't know about something being published – "If they searched they would've found it!" they say. But the fact is that lots of times people don't even know what to search for, and even if they were searching, SEO bastardization and the enshittification of search engines means that people may not find things even when diligently searching. Going to the internet via Google (or good gravy, please don’t — some chatbot) is NOT the same thing as looking something up at a library, where the information has been collected and well organized for utilization without a profit motive.
I'm not minimizing the frustration involved in this situation. It's very easy to ascribe dishonesty or even malice to a lot of this. And there are people who are being dishonest. It's definitely maddening that anyone could be so completely in the dark about things that seem obvious. I complain all the time about knowing there's so many conservatives that utilize all sorts of public benefits but have no idea they're the maligned "moochers and takers" because they join in on the demonization and have all sorts of rationalizations about why it doesn't ever apply to them.
This is the reality we're in, and it's dangerous. And it's better to recognize it's happening at least.
People are not even talking about the same things and this is dangerous. I don't think most people realize that many times we think we're talking about the same thing, but in fact, we're not actually on the same page with the underlying premise or even basic facts. Chloe Humbert Feb 14, 2025
The problem with "no tax on tips" and the tip-ification of the job market.
I recommend listening to AOC's response to the presidential address purely for the very good explanation of what's wrong with the idea of "no tax on tips" and the perverse "unintended consequences" that would come out of that.
AOC responds to Trump's Congressional Address | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Mar 6, 2025
I highly recommend keeping in mind that like they're decimating good union stable secure jobs in government right now, that in many (more corrupt) nations, it's typical for you to have to take bribes (tips?) whenever you interact with government services. For example, at the DMV, you're expected to take cash to give to the civil servant who gets you your drivers license. I don't even like the idea of restaurant workers having to rely on tips, never mind having government workers openly expected to take bribes.
Undermining the messenger is one of the most effective ways to sabotage a good idea or effective action.
You will see this over and over again. MLK and Ralph Nader. There are business incentives behind this, and lots of methods available to those with lots of money to sabotage opposition. The more lurid the smears, the more likely to dissuade people in taking part in or even associating with, what might be good effective actions, just because they either were promoted or originated with someone connected to someone who can be brought down. Sometimes people are set up or subjected to false allegations, but of course a lot of people who are able to get traction and attention are often vain, very imperfect, or even people with questionable motives or improper behaviours.
But for any movement or issue or cause, there will always be people out there saying don’t do it because it’s not the right organization, it’s not the right leadership, it’s not the right tactic, it’s not the right activists, it’s not the right people involved, it’s not the right time. Any nitpicking reason to convince you not to act. Or sometimes they just accuse any activist or organization of being not real, not grassroots, or make accusations of questionable funding.
Sometimes criticism will be correct and real, obviously. If an action or information is harmful, then attacking the messenger makes sense. If someone’s pushing something you know is problematic or really harmful, then attacking the person pushing the idea is the right thing to do.
The problem comes in when attacking someone who is not a nice person or is in fact really awful, but who happens to be involved in something that otherwise would be effective and you’d support, because this can undermine the cause itself, by attacking someone associated with it. It’s a very powerful tactic. And sick burns and saying “I told you so” is very satisfying. And your opposition will help you do those attacks because it works to undermine support for any legitimate action. It just helps to demoralize everyone into feeling like there is no good action, no trustworthy organizers, and no good groups at all, and that maybe nothing is worth doing.
So what do you do to warn people away from a bad person who might sometimes promote good causes or issues? You warn people quietly, through your personal networks, and tell people you know about what’s wrong with the person and why it may not be in anyone’s interest to associate with them or even acknowledge their involvement in anything and to ignore that person entirely. And you don’t boost their profile at all — don’t be a gift to rivals. Quietly undermining someone who you think will spoil something with their prominence works well enough in mitigating the damage, and it’s just not worth “taking someone down” publicly if you’re going to undermine your own cause in the process.
“Not just think about reacting to the message, but actually undermining or thinking about how to undermine the messenger. There’s a few ways we think about doing that based on what we see in the data in terms of what has been successful by a variety of folks who are trying to undermine the messenger.”
— Becky Fair, March 12 2024, The Cognitive Crucible Podcast
If anyone's confused about how Republicans square backing the likes of Trump endorsed Andrew Tate.
If anyone's wondering how Nancy Mace's unusual comments were acceptable at a prayer breakfast...
ProPublica - Speaker Mike Johnson Is Living in a D.C. House That Is the Center of a Pastor’s Secretive Influence Campaign by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski Feb. 28, 2025, 9:45 a.m. EST The Capitol Hill townhouse is owned by a major Republican donor. It’s the headquarters of a little-known political influence project that has reached a number of powerful Republican politicians. Beaman was once so fed up with the restrictions that came with owning a home on a “government-controlled lake” that he bought a sprawling property with a 50-acre private lake of its own, according to a profile in an architecture book. He became a fixture of Nashville media in recent years because of sordid allegations made by his fourth wife during their divorce, including that he made her watch what he called “training films” of him having sex with a prostitute. Beaman’s lawyers wrote at the time that his wife’s filing contained “impertinent and scandalous matter only meant to harass Mr. Beaman.”
It's not just the Trump administration, but of course it's especially the Trump administration.
The New Republic - Edith Olmsted / February 17, 2025 Trump Pressures Romania on Andrew Tate in Stunning New Low The Trump administration is harassing Romania about easing up on the far-right misogynist accused of sex trafficking. Tate’s name was first floated by a U.S. official during a phone call with the Romanian government last week, and then revisited by Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell, who spoke with Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu when he traveled to Munich last week, three people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
In an interesting twist, Ron Desantis isn't keen on the Tate brothers.
AP - After the Tate brothers return to the US, DeSantis says they are not welcome. Here’s what to know. By KATE PAYNE Updated 3:04 PM EST, February 28, 2025 The Tates, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They deny the allegations. The Tates’ departure came after Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a Trump administration official expressed interest in the brothers’ case at the recent Munich Security Conference.
And just in case anyone thinks it's just allegations, what Andrew Tate has himself said in public is…
Byline Times - ‘Nigel Farage’s Endorsement of Andrew Tate’s Matrix Won’t Win My Vote’ There are three legal cases against Tate pending – involving accusations of abusive behaviour towards women, human trafficking, and sexual assault Otto English and James Scott 24 June 2024 Tate has expressed even more disturbing and violent opinions on how women should be treated – including, notoriously, suggesting that if a woman accuses her male partner of cheating on her: “It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face, you grip her up by the neck, ‘WHAT’S UP BITCH’… you go f**k her. That’s how it goes, you go slap, slap, grab, choke, ‘shut up bitch’, sex.”
I think we shouldn't let Republicans off the hook on this gross stuff, and politicians should be forced to take a position, including Democrats, if the likes of Governor Ron Desantis is willing to do so. This is about the overton window needing to be yanked back over to decency.
My letter to reps:
Do you endorse Andrew Tate, the guy the Trump administration pressured Romania to release? This is the guy who said quote “It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face, you grip her up by the neck, ‘WHAT’S UP B**CH’ … you go f**k her. That’s how it goes, you go slap, slap, grab, choke, ‘shut up b**ch’, sex.” So do you also endorse this Andrew Tate person and his sentiments and statements? Is this your values? That you?
Please feel free to copy or repurpose the contents of my letter for your own letters to reps.
On cleaving MAGA from the tech tycoon project.
Tech Bro Supervillains Confess World Takeover Plan The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder Mar 1, 2025 Live-streamed on February 11, 2025 Gil Duran: "These Tech guys don't really believe in God I think they believe they are God they believe they are creating God in the form of AI and the only person who's outlining these very weird and bizarre beliefs of the Silicon Valley guys that are completely anathema to Republicans to traditional Republicans is Steve Bannon unfortunately he's been going to town hitting them in all their weirdness and their bizarre beliefs and the danger they pose and democrats should really uh categorize all of his main arguments and start making ads based on those and targeting them at MAGA people and and swing voters on YouTube because only Steve Bannon is doing that work right now and it saddens me to say that I despise Steve Bannon I do not view him as an ally he just wants a different flavor of dictatorship he has a personal beef against some of these guys and he's saying here's all the weird stuff that people should be talking about that are completely going to scare the hell out of MAGA"
It makes sense to use Steve Bannon's talking points, because obviously he's expert in messaging to MAGA.
Scammers claim people missed jury duty. It's not real.
Jury duty summons use the US mail and the government doesn't do cold calls to ask for payments over the phone.
FTC - Consumer Advice - That call or email saying you missed jury duty and need to pay? It’s a scam - By BCP Staff - March 7, 2025 If you’ve been summoned for jury duty, you know there are serious consequences for missing it — like fines, court appointments, or even jail time. Scammers know this too, and they’re calling and emailing to scare you into thinking you’ve missed jury duty and need to pay. It’s a scam.
📍 Don’t fall for media operations bombarding people into inaction.
One of the ways of cognitive warfare that is at last being picked up by the mainstream is the censorship by noise tactic of information overloading people into inaction, and the need to shut off the ports letting in the noise — such as limiting time on social media and just being picky about media consumption.
Postcarding The Ides of March, a message to the Trump administration.
I heard through the grapevine that there's a campaign encouraging people, to mail out postcards to the White House on March 15th with messages of disapproval of the Trump Musk regime.
📍 TheLetterHack livestream on THE US POSTAL SERVICE.
I went on TheLetterHack livestream this past week to talk about the US Postal Service, as a big fan of the postal service. Another person was on more recently too talking about the post office and a postcard campaign.
Bald eagle at Merli-Sarnoski Park in Pennsylvania.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Winged Pirates: Kleptoparasitism as a Lifestyle By Hugh Powell October 15, 2009 If kleptoparasitism seems like the ultimate free lunch, it makes scientists wonder why only certain birds have picked up the habit. Ducks, gulls, hawks, pelicans, and frigatebirds seem especially prone to stealing food, but the behavior seems to be absent from some 180 other families, according to a recent review in Animal Behaviour. Though piracy can seem like a case of simple bullying, the majority of records involve smaller birds stealing from bigger ones (as with drongos and babblers, gulls and pelicans).
I have heard stories about eagles trying to steal the fish caught by humans ice fishing on the pond at Merli-Sarnoski Park in Lackawanna County Pennsylvania.