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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
May 25, 2019
His right side is affected. He cannot communicate other than yes/no, seems sharp as if he knows what's going on/makes appropriate facial expressions, cannot walk, and his right arm is currently useless.
Today, providing his eeg and echo results are negative, he's going to rehab.
Dad turned 91 last month.
I am wondering how much improvement I can realistically expect after rehab for a formerly inactive man his age. If anyone has any experience with this, your views would be appreciated even while I realize everyone and their results post-stroke are different.
I surely miss my old curmudgeon.
My dad had a stroke two days ago.
His right side is affected. He cannot communicate other than yes/no, seems sharp as if he knows what's going on/makes appropriate facial expressions, cannot walk, and his right arm is currently useless.
Today, providing his eeg and echo results are negative, he's going to rehab.
Dad turned 91 last month.
I am wondering how much improvement I can realistically expect after rehab for a formerly inactive man his age. If anyone has any experience with this, your views would be appreciated even while I realize everyone and their results post-stroke are different.
I surely miss my old curmudgeon.
May 24, 2019
DNC boss says candidates to be involved in debate lottery
DNC boss says candidates to be involved in debate lottery
By Jonathan Easley - 05/24/19 04:22 PM EDT
Democratic candidates for president or their representatives will be involved when the Democratic National Committee (DNC) does a lottery to determine who stands on stage during the party’s initial two-day debate, DNC Chairman Tom Perez told The Hill in an exclusive interview.
Perez said the DNC hadn’t determined the “precise methodology” for the random draw yet, but he said the process would be transparent and the candidates or their representatives would be involved.
“We’ll certainly make sure we do it in a way that is transparent for all of the candidates involved because obviously we want them to see for themselves that we meant what we said,” Perez said, seated on a brown leather couch in his DNC office overlooking South Capitol Street.
Perez, who previously served as a civil rights lawyer in former President Obama’s Justice Department, is tasked with managing a process that involves two dozen Democratic presidential candidates, the most by far in recent history.
It appears increasingly likely that 20 of the candidates will make the stage for the June 26 and June 27 debates in Miami — 10 on each night.
That makes the lottery to determine who debates when a pivotal moment and leaves presidential candidates in a high-stakes lottery, like NBA teams hoping to get a favored spot.
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/445483-dnc-boss-says-candidates-to-be-involved-in-debate-lottery
May 24, 2019
Alexi McCammond
May 22, 2019
The Democrats' 100-year flood
The midterm elections may have been a sign of what's ahead for the 2020 presidential election: experts say the voter turnout could be the highest in a century.
The big picture: According to Michael McDonald, an elections expert at the University of Florida, turnout for the 2020 presidential election could be as high as 67% — the highest it's been since at least 1916. If that happens, President Trump will have a tougher fight for a second term.
Between the lines: McDonald is basing his prediction of "a hundred-year storm" on the 2018 midterms, which had the highest off-year election turnout in more than a century (50%). He says that momentum will only get stronger.
Prior to 2018, turnout rates for midterms since 1974 had been languishing around 40% to 41%.
snip//
The bottom line: For all of his struggles in the polls, Trump is the incumbent and he has a booming economy. But a historic election turnout could wipe out those advantages — and the early signs suggest that's exactly what we're about to get.
The Democrats' 100-year flood
https://www.axios.com/2020-presidential-election-turnout-predictions-democrats-143cced4-cda7-4665-9fc3-911387416119.htmlAlexi McCammond
May 22, 2019
The Democrats' 100-year flood
The midterm elections may have been a sign of what's ahead for the 2020 presidential election: experts say the voter turnout could be the highest in a century.
The big picture: According to Michael McDonald, an elections expert at the University of Florida, turnout for the 2020 presidential election could be as high as 67% — the highest it's been since at least 1916. If that happens, President Trump will have a tougher fight for a second term.
He's driving turnout among those most unhappy with him (younger voters and people of color) even when he's not on the ballot.
And Trump voters aren't a growing demographic group. The share of whites with less than a 4-year degree — Trump's constituency — dropped by 3% from 2014 to 2018.
And Trump voters aren't a growing demographic group. The share of whites with less than a 4-year degree — Trump's constituency — dropped by 3% from 2014 to 2018.
Between the lines: McDonald is basing his prediction of "a hundred-year storm" on the 2018 midterms, which had the highest off-year election turnout in more than a century (50%). He says that momentum will only get stronger.
Prior to 2018, turnout rates for midterms since 1974 had been languishing around 40% to 41%.
"It doesn't seem to be the candidates who were running in 2018; there wasn't hyper competition driving turnout; some states made it easier to vote, but that can't explain it because the increase was happening in every state," McDonald said. "So the only explanation is Donald Trump because he’s the only major factor that’s changed in our politics since 2014."
snip//
The bottom line: For all of his struggles in the polls, Trump is the incumbent and he has a booming economy. But a historic election turnout could wipe out those advantages — and the early signs suggest that's exactly what we're about to get.
May 24, 2019
Donald Trump, put on your billionaire britches and act like a president
The Editorial Board, USA TODAY Published 3:34 p.m. ET May 23, 2019 | Updated 10:57 a.m. ET May 24, 2019
Who's afraid of Nancy Pelosi? By walking out on House speaker and Sen. Schumer, the 'leader' of the free world looks weak and outmatched: Our view
The president says he can’t work with Congress on legislation and be investigated at the same time, then showed this to be true by walking out of a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
We wonder what his next protestation will be. He can’t negotiate a budget while dealing with a foreign policy crisis? He can’t fight a trade war and cut taxes? He can’t "walk and chew gum" at the same time?
We wonder, too, how he will articulate his dilemma. Perhaps instead of walking out in a huff he will stomp his feet, or scream at the top of his lungs. Maybe he’ll throw his Legos castle against the wall so it breaks into 20 bazillion pieces. Boy, wouldn’t that be something.
The fact is, presidents are subject to investigations. Some are legit. Others transparently partisan. Nonetheless, presidents get things done.
snip//
Here were Pelosi and Schumer doing their part to find common legislative ground on infrastructure spending, and it was the president who walked out. Now if nothing gets done before the 2020 election, voters will know whom to blame.
Donald John Trump, you are not doing yourself any favors. You are not doing your party any favors. And you most certainly aren't doing your country any favors. Pull yourself together and act like a president.
This editorial was written by Editorial Board member Dan Carney.
Donald Trump, put on your billionaire britches and act like a president
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/05/23/donald-trump-deal-nancy-pelosi-mueller-investigation-editorials-debates/1206705001/?fbclid=IwAR2-rb8aRiET1LgvDPHtPPmQJRw_jVswwHzaEWBtokg66NlTwRuXZai6xKUDonald Trump, put on your billionaire britches and act like a president
The Editorial Board, USA TODAY Published 3:34 p.m. ET May 23, 2019 | Updated 10:57 a.m. ET May 24, 2019
Who's afraid of Nancy Pelosi? By walking out on House speaker and Sen. Schumer, the 'leader' of the free world looks weak and outmatched: Our view
The president says he can’t work with Congress on legislation and be investigated at the same time, then showed this to be true by walking out of a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
We wonder what his next protestation will be. He can’t negotiate a budget while dealing with a foreign policy crisis? He can’t fight a trade war and cut taxes? He can’t "walk and chew gum" at the same time?
We wonder, too, how he will articulate his dilemma. Perhaps instead of walking out in a huff he will stomp his feet, or scream at the top of his lungs. Maybe he’ll throw his Legos castle against the wall so it breaks into 20 bazillion pieces. Boy, wouldn’t that be something.
The fact is, presidents are subject to investigations. Some are legit. Others transparently partisan. Nonetheless, presidents get things done.
snip//
Here were Pelosi and Schumer doing their part to find common legislative ground on infrastructure spending, and it was the president who walked out. Now if nothing gets done before the 2020 election, voters will know whom to blame.
Donald John Trump, you are not doing yourself any favors. You are not doing your party any favors. And you most certainly aren't doing your country any favors. Pull yourself together and act like a president.
This editorial was written by Editorial Board member Dan Carney.
May 24, 2019
Shanahan orders new restrictions on sharing of military operations with Congress: report
By Tal Axelrod - 05/22/19 12:52 PM EDT
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has ordered new restrictions on how the Pentagon shares information about international military operations with Congress, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post.
The May 8 document lists criteria for when Defense Department officials are allowed to provide congressional offices or committees with information regarding operational plans and orders, according to the newspaper.
The memo comes amid criticism from Capitol Hill that the Trump administration is withholding information to impede a slate of oversight probes in the House. Some lawmakers have also expressed concerns that the Defense Department is becoming too involved in President Trump’s immigration policy, according to the Post
“Congress oversees the Department of Defense; but with this new policy, the department is overstepping its authority by presuming to determine what warrants legislative oversight,” Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, respectively, told the Post.
more...
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/445025-shanahan-orders-new-restrictions-on-sharing-of-military-information-with
Shanahan orders new restrictions on sharing of military operations with Congress: report
Shanahan orders new restrictions on sharing of military operations with Congress: report
By Tal Axelrod - 05/22/19 12:52 PM EDT
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has ordered new restrictions on how the Pentagon shares information about international military operations with Congress, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post.
The May 8 document lists criteria for when Defense Department officials are allowed to provide congressional offices or committees with information regarding operational plans and orders, according to the newspaper.
The memo comes amid criticism from Capitol Hill that the Trump administration is withholding information to impede a slate of oversight probes in the House. Some lawmakers have also expressed concerns that the Defense Department is becoming too involved in President Trump’s immigration policy, according to the Post
“Congress oversees the Department of Defense; but with this new policy, the department is overstepping its authority by presuming to determine what warrants legislative oversight,” Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, respectively, told the Post.
more...
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/445025-shanahan-orders-new-restrictions-on-sharing-of-military-information-with
May 24, 2019
Posted on Thu, May 23rd, 2019 by Sean Colarossi
Trump Is About To Bypass Congress And Sell Billions In Weapons To The Saudis
In what would be a major story in a normal presidential administration, Donald Trump is planning to bypass Congress and sell billions in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to The New York Times, “The Trump administration is preparing to circumvent Congress to allow the export to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of billions of dollars worth of munitions that are now on hold, according to current and former American officials and legislators familiar with the plan.”
The report notes that the administration would use an “emergency provision” to work around Congress since there is bipartisan opposition to letting the sales go forward.
More from The New York Times:
more...
https://www.politicususa.com/2019/05/23/trump-is-about-to-bypass-congress-and-sell-billions-in-weapons-to-the-saudis.html
Trump Is About To Bypass Congress And Sell Billions In Weapons To The Saudis
Posted on Thu, May 23rd, 2019 by Sean Colarossi
Trump Is About To Bypass Congress And Sell Billions In Weapons To The Saudis
In what would be a major story in a normal presidential administration, Donald Trump is planning to bypass Congress and sell billions in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to The New York Times, “The Trump administration is preparing to circumvent Congress to allow the export to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of billions of dollars worth of munitions that are now on hold, according to current and former American officials and legislators familiar with the plan.”
The report notes that the administration would use an “emergency provision” to work around Congress since there is bipartisan opposition to letting the sales go forward.
More from The New York Times:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other senior aides are pushing for the administration to invoke an emergency provision that would allow President Trump to prevent Congress from halting the sales, worth about $7 billion. The transactions, which include precision-guided munitions and combat aircraft, would infuriate lawmakers in both parties.
They would also further inflame tensions between the United States and Iran, which views Saudi Arabia as its main rival and has been supporting the Houthi rebels in Yemen in their campaign against a Saudi-led military coalition that includes the United Arab Emirates.
…
This spring, both the House and Senate approved bipartisan legislation to cut off military assistance to Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen using the 1973 War Powers Act, only to see it vetoed in April.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, said that circumventing Congress on a Middle East arms sale would be “a big mistake,” though he added that he would need to see the specifics of such a deal.
They would also further inflame tensions between the United States and Iran, which views Saudi Arabia as its main rival and has been supporting the Houthi rebels in Yemen in their campaign against a Saudi-led military coalition that includes the United Arab Emirates.
…
This spring, both the House and Senate approved bipartisan legislation to cut off military assistance to Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen using the 1973 War Powers Act, only to see it vetoed in April.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, said that circumventing Congress on a Middle East arms sale would be “a big mistake,” though he added that he would need to see the specifics of such a deal.
more...
https://www.politicususa.com/2019/05/23/trump-is-about-to-bypass-congress-and-sell-billions-in-weapons-to-the-saudis.html
May 24, 2019
Rules? What rules?
1. NOTHING SHADY HERE
Trump Wants to Give Border Wall Deal to Fox News Guest’s Firm
The Daily Beast
Mario Tama
Trump Wants to Give Border Wall Deal to Fox News Guest's Firm
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-wants-to-give-border-wall-deal-to-fox-news-guests-firm?ref=homeRules? What rules?
1. NOTHING SHADY HERE
Trump Wants to Give Border Wall Deal to Fox News Guest’s Firm
The Daily Beast
Mario Tama
President Trump has been pushing for a border wall deal to be granted to the firm of a frequent Fox News guest and GOP donor, according to four administration officials speaking anonymously to The Washington Post. The president has reportedly brought up Fisher Industries, based in North Dakota, to Department of Homeland Security officials and the commanding general of the Army Corps in meetings about the border wall, most recently in the Oval Office on Thursday. Fisher Industries is run by CEO Tommy Fisher, a GOP donor who has been a frequent voice on conservative television and radio shows, where he claims he can build a border wall quickly and cheaply. (He has promised to erect more than 200 miles of barrier on the southern border in less than a year.)
But “the push for a specific company has alarmed military commanders and DHS officials,” the Post reports, noting that the president’s personal interest in the firm “risks the perception of improper influence on decades-old procurement rules that require government agencies to seek competitive bids, free of political interference.” Meanwhile, Fisher Industries is suing the U.S. government over the Army Corps’ previous rejection of its bid to install barriers along the border.
But “the push for a specific company has alarmed military commanders and DHS officials,” the Post reports, noting that the president’s personal interest in the firm “risks the perception of improper influence on decades-old procurement rules that require government agencies to seek competitive bids, free of political interference.” Meanwhile, Fisher Industries is suing the U.S. government over the Army Corps’ previous rejection of its bid to install barriers along the border.
May 23, 2019
Buttiegieg backs NFL players' right to protest during anthem: I 'put my life on the line to defend' that
By Justin Wise - 05/23/19 07:24 PM EDT
South Bend, Ind., mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (D) on Thursday voiced support for NFL players who have kneeled during the national anthem, saying he risked his life in Afghanistan to defend the right to protest.
Asked during a live interview with The Washington Post's Robert Costa about his reaction to the demonstrations, the Navy veteran said that he "felt that I was watching Americans exercise a right that I had put my life on the line to defend."
He added that “the point of defending free speech is not that you expect to be perfectly aligned with every speech act that is protected."
https://twitter.com/postlive/status/1131554284384866305
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/445339-buttiegieg-supports-nfl-players-right-to-protest-during-anthem-i-put-my
Buttiegieg backs NFL players' right to protest during anthem: I 'put my life on the line to defend'
Buttiegieg backs NFL players' right to protest during anthem: I 'put my life on the line to defend' that
By Justin Wise - 05/23/19 07:24 PM EDT
South Bend, Ind., mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (D) on Thursday voiced support for NFL players who have kneeled during the national anthem, saying he risked his life in Afghanistan to defend the right to protest.
Asked during a live interview with The Washington Post's Robert Costa about his reaction to the demonstrations, the Navy veteran said that he "felt that I was watching Americans exercise a right that I had put my life on the line to defend."
He added that “the point of defending free speech is not that you expect to be perfectly aligned with every speech act that is protected."
“That’s a fundamental American freedom," Buttigieg said. "It’s a huge part of what makes America, America. And when that same flag was on my shoulder, I didn’t think of the flag as something that itself as an image was sacred. I thought of it as something that was sacred because of what it represented. One of the very things it represented is the freedom of speech, and that’s one of the reasons I served.”
https://twitter.com/postlive/status/1131554284384866305
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/445339-buttiegieg-supports-nfl-players-right-to-protest-during-anthem-i-put-my
May 23, 2019
Colorado becomes first state to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs
By Owen Daugherty - 05/23/19 04:57 PM EDT
Colorado on Wednesday became the first state in the country to limit how much someone could be required to pay out-of-pocket for insulin.
The Denver Post reports Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a bill into law that caps co-pays associated with insulin to $100 per month.
The cost of insulin in the U.S. has been increasing in recent years, doubling since 2012, the news outlet noted, citing statistics from the Healthcare Cost Institute. People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes require the costly drug to control blood sugar levels.
The law does not change or limit what insulin manufacturers can charge insurance companies, instead only capping what patients are required to pay.
The news outlet notes insurers are expected to pay the difference in price.
The law also requires Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) to begin investigating why the cost of insulin surged in recent years.
Colorado becomes first state to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/445310-colorado-governor-signs-bill-into-law-making-state-first-in-country-to-cap?fbclid=IwAR1Y3vo9A2Nzf7BEjvLQUKbMcrHxtBH1c76a-Ys2myRiRlONpzuAcpnXkYA&fbclid=IwAR1Tr730bEoY0-1QqIal0bo_GkwBzzmxENkOvoi5BxEZzOCwxJD2Ux1zIaoColorado becomes first state to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs
By Owen Daugherty - 05/23/19 04:57 PM EDT
Colorado on Wednesday became the first state in the country to limit how much someone could be required to pay out-of-pocket for insulin.
The Denver Post reports Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a bill into law that caps co-pays associated with insulin to $100 per month.
“Today, we will declare that the days of insulin price gouging are over in Colorado,” Polis said in his office Wednesday as he signed the bill into law.
The cost of insulin in the U.S. has been increasing in recent years, doubling since 2012, the news outlet noted, citing statistics from the Healthcare Cost Institute. People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes require the costly drug to control blood sugar levels.
The law does not change or limit what insulin manufacturers can charge insurance companies, instead only capping what patients are required to pay.
The news outlet notes insurers are expected to pay the difference in price.
The law also requires Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) to begin investigating why the cost of insulin surged in recent years.
May 23, 2019
Bipartisan lawmakers reach deal on disaster relief, shrugging off Trump’s border money demands
Hours after Trump said Congress can't legislate and do oversight, Congress decided to legislate without him.
Josh Israel
May 23, 2019, 5:00 pm Updated: May 23, 2019, 5:25 pm
Congressional leaders agreed on Thursday to a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill, rebuffing President Donald Trump’s demand that the legislation include more funding for border security.
The Senate later passed the measure by a vote of 85-8.
According to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), chairman of the appropriations committee, Trump has agreed to sign the deal even though lawmakers took out all of his requested border money.
https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1131623013613481985
more...
https://thinkprogress.org/bipartisan-lawmakers-reach-deal-on-disaster-relief-shrugging-off-trumps-border-money-demands-909b0b0aad9d/
Bipartisan lawmakers reach deal on disaster relief, shrugging off Trump's border money demands
Bipartisan lawmakers reach deal on disaster relief, shrugging off Trump’s border money demands
Hours after Trump said Congress can't legislate and do oversight, Congress decided to legislate without him.
Josh Israel
May 23, 2019, 5:00 pm Updated: May 23, 2019, 5:25 pm
Congressional leaders agreed on Thursday to a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill, rebuffing President Donald Trump’s demand that the legislation include more funding for border security.
The Senate later passed the measure by a vote of 85-8.
According to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), chairman of the appropriations committee, Trump has agreed to sign the deal even though lawmakers took out all of his requested border money.
“I’m sure he wanted [the border funding], but we took it all out. We’re going to try and push that separately when we come back as needed,” he said, according to NBC News. “But we’re sticking with disaster now, that’s the way to pass the bill. The president has agreed to it.”
https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1131623013613481985
more...
https://thinkprogress.org/bipartisan-lawmakers-reach-deal-on-disaster-relief-shrugging-off-trumps-border-money-demands-909b0b0aad9d/
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: NY
Home country: US
Current location: Florida
Member since: Mon Sep 6, 2004, 09:54 PM
Number of posts: 171,059
