Fran Quigley at TruthOut argues that we ought to turn the pharmaceutical industry into a heavily-regulated public utility. If you're feeling a little wary about doing that, consider that Big Pharma already feeds at the trough of Big Gummint money -- in fact, they might not be able to survive without it. What we have now, ultimately, is as precise a perversion of the "free market" as you can imagine -- one where corporations take our taxpayer money, create monopolies, and then use that monopoly power to dictate prices and availability to us. That state of affairs does sound like something our Founders would want us to fight, does it not?
Drew Mitnick at the AccessNow blog explains how the WannaCry "ransomware" was able to attack so many health care computer systems. Some fairly common vulnerabilities exist -- nearly a third of folks who get "phishing" emails still open them (even if phishing didn't actually cause the WannaCry attack), and most folks using Microsoft Windows are using older, unpatched versions -- but another major problem is our government hoarding all the vulnerabilities it creates or knows about so it can conduct intelligence-gathering against other targets. Unmentioned in the article is that hospitals (WannaCry's main target) are notoriously bad at keeping up with the latest computer software, and therefore the latest in computer security. Also unmentioned: maybe Microsoft shouldn't have a near-monopoly on systems software?
Treasury Secretary/bankster Steve Mnuchin says he really, really wants a "21st Century Glass-Steagall Act," but he doesn't "support separation of banks and investment banks." In other news, Mr. Mnuchin likes Star Wars except for all the parts set on other planets, he likes Ska music except for all the Jamaican influences, and he also likes cop shows except for all the crime-solving. Is it too much to ask that everyone, and not just Sen. Warren, point out that these clowns not only lie, but they lie obviously? Tha Bush Mobb was subtle by comparison.
Former U.S. House Rep. Anthony Weiner pleads guilty to felony obscenity charge, which ends federal investigation into nasty photos and messages he sent to a 15-year-old girl last year. 15 years old! And therefore not old enough to consent to any kind of sexual relationship with an adult, including one involving "only" lewd pictures and texts. Mr. Weiner will likely get at least a year and a half in jail, so now we can finally say: let's never speak of this man again.
Finally, Eric Boehlert at MediaMatters asks "What Happened to the Press's Obsession with Bipartisan Votes" in re Trumpcare. Of course he knows why: when Democrats are in charge, the "liberal" media regards failure to get Republicans on board with their agenda as a sure sign of failure, but when Republicans are in charge, you don't hear a damn peep from them about the "importance" of everyone "getting along." Remember, kids: when you can't work with someone, you work around them -- and you never scuttle your house-rebuilding plans because the arsonist doesn't "get on board."
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