by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott & Alex Mierjeski @ProPublica
#Thomas has attended at least two #Koch donor summits, putting him in the extraordinary position of having helped a #political network that has brought multiple #cases before the #SupremeCourt.
During the summit, the justice went to a private dinner for the network’s #donors. #ClarenceThomas has attended #Koch donor events at least 2x over the yrs, acc/to interviews w/ 3 fmr network employees & 1 major donor. The justice was brought in to speak, staffers said, in the hopes that such #access would encourage donors to continue giving.
To score an invite to the summit, donors typically have to give at least $100,000 a year. Those who give in the millions receive special treatment, including dinners w/Charles #Koch & high-profile guests. Doling out #access to #powerful public officials was seen as a potent #fundraising strategy, fmr staffers said. The dinners’ purpose was “giving donors access & giving them a reason to come or to continue to come in the future,” a fmr Koch network exec told ProPublica.
#Mississippi#Republicans are celebrating a horrible appeals ruling that essentially allows the poor state to continue providing sub-standard #mentalhealth care. Mississippi is one of the 10 worst states in the nation for mental health care #access, and #outcomes. Republicans are committed to making sure the state maintains those poor rankings. Just another reason to #voteBlue!
On the new Covid boosters:
Since @CDCgov gave them full approval, by law health insurers have to provide them for free. So don't let your insurer get away with any charge to you!
Top Tech Tidbits Podcast for September 14, 2023 https://toptechtidbits.com/podcast
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
A Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication
Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology.
Hey #Canadians I'm trying to figure out what healthcare is like there. Everywhere has problems but they're all a bit different. Here in the USA people don't want to go to the hospital and rack up a bill that will leave them homeless so they stay home and die of something preventable. One person on Reddit said in #Canada people die of cancer while waiting for the results of their biopsy - they can afford the care but it takes so long because everything is so backlogged they die anyway. How true is this? Wait times for specialists take a couple months where I am in the US and the ER wait times probably 4-12 hrs.
You're going to get #conflicting#answers to many questions, because #health is a #provincial responsibility, so there are 13 different systems across Canada, and each does things a little differently.
#Access also varies a lot across the country, even within a province or territory. There are many #specialists in the largest centers, and next to none in #rural areas.
In the thinly-populated prairies, even getting a regular G.P. can be difficult or impossible.
Top Tech Tidbits Podcast for September 7, 2023 https://toptechtidbits.com/podcast
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
A Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication
Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology.
Top Tech Tidbits Podcast for August, 31, 2023 https://toptechtidbits.com/podcast
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
A Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication
Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology.
🧵 1/4: I've just been spending a couple of hours on #Facebook to get local updates about #Lahaina. Last time I spent that long was probably 10 years ago, when I decided to leave #FB. I realised when a national #disaster strikes, there is no time for what can feel like the elitism of #Mastodon: we are dependent on the large toxic #socialmedia companies, even after we left. And there'll be occasions when #access will be controlled. This is terrifying.
One thing that you can do to make Mastodon posts much more readable/much more accessible is to put your hashtags at the end of your post.
Trying to read text which is littered with hashtags and blue hyperlinks is an accessibility nightmare. Put links at the end of your post, like this, instead!
As a blind person, train ticket closures will limit my travel options, hindering my independence. Accessibility matters for everyone, as anyone can face disability due to accidents or medical conditions. Let's prioritize inclusive transportation for a better future! #Access#blind#travel#trains#UK