Month: March 2025

The scariest article on the Social Security Administration (SSA)

I worked for SSA for almost 38 years and retired in 2014-. I am alarmed and disgusted by what Trump is doing to SSA. I think the goal is to wreck it and privatize it,

BREAKING: DOGE is starting to put together a team to migrate the SSA's computer systems entirely off one of its oldest programming languages in a matter of months, potentially putting the integrity of the system—and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely—at risk.

— WIRED (@wired.com) 2025-03-28T14:09:56.063Z

A few notes on the article:

  1. They are right to want to clean up the records of people who are certainly dead but not shown as deceased. It’s just not a high priority since there isn’t significant fraud. I would have spent the money on customer service in the field offices or on the phone.
  2. The fast pace of their programming is just looking for trouble. As noted in the article, major changes usually take much longer. I suspect they are going to scrimp on writing specifications for the programmers and validating the finished product.
  3. They are right to want to convert the software to a more modern language but I suspect their reason is to make it easier to privatize SSA.

Trump’s hostility toward Canada is killing tourism

Future flight bookings between Canada & the US have collapsed. Comparing total bookings held at this point last year with those recorded this week for the upcoming summer season show bookings are down by *over 70%* in every month through to the end of September. http://www.oag.com/blog/canada-…

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) 2025-03-27T22:11:53.539Z

I'm hearing that many of my Canadian colleagues are planning to skip academic conferences in the U.S. this year.www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-t…

— Conrad Hackett (@conradhackett.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T14:31:53.585Z

U.S. tourism sector heavily relies on travelers from Canada. The over 20 million visits made by Canadians to the country in 2024 contributed an estimated $20.5 billion to the U.S. economy and supported around 140,000 American jobs.#ElbowsUp Canada!🇨🇦 http://www.newsweek.com/canada-us-fl…

— Hon. Thomas A. Lukaszuk (@lukaszukab.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T14:26:17.656Z

More tourists to D.C. come from Canada than from any other country. Canadian tourism to D.C. may drop as residents “choose Canada” and skip U.S. trips. Here's what travelers told us.

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington.com) 2025-03-26T16:47:56.160Z

Musk’s efforts to buy votes in Wisconsin is apparently illegal

Can anyone stop this?

The terrible Supreme Court Citizens United decision has enabled billionaires to spend excessive amounts to influence elections.

Elon Musk Appears to Be Breaking Wisconsin Law Against Vote Buying in Offering a Chance to Win $1 Million to Anyone Who Voted in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race electionlawblog.org?p=149196

— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T12:40:28.651Z

Elon Musk & Billionaires Flood the Zone in Wisconsin Supreme Court Raceyoutu.be/e6pmIA11ilc

— The Daily Show (@thedailyshow.com) 2025-03-28T02:08:44.573Z

Can Elon Musk Buy Wisconsin? Ari Berman on Billionaire-Funded Attempt to Flip State Supreme Court

— Democracy Now! (@democracynow.org) 2025-03-27T15:45:03.715Z

Trump’s illegal attacks on unions

This executive order is another example of the Trump-Musk Administration’s war on working people. These two billionaires busted unions in their day jobs and now they’re bringing these same attacks to our government in the biggest presidential attack on unions in history.

— Congressman Bobby Scott (@bobbyscott.house.gov) 2025-03-28T16:02:44.628Z

Trump's executive order tonight has illegally cancelled union contracts for 67% of the federal workforce & 75% of unionized federal employees — roughly 700,000 union workersThis may be the single biggest attack on the labor movement in American history

— Eric Blanc (@ericblanc.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T03:17:43.491Z

Trump just took away their union. He’ll come for yours next.Every member of Congress should demand this union-busting bullshit ends now.

— Congressman Greg Landsman (@repgreglandsman.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T16:00:05.786Z

🚨 VA just terminated collective bargaining agreements for most union employees—a direct attack on workers' rights and veterans' care.RM @repmarktakano.bsky.social and @democrats-veterans.house.gov released the following statement: democrats-veterans.house.gov/news/press-r…

— House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Democrats (@democrats-veterans.house.gov) 2025-08-07T15:44:25.023Z

41% of Union members voted for Trump. In case anyone was wondering.

— (@nachyocheese.bsky.social) 2025-08-07T16:52:02.405Z

Trump Begins to Strip Federal Workers of Union ProtectionsThe Department of Veterans Affairs is the first agency to begin terminating union contracts, affecting more than 400,000 workers.www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/u…

— Mia Farrow (@miafarrow.bsky.social) 2025-08-07T15:16:43.472Z

Texas maternal mortality rate is up after abortion ban

Dozens more pregnant and postpartum women have died in Texas hospitals since the state banned abortion, our analysis shows.As the maternal mortality rate dropped nationally, it rose in Texas by 33%.

— ProPublica (@propublica.org) 2025-03-24T14:01:45.929Z
https://bsky.app/profile/skiles.bsky.social/post/3ll5cxvn4nk2i

This is exactly what happened to me, except that my story ends with a near death experience and an emergency D&C after transfusion. Pregnant women in Texas are in danger. And I worry most about Black women who experience medical racism. http://www.propublica.org/article/pors…

— Roxana Daneshjou, MD, PhD (@roxanadaneshjou.bsky.social) 2025-03-23T17:28:21.399Z

Texas AG Arrests Midwives For Abortion. Do You Feel Safer Yet?Texas's maternal death rate is up 33 percent since abortion banned in state.“Exactly zero patients were harmed in the commission of these “crimes,” whereas at least three women have died as a direct result of the state’s abortion ban”

— Dr. Genevieve Eastabrook, MD FRCSC (she/her) (@placentadoc.bsky.social) 2025-03-19T22:53:34.085Z

Two Black Mom’s. Two Texas moms were forced to wait for urgent care after pregnancy loss. They died – The Dallas Morning Newsapple.news/Ar4R4ruBOT8K…

— @ciaogirl9 (@ciaogirl9.bsky.social) 2025-08-18T12:26:37.981Z

Holiday Inn in downtown Baltimore

The old Holiday Inn, now apartments, used to have a revolving restaurant on top. It’s now a gym.

Welcome to Vision on Lombard, a residential community nestled in the bustling city of Baltimore, Maryland, in the vibrant Baltimore Inner Harbor Area.

Trump’s SSA changes are built for failure

Here’s an article on the new restrictions on calls. Things you can see in the article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/social-security-chief-says-white-house-ordered-rapid-phone-service-cutbacks/ar-AA1BzIZK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=64cf23166fac44f4b79a68b307490d17&ei=30

They’re doing something rapidly that normally could take two years

Instructions for the staff aren’t ready and training hasn’t been done.

I really believe Trump/Musk want SSA to fail.