Ken Acks
@costbenefitkmaacks.bsky.social
Supporting Rational Evaluation over Preconception by Facilitating Comprehensive Quantification of Costs and Benefits www.costbenefitgroup.com envirovaluation.org. Adjunct Prof NYU Schack Institute for Real Estate
Reposted by Ken Acks
Can’t stop thinking about this. The Trump administration is essentially extorting hospitals into dropping gender-affirming care—without Medicare or Medicaid they’d go bankrupt. It’s akin to a backdoor ban even for people with private insurance, a proposal that wouldn’t pass Congress.
Under the proposed rule issued by the Trump Administration today, any Medicare- or Medicaid-participating hospital would be barred from providing gender-affirming care to *any child*, even if the care is not paid for by Medicare or Medicaid.
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23465.pdf
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23465.pdf
public-inspection.federalregister.gov
December 20, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Can’t stop thinking about this. The Trump administration is essentially extorting hospitals into dropping gender-affirming care—without Medicare or Medicaid they’d go bankrupt. It’s akin to a backdoor ban even for people with private insurance, a proposal that wouldn’t pass Congress.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Question: When the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights division tweets out a false statement about an individual that results in them being barraged with death threats based on their religion and ethnicity, which governmental agency would look into whether that student’s Civil Rights had been infringed?
December 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Question: When the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights division tweets out a false statement about an individual that results in them being barraged with death threats based on their religion and ethnicity, which governmental agency would look into whether that student’s Civil Rights had been infringed?
Reposted by Ken Acks
I wrote about the conservative quest to restore the "true" Constitution, the Antebellum Constitution, shorn of the egalitarian nonsense in the Reconstruction Amendments, a document that replaces equality with a society of dominators and the dominated. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
December 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I wrote about the conservative quest to restore the "true" Constitution, the Antebellum Constitution, shorn of the egalitarian nonsense in the Reconstruction Amendments, a document that replaces equality with a society of dominators and the dominated. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Ken Acks
Clueless US media understand Trump's shut down of Atlantic coast wind farms as just some vague national security thing about radar or as Trump's weird ideas about alternative energy. But in Denmark, this is immediately understood for what it is: a shakedown against two large Danish companies,
Danske vindaktier lukker i rødt efter amerikansk udmelding
Ørsteds og Vestas' aktier er kommet i modvind og dykker ved børsluk oven på nyhed om havvindparker i USA.
www.berlingske.dk
December 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Clueless US media understand Trump's shut down of Atlantic coast wind farms as just some vague national security thing about radar or as Trump's weird ideas about alternative energy. But in Denmark, this is immediately understood for what it is: a shakedown against two large Danish companies,
Reposted by Ken Acks
Overall, this big @nytimes.com investigation identified $500m+ that was donated to Trump-backed groups AFTER the election from 346 donors.
It found that more than half of the donors have benefited in some way from actions by Trump or his administration. (gift link)
It found that more than half of the donors have benefited in some way from actions by Trump or his administration. (gift link)
December 22, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Overall, this big @nytimes.com investigation identified $500m+ that was donated to Trump-backed groups AFTER the election from 346 donors.
It found that more than half of the donors have benefited in some way from actions by Trump or his administration. (gift link)
It found that more than half of the donors have benefited in some way from actions by Trump or his administration. (gift link)
Reposted by Ken Acks
SCOOP-2: Isabela Herrera donated $2.5m to MAGA Inc. on 12/31/2024.
At the time, her father, a Venezuelan-Italian banker, was being prosecuted for bribing Puerto Rico's governor.
In July, Trump's DOJ authorized a misdemeanor plea deal, overruling career prosecutors who had pushed a harsher sentence
At the time, her father, a Venezuelan-Italian banker, was being prosecuted for bribing Puerto Rico's governor.
In July, Trump's DOJ authorized a misdemeanor plea deal, overruling career prosecutors who had pushed a harsher sentence
December 22, 2025 at 7:01 PM
SCOOP-2: Isabela Herrera donated $2.5m to MAGA Inc. on 12/31/2024.
At the time, her father, a Venezuelan-Italian banker, was being prosecuted for bribing Puerto Rico's governor.
In July, Trump's DOJ authorized a misdemeanor plea deal, overruling career prosecutors who had pushed a harsher sentence
At the time, her father, a Venezuelan-Italian banker, was being prosecuted for bribing Puerto Rico's governor.
In July, Trump's DOJ authorized a misdemeanor plea deal, overruling career prosecutors who had pushed a harsher sentence
Reposted by Ken Acks
Radical bearded cleric issues new fatwa -->
December 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Radical bearded cleric issues new fatwa -->
Reposted by Ken Acks
"China Imports No U.S. Soybeans for Third Month; Argentine Arrivals Up 634%" 🤔 share.google/yxJk9FytGMTY...
December 22, 2025 at 11:33 PM
"China Imports No U.S. Soybeans for Third Month; Argentine Arrivals Up 634%" 🤔 share.google/yxJk9FytGMTY...
Reposted by Ken Acks
On DOGE’s watch, federal spending did not go down at all. It went up. But is still led to cuts that closed offices, canceled programs and deprived people of food, medicine and other aid.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little?
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
On DOGE’s watch, federal spending did not go down at all. It went up. But is still led to cuts that closed offices, canceled programs and deprived people of food, medicine and other aid.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
Reposted by Ken Acks
The people who profited most from the cancel culture/free speech panic were less interested in actual freedom of speech than establishing their own control over public discourse. You don't even have to take my word for it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
December 23, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The people who profited most from the cancel culture/free speech panic were less interested in actual freedom of speech than establishing their own control over public discourse. You don't even have to take my word for it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Ken Acks
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Climate change adaptation investment benefits outweigh costs by seven to one, and yet … we are not meaningfully making these investments. Why?
www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-rese...
www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-rese...
www.mckinsey.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Climate change adaptation investment benefits outweigh costs by seven to one, and yet … we are not meaningfully making these investments. Why?
www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-rese...
www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-rese...
Reposted by Ken Acks
A+story how Andrew Tate— pornographer, human trafficker, accused serial rapist, child abuser, “influencer”—worked hard for years to become super-bro of Don Jr., Barron and others in the Trump circle. Which worked —the global mob boss got him un-prosecuted. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:41 PM
A+story how Andrew Tate— pornographer, human trafficker, accused serial rapist, child abuser, “influencer”—worked hard for years to become super-bro of Don Jr., Barron and others in the Trump circle. Which worked —the global mob boss got him un-prosecuted. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
Reposted by Ken Acks
The pathetic cowering of Republican politicians to the anti-gun-regulation extremism of the NRA the last 30 years was *the* foreshadowing precursor to Republican politicians’ pathetic Trump-cowering of the last 10 years.
December 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM
The pathetic cowering of Republican politicians to the anti-gun-regulation extremism of the NRA the last 30 years was *the* foreshadowing precursor to Republican politicians’ pathetic Trump-cowering of the last 10 years.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Very informative conversation I just had with the AI chatbot Claude. 1/4
December 16, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Very informative conversation I just had with the AI chatbot Claude. 1/4
Reposted by Ken Acks
Serious question/suggestion. The press (and normal people) refer to billionaire allies of Russia’s corrupt autocratic president as oligarchs. Shouldn’t the U.S. press call the politically influential billionaire media allies of the would-be autocratic U.S. president—Musk, Bezos, Ellison—oligarchs?
December 20, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Serious question/suggestion. The press (and normal people) refer to billionaire allies of Russia’s corrupt autocratic president as oligarchs. Shouldn’t the U.S. press call the politically influential billionaire media allies of the would-be autocratic U.S. president—Musk, Bezos, Ellison—oligarchs?
Reposted by Ken Acks
Found the CBS feedback form. Left a message about Bari www.cbs.com/showfeedback...
television, TV, video, CBS TV, Columbia Broadcast System, watch online video, watch tv, soap opera video, David Letterman, CSI, Big Brother, NCIS, The Price is Right, the Young and the Restless, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Survivor, Two and a Half Men, The Amazing Race, Star Trek, Jericho.
www.cbs.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Found the CBS feedback form. Left a message about Bari www.cbs.com/showfeedback...
Reposted by Ken Acks
The most flagrantly, grotesquely corrupt American in history.
In just one year, $2 billion from big donors mostly now benefiting financially.
Pius the Trumps’ direct personal $3 or $4 billion payoff haul so far—real estate deals from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, crypto boondoggles, etc.
In just one year, $2 billion from big donors mostly now benefiting financially.
Pius the Trumps’ direct personal $3 or $4 billion payoff haul so far—real estate deals from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, crypto boondoggles, etc.
December 22, 2025 at 1:02 PM
The most flagrantly, grotesquely corrupt American in history.
In just one year, $2 billion from big donors mostly now benefiting financially.
Pius the Trumps’ direct personal $3 or $4 billion payoff haul so far—real estate deals from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, crypto boondoggles, etc.
In just one year, $2 billion from big donors mostly now benefiting financially.
Pius the Trumps’ direct personal $3 or $4 billion payoff haul so far—real estate deals from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, crypto boondoggles, etc.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Can we subsidize our way to Net Zero? 🌍⚡
Rising carbon taxes are efficient, but often politically infeasible.
A new #JAERE study asks what happens when policy settles for a second-best approach:
a low, constant carbon tax, paired with large green subsidies.
📊 #JaereFigureFriday
🌎 #EconSky
Rising carbon taxes are efficient, but often politically infeasible.
A new #JAERE study asks what happens when policy settles for a second-best approach:
a low, constant carbon tax, paired with large green subsidies.
📊 #JaereFigureFriday
🌎 #EconSky
December 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Can we subsidize our way to Net Zero? 🌍⚡
Rising carbon taxes are efficient, but often politically infeasible.
A new #JAERE study asks what happens when policy settles for a second-best approach:
a low, constant carbon tax, paired with large green subsidies.
📊 #JaereFigureFriday
🌎 #EconSky
Rising carbon taxes are efficient, but often politically infeasible.
A new #JAERE study asks what happens when policy settles for a second-best approach:
a low, constant carbon tax, paired with large green subsidies.
📊 #JaereFigureFriday
🌎 #EconSky
Reposted by Ken Acks
Christmas is a cultural holiday as well as a religious one, so I don't really mind the Merry Christmas message. Merry Christmas, everyone! It's the statement that we all share a savior that goes way over the line. They really are trying to establish an official state religion.
December 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Christmas is a cultural holiday as well as a religious one, so I don't really mind the Merry Christmas message. Merry Christmas, everyone! It's the statement that we all share a savior that goes way over the line. They really are trying to establish an official state religion.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Here’s the U.S. government being officially religious in a country with no official religion.
December 25, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Here’s the U.S. government being officially religious in a country with no official religion.
Reposted by Ken Acks
This is spot on 🔥
Trump Just Added His Name To The Institute Of Peace—And Gavin Newsom Trolled Him With The Perfect Photo
www.comicsands.com
December 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
This is spot on 🔥
Reposted by Ken Acks
On #christmas, redouble your commitment to get a great Democratic turnout in #election2026 to help blunt the coal trolls. This is an actual Energy Dept tweet. #nokings #climate
December 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM
On #christmas, redouble your commitment to get a great Democratic turnout in #election2026 to help blunt the coal trolls. This is an actual Energy Dept tweet. #nokings #climate
Reposted by Ken Acks
If tech had "created riches on an unprecedented scale" we'd have much bigger productivity increases than in the past. We don't. So it's more accurate to say tech *captured* wealth on an unprecedented scale than created it. washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
December 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
If tech had "created riches on an unprecedented scale" we'd have much bigger productivity increases than in the past. We don't. So it's more accurate to say tech *captured* wealth on an unprecedented scale than created it. washingtonpost.com/politics/int...