Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 52m

Twice now they've let Russ Vought throw out "punish the feds" trial balloons (threatening RIFs then back pay) and both times they've immediately hung him out to dry in the media. He's looking like Charlie Brown with the football at this point.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 58m

Mike Johnson furiously backpedaling on the back pay thing is a pretty good indication that nobody in the GOP has the slightest clue how to deal with the shutdown.

Jennifer Shutt @jennifershutt.bsky.social · 1h

Speaker Johnson appears to say furloughed federal workers should get back pay under 2019 law

"It has always been the case. It is tradition and I think it is statutory law that federal employees be paid. And that’s my position."

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 1h

"We're causing a farm labor crisjs by deporting hard-working immigrants and the only solution is to import foreign labor at slave wages" is another step in Trump's effort to make America into Qatar.

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 2h

So this is funny.
The administration just issued a rule slashing foreign agricultural worker wages. And to justify it, in a public filing, Trump's Labor Department alleges that Trump's immigration enforcement has devastated the Ag workforce and caused a "risk of supply shock-induced food shortages."

Trump Labor Department Says His Immigration Raids Are Causing a Food Crisis

In a filing in the Federal Register, the Labor Department argues there are “immediate dangers to the American food supply” due to a lack of migrant agricultural workers.

prospect.org

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 1h

Is a 56% loss good? Asking for a friend who put their retirement account into Bored Apes.

Cas Piancey @cascoinfoundation.org · 9h

I think you just inspired my next article

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Reposted by Travis Mason-Bushman

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 1h

I will not back down.

Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power.

What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?

Donald Trump Truth Social Post: Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 1h

I mean, it's an effect, in that they charge prices that the open market will bear, but the problem is that this is a market failure.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 1h

Why would private insurance companies want high doctor salaries? That doesn't make any sense.

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Reposted by Travis Mason-Bushman

Haydon is reading The Uncertain Center, Arthur C McGill @haydonmp.bsky.social · 3h

Add it to the tally.

Seems like we’re getting up to 20+ grand jury no true bills just from what I’ve seen. Absolutely remarkable.

Seth Stern @sethstern.bsky.social · 12h

A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said, Megan Crepeau and @benjaminpenn.bsky.social report

news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters

A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.

news.bloomberglaw.com

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 9h

bsky.app/profile/snar...

Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

There are a ton of cost drivers in health care, and to make single-payer affordable, we're going to have to be ruthless about tackling all of them. Claims processing, salaries, pharmaceutical profit margins, training, making more use of paramedics/PAs/NPs for low-acuity needs, etc.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 9h

It is! But it's only one inefficiency. Doctors getting paid $375,000 a year is also an inefficiency.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

Yeah, I don't think something in the mid-$200k range is unfair. That's like a 33% haircut from current average, which is enough.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

Agreed!

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

Yeah man, that's what everyone wanted from the Washington Post - a daily opinion podcast. Bingo, all those subscribers are gonna re-up to hear Adam O'Neal's opinions.

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 13h

Some scoops in here: Adam O'Neal is telling people he will helm The WaPo's flagship opinion podcast, spending upwards of four hours a day on it. He's also indicated, per a source, that he plans to remain in his current job for decades. www.status.news/p/washington...

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

All health care systems ration care. We need to ration care based on true human needs, not based on who has what insurance or how much money. But there will still be rationing of care.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

There are a ton of cost drivers in health care, and to make single-payer affordable, we're going to have to be ruthless about tackling all of them. Claims processing, salaries, pharmaceutical profit margins, training, making more use of paramedics/PAs/NPs for low-acuity needs, etc.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

Wrong. Average pay for an American doctor in 2024 is $374,000.

Physician salary report 2025: Modest increase in compensation

weatherbyhealthcare.com

Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

And yes, that is the median pay for an American doctor in 2025.

Physician salary report 2025: Modest increase in compensation

weatherbyhealthcare.com

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

There's an idea in some circles that all we have to do to fix healthcare is get rid of the evil insurance companies and all of our problems will be solved.

There is no country on Earth with single-payer healthcare where the average doctor salary is $375,000. Not happening. Something has to give.

Bill McKay @mckay4senate.bsky.social · 15h

The doctor makes $200k a year because they charge thousands of dollars more for a procedure than they should. The health insurance CEO doesn’t want to pay it and tries to dump it on you. You fight with the health insurance over *who* pays the high cost and not *why* the cost is high.

Coonbaya My Lord @powdercuff.bsky.social · 15h

The doctor making 200k a year is not your enemy. The health insurance CEO making millions per year is. Let’s focus up.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 12h

Median for all is $375,000. weatherbyhealthcare.com/blog/annual-...

Physician salary report 2025: Modest increase in compensation

weatherbyhealthcare.com

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 13h

The math does not math.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 13h

Nobody is saying doctors should make $35,000 a year. But we literally can't afford a single-payer system paying doctors $375,000 a year.

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Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 13h

What does "very well paid" mean, though? Does it mean $150,000 or $300,000?

You cannot have everything - every single decision involves a trade-off. You can't just go to single-payer and give everyone health care and keep everything else the same about the American system.