The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has long enjoyed bipartisan support, serving nearly seven million pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under five, is on hold due to the Republican Party's government shutdown. Beneficiaries are expected to feel the impact within one to two weeks. With a yearly budget of $8 billion WIC provides vouchers for infant formula, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk, and other healthy staples " foods that are significantly more expensive than ultra-processed, high-calorie products and therefore often out of reach for low-income households. WIC has been shown to improve the health of low-income families. If a funding agreement is not reached soon, states will have to either use their own funds to keep WIC running or shut it down. If they choose the first option, states could seek reimbursement once the federal budget is approved, but not all are able to front the money. read more
The Republican government shutdown has entered its second week and shortages of air traffic controllers have strained operations and disrupted flights across the US. More workers are calling in sick, leaving fewer staff to handle demand. Within 72 hours travelers endured nearly 12,000 flight delays and 200 cancelled flights. Travelers are starting to cancel trips and avoid airports until the Republicans reopen the government, which may not happen for several more days or weeks. That means a longer stretch of time for key workers, air traffic controllers and security screeners, to go without pay. Travelers will see "erosion of service" as frustrated air traffic controllers and TSA officers get tired and call in sick. Reagan National Airport became the latest this week to report delays because of staffing issues. Other affected hubs include Chicago, Newark, Denver, and Nashville, and the tower in Burbank CA had to shut down for several hours. read more
Low-income people over 60 years old die an average of nine years earlier than high-income older Americans. Middle-income older Americans are also dying younger than wealthier people. About 15% of seniors with annual household incomes of roughly $60,000 died during the four-year study period, compared with about 11% in households with incomes of around $120,000. As the US population ages, many seniors reach retirement age without the money to handle shocks like a health emergency or the loss of a spouse. The difference in average mortality age by income could be due to a lack of preventative care for low-income seniors, an inability to pay for care as they age, or the stress of financial instability. The poverty rate among US seniors rose to 15% last year from 14% in 2023, the highest among all age groups. About 80% of people over 60 have few, or even zero, financial assets and would struggle to cope with a financial shock like the loss of a spouse or needing long-term care. read more
Texas AG Ken Paxton: "Leftist political terrorism is a clear and present danger. Corrupted ideologies like transgenderism and Antifa are a cancer on our culture and have unleashed their deranged and drugged-up foot soldiers on the American people. There can be no compromise with those who want us dead." The Taliban State of Texas has its priorities upside down. Right wing terrorists have been sabotaging weather surveillance systems in the American Southwest and Texas sent at least 74 insurrectionists to the US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021 who are now all free. Texas is also wasting resources prosecuting young women in need of reproductive care services. Texas executed five prisoners this year and in an average year, an incredible 4,330 people die and 7,726 are wounded by guns. Instead of addressing these appalling wartime casualty figures and the real needs of Texans, faux Christian Ken Paxton is piling on with the sinister Trumpf junta to persecute vulnerable people. read more
The FBI has fired multiple employees and dismantled its CR-15 public corruption unit following revelations that GOP lawmakers' private communications were allegedly monitored during the Biden administration. "They tracked the communications of GOP Senators. They weaponized law enforcement against the American people. That era is over," Patel posted to X. "We fired those who acted unethically, dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad, and launched an investigation. Transparency and accountability aren't slogans, they're promises kept. We are cleaning up a diseased temple three decades in the making," Patel bleated, vowing to remove those who "weaponized law enforcement for political purposes" and restore integrity to the FBI. The CR-15 unit assisted SC Jack Smith's investigations, leading to an indictment of Dummkopf Trumpf in Aug 2023. Republicans whine that federal law enforcement must take legal action against former Jack Smith in retaliation. read more
Move over Aesop, here is a sour grapes story for you. A Republican has already slammed the Nobel Peace Prize as 'useless' knowing that Dummkopf Trumpf won't be getting it: www.mediaite.com
Note AIPAC whack-job Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) wants the Dotard-in-Chief to get the Nobel Peace Prize, like ICC-indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.
I don't recall any intelligence reporting of "hit lists" against anonymous USAF air crew flying missions in Iraqistan or Pashtunistan.
Vladimir Putin was reported to have offered a bounty to kill US personnel in Afghanistan, which I read about after I retired: www.newsweek.com
US personnel wear their ID tags ("dog tags") that has our name, SSN, religious preference, and blood type in case we are captured or wounded, so the enemy could ID us anyway, masks or no masks: upload.wikimedia.org
Dummkopf Trumpf is getting a second "annual" physical examination at WRAMC: x.com
The Dotard-in-Chief may want to wobble victory laps over the corpses of dead Muslims in Gaza while his vulture-in-law Jared Kushner starts divvying up their land with the odious Bezalel Smotrich and the abominable Tony Blair.
No surprise, the deaths of migrants in ICE custody have reached its highest level in 20 years. There will be more fatalities, as being a vulnerable migrant in the US is tantamount to either capital punishment or exile to Somaliland or an El Salvadoran jungle gulag: english.elpais.com
Another reason for Zohran Mamdani to win in Gotham. NYC Mayor Eric Adams is in Albania pushing for direct flights between JFK and Tirana. The venal Adams dropped out of the race and he was reportedly bribed with a political appointment by the Trumpf junta to help Andrew 'Judas Iscariot' Cuomo's chances. So, the rumor is the bribe of an Ambassadorship to Albania for the pardoned Mayor of NYC. The GOP-dominated Senate will no doubt confirm the peccable Adams, as they did the mentally-challenged Herschel Walker to be Ambassador to the Bahamas: nypost.com
And the Trumpf Crime Family (TCF) has real estate projects in Albania. Just how much ---- corruption can people stomach?
Dummkopf Trumpf will be sending 200 US Soldiers to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal. Sure, sending in hyper-Christian American Soldiers will be objective and neutral dealing with the Israelis and Palestinians, like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) security personnel who were real pilgrims.
Sources:
Link One;
.Link Two