Linkee-poo, blinded by the light

"'That was the feedback from players. They wanted a better shot at smaller prizes,' Tabor said." Nobody plays the lottery to win the $4 prize. However, a small prize and a "near miss" are guaranteed to reinforce the habit of gambling.

So, how do other countries deal with monuments of a past that are troubling?

"Donohue says many hospital emergency departments are not adequately set up to serve or even screen patients with addiction. 'They may not have strong connections to treatment providers. So they, at best, may leave patients with a list, but then there is no active follow-up,' Donohue says. 'People who are quite vulnerable and are at great risk for future overdoses are falling through the cracks.'" Much of what they say here is true, although they're missing a large part of the picture. First, there is empathy fatigue. Second, our emergency room doctors aren't licensed to give such treatment (many of the drugs used to treat opioid addiction require special certification). Third, there's no goddamn beds to send these people to for both inpatient and outpatient care. Hell, getting people in for standard psychiatric care can be daunting. Fourth, there is a shortage of slots for treatment (see 2 and 3). Finally, in Ohio at least, patients have to meet certain requirements before entering treatment. For some, that means going through a medication clearance, that is they show they are "clean" of drugs. That last law/rule really needs to be changed.

"Danish police said Wednesday that a headless torso found in waters off Copenhagen is that of missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall, the Associated Press reported." I've been reading about this for over a week and and this story just keeps getting stranger and stranger. But it seems likely now that Peter Madsen won't escape justice.

"Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's wife Louise Linton is facing a backlash for an Instagram post -- later deleted -- that touted the couple's wealth." Good thing all those people with "economic worries" voted in the guy who appoints his friends. There's just like us. Travel by jet for a day trip without our Hermes scarfs, etc, bashing folk who criticize their choices. Like you do.

And NPR takes the moment of this imbroglio to highlight exactly how a progressive tax system works and the concept of "equal marginal sacrifice." "To that poor person, paying 40 cents instead of 10 cents — or, to make this example more practically applicable, $40 instead of $10 — could cut heavily into basics like grocery or rent money. But for the rich person, that $40 is far less likely to be a necessity. Instead, it could cut into, say, the cost of an Hermes scarf."

Obamacare reform is still on the burner. "Staff for Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, are working on a joint plan to stabilize the country's health insurance markets. Kasich told Colorado Public Radio's Colorado Matters that they expect to release it ahead of September hearings in the U.S. Senate. They also intend to get other governors from both parties to sign onto the plan, to show support at the state level." Of course "They also agree that the possibility of national single-payer coverage is not on the table in their discussions."

"Another Obama-era regulation is on the Trump administration's chopping block — this one about nursing homes. The Obama administration's rule would've made it easier for nursing home residents to sue for negligence or abuse. But the Trump administration is proposing to replace that rule. And the new one could make it almost impossible for nursing home residents to get their day in court." Working for the little people my ass.

"As the tide of fascism swept across (Europe), scientists… were targets of terror and hatred. The principal victims where… Jewish researchers who were summarily dismissed from positions and attacked. As the climate grew ever more perilous, many of these brilliant men and women knew they had only one choice — leave or face death… That was how the exodus began. That was how some of the greatest minds in human history became refugees: refugees in America." And American Science flourished from our new citizens. But one part ignored by this essay is that after the war, the US actively recruited those scientists who stayed behind and served the Nazis (sometimes as active members of the party) in Operation Paperclip. And one of the things I most love, our space program, wouldn't have been as quickly successful without their help (no offense to Goodard).

"For the second time this year, the federal government tried and failed to convict four men who joined the high-profile Bundy family in its 2014 standoff with federal agents in a dispute over grazing fees for cattle." This will not end well. I wonder how the eventual movie will portray this?

"The mayor of Phoenix and the Phoenix police chief declared the overall handling of a Tuesday night speech by President Trump a success, despite it ending with streets filled with gas." Well, it depends on what you definition of "success" is.