Bad...

Change...

Nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters said they would be open to changing their minds about who they support in the party's 2020 primaries, according to a new poll.

In a CNN survey released Tuesday, 64 percent of Democrats and likely Democrats who had selected a favorite presidential candidate said it is possible they might change their mind. Thirty-six percent said they "definitely support" their top choice.

The field of 2020 has grown to 21 Democratic presidential candidates. Biden has consistently led the field, and a new poll puts him 24 points ahead of his nearest challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) has seen a rise in popularity in recent weeks, often polling in third place, while Harris, who was once considered a front-runner has been falling recently.

Voting for anyone who can beat Trump is a self defeating idea. Vote for someone who can improve the lives of the American people, create jobs, and avoid starting war in the Middle East. Someone who is realistic and not just throwing things in the air. Just a thought.

For Some...

The idea of Medicare for all needs a second look at the proposal that sound grat from a distance, while looking inside may not be that great.

The transition to a plan like the one Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed would be enormously expensive, more than $30 trillion over a 10-year period by some estimates.

Ban private insurance would displace nearly 177 million people from their health insurance plans, including over 156 million from employer-based health insurance  which for many employees is the reason they took the job in the first place.

And for employers, health insurance provides a tax deduction, which is an incentive for stretching the budget and hiring. A transition to Medicare for All would be a definite job killer, affecting millions more in addition to the close to 2 million health care workers who would be displaced from their jobs in the transition.

Hospitals make more money on private health insurance, so a transition to 100% government-based insurance would mean less income for hospitals  income frequently diverted to support research and academics. 

Even if the end result is less expensive, because of government-negotiated prices, it will also be less supportive of medical centers.  

Brown...

Eating rice may help prevent obesity, research suggests. Experts found that people following a Japanese or Asian-style diet based on rice were less likely to be obese than those living in countries where rice consumption was low.

In the UK, people were found to consume just 19g of rice a day, below dozens of other countries including Canada, Spain and the US.

The researchers calculated that even a modest increase in rice consumption of 50g per day per person could reduce the worldwide prevalence of obesity by 1%.

The researcher said: “The observed associations suggest that the obesity rate is low in countries that eat rice as a staple food.

Rice is low fat, it’s fiber, nutrients and plant compounds found in whole grains may increase feelings of fullness and prevent overeating.”

The authors concluded: “The prevalence of obesity was significantly lower in the countries with higher rice supply even after controlling for lifestyle and socioeconomic indicators.”

We have known for centuries that far eastern populations tend to be slimmer than in the west because rice is a staple food, but few obesity specialists may have appreciated.

Donate...

The message is simple, put me in the White House and I'll tax the people who we hate. What to do with the money is very simple, waste it  on projects that helps few who can donate to my campaign down the road. Keep the cycle going.  Just a thought.

Running...

Scotus...

In 2012, Harris Funeral Homes decided to part ways with an employee. That employee, a male who had been issued the male funeral director uniform and consistently worn it to that point, announced his intent to begin dressing and presenting as a woman while interacting with grieving families.

That would violate the company’s dress policy, and Harris Funeral Homes decided the employee’s proposal would not be in the best interest of the grieving families it serves.

In response, the EEOC sued the Detroit business, claiming it had discriminated on the basis of sex. For this, the EEOC seeks punitive damages.

On April 22, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Harris Funeral Homes’ case. That case will decide whether federal agencies can rewrite federal law.

Modifiable...

Ischemic strokes occur when either a blood clot or a plaque obstructs a vessel carrying blood to the brain, preventing the delivery of oxygen. Strokes can also be hemorrhagic, when a blood vessel has ruptured and the blood that spills into or around the brain creates swelling and pressure, damaging the brain tissue.

Risk factors fall into two categories: modifiable, or those that can be treated and improved; and non-modifiable, or those that are outside a patient's control.

Among modifiable risk factors, high blood pressure poses the biggest threat for stroke. Other modifiable factors are smoking, diabetes, a diet high in saturated fats, high cholesterol, physical inactivity and obesity.

The non-modifiable risk factors include age, gender and race. Women are known to be at greater risk than men, and African Americans are known to be at greater risk than Caucasians, in part because of higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. 

If you see Face drooping, Arm weakness or Speech difficulty, it's Time to call 911. Other symptoms include sudden numbness in the legs, sudden confusion or trouble seeing, sudden dizziness or loss of balance, or a sudden severe headache.

ICE...

MASSACHUSETTS prosecutors filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeking to block the agency from making courthouse arrests of people suspected to be in the country illegally.

The lawsuit represents a growing resistance to courthouse arrests – a practice some lawyers, judges and advocates have harshly criticized – and is the latest tussle between state and federal entities.

The lawsuit seeks to block ICE agents from arresting people for civil immigration violations while they are at courthouses for official business, but it does not seek to bar immigration authorities from arresting criminal defendants in state custody who are brought to court. Just a thought.

TAC...

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was testing a new body scanner system to screen passengers at U.S. airports, but it seems the system was too revealing.

The machine which is called TAC, is a “people-screening camera that sees any type of item hidden in peoples’ clothing at distances of  10 to 32 feet.

This isn’t the first time that the TSA has had privacy issues with their screening equipment. From 2007 to 2013, it was discovered that the TSA scanners were a “virtual strip search” that shared pictures of passengers' genitalia, breasts, and buttocks with TSA employees. ACLU and the Electronic Privacy Information Center sued the TSA over these machines, and thanks to public outcry, the machines were replaced with less-intrusive scanners.