Podcasts about Federal Register

This Day in Legal History: Wallace Stands in the Schoolhouse DoorOn this day in 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace physically stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to block the registration of Vivian Malone and James Hood, the two Black students whose enrollment had been ordered by a federal district court. Wallace's “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” was the culmination of a long campaign of state defiance of federal desegregation orders that ran from Brown v. Board in 1954 through Cooper v. Aaron in 1958 — the case in which a unanimous Supreme Court told the Little Rock school district, and by extension every state actor, that federal constitutional rulings are the supreme law of the land and that state officials may not nullify them.President Kennedy responded to Wallace's stand by issuing Executive Order 11111, which federalized the Alabama National Guard, and ordering Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach down to Tuscaloosa to confront the governor. Wallace gave a long speech invoking states' rights and Tenth Amendment sovereignty, then stepped aside, and Malone and Hood walked in and registered. That night, Kennedy went on national television and delivered the civil rights address that put the Civil Rights Act of 1964 onto the national agenda. The legal and political throughline matters: the schoolhouse door, the executive order federalizing the Guard, the televised address, and the omnibus civil rights legislation that followed were a single coordinated federal response to massive resistance, and the institutional habit they built — the willingness of the federal political branches to back federal court orders with whatever force is necessary — is the substrate on which the modern enforcement of civil rights law sits. Whether that habit holds up under contemporary pressure is one of the live constitutional questions of our moment.The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” saga we have been following all week reached at least a partial resolution on Wednesday when Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia declined to extend her temporary restraining order against the program into a preliminary injunction. The reason, in essence, is that the Justice Department has now formally represented to the court, in writing and through acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, that the $1.8 billion fund is “not going forward.” Brinkema took DOJ at its word for present purposes and dissolved the TRO, which under standard mootness doctrine is the right call when a defendant credibly commits to abandoning the challenged program. But she also did something practical: she warned the government in plain terms not to “play possum with this court,” language that gives the plaintiffs a built-in mechanism to come back fast if the fund quietly re-emerges under a different name.The substantive theory the plaintiffs were pressing — that the fund is an unappropriated expenditure of public money, that the underlying Trump-IRS settlement was a litigation in which the United States was never really adverse to the President in his personal capacity, and that the program's payout criteria are based on political characterizations of past prosecutions rather than any neutral standard — is now preserved for another day rather than litigated to judgment. The practical lesson is the durability of voluntary-cessation doctrine: a government defendant who is willing to abandon a program in court usually wins on mootness, but the cost is real, because future revivals get scrutinized against the prior representation. Watch the Federal Register and the DOJ component-level budget submissions for the next six months — if there is a successor program coming, those are where the first signal appears.Judge declines to halt “anti-weaponization fund” since Blanche says it's dead, but warns DOJ not to “play possum” | CBS NewsA coalition of environmental and tribal-nation plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday seeking to block a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-approved land exchange that would transfer 715 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, in return for 683 acres of privately owned land elsewhere. The plaintiffs are the Center for Biological Diversity, Save RGV, the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, and the South Texas Environmental Justice Network.The legal theory of the case is unusually multi-statute: the complaint alleges violations of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act, with the central administrative-law argument being that the Fish and Wildlife Service's environmental analysis failed to grapple seriously with impacts on endangered ocelots, aplomado falcons, and a long list of migratory species whose habitat the refuge was designed to protect when Congress created it in 1979. The plaintiffs describe this as one of the largest national-wildlife-refuge land exchanges outside Alaska, and the suit asks for vacatur of the exchange decision rather than damages — the standard APA remedy.The political and infrastructural backdrop is hard to miss: SpaceX's Starbase facility at Boca Chica has been expanding into the Lower Rio Grande Valley for years now, and the exchange would consolidate the company's footprint on land previously held for the protection of one of the last remaining ocelot ranges in the country. The merits of the case will turn on the rigor of the FWS environmental analysis. Expect a request for a preliminary injunction within weeks.Lawsuit challenges Trump administration's land swap with SpaceX in Texas | The Washington PostA Los Angeles County jury on Wednesday added $22 million in punitive damages to the $176 million compensatory verdict already entered against socialite and former philanthropist Rebecca Grossman and former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Erickson, bringing the total civil award to the Iskander family to roughly $198 million.The underlying facts of the case are stark: in September 2020, Grossman and Erickson left a Westlake Village restaurant after drinking and street-raced separate Mercedes SUVs through a residential neighborhood, with Grossman striking and killing two young brothers, Mark and Jacob Iskander, then 11 and 8, as they crossed a marked crosswalk with their parents.Grossman was convicted of two counts of murder in 2024 and is serving 15 years to life. The civil case the family brought is the wrongful-death companion, and the punitive damages award the jury added on Wednesday is the part that does the most policy work: the jury split the punitive award $21 million against Grossman, $1.17 million against Erickson, which under California's reprehensibility-and-net-worth framework reflects both the much greater direct culpability of Grossman as the driver and the substantial disparity in their respective financial positions.The case is notable beyond the parties involved because of how clean it is on the standard punitive-damages analysis the Supreme Court laid out in BMW v. Gore and State Farm v. Campbell: high reprehensibility, a relatively modest single-digit ratio of punitive-to-compensatory damages, and an underlying compensatory award that itself was supported by the gravity of the loss. Watch for an appeal that focuses on the compensatory rather than the punitive number — that is where the appellate leverage actually is.Jury Ups Philanthropist, Ex-Pitcher Crash Verdict To $198M | Law360 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Here's a brief review of several stories Jim covered on this week's broadcast: --President Trump is weighing whether or not to approve the 60 day Memorandum of Understanding with Iran that could extend the fragile cease-fire in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and launch a new round of negotiations over the nuclear program. --According to President Trump, the enriched uranium that is buried underground in Iran will be unearthed by the U.S. under close coordination and in conjunction with Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and it will be destroyed. --The State Department and the Treasury Department announced that the U.S. will impose new sanctions on Iran's oil sales. --A dual Iraqi/Iranian citizen was indicted yesterday on terrorism-related charges in what the Justice Department alleged was a lengthy spree plotting nearly 20 attacks on American and European soil. --First daughter Ivanka Trump was targeted for assassination by IRGC trained terrorists in a twisted plot to avenge their mentor being taken out by President Trump. --The Trump administration is cutting the number of weapons systems that it's willing to contribute to NATO actions. --Poland has offered to build the infrastructure necessary to host a permanent U.S. troop presence in a bid to clarify the situation between the two long-time NATO allies. --Lawmakers say the Pentagon must act after smartphone data used to target U.S. troops. --The Trump administration will extend deportation protections and work permits for thousands of Lebanese nationals in the U.S. for six months, according to a notice posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday.

Here's a brief review of several stories Jim covered on this week's broadcast: --President Trump is weighing whether or not to approve the 60 day Memorandum of Understanding with Iran that could extend the fragile cease-fire in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and launch a new round of negotiations over the nuclear program. --According to President Trump, the enriched uranium that is buried underground in Iran will be unearthed by the U.S. under close coordination and in conjunction with Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and it will be destroyed. --The State Department and the Treasury Department announced that the U.S. will impose new sanctions on Iran's oil sales. --A dual Iraqi/Iranian citizen was indicted yesterday on terrorism-related charges in what the Justice Department alleged was a lengthy spree plotting nearly 20 attacks on American and European soil. --First daughter Ivanka Trump was targeted for assassination by IRGC trained terrorists in a twisted plot to avenge their mentor being taken out by President Trump. --The Trump administration is cutting the number of weapons systems that it's willing to contribute to NATO actions. --Poland has offered to build the infrastructure necessary to host a permanent U.S. troop presence in a bid to clarify the situation between the two long-time NATO allies. --Lawmakers say the Pentagon must act after smartphone data used to target U.S. troops. --The Trump administration will extend deportation protections and work permits for thousands of Lebanese nationals in the U.S. for six months, according to a notice posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday.

This Day in Legal History: 27th AmendmentOn May 19, 1992, the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution was officially published in the Federal Register, ending one of the longest and oddest ratification stories in American legal history. The amendment provides that any law changing the compensation of members of Congress cannot take effect until after an election for the House of Representatives has taken place. Put more simply, Congress may vote to change its own pay, but it cannot make that change immediate. The rule gives voters a chance to respond before the pay change takes effect.What makes the 27th Amendment unusual is not only what it says, but how long it took to become law. It was originally proposed by James Madison in 1789 as part of the same set of amendments that produced the Bill of Rights. Most of those amendments were ratified quickly, but this one lingered for more than two centuries. Because Congress had not set a ratification deadline, the amendment remained legally available for state approval. In the 1980s, a renewed ratification campaign helped bring it back to public attention. Michigan became the 38th state to ratify it in May 1992, giving it the three-fourths approval required by Article V of the Constitution.The amendment's publication in the Federal Register on May 19 marked the formal public recognition that it had become part of the Constitution. Its ratification raised a serious legal question about whether an amendment proposed in the 18th century could still be valid in the 20th century. The answer, at least for amendments without a deadline, was yes. The 27th Amendment stands as a reminder that constitutional change can move slowly, sometimes across generations, and still become binding law.The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case about whether Title IX's protections against sex discrimination in federally funded education programs extend to employees, including college professors and coaches. The case was brought by former Augusta University professor Thomas Crowther and former Georgia Tech women's basketball coach MaChelle Joseph, both of whom lost their jobs after workplace-conduct investigations. Crowther claimed Augusta University retaliated against him and discriminated against him based on sex after it suspended him and declined to renew his contract. Joseph argued that Georgia Tech fired her in retaliation for her complaints about unequal treatment of women's athletics and female athletes. Their cases reached the Eleventh Circuit together, where the court ruled that Title IX clearly protects students, but that its application to employees is less certain. That ruling placed the Eleventh Circuit on one side of a broader circuit split.The Fifth, Seventh, and Eleventh Circuits have taken a narrower view of Title IX employment claims, while the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Circuits have allowed employees to bring certain Title IX claims. The solicitor general agreed with the Eleventh Circuit's narrower reading but urged the Supreme Court to take the case because lower courts are divided. The case gives the justices a chance to decide whether professors, coaches, and other school employees can use Title IX directly to sue for workplace sex discrimination or retaliation.High Court To Examine Title IX Protections For Coaches, Profs - Law360A New York state judge partially granted Luigi Mangione's request to keep certain evidence out of his upcoming murder trial. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024 and has pleaded not guilty. Justice Gregory Carro ruled that police unlawfully searched Mangione's backpack during his arrest in Pennsylvania without a warrant. Because of that, some items found during the first search, including a loaded handgun magazine, a cellphone, and a computer chip, will be suppressed. But the judge allowed other evidence from a later police-station search of the backpack, including a gun, silencer, USB drive, and red notebook.Carro also rejected Mangione's effort to suppress his initial statements to police, finding that they were not obtained through an illegal interrogation. The ruling gives the defense a partial win, but prosecutors say they still have substantial evidence tying Mangione to the shooting, including DNA, fingerprints, video footage, and other items. Mangione's state trial is scheduled to begin on September 8 and is expected to last about six weeks. He also faces separate federal charges, though earlier rulings in that case removed the possibility of the death penalty.Judge grants accused CEO killer Mangione's bid to suppress evidence due to unlawful search | ReutersState lawmakers have rejected dozens of anti-vaccine bills backed by Make America Healthy Again supporters, showing limits to the movement's influence in state legislatures. The bills sought to roll back or end policies such as school vaccination requirements, but public health groups and medical associations mounted successful opposition campaigns. Groups including American Families for Vaccines and the American Academy of Pediatrics argued that vaccine mandates remain broadly supported and are important for public health. Their strategy focused especially on Republican-controlled states, where advocates used polling and personal appeals to persuade lawmakers that opposing vaccines could be both medically risky and politically unpopular. Anti-vaccine proposals increased this year because MAHA-aligned groups coordinated efforts across multiple states. Still, bills failed in places including Idaho, West Virginia, Tennessee, South Dakota, Florida, and Iowa. The debate is unfolding as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, has taken steps against mandatory immunization policies, though some changes have been paused in litigation. Both sides expect the issue to continue, with anti-vaccine advocates encouraged by hearings and organizing momentum, while public health advocates say more legislation is likely to appear in future sessions.US states reject anti-vaccine bills as public health groups fight MAHA | ReutersMy column for Bloomberg this week argues that a federal gas tax holiday would be a poor answer to rising gas prices because it would do little for household affordability while further weakening transportation funding. Gas prices are being driven by forces Congress cannot easily fix by statute, including conflict involving Iran and instability around the Strait of Hormuz.Lawmakers are nevertheless showing bipartisan interest in suspending the federal gas tax, including President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The political appeal is clear because gas prices are highly visible and give lawmakers a simple way to say they are responding to voters' economic pain. But the federal gas tax has been frozen at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, even as infrastructure costs have continued to rise. Suspending it would take revenue away from the Highway Trust Fund, which helps pay for highways, roads, bridges, and mass transit.The column argues that Congress should separate the problem of household hardship from the problem of transportation finance. Instead of cutting the gas tax, lawmakers could provide targeted help through refundable credits, direct payments, commuter assistance, or flexible transportation support for low- and moderate-income households.If Congress insists on a gas tax holiday, it should at least pair it with an immediate dedicated backfill and longer-term reforms such as indexing the gas tax to inflation, adopting mileage-based fees, or modernizing road-use charges. The larger point is that high gas prices are real, but a gas tax holiday is a badly targeted discount financed by a transportation system that is already financially strained. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

rWotD Episode 3289: Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Wednesday, 6 May 2026, is Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations.CFR Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries is one of fifty titles comprising the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Title 50 is the principal set of rules and regulations issued by federal agencies of the United States regarding wildlife and fisheries. Maintained by the Office of the Federal Register, it is available in digital and printed form, and can be referenced online the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR).This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:04 UTC on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Russell.

Today's brief covers the published Presidential major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the FEMA Alaska recovery update on Typhoon Halong, and CISA's addition of two actively exploited vulnerabilities (ConnectWise ScreenConnect and Microsoft Windows Shell) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Wildfire activity in southern Georgia and northern Florida continues to drive Southern Area resourcing at PL 4, and critical fire weather is in place across eastern New Mexico, far western Texas, and the southern High Plains. Tornado damage assessments continue in Tennessee and Illinois, Michigan expanded its flooding state of emergency to 41 counties, and a M4.4 earthquake near Alamo, Nevada produced felt reports into Las Vegas. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.Key Takeaways• CNMI major disaster declared: FEMA-4910-DR for Super Typhoon Sinlaku was published in the Federal Register yesterday; covers incident period April 11 to April 18, 2026.• CISA KEV update: Two actively exploited vulnerabilities added: ConnectWise ScreenConnect (CVE-2024-1708) and Microsoft Windows Shell spoofing (CVE-2026-32202). Federal remediation deadline May 12, 2026.• Southern wildfires: Brantley Highway 82 Fire in Georgia at 32 percent containment with 80 plus homes destroyed; Clinch and Echols fire at 23 percent containment over 50 plus square miles; Florida Gun Range and Sand Drain fires under continued USFS warning.• Critical fire weather: Red Flag and Critical Fire Weather conditions today for eastern New Mexico, far western Texas, southern High Plains, and portions of eastern Colorado.• Texas disaster declaration: Governor Abbott declared disaster for Lamar, Parker, and Wise counties; TDEM mobilized swiftwater rescue and debris teams; Mineral Wells continues recovery from Tuesday's EF3 tornado.• Michigan emergency expanded: Whitmer added Tuscola County and the Village of Holly to the existing flooding state of emergency; 41 counties and three municipalities now covered.SponsorsThe NIMS Store - https://thenimsstore.com/SourcesCISA• CISA KEV catalog (April 29, 2026), ConnectWise ScreenConnect and Windows flaws added: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?utm_source=em-morning-brief• Security Affairs, CISA adds Microsoft Windows Shell and ConnectWise ScreenConnect flaws to KEV: https://securityaffairs.com/191442/security/u-s-cisa-adds-microsoft-windows-shell-and-connectwise-screenconnect-flaws-to-its-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog.html?utm_source=em-morning-brief• Cybersecurity Dive, CISA adds Microsoft and ConnectWise vulnerabilities to active exploitation catalog: https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-microsoft-connectwise-kev-update/818817/?utm_source=em-morning-briefNIFC and InciWeb• NIFC IMSR (April 29, 2026, 0730 MDT), national fire situation report: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf?utm_source=em-morning-brief• InciWeb, Gun Range Fire (Florida), incident page: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/flfnf-gun-range?utm_source=em-morning-brief• InciWeb, Sand Drain Fire (Florida), incident page: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/flfnf-sand-drain?utm_source=em-morning-briefFEMA• Federal Register, Presidential major disaster declaration for CNMI (DR-4910), Super Typhoon Sinlaku, published April 29, 2026: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/29/2026-08343/presidential-declaration-of-a-major-disaster-for-the-commonwealth-of-the-northern-mariana-islands?utm_source=em-morning-brief• FEMA disaster page (DR-4910), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4910?utm_source=em-morning-brief• FEMA press release (April 29, 2026), Alaska Typhoon Halong recovery, FEMA Is Still Here so Stay in Touch: https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260429/fema-still-here-so-stay-touch?utm_source=em-morning-brief• FEMA disaster page (DR-4893), Alaska severe storms, flooding, and Typhoon Halong remnants: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4893?utm_source=em-morning-briefUSGS• USGS HVO volcano notice (April 29, 2026), Kilauea ADVISORY and Aviation Color Code YELLOW: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-04-29T14:07:09+00:00?utm_source=em-morning-brief• USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, M4.4 near Alamo, Nevada (April 29, 2026): https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?utm_source=em-morning-briefNOAA and NWS• NWS Storm Prediction Center, Day 1 Convective Outlook (April 29, 2026), severe weather guidance: https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html?utm_source=em-morning-brief• NWS Albuquerque, Red Flag Warning summary, fire weather alerts for New Mexico and adjacent areas: https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=Red+Flag+Warning&utm_source=em-morning-brief• NOAA WPC, Excessive rainfall outlook for central Texas, April 29 to May 1: https://www.noaa.gov/weather-prediction-center?utm_source=em-morning-briefTravel advisories• U.S. Department of State, Travel Advisories, active list with current levels: https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories.html?utm_source=em-morning-briefAlaska• FEMA, Typhoon Halong six-month recovery update, April 10, 2026 release: https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260410/typhoon-halong-six-month-recovery-update?utm_source=em-morning-briefCalifornia• CAL FIRE incidents, current fire activity and evacuations: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents?utm_source=em-morning-briefColorado• 9News, Colorado doubles Red Flag Warnings days so far in 2026: https://www.9news.com/article/weather/weather-colorado/colorado-doubles-red-flag-warnings-days-2026/73-dddb29f1-4980-4343-8f2b-c51aa2789f8a?utm_source=em-morning-briefFlorida• WCJB, U.S. Forest Service issues warning for Gun Range, Sand Drain fires (April 29, 2026): https://www.wcjb.com/2026/04/29/us-forest-service-issues-warning-gun-range-sand-drain-fires/?utm_source=em-morning-briefGeorgia• Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, April 2026 Wildfires page: https://gema.georgia.gov/april-2026-wildfires?utm_source=em-morning-brief• News4JAX, Brantley County shifts to recovery, danger not over (April 29, 2026): https://www.news4jax.com/news/georgia/2026/04/29/the-latest-brantley-county-shifts-to-recovery-but-wildfire-danger-not-over-yet-officials-warn/?utm_source=em-morning-briefHawaii• USGS Kilauea volcano updates, current eruption status and forecast: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates?utm_source=em-morning-briefIllinois• KSDK, St. Louis meteorologists confirm three tornado touchdowns in Illinois: https://www.ksdk.com/article/weather/weather-impact/st-louis-tornadoes-confirmed-touchdown-monday-storms-missouri-april-28-2026/63-3e1403e0-0127-41f9-a6fd-33e6154bf3c9?utm_source=em-morning-briefKentucky• 14News, EF-0 tornado confirmed in Ohio County, Kentucky: https://www.14news.com/2026/04/29/ef-0-tornado-confirmed-by-weather-experts-ohio-county/?utm_source=em-morning-brief• NWS Louisville, another severe weather threat through tonight: https://www.weather.gov/lmk/Severe_Weather_Expected_Tonight?utm_source=em-morning-briefMichigan• State of Michigan, Executive Order 2026-10, declaration of state of emergency: https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/state-orders-and-directives/2026/04/28/executive-order-no-2026-10-declaration-of-state-of-emergency?utm_source=em-morning-brief• State of Michigan press release, Whitmer expands previous state of emergency declaration: https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2026/04/28/whitmer-further-expands-previous-state-of-emergency-declaration?utm_source=em-morning-briefMississippi• WTOK, City of Meridian issues a boil water notice (April 29, 2026): https://www.wtok.com/2026/04/29/city-meridian-issues-boil-water-notice/?utm_source=em-morning-brief• WDAM, Boil-water notice lifted in Taylorsville (April 29, 2026): https://www.wdam.com/2026/04/29/boil-water-notice-lifted-taylorsville/?utm_source=em-morning-brief• Action News 5, Severe storms pummel Mid-South including unconfirmed tornado: https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/04/29/severe-storms-pummel-mid-south-including-least-1-unconfirmed-tornado/?utm_source=em-morning-briefMissouri• Missourinet, Storms damage Central Missouri state prisons: https://www.missourinet.com/2026/04/27/storms-cause-damage-at-state-prisons-and-across-central-missouri/?utm_source=em-morning-brief• Springfield Citizen, Hail storm causes damage and 10,000 power outages in Springfield: https://sgfcitizen.org/weather/springfield-power-outages-hail-storm/?utm_source=em-morning-briefNevada• Fox Weather, Magnitude 4.4 latest in series of earthquakes to hit Nevada: https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/magnitude-4-7-earthquake-shakes-las-vegas?utm_source=em-morning-briefNew Mexico• The Watchers, Critical fire weather conditions forecast across eastern New Mexico and western Texas: https://watchers.news/2026/04/28/critical-fire-weather-conditions-forecast-across-eastern-new-mexico-and-western-texas/?utm_source=em-morning-briefOklahoma• AccuWeather, EF4 tornado devastates Enid, Oklahoma: https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/ef4-tornado-devastates-enid-oklahoma-amid-thursdays-severe-weather/1885149?utm_source=em-morning-brief• News9, Cleanup efforts continue following EF-4 tornado in Enid: https://www.news9.com/oklahoma-city-news/cleanup-efforts-continue-following-ef-4-tornado-in-enid-dozens-of-volunteer-helping?utm_source=em-morning-briefPennsylvania• WCCS Radio, Tornado warning for Indiana County cancelled (April 29, 2026): https://www.wccsradio.com/2026/04/29/tornado-warning-for-indiana-county-cancelled/?utm_source=em-morning-briefTennessee• WSMV, EF1 tornado leaves swirl markings in field north of Nashville: https://www.wsmv.com/2026/04/29/ef1-tornado-leaves-swirl-markings-field-north-nashville-during-early-week-severe-storms/?utm_source=em-morning-brief• WSMV, Damaging microburst confirmed in Lawrence County: https://www.wsmv.com/2026/04/29/damaging-microburst-confirmed-lawrence-county-storms-early-tuesday/?utm_source=em-morning-briefTexas• Office of the Texas Governor, Governor Abbott issues disaster declaration for North Texas storms: https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-issues-disaster-declaration-for-north-texas-storms?utm_source=em-morning-brief• TDEM press release, Governor Abbott issues disaster declaration for North Texas storms: https://www.tdem.texas.gov/press-release/4-28-26?utm_source=em-morning-brief• CNN, Tornado devastates Mineral Wells, Texas, on sixth straight day of severe storms: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/28/weather/severe-storm-outbreak-tornadoes-hail-south-climate?utm_source=em-morning-briefNorthern Mariana Islands• FEMA disaster page (DR-4910), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Super Typhoon Sinlaku: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4910?utm_source=em-morning-brief• Stars and Stripes, Many in Northern Marianas still without power nearly two weeks after super typhoon: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-04-27/super-typhoon-sinlaku-recovery-21499079.html?utm_source=em-morning-brief This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Psychedelics are knocking on the door again. It is the generational visit of psychedelics with some people seeing the potential and others seeing the danger and consequences. In this episode, a look at Executive Order 14401 and what is proposed for the treatment of serious mental health conditions. Let me be clear about this. I take no position pro or con in the upcoming debates or discussions about psychedelics. I am learning as I move through this unexpected (for me) treatment option.    I have concerns. Big whomping concerns. I also have distrust and I'm noticing that certain stock markets and pharmaceutical companies are taking interest in this topic.    What I'm trying to say I have biases, both conscious and unconscious. This episode is what I've discovered learning about the topic. My first steps. Psychedelically, you might be further down the road.    One more thing. Dear public relations people. I have never had a guest on the show. I do not plan to in the future. Please peddle your guests to a more appropriate forum. Resources Mentioned:  Psychedelic Information Resources   From Psychology Today What the New Executive Order Means for Psychedelics, A federal policy shift puts psychedelics in the spotlight for mental health.   PBS.org story about the executive order and some of the pros and cons. Like insurance? Nope.   One of the things the Petrie-Flom Center looks at is Health Law Policy. This is a Q&A on the Executive Order on Psychedelics with I. Glenn Cohen and Mason Marks.   FDA Right to Try Fact Sheet  and Congress.gov page on Expanded Access and Right to Try: Access to Investigational Drugs   The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Drug Scheduling with a list of the drug schedules. Information about executive orders, their history and how to obtain them.   National Constitution Center information page on What is an Executive Order?   The American Bar Association's website has an explainer from a legal perspective on what an executive or is, the format of the document and how to retrieve the official version.   National Archives and Records Administration Archive of all things related to the U.S. government. Maintains a digital index of executive orders that is searchable by date, number, or topic. The orders may be viewed as PDFs or text, in the Federal Register, or within Title 3 of the U.S. Code.   American Presidency Project  is an archive maintained by the University of California Santa Barbara includes text of almost all executive orders, searchable by year of issue back to the early nineteenth century.   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

Wednesday's EM Morning Brief for April 22, 2026 leads with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' Super Typhoon Sinlaku major disaster declaration package now with the President; today's opening of a FEMA Disaster Assistance Center in Whatcom County, Washington; and Federal Register publication of Presidential Public Assistance declarations for Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. The brief also covers CISA's eight new Known Exploited Vulnerability entries and ten fresh ICS advisories, Kīlauea's escalation to WATCH/ORANGE ahead of lava fountaining episode 45, the East Side Fire south of Red Lodge, Arizona's Shaw Fire, Michigan's U.P. flooding emergency, Iowa's five-county disaster proclamation, USDA drought designations across North Carolina and Tennessee, and Florida's Red Flag fire weather. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.Key Takeaways• CNMI Sinlaku declaration: Governor Apatang's major disaster request, with DHS sign-off, is with the President; response expected within 24 hours and includes 100 percent federal cost share for debris and protective measures.• Whatcom County DAC opens today: FEMA Disaster Assistance Center opens at Sumas Advent Christian Church for December storm and flooding survivors; application deadline is June 10.• Federal Register: Idaho, Montana, Oregon: Presidential Public Assistance declarations for December 2025 windstorm and storm/flooding events are formally published today, opening applicant intake windows.• CISA KEV and ICS advisories: Eight exploited CVEs added to KEV — including three Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager flaws — with April and May federal remediation deadlines; ten new ICS advisories including critical Siemens and Silex items.• Kīlauea WATCH/ORANGE: HVO raised alert level to WATCH/ORANGE on April 20 evening; lava fountaining episode 45 likely to begin April 22 or 23.• Montana East Side Fire: 1,500 to 1,600 acres south of Red Lodge with 185 homes evacuated; forecast 40 to 50 mph gusts may challenge containment today.• Arizona Shaw Fire: Forward progress stopped near Cochise Stronghold at roughly 20 acres with two structures lost; crews working toward containment.• Michigan U.P. flooding: State of emergency extended to Iron and Marquette counties on April 20; snowmelt and rain continue to drive river-level concerns.• Iowa disaster proclamation: Five counties designated under Governor Reynolds' April 20 proclamation; Individual Assistance Grant Program and Disaster Case Advocacy Program activated through May 20.• USDA drought designations: 40 NC counties and 22 TN counties (plus seven contiguous TN counties) designated; emergency loans available through December 10.• Florida fire weather: Red Flag Warning across NE and Central Florida through 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday; 99 percent of Florida in drought with rapid-spread risk.• Severe weather outlook: SPC Day 2 Slight risk Thursday from northern Oklahoma into southern Minnesota for very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes.SponsorsThe NIMS Store - https://thenimsstore.com/SourcesFEMA• Disaster Assistance Center Will Open in Whatcom County — FEMA press release announcing the April 22 DAC opening at Sumas Advent Christian Church.• Apply Separately for State, Federal Assistance for December Storms in Washington — April 21 FEMA notice outlining dual application tracks for Washington.• Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Montana (FR) — Federal Register publication of FEMA-4901-DR.• Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Idaho (FR) — Federal Register publication of FEMA-4905-DR.• Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Oregon (FR) — Federal Register publication of Oregon Public Assistance declaration.DHS / NTAS• National Terrorism Advisory System — DHS NTAS page — no active advisories.• Recovery Rundown — CNMI Sinlaku (April 21) — Status of CNMI declaration request on the President's desk (DHS Secretary sign-off).CISA• CISA Adds Eight Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog — Official CISA alert adding eight exploited CVEs (Official update ~36 hours ago).• ICS Advisories (CISA) — Hub page for April 21 ICS advisories (ICSA-26-111-03 through -12).• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Authoritative KEV catalog with federal due dates.State Department• Travel Advisories (Travel.State.Gov) — Authoritative current advisory list and Level indicators.USGS / Volcano & Seismic• Kīlauea Volcano Update — HVO updates on episode 45 precursory activity.• HVO Notice — April 21, 2026 (18:14 UTC) — Formal HANS notice reflecting Kīlauea WATCH/ORANGE escalation.• Mount Spurr (AVO) — Alaska Volcano Observatory status for Mount Spurr.NIFC / Wildfire• Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR) — National wildland fire situation reporting hub.• NIFC Monthly Outlook (April 1, 2026) — Predictive Services monthly seasonal outlook covering April.• InciWeb — Authoritative incident information system (Shaw Fire, East Side Fire).NWS / SPC• SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook (April 21, 2000 UTC) — SPC Day 1 hazard outlook.• SPC Day 2 Convective Outlook — SPC Day 2 hazard outlook (Thursday enhanced risk setup).FAA / Transportation• FAA National Airspace System Status — NAS status and active airport events (SFO).Arizona• Shaw Fire — forward progress stopped — Arizona's Family update on Shaw Fire status and structures destroyed.• Shaw Fire 70% contained (April 22) — Next-morning containment update.Florida• Red Flag Warning (News4JAX) — NE Florida / SE Georgia Red Flag Warning context and drought status.Hawaii• Kīlauea Alert Level Raised to Watch — Local confirmation of escalation to WATCH/ORANGE.Idaho• President Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for Idaho (IOEM) — Idaho Office of Emergency Management announcement.• FEMA to allow access to disaster relief support (Bonner County Daily Bee, April 21) — Local coverage of the FEMA aid process for the windstorm.• Minidoka Memorial Hospital updates Easter morning cyberattack — DataBreaches.Net update on Minidoka Memorial incident and Blackwater claim.Iowa• Gov. Reynolds Issues Disaster Proclamation for Five Counties (April 20) — Official press release naming the five counties and programs activated.• Proclamation of Disaster Emergency (April 20, 2026) — Text of the Governor's proclamation.Michigan• Gov. Whitmer declares state of emergency for Marquette, Iron Counties — Local coverage of U.P. emergency extension.• Flooding emergencies declared for two more Michigan counties — Detroit News report on April 20 executive action.• 2026 Statewide Flooding (Michigan State Police) — Michigan State Police EMHSD statewide flooding operations page.Montana• East Side Fire burns 1,600 acres, 185 evacuated (Daily Montanan) — Reporting on fire size, evacuations, and resources.• UPDATE: Crews beat back Red Lodge fire to 1,500 acres — Billings Gazette status update.North Carolina• USDA Designates 40 North Carolina Counties as Natural Disaster Areas — Official USDA FSA designation and emergency loan details.Oregon• FEMA approves disaster aid for Oregon after December 2025 storms — Local coverage of Oregon disaster approval context.Tennessee• USDA Designates 22 Tennessee Counties as Natural Disaster Areas — Official USDA FSA designation for Tennessee.Washington• Applications open for $2.5M in Washington state disaster assistance — Governor Ferguson press release on state-level parallel assistance.• FEMA disaster assistance center to open Wednesday in Sumas — Local coverage of the DAC opening.Territories (CNMI)• The Recovery Rundown: CNMI Sinlaku (April 21, 2026) — Territorial readout on the presidential declaration package.• FEMA assesses damage after Super Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall in CNMI — Context on damage-assessment operations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

On today's EM Morning Brief, CISA adds eight actively exploited vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog with a May 11 federal remediation deadline. FEMA major disaster declarations for Montana, Idaho, and Oregon tied to December 2025 storms were published in the Federal Register, opening Public Assistance funding. Super Typhoon Sinlaku recovery continues across Guam and the CNMI under active federal emergency and public-health emergency determinations. Red Flag Warnings span the Plains, Southwest, and High Plains with critical fire weather peaking midweek, and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory revises its Kilauea Episode 45 forecast window to April 21 through 26. State updates cover Texas flash flooding, Wisconsin tornado recovery, Oklahoma wildfire containment, and the ongoing response to the Minidoka Memorial Hospital cyber incident in Idaho. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.Key Takeaways• CISA KEV update: Eight new actively exploited CVEs added April 20 (PaperCut, JetBrains TeamCity, Kentico, Quest KACE, Zimbra, three Cisco SD-WAN Manager). Federal patch deadline May 11.• FEMA declarations published: Major Disaster Declarations for Montana (DR-4901), Idaho (DR-4905), and Oregon formally appear in the Federal Register, opening Public Assistance for December 2025 storm damage.• Sinlaku recovery: Federal emergency declarations and HHS public-health emergency remain in effect for Guam and the CNMI. Power and water restoration on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota may take weeks.• Kilauea Episode 45: HVO revises the lava-fountaining forecast window to Tuesday, April 21 through Sunday, April 26. Summit remains paused but inflating.• Fire weather: Red Flag Warnings active across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Wednesday expected to be most dangerous day of the week.• Texas flash flooding: Flash Flood Warning along San Antonio to New Braunfels corridor; SAFD reports nine water rescues. Houston metro sees localized urban flooding with rainfall rates up to three inches per hour.• Wisconsin storm response: SEOC Update 4 reports 28 resource requests and continued coordination with county and tribal emergency managers following confirmed April 14 tornadoes and flood damage.• Idaho hospital cyber incident: Minidoka Memorial Hospital restores imaging services April 19. Blackwater ransomware group claims April 17 and threatens data publication after April 24.• April 17 tornado cleanup: NWS confirms a high-end EF-2 in Lena, Illinois; EF-1 tornadoes in Jo Daviess County, Illinois and Washington County, Iowa; and an EF-2 in Rochester, Minnesota with two injuries.SponsorsThe NIMS Store - https://thenimsstore.com/SourcesCISA• CISA Alert — Eight new KEV entries (April 20, 2026) — PaperCut, JetBrains TeamCity, Kentico Xperience, Quest KACE SMA, Zimbra, and three Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager CVEs; federal patch deadline May 11, 2026• CISA — Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Authoritative catalog of actively exploited CVEsFEMA• Federal Register — Montana Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4901-DR) — Public Assistance Only for December 9-11, 2025 severe storms and flooding• Federal Register — Idaho Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4905-DR) — Public Assistance Only for December 16-18, 2025 straight-line winds• Federal Register — Oregon Major Disaster Declaration — Public Assistance Only for December 15-21, 2025 storms and landslides• FEMA — DR-4901-MT page — Montana disaster assistance details and deadlines• FEMA — Emergency Declaration for Guam — April 17, 2026 press release on Super Typhoon Sinlaku supportNIFC and wildland fire• NIFC — National Fire News — April 20, 2026 daily national fire activity summary• NICC — Incident Management Situation Report — Daily SITREP from the National Interagency Coordination Center• InciWeb — Incident Information System — Active wildland-fire and incident recordsUSGS and volcano• USGS — Kīlauea Volcano Updates — HVO summit eruption status and Episode 45 forecast window• HVO Volcano Notice — April 19, 2026 — Revised Episode 45 timing: April 21 to April 26 window• USGS — Significant Earthquakes 2026 — Catalog of significant events including the April 20 M7.4 near Miyako, JapanNOAA/NWS• NOAA Storm Prediction Center — Day 1 Convective Outlook — National severe-weather risk areas• NOAA SPC — Fire Weather Outlook — Red Flag / critical fire-weather areasHHS/CDC• HHS ASPR — Public Health Emergency: CNMI and Guam / Typhoon Sinlaku — April 17, 2026 determination by the Secretary• CDC HAN — Medetomidine Advisory — Prior HAN on illicit-drug-supply risk (context)DHS• DHS — National Terrorism Advisory System — NTAS bulletin page (no new bulletin in the last 24 hours)FAA• FAA — Daily Air Traffic Report — Weather-related delays and advisories• FAA — National Airspace System Status — Real-time airport and NAS statusAlabama• NWS Birmingham — Regional fire-weather and forecastAlaska• Alaska Earthquake Center — Adak M4.7 — April 20, 2026 Aleutian event, no tsunamiArizona• NWS SPC — Fire Weather Outlook — Red Flag conditions across the SouthwestArkansas• Arkansas Division of Emergency Management — State-level EM updatesCalifornia• Cal Fire — Incidents — Active incident list and evacuation informationColorado• BoulderCAST — This Week in Colorado Weather (April 20, 2026) — Red Flag timing and wind outlookFlorida• Florida State Watch Office — Florida Division of Emergency Management situation reports• NWS Miami — Hazardous Weather Outlook — South Florida severe and marine hazardsHawaii• Hawai‘i County — Emergency Proclamation (April 2026) — Severe weather and concurrent hazards proclamation• HVO — Kīlauea Notice April 19, 2026 — Episode 45 revised windowIdaho• DataBreaches.net — Minidoka Memorial Hospital update (April 20, 2026) — Imaging services restored; Blackwater leak deadline April 24• Comparitech — Blackwater claim and hospital impact — Ransomware claim and hospital response• Idaho Office of Emergency Management — State-level disaster and mitigation updatesIllinois• NWS Quad Cities — April 17, 2026 event summary (updated April 20) — Confirmed EF-2 and EF-1 tornadoes across western Illinois• WQAD — April 17 tornado outbreak recap — Damage assessments and local impactIndiana• NWS Indianapolis — Freeze Warning — East-central and southeast IndianaIowa• NWS Quad Cities — April 17 event summary (updated April 20) — Washington County EF-1 detailsKansas• NWS SPC — Fire Weather Outlook — Red Flag areas across southern PlainsMinnesota• NWS — April 17 Tornadoes (updated April 20) — Rochester EF-2 and regional damageMississippi• WLOX — April showers? More like April drought — Dry-pattern context and rainfall totalsMontana• FEMA — DR-4901 designated areas — County eligibility for Public AssistanceNebraska• KGFW — Red Flag Warning for central Nebraska — Noon to 9 p.m. Monday critical fire weatherNevada• NWS SPC — Fire Weather Outlook — Southwest wind and fire-weather detailsNew Mexico• KRTN — Schwachheim Fire Update, April 20, 2026 — Local fire-line assessmentOhio• NWS Wilmington — Freeze Warning (April 20, 2026) — Southern Ohio overnight freezeOklahoma• Oklahoma Department of Agriculture — Fire Situation Report (April 20, 2026) — Lightning Roll and Sunny Fire containmentOregon• Federal Register — Oregon Major Disaster Declaration — Public Assistance Only for December 2025 storms and landslidesSouth Dakota• Men's Journal — Red Flag Warnings across the High Plains — South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas zones through Monday eveningTexas• NWS San Antonio / Texas Storm Chasers — Flash Flood Warning along the San Antonio to New Braunfels corridor• Click2Houston — Houston severe threat, April 20, 2026 — Two to three inches per hour and heightened crash riskUtah• Snoflo — Utah snowpack status — Statewide snowpack near 32 percent of normalWashington• FEMA — Disasters and Other Declarations — Washington December 2025 winter-storm declarationWest Virginia• WCHS — Freeze Warning remains in effect for most of West Virginia — Monday night through Tuesday morningWisconsin• Wisconsin Emergency Management — SEOC Update 4 (April severe storms and flooding) — Resource requests and ongoing state coordination• WTMJ — Governor Evers state of emergency — April 15, 2026 declarationWyoming• NWS SPC — Fire Weather Outlook — High Plains critical fire-weather patternGuam• FEMA — Emergency Declaration for Guam — April 17, 2026 press release• Stars and Stripes — DoD schools to reopen, port operations (April 20, 2026) — Recovery status update from GuamCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands• Isla Public — FEMA damage assessment after Sinlaku landfall — Published April 19, 2026• HHS ASPR — Public Health Emergency: CNMI and Guam — Secretary's April 17 determination This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/In this episode, Mark Treichel responds directly to a podcast released by the American Bankers Association (ABA) titled “Are Credit Union Commercial Loans Risky Business?” — a 12-minute episode that contains significant factual errors, conflates distinct regulatory mechanisms, and presents advocacy as analysis.Mark draws on 33 years at NCUA — including eight years as Executive Director — and nearly six years in consulting to walk through eight specific claims from the ABA podcast, providing historical context, regulatory detail, and current data from NCUA call reports to address each one.Topics CoveredHistorical BackgroundThe ABA's 35-year campaign against credit union expansion — from the 1990 field-of-membership lawsuit argued for the ABA by then-attorney John Roberts, through the Supreme Court victory, through the congressional response with HR 1151, the Credit Union Membership Access Act of 1998, and the origin of the 12.25% MBL cap as a political compromise rather than a safety-and-soundness limit. How that cap ended up jumpstarting the credit union business lending industry — the law of unintended consequences.Claim 1 — The 2016 Rule Change Was a RelaxationMark untangles two separate errors: the invented waiver mechanism for exceeding the MBL cap (which does not exist — the cap is statutory and cannot be waived by NCUA) and the conflation of the loan-level underwriting waiver process (what actually changed in 2016) with the cap itself. Over 1,000 active waivers were on file before the change; NCUA replaced prescriptive checkboxes with a principles-based framework consistent with OCC and FDIC practice.Claim 2 — The MBL Cap Is NotionalEvery exemption the ABA criticizes — low-income designation, bank acquisitions — was created by Congress, not by credit unions circumventing the system. Using a congressionally authorized exemption is compliance, not circumvention.Claim 3 — The Low-Income Designation ExplosionThe total number of federally insured credit unions fell from 5,048 in 2021 to 4,374 by year-end 2025, a decline of more than 13% in four years. A shrinking denominator drives percentage increases independent of raw count changes. NCUA outreach encouraged eligible institutions to apply for a designation they were already entitled to.Claim 4 — NCUA Lacks Commercial Lending ExpertiseNCUA has had member business lending regulations since the 1980s, updated comprehensively in 2003 and modernized again in 2016. The agency maintains specialized commercial lending examination staff, concentration risk guidance, and net worth standards that apply to commercial lending activity.Claim 5 — Bank Acquisition Commercial Loan ComparisonWhen a credit union acquires a commercial bank, it acquires that bank's loan portfolio. The finding that post-acquisition credit unions carry more commercial loans is a mathematical inevitability, not evidence of a supervisory problem.Claim 6 — These Loans Haven't Been Through StressBank commercial real estate delinquencies peaked at 9% in 2009 and 2010 under OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve supervision. Current credit union commercial loan delinquency as of year-end 2025 is approximately 1% — or 0.44% using the 60-plus-day definition. Former NCUA Chairman Todd Harper has observed that well-underwritten member business loans have the ability to perform differently across economic cycles than auto or mortgage loans — diversification into business lending, done right, is a protection for the system.Claim 7 — Small Business Satisfaction DataThe Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey measures satisfaction among approved applicants at institutions borrowers chose to apply to — a population filtered by membership eligibility requirements. It is not a direct comparison between institution types. Credit unions consistently score among the highest of any financial institution type in the American Customer Satisfaction Index across the full membership.Claim 8 — The Tax Exemption and Level Playing FieldThe credit union tax exemption reflects the cooperative structure: member-owned, with earnings returning to members through lower loan rates, higher deposit returns, and reduced fees. Congress has reviewed this treatment many times and has chosen to maintain it.Takeaways for Credit Union ExecutivesKnow the history and be prepared to counter these arguments with facts. Run a well-managed institution with strong underwriting standards and appropriate capital. Engage proactively with your exam process. Know your data. Be skeptical of statistics presented without context.Resources Referenced•        Credit Union Conversations podcast with Mark Ritter (episode featuring former NCUA Chairman Todd Harper and Mike Radway on HR 1151 history)•        NCUA call report data, year-end 2025•        Federal Register — 2016 NCUA Member Business Lending rule•        America's Credit Unions Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC)

This episode breaks down how prediction markets are colliding with U.S. law as event‑based trading moves from niche forecasting tools to mainstream platforms handling billions in volume. I explain what prediction markets are, why regulators are increasingly alarmed, and how an escalating federal–state fight (plus new legislative and enforcement pressure) is setting up the next wave of high‑stakes litigation. Key Topics Covered: How prediction markets work: event contracts, probability pricing, and why supporters see them as powerful information‑aggregation tools. Why regulators get uneasy when contracts shift from commodities and macro indicators to human behavior, politics, war, and public‑health crises. The “death markets” debate, including controversial contracts tied to violence and ongoing emergencies—and how backlash can reshape platform policy and regulatory narratives. Federal–state preemption fights: the CFTC/DOJ push for exclusive federal authority under the Commodity Exchange Act versus state gambling‑law enforcement. Congressional efforts to close the perceived “back door” for sports‑ and casino‑style contracts offered through CFTC‑regulated event markets. The arrival of insider‑trading and manipulation enforcement in prediction markets—and why “novel contract” does not mean “regulatory free zone.” Emerging civil‑liability theories: platform negligence, fraud and misrepresentation claims, consumer‑protection suits, and reputational risk as litigation matures. Based on a review of court filings, agency statements, news reports, and scattered commentary, I discuss why prediction markets are becoming a litigation magnet—caught between federal commodities law, state gambling regimes, and growing concerns about market integrity and moral hazard. Tom Hagy Host | Emerging Litigation Podcast Sources relied on for this episode:  CFTC, Press Release, “CFTC Sues Trio of States to Reaffirm its Exclusive Jurisdiction Over Prediction Markets” (Apr. 2, 2026). CFTC, Press Release, “CFTC Enforcement Division Issues Prediction Markets Advisory” (Feb. 25, 2026). Congressional Research Service (CRS), “Prediction Markets and Insider Trading Law” (Mar. 18, 2026). CRS, “Prediction Markets: Policy Issues for Congress” (Mar. 20, 2026). Senator Schiff press release, “Sens. Schiff, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Ban Sports Prediction Market Contracts” (Mar. 23, 2026)  17 C.F.R. § 40.11 (eCFR), “Review of event contracts based upon certain excluded commodities” (Apr. 2026). Federal Register, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, “Event Contracts,” 89 Fed. Reg. 48968 (June 10, 2024). ______________________________________Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear please give us a rating. You'd be amazed at how much that helps. If you have questions for Tom or would like to participate, you can reach him at Editor@LitigationConferences.com. Ask him about creating this kind of content for your firm -- podcasts, webinars, blogs, articles, papers, and more. Tom on LinkedInEmerging Litigation Podcast on LinkedInEmerging Litigation Podcast on the HB Litigation site 

Show Notes & Links (by story) Fact-check: “engineered ticks” + meat allergy claim AP Fact Check PolitiFact fact check Idaho Fish & Game Commissioner Brody Harshbarger poaching charges Local News 8 / KIVI-TV report MeatEater coverage Colorado wolves: CPW budget request for $450,000 while translocation paused Colorado Politics report Denver Gazette version California public lands drilling proposals (~1M+ acres / mineral estate) Outside Online overview SFGATE reporting California AG Rob Bonta press release Center for Biological Diversity press release (comment volume/position) Colorado bison law: hunting illegal unless authorized by CPW Commission Colorado General Assembly bill summary (SB25-053) KKCO/CPW roster reporting Federal Register: information collection / experimental populations (10(j)) + public comment Federal Register notice Public inspection page with comment due date + dockets NPS expands qualified volunteer opportunities for invasive species management (nutria/hogs) NPS news release (Jean Lafitte + Cumberland Island) Outdoor Life context on “managed removal,” not open hunting California: ~30 deer alleged in multi-year poaching investigation; four arrests GV Wire report citing CDFW CSLEA write-up summarizing CDFW announcement MeatEater summary Wyoming: Cody urban deer poaching case reporting Cowboy State Daily Additional excerpted coverage Lead ammo/tackle access bill (House vote) Rep. Crank press release NSSF response Hunting Stories Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to be a guest?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest overhaul to Part 141 in decades is about to go public — and this episode covers everything you need to know before the Federal Register drops on April 1st, 2026. View our entire newsletter here: https://www.cfibootcamp.com/monthlynewsletter/march-2026 We break down the Part 141 Modernization Team's final recommendations: a new Central Management Office, a two-tiered school approval system, Quality Management Systems with dynamic TCO update authority, greater Chief Pilot autonomy, revised examining authority criteria, standardized grading scales, and expanded allowances for flight training devices and new technology like VR. Plus: CFI Bootcamp's Airspace Flash Cards just got a major update with 32 new scenarios. The CFII PTS is on its way to becoming an ACS. And the new Commercial Pilot ASEL SmartStudy Pro Course is almost here — listen to find out how to get early access at half price. We wrap up with practical pro tips for CFIs, including how to earn extra income through remote ground instruction, the underrated perks of the AGI certificate, and how to get more out of ForeFlight Premium. Whether you're a flight instructor, a Part 141 school operator, or a student pilot — this one's worth your time. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit cfibootcamp.com for resources mentioned in this episode.

Amid ongoing conflicts and looming threats from peer adversaries like China, conversations around the American defense industrial base have shifted from capacity to resilience and speed. Meanwhile, software, AI and autonomy have emerged as key drivers for modern military operations, and with that, the DIB has evolved to incorporate new, non-traditional vendors that don't see themselves as prime defense contractors. That transformation and fielding efforts to bolster it are the focus of the Pentagon's Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, led by Hon. Michael Cadenazzi. Cadenazzi joining the Daily Scoop to discuss the new and ongoing policy efforts of his office to wrap its arms around, support and grow the modern defense supply chain, the challenges it faces, how it can keep pace with commercial innovation, and what comes next. The cost to run Direct File for the 2025 tax filing season was tens of millions of dollars less than what the IRS estimated it would be, according to a new watchdog report. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that the IRS ended up spending $16.2 million on the since-cancelled free electronic filing service in fiscal 2025 — far shy of the $61.2 million projected by the IRS. That $45 million gap appears to undercut one of Direct File opponents' main complaints about the customer-praised digital initiative: that it was supposedly an inefficient use of government resources. However, TIGTA noted some caveats to that finding: The IRS initially “overestimated” how many people would use Direct File and how many “assistors” would be needed to support them. Just 751,000 taxpayers registered with Direct File for its limited second season; the IRS estimated that 32 million taxpayers would be eligible to use the tool, according to the Treasury watchdog. Of those who registered, 59% did not ultimately submit a tax return through the system. The Federal Aviation Administration is collecting information about the evolving operational and infrastructure needs of airports, given the increasing integration of unmanned aircraft systems. The FAA aims to catalog and inventory best practices for airport design standards and standalone facilities, called droneports, as part of the request for comment published in the Federal Register on Monday. The Department of Transportation component wants to interview representatives from equipment manufacturers, unmanned aircraft system vendors, the military and other stakeholders. After the comment period closes next month, the FAA will use responses to inform a report that will then shape operational evaluations and standard-setting tied to the integration of drones. The information-gathering effort comes amid a heightened focus on drone and counter-drone technologies. The FAA laid out plans to create an office overseeing the integration of drones and other advanced aviation technologies as part of its broader organizational overhaul beginning in January. Just days later, the FAA reopened a request for information centered around the handling of UAS and proposed policies for location-tracking, data-sharing and detection technologies. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

OA1245 - Federal prosecutors have just secured the first convictions in US history in which the Department of Justice has brought charges relating to associations with “Antifa,” an organization which demonstrably does not exist. We take a closer look at the plight of the eight defendants convicted on charges relating to a noise protest outside of an ICE detention center in Prarieland, Texas to break down the unusual legal basis for this case, understand how protesters were cast as terrorists, and what this all means for the future of American dissent. Then in better news, we take a closer look at the recent bar complaint against one of Trump's favorite lawyers (and our favorite MAGA characters) and AG Pam Bondi's efforts to claim that the feds can hold up similar investigations brought by state regulators. Matt explains why this proposed rule is not only obviously illegal but doomed to fail before providing some news you can use in today's footnote: the official OA guide on how to get away with a $100 million jewelry heist. Superseding Indictment #1 in United States v. Arnold (2025) Jury verdict in in United States v. Arnold (2025) “Meet the Defendants,” DFW Defense Committee website “Specification of Charges in the matter of Edward R. Martin Jr.” District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility (3/6/2026) “Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys,” Federal Register (3/5/2026) Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!  

Last week, Judge James Boasberg checked in the Justice Department by quashing two subpoenas against Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell, intended to pressure him into "voting for lower interest rates or resigning.” Finding “essentially zero evidence” of criminal behavior, Mary and Andrew explain how these subpoenas were issued as retribution and retaliation against Powell, as Boasberg cited over 100 statements that the president and his deputies made attacking him. Next, the co-hosts dig into the disciplinary proceedings against President Trump's pardon attorney Ed Martin, who, while serving as DC's interim U.S. Attorney, pressured Georgetown Law School to change its curriculum. Last on the agenda, Mary and Andrew highlight the case that AI firm Anthropic filed against the Defense Department over being essentially blacklisted. The case is centered around the Pentagon labeling the AI firm a “supply chain risk” after they asked the Pentagon not to use their “Claude” AI technology to do two things: “deploy lethal autonomous warfare without human oversight” and use it for “mass surveillance of Americans.” Further reading:  Here is the complaint Anthropic filed against the government: Complaint For Declaratory And Injunctive Relief Here once again is the Federal Register if you'd like to enter public comment: Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Agent Survival Guide is discussing crosswalking in the ACA marketplace and how it can be a big deal for your clients. If you don't know what that means or the affects it can have on coverage, you won't want to miss this episode. Read the text version   The Complete Guide to Selling Affordable Care Act Insurance Plans ACA 101: Selling Under-65 Health Insurance   Get Connected:

Host: Cindy Allen Show: Simply Trade – Cindy's Version Published: March 6, 2026 Length: ~13 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Ready For It? CBP's IEEPA Refund Proposal Drops—Here's What's Next Cindy Allen, CEO of TradeForce Multiplier, dives into the latest trade developments through Taylor Swift's “Ready For It?”—perfect for the “let the games begin” drama unfolding in IEEPA refund hearings. From DHS shakeups and Section 122 lawsuits to CBP's just‑filed refund blueprint, Cindy unpacks the mechanics, open questions, and what importers/brokers should do now.​ What You'll Learn in This Episode DHS leadership change Secretary Noem removed; scuttlebutt suggests more exits at DHS/CBP headquarters. New nominee: Oklahoma senator with broad congressional/President support (not yet formal).​ Section 122 tariff challenges 24 states sue in Court of International Trade, arguing Section 122 doesn't meet “imbalance of payments” requirement for universal tariffs. Commerce Secretary Besant hints at 15% rate hikes for specific industries, potentially violating Section 122's uniform application rule—no movement yet (as of Friday afternoon).​ USMCA signals Congress supports extension, but President has final say. Discussions on trilateral vs. bilateral (U.S.–Canada, U.S.–Mexico); some push for 1‑year extension to renegotiate post‑tariff chaos.​ Global disruptions Iran war halts Strait of Hormuz traffic, backing up oil tankers and vessels reliant on that fuel—broad transportation ripple effects.​ USTR advisory opportunity Nominations open for 4 USTR trade advisory groups (separate from COAC)—check Federal Register notices. Chance to influence policy, build government/industry relationships.​ Why “Ready For It?” Cindy channels Taylor Swift's “Ready For It?” for the IEEPA refund “dating game” between DOJ, CBP, and CIT: Federal Circuit rejected government's 90‑day delay request, remanded immediately to CIT. CIT hearing (March 4) was “entertaining” bickering—judge ruled no suit needed for non‑final entries and ordered CBP to liquidate without IEEPA duties. CIT conference (March 6, closed): CBP filed a refund proposal.​ CBP's IEEPA Refund Proposal Breakdown How it would work: Importers file ACE declaration with Excel list of affected entries. ACE runs validations, auto‑recalculates IEEPA refund. CBP verifies declaration accuracy. ACE auto‑liquidates; CBP certifies; Treasury issues refunds (as normal). Estimated 45 days for CBP programming.​ Open questions: Entry updates: ACE is system of record—will underlying entry summaries be corrected? (Critical for protests, PSCs, reconciliation, drawback.) Broker involvement: ABI required? Broker systems need programming? Push/pull updates? Reconciliation: How handled in bulk process? PSC/audit impact: Can filers still correct misclassifications post‑bulk liquidation? (Protests harder than PSC.) Liquidation halt: CBP questions authority to pause during 45‑day programming (hundreds of thousands liquidated March 6).​ Key Takeaways CIT has jurisdiction; expect CBP proposal review/dialogue—trade associations pushing entry updates. Programming delays + ABI sync = potential months before refunds flow. Liquidation is automatic unless stopped—monitor your entries closely. “Let the games begin”—are you ready for the IEEPA refund process?​ Credits Host: Cindy Allen Producer: Annik Sobing  Listen & Subscribe Simply Trade main page: https://simplytrade.podbean.com​ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690​ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/09m199JO6fuNumbcrHTkGq​ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8de7d7fa-38e0-41b2-bad3-b8a3c5dc4cda/simply-trade​ Connect with Simply Trade Podcast page: https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/simply-trade-podcast​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/simply-trade-podcast​ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTradePod​ Join the Trade Geeks Community Trade Geeks (by Global Training Center): https://globaltrainingcenter.com/trade-geeks/  

The Friday Five for March 6, 2026: CMS Updates Deadline for GENEROUS CMS Makes Updates to Medicare.gov CMS Deferment of Minnesota Federal Medicaid Funding CMS DMEPOS Enrollment Moratorium CMS CRUSH Request for Information   Get Connected:

President Donald Trump has reshaped the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the past year to align it more closely with his administration's nuclear ambitions. But current and former officials told POLITICO that the NRC is no longer operating independently, raising new questions about the future of the nation's nuclear safety watchdog. POLITICO's A.J. Camacho joins host Nirmal Mulaikal to explain what's changed inside the agency and how that could impact public safety and America's nuclear revival. Plus, EPA's repeal of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding will be published in today's Federal Register, and President Donald Trump slammed a new clean energy agreement between California and the United Kingdom. Francisco "A.J." Camacho is a reporter for POLITICO's E&E News. Stefan Todorovic is the video producer of POLITICO Energy. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.  Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Cyril Zaneski is executive editor of E&E News. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here:    ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram:  / politico      ➤ Facebook:  / politico   For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send a textWhat happens when a new VA rule could reshape how disability is rated, and the loudest voices online push us toward outrage instead of answers? We dig into the Federal Register proposal that factors medication into disability evaluations, explain why some veterans fear lower ratings, and share how to navigate the public comment process without getting lost in the noise. Our goal is clarity over clamor—grounding the debate in sources, not slogans.We also open up about a change in our own approach. After years of watching the incentives that reward division, we're doubling down on unity without soft-pedaling the truth. That means hosting tough conversations about the “veteran fraud” narrative with empathy for combat-injured vets and those with non-combat service injuries, while refusing to let anyone use our community as a wedge. It also means producing fewer, deeper episodes so the research, context, and follow-through match the stakes.Looking ahead, we preview a conversation with a host from the Anti-Hero podcast who faced a massive defamation suit after reporting on a high-profile special operations story. We'll get practical about legal risk for indie creators: verifying claims, separating allegation from assertion, extending right of reply, and documenting sources to protect both speech and subjects. We also spotlight “We Are the Bad Guys,” a deeply sourced book that challenges comfortable narratives about U.S. actions overseas and pushed us to re-examine our own assumptions.Finally, we track a developing case that cuts to the core of medical ethics: a father says his active-duty son did not consent to organ donation after a fatal accident. We outline the policy, consent, and next-of-kin questions this raises—and why careful, humane reporting matters when timelines are tight and consequences are permanent. If you care about veteran benefits, truthful storytelling, and staying human in a polarized media landscape, this one matters.If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review—then tell us where you stand on the VA proposal and how creators should handle high-risk stories. Your voice shapes what we cover next.Support the showVisit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTERRead my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.comWatch episodes of my podcast:https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

In this episode of The Dish on Health IT, host Tony Schueth is joined by co-host Alix Goss and special guest Amy Gleason, Strategic Advisor to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Administrator of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Service, for a wide-ranging discussion on how health IT modernization is evolving under a pledge-driven, incentive-backed federal strategy.The conversation begins not with policy, but with lived experience.From Emergency Room to Interoperability AdvocateAmy shares how her early career as an emergency room nurse exposed the dangers of fragmented information. Providers were expected to make critical decisions without access to complete patient histories, while patients, often in pain or distress, were unrealistically asked to recall complex medical details.That professional frustration became deeply personal when her daughter went more than a year without diagnosis for a rare autoimmune disease, juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). Multiple specialists saw pieces of the puzzle, but no one could see the full picture across charts and settings. Amy reflects that if today's AI tools had been applied to her daughter's complete longitudinal record, the condition may have surfaced sooner.That experience shaped her philosophy. Technology must converge with policy and trust in ways that tangibly improve care.Why Pledges Instead of Rules?Tony presses on a central theme. Amy has argued that we cannot regulate our way to success. Why pursue voluntary pledges instead of federal rulemaking?Amy explains her frustration returning to government in 2025 to find interoperability policies she helped draft in 2020 still not fully effective until 2027. Seven years is an eternity in technology. Meanwhile, the industry had technically complied with numerous mandates including Meaningful Use, Cures Act APIs and CMS interoperability rules, yet many workflows still felt broken.In her view, regulation created a floor but not always real transformation.The CMS Health Tech Ecosystem Pledge was launched as a different model. The federal government used its convening power to articulate a clear vision and challenge industry to deliver minimum viable products within six to twelve months rather than years.Initially announced with roughly 60 companies, the pledge initiative has grown to more than 600 participants collaborating in working groups. The three initial patient-focused use cases include:Improving data interoperability“Killing the clipboard” through digital identity and QR-based sharingLeveraging conversational AI and personalized recommendations for chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesityAmy describes live demonstrations at a Connectathon showing OAuth-enabled data retrieval, QR ingestion into EHR workflows and AI-powered recommendations built on patient data. The goal is not perfection by the first milestone, but real-world minimum viable functionality that can iteratively improve.Alix notes that from the standards community perspective, this approach feels aligned with long-standing calls for industry-driven collaboration, though it remains early to measure widespread impact.Carrots, Sticks and Rural HealthThe discussion turns to incentives.Amy outlines the administration's carrots and sticks strategy:Stick: Enforcement of information blocking, with penalties up to $2 million per occurrenceCarrots: Financial incentives such as the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program and the CMS ACCESS Model, which pays for technology-enabled outcomesThe Rural Health Transformation Program directs money to states with expectations that ecosystem-aligned interoperability and app participation be incorporated into funding proposals. CMS retains oversight and clawback authority to ensure funds support rural providers.The ACCESS Model represents a significant shift. Technology-enabled care platforms can register as Medicare Part B providers and be paid for measurable outcomes in tracks such as cardiometabolic disease, musculoskeletal conditions and behavioral health. Providers remain in the loop and receive compensation for referral and care plan oversight.Alix underscores that rural providers face steep financial and workforce constraints. Standards participation, implementation and technology upgrades require resources that are often scarce. The success of these incentives will depend on whether they reduce burden rather than add to it.AI: Evolution, Risk and RealityAI becomes a central thread of the episode.Amy compares AI adoption to autonomous vehicle models. Some scenarios allow tightly controlled automation, such as medication refills, while others require a human in the loop for higher-risk decisions. She points to a Utah prescription refill pilot as an example of bounded automation, where malpractice coverage and clearly defined use cases mitigate risk.When Tony asks who owns risk in this evolving landscape, Amy emphasizes the need for light but clear regulatory pathways rather than fragmented state-by-state oversight.Patients, she notes, are already there. Millions are asking health-related questions weekly through AI tools. The more pressing issue is ensuring those tools are grounded in structured medical data rather than incomplete memory or unverified inputs.She shares a striking story. Her daughter was excluded from a clinical trial due to a misclassification of ulcerative colitis. By uploading her records into an AI model, they identified a more precise diagnosis, microscopic lymphocytic colitis, which did not disqualify her from the trial. For Amy, this demonstrates both the power and inevitability of AI use.Alix adds caution. AI is only as strong as the data beneath it. Dirty, inconsistent and poorly structured data limits performance. Standards and terminologies remain essential to fuel high-fidelity models and safeguard trust.FHIR, Deregulation and the Data FoundationThe conversation addresses an emerging tension. If regulatory burdens are being reduced, does that signal less need for structured standards like FHIR?Amy candidly admits she initially wondered whether AI might reduce the need for FHIR altogether. After discussions with labs and technologists, she concluded the opposite. Standardized data dramatically improves AI performance and reduces error.Deregulation is about removing unnecessary burden, not abandoning foundational data structures.Alix reinforces that FHIR enables discrete, normalized data capture that supports both legacy transactions and AI evolution. While future innovations may emerge, today FHIR remains the backbone for scalable interoperability.Prior Authorization and HIPAA ModernizationThe episode dives into prior authorization modernization across medical and pharmacy domains.Amy notes growing interest among pledge participants to expand into pharmacy prior authorization testing, diagnostic imaging, real-time benefit checks and bulk FHIR performance testing.Alix provides insight into ongoing work within the Designated Standards Maintenance Organizations to incorporate FHIR-based approaches into HIPAA-named standards, particularly for prior authorization. She highlights testing beyond Connectathons, including implementer communities and real-world pilot efforts.Both stress the importance of public comment periods and industry engagement, describing participation as a civic responsibility for health IT professionals.Trust as the Core EnablerThe final segment centers on trust.Amy explains that the ecosystem initiative aims to reinforce trust through:Stronger digital identity verification such as Clear, ID.me and Login.govCertification frameworks such as CARIN and DIME for patient-facing appsA new national provider directory to replace fragmented provider data sourcesTransparency dashboards showing data requests, volumes and purposeRather than replacing frameworks like TEFCA, she describes the pledge model as an accelerator layered above the regulatory floor.Transparency acts as sunlight, enabling visibility into who is accessing data and for what purpose.Final TakeawaysIn closing, Amy urges providers not to sit on the sidelines. Too often, she says, providers feel change is imposed on them. The pledge environment is designed as an open forum where they can directly shape what works or does not work in real workflows.Alix echoes the call. Standards require participation. Organizations must allocate budget and staff to engage, comment and collaborate. It truly takes a village.Tony concludes by framing the episode's core message. Regulation establishes baseline expectations, but voluntary movements can demonstrate what is possible before mandates reach the Federal Register.Across pledges, payment reform, AI evolution and trust frameworks, the episode underscores a consistent theme. Modernization in health IT depends not only on policy direction, but on shared accountability and active participation from every stakeholder in the ecosystem.Listeners are reminded that POCP is available to support organizations in understanding the implications of federal initiatives, enforcement priorities and their strategic implications. Reach out to us to set up an initial consultation. The episode closes, as always, with the reminder that Health IT is a dish best served hot.Prefer video? Catch episodes on the POCP YouTube channel

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/The NCUA has issued a proposed rule implementing the GENIUS Act, establishing a federal licensing framework for payment stablecoin issuers.For the first time, credit union subsidiaries could apply to become Permitted Payment Stablecoin Issuers (PPSIs) — but only under strict supervisory standards.In this episode, Mark breaks down:Why credit unions cannot issue stablecoins directlyHow the subsidiary licensing model worksThe 10% “Parent Company” threshold and joint application structureThe 1% CUSO investment cap and its impact on participationThe 120-day statutory decision clockHow this compares to FDIC, OCC, and Federal Reserve proposalsWhy “rewards vs. interest” could become the next regulatory battlegroundHow the proposed CLARITY Act fits into the broader digital asset frameworkThis proposal represents one of the most significant expansions of NCUA supervisory authority in decades. While stablecoin issuance is optional, the regulatory guardrails are now taking shape.Comments on the proposed rule are due 60 days after Federal Register publication.If your credit union is considering digital asset innovation, payment modernization, or cooperative technology ventures, this episode outlines the strategic considerations.Key TopicsGENIUS Act stablecoin frameworkSubsidiary-only issuance requirementPPSI licensing processCapital and liquidity expectationsCUSO structure implicationsJoint ownership modelsRegulatory cost recovery debateCLARITY Act market structure considerationsWhy This MattersStablecoins are not insured shares. They are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. They cannot blur the line between payments and deposits.Understanding these distinctions will be critical as the industry evaluates next steps.If you found this episode helpful, share it with a colleague and subscribe to With Flying Colors for ongoing insights into NCUA policy, supervision trends, and regulatory strategy.

OA1236 - Elections grab bag! Election news has been accumulating, so Jenessa helps us get caught up on what's going on. Who's winning elections? What's going on with redistricting? Heard something confusing about the mail? Trump back on his bullshit again? Good news, mixed news, debunking alleged bad news, bad news with plans for how to turn things around; we've got it all. Updates since we recorded: The SAVE America Act passed the House. Also the affidavit for the warrant in Georgia was unsealed. We'll talk about it soon, but the short version is these people really still believe in election conspiracy theories. It's gross. We'll survive. John Hanna & Julie Carr Smyth (Feb. 1, 2026). Texas stunner: Democrat Taylor Rehmet flips Republican state Senate district Trump won by 17 points, Associated Press. Amy Howe (Feb. 4, 2026). Supreme Court allows California to use congressional map benefitting Democrats, SCOTUSBlog. Tangipa v. Newsom (docket and SCOTUSBlog coverage), SCOTUSBlog. Abbott v. League of United Latin American Citizens (docket and SCOTUSBlog coverage), SCOTUSBlog. H.R.7296 - SAVE America Act, Congress.gov. H.R.7300 - Make Elections Great Again Act. Congress.gov. Domestic Mail Manual 608.11 Domestic Mail Manual amendment explanation (Nov. 24, 2025). Postmarks and Postal Possession, Federal Register. 39 CFR Part 111 Dan Mooney, What Is RTO? Why Do We Have It?, National Association of Postal Supervisors (Aug. 19, 2025)  Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative. (Feb. 2, 2025). Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products, Federal Register. 39 CFR Part 121 Track Your Ballot or Ballot Application, Vote.org. 2 U.S.C. § 7 - Time of election (Dec. 24, 2025). Table 11: Receipt and Postmark Deadlines for Absentee/Mail Ballots, National Conference of State Legislatures. Evan Lee (Jan. 15, 2026) Court holds that all candidates can challenge rules governing vote counting in elections, SCOTUSBlog. Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, 607 U.S. __ (2026). Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections (docket and SCOTUSBlog coverage), SCOTUSBlog. Amy Howe (Nov. 10, 2025). Justices agree to decide major election law case, SCOTUSBlog. Watson v. Republican National Committee (Election Law) (docket and SCOTUSBlog coverage), SCOTUSBlog. Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!

PODCAST: This Week in Amateur Radio Edition #1407 - Full Version (With repeater ID breaks every 10 minutes) Release Date: February 14, 2026 Here is a summary of the news trending...This Week in Amateur Radio. This week's edition is anchored by Jordan Kurtz, KE9BPO, Rich Lawrence, Mike Nicolich, K9DXM, George Lama, KC2OXJ, Don Hulick, K2ATJ, Will Rogers, K5WLR, Eric Zittel, KD2RJX, Chris Perrine, KB2FAF, Steve Sawyer, K1FRC, George Bowen, W2XBS, and Jessica Bowen, KC2VWX Produced and edited by George Bowen, W2XBS Approximate Running Time: 1:45:50 Podcast Download: https://bit.ly/TWIAR1407 Trending headlines in this week's bulletin service 1. AMSAT: FUJI OSCAR 29 Approaches Full Sunlight 2. AMSAT: SpaceX Grounds Its Falcon 9 Rocket 3. AMSAT: Declassifying JUMPSEAT: An American Pioneer In Space 4. AMSAT: Kenya To Represent Africa In The ARISS Program During 2026 5. AMSAT: Satellite Shorts From All Over 6. WIA: New Comedy Podcast Tackles Ham Radio's "Gatekeeping Problem" With Humour and Education 7. WIA: IARU Region One Issues Clarification On Reports Of Ham Radio Prosecutions In Belarus 8. WIA: Radio Society Of Great Britain Publishes Band Plans 9. WIA: Radio Station Looks To Share WKRP Callsign 10. FCC: Keep Your FRN Information Updated: FCC Fines Could Add Up Quickly 11. FCC: Amazon Gets FCC Approval To Launch 4,500 Leo Internet Satellites 12. ARRL: Start Planning Now For Ham Radio Open House In April - World Amateur Radio Day 13. ARRL: Digital Or Paper? 14. ARRL: Special Event Station Will Be Honoring The Titanic Radio Men 15. ARRL: ARRL Mourns The Loss Of Sharon Taratula, Awards Manager 16. ARRL: William Reed Whitten, AB4W, SK 17. BBC Shortwave Radio Programs Are Received In Iran 18. Amateur In Scotland Gets Approval For Installation Of A Tower 19. Texas Military Base Issues GPS Interference Warning 20. Advanced Class US Operators To Host A Popular Net 21. Amateur Radio License Plates Are Poised For Approval In New Hampshire 22. The Maker Community Eyes A Contruction Competition In The UK 23. The FCC deletes obsolete Part 97 Rules after their publication in the Federal Register on February 10th 24. ARRL: Irvine Disaster Emergency Communications offering a Technician-level licensing course 25. ARRL: Upcoming Contests and Regional Convention Listings 26. AMSAT: NASA selects global tracking volunteers for the upcoming Artemis II mission 27. AMSAT: OpenSpace Phased Array antenna project targets low cost Earth Moon Earth for amateurs 28. FCC: FCC requires disclosure of Foreighn Adversaries interest, exempts amateurs 29. FCC: FCC fast-tracks SpaceX plan for one million satellites, and it wants your thoughts 30. ARRL: ARRL joins America250 as a supporting partner for the nations 250th anniversary 31. ARRL: The National Council of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators removes three questions from use 32. ARRL: The league announces that more funding is available for radio clubs 33. ARD: Open HamClock backend aims to keep HamClock ticking Plus these Special Features This Week: * Working Amateur Radio Satellites with Bruce Paige, KK5DO - AMSAT Satellite News * Australia's own Onno Benshop, VK6FLAB, will be here with another edition of Foundations of Amateur Radio, This week's program is titled "How to become an amateur today" * The DX Corner with Bill Salyers, AJ8B with with all the latest news on DXpeditions, DX, upcoming radio sport contests, and a lot more * Weekly Propagation Forecast from the ARRL * Monthly Volunteer Monitoring Report * Our own amateur radio historian, Will Rogers, K5WLR, returns with another new edition of "A Century Of Amateur Radio", this week, Will takes us back to 1924 where we find that for nearly a year, hams had been operating in their first assigned band of wavelengths, 150 to 200 meters. They had also been experimenting below 150 meters by special government permission. We will hear all about in this episode titled, "Six Segments, Sans Spark" ----- Full Podcast (ID breaks every 10 mins for use on ham frequencies): https://www.twiar.net/twiarpodcast.rss Full Podcast (No ID Breaks for LPFM or personal listening): https://www.twiar.net/twiarpodcastlpfm.rss Truncated Podcast (Approximately 1 hour in length): https://www.twiar.net/twiarpodcast60.rss Website: https://www.twiar.net X: https://x.com/TWIAR Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twiar.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twiari YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQdPO6QkZJ1eIvw6-EQWQPgogVNiZim4u RSS News: https://twiar.net/?feed=rss2 Automated (Full Static file, updated weekly): https://twiar.net/TWIARHAM.mp3 Automated (1-hour Static file, updated weekly): https://www.twiar.net/TWIAR1HR.mp3 This Week in Amateur Radio is produced by Community Video Associates in upstate New York, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you would like to volunteer with us as a news anchor or special segment producer please get in touch with our Executive Producer, George, via email at w2xbs77@gmail.com. Thanks to FortifiedNet.net for the server space! Thanks to Archive.org for the audio space.

Show Notes & Links (Sources) Michigan CWD detected in Gladwin County (first time) — local reporting summarizing Michigan DNR/MSU lab confirmation. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands hearing (Feb 10, 2026) — committee hearing notice/details. DOI Secretarial Order 3447 (Jan 7, 2026) — DOI document + coverage/analysis. USFWS direct final rule on refuge regs; comment deadline Feb 17 — Federal Register entry + USFWS press release context. Lawsuit seeking a national gray wolf recovery plan (filed Feb 10, 2026) — regional reporting + lawsuit/press materials. Grizzly planning delay extension through Dec 18, 2026 — Mountain West reporting. Idaho Fish and Game: Deadwater ice jam out (Upper Salmon River) Feb 10, 2026 — IDFG update. 2026 fishing season regulation changes roundup (Yellowstone / Rockies) — Hatch Magazine coverage. California international wildlife trafficking disruption — California Governor's Office release + conservation outlet coverage. British Columbia 2026–2028 hunting/trapping proposals; lead shot discussion — BCWF explainer/position + related materials. B.C. caribou-related proposal coverage — regional reporting. Japan ivory market scrutiny statement (Feb 2, 2026) — NGO policy statement. Hunting Stories Links⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to be a guest?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vous aviez prévu un week-end prolongé à New York ou un détour par les stades américains pour la prochaine Coupe du monde ? Il va falloir préparer plus que votre valise. Désormais, pour entrer aux États-Unis sans visa, le simple formulaire ESTA ne se contente plus des traditionnelles informations d'état civil. Il scrute aussi votre vie numérique.Jusqu'ici, l'ESTA — le sésame électronique pour les voyageurs des 42 pays du programme d'exemption de visa, dont la France — demandait des données classiques : identité, passeport, adresse. Mais un décret publié fin 2025 au Federal Register a durci la procédure. Depuis le 8 février, les candidats doivent fournir leurs numéros de téléphone utilisés sur cinq ans, des renseignements détaillés sur leur famille… et surtout un historique complet de leurs réseaux sociaux sur cinq ans, ainsi que dix années d'adresses e-mail. Autrement dit : une véritable cartographie numérique de votre existence.Ces informations ne dorment pas dans un tiroir. Elles sont passées au crible d'algorithmes chargés de repérer des profils jugés sensibles selon leurs opinions, leurs relations ou leurs activités en ligne. À la clé, des contrôles renforcés à l'arrivée, parfois très longs, voire un refus d'entrée pur et simple. Une pression qui commence déjà à peser sur la fréquentation touristique : selon US Travel Association, les arrivées étrangères ont reculé de 6,3 % en 2025 par rapport à 2024. En parallèle, le Department of Homeland Security dispose d'un autre outil : des subpoenas administratifs, autrement dit l'injonction de comparaître devant un tribunal pour produire un témoignage ou un document, adressés directement aux plateformes comme Meta ou Google, sans autorisation judiciaire préalable. Ces demandes permettent d'obtenir des métadonnées — adresses IP, horaires de connexion, localisation — afin de reconstituer les habitudes d'un utilisateur. Elles ont déjà servi à identifier des internautes critiques envers l'administration, notamment sur les opérations de Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Au final, frontière physique et frontière numérique se confondent. Voyager vers les États-Unis, ce n'est plus seulement montrer son passeport. C'est aussi exposer son historique en ligne. Et accepter que chaque clic puisse, un jour, peser dans la balance au contrôle des douanes. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Host: Cindy AllenGuests: Heather Litman & Sandra Langford-Coty Show: Simply Trade – Cindy's Version Published: February 6, 2026 Length: ~13 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Long Live: Celebrating Trade Wins with Your Industry Crew Cindy Allen, CEO of TradeForce Multiplier, delivers this week's rapid-fire trade update through the lens of Taylor Swift's “Long Live”—a song about shared victories and the bonds that make them possible. From congressional pushback on exclusions to critical minerals zones and a surprising U.S.-China thaw, Cindy breaks down what happened and what's next.​ What You'll Learn in This Episode: Express Carrier Bill faces pushback Peter Navarro publicly opposes the bill for simplified clearance parity with USPS, calling de minimis a zombie issue that “won't die.”​ Congress demands exclusion transparency Senator Wyden's letter calls the Section 232 exclusion process secretive and confusing—good news that Congress may step in for importers/exporters.​ USMCA hearing next week Senate Finance Committee will hear from pro-trade voices and domestic industry reps—watch for outcomes that could impact the agreement.​ EU moves fast on U.S. trade deal EU Parliament takes up negotiations internally to beat deadlines and avoid tariff retaliation seen with other countries.​ HTS updates published International Trade Commission released food/pharma changes effective February 1—check if you're impacted via the International Trade Administration.​ Critical minerals preferential zone Administration (led by VP JD Vance) exploring enforceable price floors at every production stage—no details yet.​ India IEPA tariff reductions pending Rumored drop from 50% total to 18%, but no Federal Register notice or CSMS message yet—stay tuned for implementation guidance.​ U.S.-China relations thaw? Administration calls recent talks “extremely good,” signaling stability for China importers after a year of mixed signals.​ Why “Long Live”? Cindy ties the week's developments to “Long Live,” focusing on celebrating successes with friends—especially critical now when industry networks help navigate chaos. Conferences and associations aren't just for learning; they're where you build the relationships that get you through volatile times.​ Key Takeaways: Momentum is building for more congressional oversight on exclusion processes—positive for transparency.​ Check HTS food/pharma updates immediately if affected; they're already live.​ Critical minerals zone and India tariff details will drop soon—track Federal Register and CSMS closely.​ U.S.-China tone shift could mean stability, but verify with primary sources before adjusting strategy.​ Build your trade network now—when rules change monthly, friends in the industry are your real compliance superpower.​   Presented by: Global Training Center​ Listen & Subscribe Simply Trade main page: https://simplytrade.podbean.com​ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690​ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/09m199JO6fuNumbcrHTkGq​ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8de7d7fa-38e0-41b2-bad3-b8a3c5dc4cda/simply-trade​ Connect with Simply Trade Podcast page: https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/simply-trade-podcast​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/simply-trade-podcast​ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTradePod​ Join the Trade Geeks Community Trade Geeks (by Global Training Center): https://globaltrainingcenter.com/trade-geeks/

Photo: Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin. (Ty Nigh / Flickr) Ojibwe tribes in the Great Lakes region are raising concerns about Trump administration plans to remove a rule that limits road building in national forest land, as Chuck Quirmbach reports. The Roadless Rule is a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) policy that for 25 years has curtailed building or reconstructing roads in the national forests. There have also been limits on commercial timber harvesting in roadless areas that have been inventoried. Last summer, the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA), which includes USFS, proposed rescinding the Roadless Rule. The department said that would give more decision-making authority to regional forest managers and improve access for fighting fires. But the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission – which serves eleven Ojibwe tribes in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan with treaty-protected hunting, fishing, and gathering rights – backs the Roadless Rule. Commission spokesperson Jenny Van Sickle says agency scientists looked at how the rule has protected five national forests in what is called the Ceded Territory. She says the federal government has a responsibility to enforce treaty rights there. “That’s wild rice. That’s tapping maples for sap to make sugar. These are real activities, they’re not theoretical. These are federal responsibilities that remain in place. So, to try to kick that to regional foresters doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Van Sickle says there are already many roads in the national forests. She says if the Roadless Rule needs amending, the tribes are willing to talk. “If the rule needs work, we want to be at those tables. We want to talk about those problems. We want to get to those solutions. We can do that together. We’ve worked very closely and formally with the Forest Service for nearly 30 years.” A USDA spokesperson says the agency remains committed to a consultation process with the tribes and, if the Roadless Rule ends, land use decisions would still need to comply with specific forest or grassland management plans and other applicable laws – all developed with public involvement. (Courtesy OETA) Tribal leaders responded to Gov. Kevin Stitt (Cherokee/R-OK)'s final State of the State address, which he delivered Monday. Tribal leaders say Gov. Stitt misrepresents tribes. Tribes and the governor have had a rocky relationship, including disagreements over jurisdiction, gaming, and other issues. In his speech, Stitt said all laws should apply equally to all Oklahomans. “Many of us in this room have decried the [diversity, equity, and inclusion] DEI programs of the Biden administration, yet standby quietly when some say an Indian should be subject to a different set of laws.” Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton in a statement said tribes and tribal members have sovereign rights, which are not based on race but treaties and other agreements between tribal nations and the U.S. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement that the governor effectively called for the termination of tribal government, calling it rhetoric cloaked in references to DEI and race. Chief Hoskin said fortunately, Stitt spoke to a bipartisan chamber. Both leaders say they look forward to working with the legislature and other elected officials. A number of tribal leaders attended the address. The Interior Department has added the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to the official list of federally recognized tribes, formalizing the tribe's government-to-government relationship with the U.S. The agency published the updated list in the Federal Register following President Donald Trump's signing of legislation in December granting federal recognition status to the Lumbee Tribe. The list consists of 575 American Indian and Alaska Native tribal entities. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, February 3, 2026 – National Park Service removing historical references to Native American history

The Department of Homeland Security is actively working on 200-plus artificial intelligence use cases, a nearly 37% increase compared to July 2025, according to its latest AI inventory posted Wednesday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a driving force behind the growth. ICE added 25 AI use cases since its disclosure last summer, including to process tips, review mobile device data relevant to investigations, confirm identities of individuals via biometric data and detect intentional misidentification. Of the newly added uses at ICE, three are products from Palantir, which has been a notable — and at times controversial — technology partner for the U.S. government under the Trump administration. Quinn Anex-Ries, a senior policy analyst focused on equity and civic tech at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit technology policy organization, told FedScoop: “This inventory is coming out at a moment where there are significant, widespread questions about the legality of actions being taken by DHS and their potential infringement on the civil liberties and privacy of millions of people across the country.” Anex-Ries added: “There are some initial indications that the inventory leaves us wanting for more.” The annual inventory process stems from a 2020 executive order during the first Trump administration that was later enshrined into federal statute. The Department of Transportation is reopening a request for information that centered around the Federal Aviation Administration's handling of unmanned aircraft systems. In this extended, two-week comment period, the FAA is seeking additional insights on aircraft location-tracking devices, detection technologies and safety standards as it looks to finalize the drone-related rules. The FAA has already received around 3,100 comments and hosted two listening sessions with relevant stakeholders, according to the extension announcement scheduled to be published Wednesday on the Federal Register. Still, the FAA wants to “ensure that it fully understands” comments surrounding its proposed policies for location-tracking, data-sharing and detection technologies. The initial inquiry was set in motion by President Donald Trump's June executive order, called “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.” The president directed the FAA to publish a final rule that would enable drone-based Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations for commercial and public safety purposes within 240 days, which would be Feb. 1. The original RFI had a broader scope and concluded in October despite receiving two requests for an extension. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

In this episode of The Dish on Health IT, host Tony Schueth, CEO of Point-of-Care Partners (POCP), is joined by colleagues Mary Griskewicz, Regulatory Resource Center Lead, and Janice Reese, Senior Consultant and Program Manager of FHIR at Scale Taskforce (FAST), for a wide-ranging discussion on two major proposed rules released in mid-December 2025: the HTI-5 proposed rule from the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) and CMS's latest proposal on healthcare price transparency.Rather than treating these rules as abstract policy exercises, the conversation focuses on what the government is trying to accomplish, how these proposals may reshape the interoperability and data access landscape, and why stakeholder participation during the comment period is not optional if the industry wants workable outcomes.Setting the Stage: How Proposed Rules Become RealityThe episode opens with a level set for listeners who do not spend their days in the Federal Register. Mary walks through how proposed rules originate, typically from legislation or executive policy, and how they move from proposal to public comment to either a final rule, an interim final rule, or, in some cases, a complete pause or reset.She emphasizes a point that often gets overlooked: every public comment is read and reviewed. The agencies group and analyze the comments section by section and respond to themes and concerns in the final rule text. Janice builds on this by explaining that the comment period is where high-level policy intent meets operational reality. The most effective comments are not lengthy manifestos, but specific, experience-based feedback that highlights feasibility issues, sequencing challenges, and unintended consequences.HTI-5: From Experimentation to ExecutionThe discussion then turns to HTI-5, with Mary outlining the core problem the rule is trying to address. Prior certification requirements placed a significant burden on vendors, often locking innovation into long development cycles while the market waited for updates. HTI-5 seeks to modernize this approach by reducing prescriptive certification requirements and relying more on modern, open architecture, particularly FHIR-based APIs, to enable faster, more scalable data exchange.Janice frames HTI-5 as a clear signal that the industry is moving out of the experimentation phase and into execution. By reinforcing a “FHIR-first” direction while pulling back on some certification detail, the rule implicitly raises expectations for real-world performance. As FHIR becomes the default, security, identity, consent, and trust cannot be treated as optional or inconsistently implemented components.From a FAST perspective, this shift is critical. HTI-5 creates the regulatory space, but the infrastructure and implementation guidance needed to make trusted interoperability work at scale must come from industry-led collaboration. Janice explains that FAST's work on security, identity, consent, and national directory services is about operationalizing trust so organizations are not reinventing these foundations on their own.Information Blocking, Automation, and Trust at ScaleA pivotal moment in the conversation centers on HTI-5's clarification that information blocking explicitly includes automated and AI-driven access. Mary underscores that automation is now central to how data moves across the healthcare ecosystem. When access decisions are embedded in APIs, workflows, and algorithms, trust becomes the defining requirement.Janice expands on this by noting that the issue is not just whether data can be accessed, but whether access is appropriate, provable, and governed. As automation increases, expectations shift toward accountability, auditability, and consistent enforcement of identity and consent. FHIR APIs, once viewed as certification checkboxes, are becoming the primary channel for data exchange across networks, including consumer-facing applications.Stakeholder Impacts: Vendors, Providers, and PayersThe episode then walks through how HTI-5 affects different stakeholder groups. For health IT vendors and digital health companies, Janice describes a trade-off: fewer certification guardrails provide flexibility but also remove a layer of protection. Vendors will be judged less on formal compliance artifacts and more on how their systems perform across networks at scale, including security, identity management, and reliability.Mary cautions that vendors should not interpret HTI-5 as traditional deregulation. With HTI-6 already on the horizon, organizations that underinvest now risk facing more stringent outcome-based expectations later. Tony reinforces this point, arguing that the real risk is collective. A single high-profile failure due to weak security or identity practices could undermine trust across the ecosystem and invite a regulatory response that affects everyone.For providers and health systems, the shift means becoming more informed consumers of technology. Certification alone will no longer guarantee interoperability or trustworthiness. Providers will increasingly need to ask vendors how solutions perform in environments beyond a single one and how identity, consent, and security are handled across organizational boundaries.From a payer perspective, Mary explains that while HTI-5 does not directly change prior authorization requirements, it fundamentally reshapes the data access environment. As FHIR APIs become the default, plans will be expected to exchange data more dynamically and through automated workflows. This raises expectations around timeliness, quality, and trust, and accelerates a shift from managing transactions to managing trust at scale.Price Transparency: Compliance Without ClarityThe conversation then transitions to CMS's proposed price transparency rule, with Tony noting the absence of POCP's usual price transparency expert and setting expectations for a higher-level discussion. Mary explains that this tri-agency proposal builds on earlier rules by clarifying standards, easing some reporting burdens, and refining requirements around machine-readable files, metadata, and reporting timelines.While these changes offer some relief to plans, Janice highlights a deeper challenge. Making pricing data available does not make it meaningful. Without consistent ways to connect clinical concepts to billing codes and pricing structures, patients and employers are left with technically accurate but practically unusable information. True transparency will require better integration of pricing data into real-time workflows, supported by APIs, governance, and trust frameworks.Mary also reminds listeners that employers are a critical stakeholder often overlooked in these discussions. As purchasers of coverage, they rely on usable pricing data to understand utilization and manage costs, making their perspective essential during the comment period.The Closing Message: Comment, Participate, Get InvolvedThe episode closes with a strong call to action. Mary urges listeners to “get off the bench” and engage, regardless of which rule is at issue. Comment periods directly affect compliance programs, product roadmaps, and competitive positioning. Janice reinforces that policy alone cannot solve interoperability challenges. Progress depends on shared implementation guidance, testing, governance, and sustained participation in standards organizations and multi-stakeholder initiatives, including FAST.The final takeaway is clear: HTI-5 and the price transparency proposal are not just regulatory events. They are inflection points. Organizations that participate now can help shape outcomes that are achievable, scalable, and trusted. Those that sit out will be left reacting to decisions made without their operational realities at the table.Listeners are reminded that both proposed rules have comment deadlines in late February, and that POCP is available to support organizations in understanding the implications and crafting effective comments. The episode closes, as always, with the reminder that Health IT is a dish best served hot. 

*Content Warning: sexual violence, stalking, on-campus violence, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, stalking, rape, and sexual assault.*Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources   Check out our brand new SWW Sticker Shop!: https://brokencyclemedia.com/sticker-shop *SWW S25 Theme Song & Artwork: The S25 cover art is by the Amazing Sara Stewart instagram.com/okaynotgreat/ The S25 theme song is a cover of Glad Rag's U Think U from their album Wonder Under, performed by the incredible Abayomi instagram.com/Abayomithesinger. The S25 theme song cover was produced by Janice “JP” Pacheco instagram.com/jtooswavy/  Follow Something Was Wrong: Website: somethingwaswrong.com  IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcast TikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast  Follow Tiffany Reese: Website: tiffanyreese.me  IG: instagram.com/lookieboo *Sources:Association of American Universities. 2019 AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct. Association of American Universities, 2019, www.aau.edu/key-issues/aau-campus-climate-survey-sexual-assault-and-misconduct. “The Story.” The Hunting Ground, 27 Feb. 2015, thehuntinggroundfilm.com/story.html. U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. A National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations: Adults/Adolescents. U.S. Department of Justice, 2013, updated 2023, www.justice.gov/ovw/sexual-assault-medical-forensic-examinations. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Rape and Sexual Assault Victimization Among College-Age Females, 1995–2013. U.S. Department of Justice, Dec. 2014, www.bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsavcaf9513.pdf. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Final Rule. Federal Register, 6 May 2020, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/19/2020-10512.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture[WEF]/[CB] agenda is now coming true, it is no longer a conspiracy, they are controlling the cars in Germany remotely. Kamal Harris climate warrior buys house on the ocean.Remove the illegals and the cost for everything goes down. People are now seeing the truth about sound money compared to fiat. Trump tariffs system is taking off. The [DS] is now pushing their war to the next level. They know that soon the people of this country will see the crimes they have committed against the people and to this country. They are fighting back and they are testing Trump to see what he will do. At the same time Trump is testing them, watch and observing their movements. When the time is right the Insurrection Act will be invoked nationwide, but now he might test it in a local area. Trump has given the warning to the insurrectionists.   Economy https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/2011712915963859403?s=20  Toyota used remote access to turn off the pre heating, which is used to heat up the cars before driving. You would turn it on, 10 minutes before driving somewhere, so your car is warm and de-iced already.   Toyota spokesman Ralph Müller: “The pre-air conditioning is a free function of the MyToyota app or Lexus Link Plus App. This function is still available for all pure electric vehicles and plug-in vehicles. For vehicles with conventional drive, this only works when the combustion engine is running. The legislator considers this an unnecessary running of the engine or an avoidable exhaust gas pollution, which is prohibited. This is not known to many users. In Europe, there is no uniform legal situation, about which we have informed with a corresponding note in the app. In order to protect the vehicle user from fines, we have deactivated the function on these vehicles.” Climate Change Warrior Kamala Harris Buys New Mansion Near The Ocean in Malibu  Kamala Harris just bought a new $8 million mansion in Malibu near the beach. She must be deeply concerned about climate change. Have you noticed this pattern? Democrat elites, the people most likely to lecture others about climate change and to claim that it's an existential threat to humanity and the planet, sure do love to buy homes on the coast. Just look at Obama. Where are his homes? Martha's Vineyard and Hawaii. Does that sound like a man who is worried about climate change? The New York Post reports: Kamala Harris upgrades LA real estate portfolio with $8M mega mansion in Malibu's celeb-packed Pt. Dume Source: thegatewaypundit.com (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2011568614898614645?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011548021511897343?s=20 https://twitter.com/thencamekevin/status/2011562742029959291?s=20  face value. Four of these quarters might have the face value of $1.00 but, THEIR ACTUAL VALUE IS $64! The stackers were right. . . Political/Rights https://twitter.com/VinceDaoTV/status/2011540393947775098?s=20 DOGE Geopolitical    https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2011598672929440042?s=20 Vice President Vance Casts Tie-Breaking Vote To Kill Venezuela War Powers Resolution in the Senate Two Republicans who previously voted to advance the bill flipped after pressure from Trump Vice President JD Vance had to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate on Wednesday night to kill a Venezuela War Powers Resolution that sought to prevent another US attack on the country without congressional authorization. The Senate was deadlocked at 50-50 on a point of order vote to strip the War Powers Resolution of its privileged status to block a final vote. President Trump and his top officials put significant pressure on five Republicans who voted to advance the legislation last week, and two of the GOP senators — Josh Hawley (MO) and Todd Young (IN) — flipped and voted against the bill. Source: news.antiwar.com https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2011803374807547909?s=20   President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. Through close coordination with our colleagues in the Departments of War, State, and Justice, our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law. As we've now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice — period. Our resolve is unshakeable and our mission coordination has never been better. America’s Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime.    War/Peace https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2011817852290895915?s=20  https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2011576169918054597?s=20 https://twitter.com/ABC/status/2011788458042540303?s=20 Zelensky to declare state of emergency after strikes cripple power grid    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector. This measure aims to address disrupted power supplies following sustained Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure. Source: .independent.co.uk  https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2011757910041452892?s=20 President Trump Identifies the Roadblock to a Ceasefire Between Ukraine and Russia In an interview with Reuters, President Trump was asked why the Russia/Ukraine negotiations appear to have stalled.  President Trump responded with one word, “Zelenskyy.” WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine – not Russia – is holding up a potential peace deal, rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine. In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to wrap up his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskiy, the U.S. president said, was more reticent. “I think he's ready to make a deal,” Trump said of the Russian president. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.” Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe's largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump responded: “Zelenskiy.”   Source: theconservativetreehouse.com  https://twitter.com/zeroDEIUSA/status/2011211989847326747?s=20  this point, dictated that Canada, Denmark, and NATO generally are allowed to sit on their collective asses vis a'vis Defense. Poland and Hungary are the exceptions since they rarely conform to WEF dictums. But we also know something else: This administration doesn't see the world and this hemisphere through a WEF lens. Those differences in world view, opinion, policy, and sense of urgency between America and our allies are bubbling up publicly. I don't think the friction is or will be inconsequential. In fact, I would posit that the hairline cracks we hear about, in terms of NATO cooperation and membership, will inevitably become full fledged fissures. There are any number of pressure points between this administration and our ANO's (allies in name only) most notably the UK. Saber rattling has become the norm in communiques from Germany, the UK, and the EU. Calls for a “European only” Army and Navy have come from the upper and middle echelons of the military in several NATO member nations in Europe. The Europeans are shocked and outraged by our statements and concerns about Greenland. Now I could be wrong; but it seems that NATO's members are viewing our actions in Venezuela as well as Trump's position that Ukraine is largely a Euro problem, and his vision that the “Donroe” doctrine should be a precursor to a solid military defense strategy as well as a strategic trading block composed by countries in the Western Hemisphere as an emerging existential threat. And indeed it is. We have all seen examples that, by now prove conclusively, that Trump and his advisers are some of the best “tea leaf” readers ever. I honestly think this administration sees the rapid cultural, political, and social deterioration in Europe (Germany, Austria, France, the UK) and other Western nations (Australia and NZ) as harbingers and not one off's. And as such, I believe Trump and his team have concluded that these EU countries have reached a point of no return in every measure that matters. I believe the head butting will, by the end of Trump's term, deteriorate or accelerate to locking horns with former allies and our eventual departure from them as a bloc in favor of the Western Hemisphere as a replacement block. The “Donroe” doctrine says as much. I believe Trump would prefer to capitalize on Geography. That is to say a land mass that stretches from the Arctic circle to the Antarctic circle with North America and South America in between. I believe he sees that as something America can control, protect, and develop. How this will play out, I'm not sure. But I believe he is quietly preparing an exit ramp for our departure from NATO per se. It will be interesting. He will leave office and hand this massive initiative to Vance and Rubio; confident in their judgment and ability to execute. Medical/False Flags President Trump Announces “The Great Healthcare Plan” President Donald J. Trump's Great Healthcare Plan is a broad healthcare initiative that will slash prescription drug prices, reduce insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency in the American healthcare system. This plan will deliver money directly to the American people, not insurance companies, big pharma and special interest groups—putting patients over industry leaders' profits, just as he promised. The Great Healthcare Plan also builds on the successes of his first term by promoting competition, eliminating wasteful spending, and putting consumers back in control. [The Great Healthcare Plan] Source: theconservativetreehouse.com [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/Patri0tContr0l/status/2011502712819761455?s=20 https://twitter.com/gatewaypundit/status/2011821087911231924?s=20 https://twitter.com/philthatremains/status/2011763419293368576?s=20 https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2011705622249816580?s=20 https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2011695320112251315?s=20     https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2011634818375958782?s=20     https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/2011644187708371237?s=20 https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2011632198000976086?s=20    into a parked car. The subject then fled on foot. The law enforcement officer caught up to the subject on foot and attempted to apprehend him when the subject began to resist and violently assault the officer. While the subject and law enforcement were in a struggle on the ground, two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle. As the officer was being ambushed and attacked by the two individuals, the original subject got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick. Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life. The initial subject was hit in the leg. All three subjects ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside. The attacked officer and subject are both in the hospital. Both attackers are in custody. This attack on another brave member of law enforcement took place while Minnesota's top leaders, Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, are actively encouraging an organized resistance to ICE and federal law enforcement officers. Their hateful rhetoric and resistance against men and women who are simply trying to do their jobs must end. Federal law enforcement officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest criminals and lawbreakers. https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/2011711533014036932?s=20 Antifa are teaching illegals that they can attack federal law enforcement.    https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2011620198751597028?s=20  and Frey – I'm focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It's a promise. https://twitter.com/StandUpForElonn/status/2011591809114210333?s=20   TORCHED. For once, the IRS is being deployed FOR AMERICANS FIRST — not against working families. Follow the money. Audit everything. Prosecute whoever broke the law.    protection from the Fake News Media but, it will end, as we, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Joy Behar of The View: Trump Will Use ICE Protests in Minneapolis to Declare Martial Law and Cancel the Midterm Elections (VIDEO) This week on The View, Joy Behar suggested that she is worried that Trump is planning to use the ICE protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere to declare martial law and cancel the 2026 midterm elections. Think about what she is suggesting here. She is saying that Trump will override local jurisdictions, put the military in charge, and then cancel elections. It is pure BlueAnon lunacy. And remember that The View falls under the ABC ‘News' division. FOX News reports: Joy Behar claims Trump seeking to declare martial law to stop midterm elections amid ICE protests     ABC News should be held accountable for pushing this madness on the air. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011606173993353376?s=20 https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2011613524251066484?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2011628944877883438?s=20   is EXTREMELY dangerous stuff. Not only is he lying about what's happening, but not once did he tell his constituents to stay out of the way of federal law enforcement officers. He is actively encouraging them to obstruct ICE agents, as a means to cover up the massive fraud and criminality in his state. This is 1860's type stuff we are dealing with here, and you can see it on Walz's face, especially at the end. He knows the severity of what he just did. The Dems are in open rebellion against the Trump administration, while harboring illegal aliens in their Unconstitutional “sanctuary cities”, which they use to steal elections. This is irregular warfare. Things are about to get real. We are witnessing something historic.   https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/2011525886630379525?s=20 https://twitter.com/MJTruthUltra/status/2011802180710289546?s=20   President Trump's Plan   https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/2011799570041250146?s=20  This authority can be invoked unilaterally by the President without congressional approval, though it includes specific procedural requirements.  The Act has three main triggers for invocation: At a state’s request (§251): When a governor or state legislature requests federal aid to suppress an insurrection within the state.   To enforce federal authority (§252): When unlawful obstructions, combinations, assemblages, or rebellion make it impracticable to enforce U.S. laws through ordinary judicial processes.   To address domestic violence or rights deprivations (§253): When insurrection, domestic violence, or conspiracy hinders the execution of laws or deprives citizens of constitutional rights, and state authorities are unable, fail, or refuse to act. For the Minnesota scenario described in the post (involving federal agents and no mention of a state request), §§252 or 253 would likely apply, allowing action without state consent. Next Steps for InvocationIf President Trump decides to proceed, the process is straightforward but must follow statutory requirements. Here’s a step-by-step outline based on the law and historical precedents: Assess and Determine Applicability: The President (or advisors) evaluates whether the situation meets one of the Act’s criteria, such as rebellion against federal authority or obstructions to law enforcement. This is an internal executive decision, often informed by reports from agencies like DHS, DOJ, or DOD. No formal public step is required here, but it sets the legal justification.  Issue a Presidential Proclamation (§254): Before deploying forces, the President must publicly issue a proclamation ordering the “insurgents” or obstructors to disperse and return home peacefully within a specified time limit (e.g., hours or days). This serves as a formal warning and is a mandatory prerequisite under the law. The proclamation is typically published in the Federal Register and announced via White House channels.  Failure to issue this could make any deployment unlawful. Monitor Compliance and Issue an Executive Order for Deployment: If the proclamation is ignored, the President can issue an executive order authorizing the deployment of federal troops or federalizing the National Guard. This order specifies the scope, duration, and rules of engagement. Troops can then be mobilized to enforce laws, restore order, or protect federal operations (e.g., supporting ICE in this case). Deployment is not automatic upon invocation; it’s at the President’s discretion. Oversight and Termination: Once invoked, the deployment continues until the President determines the crisis is resolved. Congress can potentially override or limit it through legislation, but this is rare. The Act requires reporting to Congress “as soon as practicable” on the reasons and measures taken. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2011886917311414381?s=20 Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-At-Large) challenged former Justice Department prosecutor Michael Romano on whether any participants in the January 6th protest in 2021 had been convicted under the federal insurrection statute. It was a question that led Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8) to attempt to interject, to no avail. https://twitter.com/BreitbartNews/status/2011604461412663618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2011604461412663618%7Ctwgr%5Ecfabd7c33610a57fe0964ce3add2ff2ab7586c34%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Frusty-weiss%2F2026%2F01%2F15%2Fwatch-raskin-shut-down-after-hageman-exposes-insurrection-myth-at-new-j6-committee-n2198161 https://twitter.com/ChiefSund/status/2011625686289494153?s=20  the requests and denials GOP Rep. Neal Dunn Announces Retirement After Five Terms — Triggering Critical March 10 Special Election  Republican Congressman Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) has announced he will retire after five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, opting not to seek re-election in 2026. The Panama City physician-serving lawmaker said he wants to spend more time with his family, but his departure comes at a perilous moment for the GOP as Republicans cling to a razor-thin House majority. Dunn's decision to step away from the House after a decade of service leaves Florida's 2nd Congressional District wide open and adds to a growing list of incumbents abandoning their posts ahead of one of the most consequential midterm cycles in recent memory. https://twitter.com/DrNealDunnFL2/status/2011092421866930495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2011092421866930495%7Ctwgr%5E90201f9195637f0f3c794268082281e562876921%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fgop-rep-neal-dunn-announces-retirement-after-five%2F Source: thegatewaypundit.com UPDATE: Pam Bondi Reveals Classified Leaker Behind Trump's Venezuela Operation Was Pentagon IT Contractor   Pam Bondi revealed that the classified leaker was a Pentagon IT contractor who has been arrested and jailed for endangering U.S. military operations and national security. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has unmasked the traitor behind the illegal leak of classified information about President Trump's bold Venezuela operation. Pam Bondi revealed Wednesday night that the individual responsible for leaking classified information about President Trump's Venezuela operation was an IT contractor for the Department of War and he is now sitting in jail. The disclosure came during an explosive interview with Sean Hannity, where Bondi confirmed that the Trump DOJ and FBI are aggressively pursuing those who leak classified military intelligence and the media figures who obtain and publish it. Source: thegatewaypundit.com   https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2011673479813222821?s=20   https://twitter.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/2011574493966188556?s=20 https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2011860087313154089?s=20   https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2011565907110224263?s=20  “These two individuals have been particularly egregious in their contempt of the President and putting their personal views in front of their duty as judges to carry out the jobs that they hold.” UPDATE: Pam Bondi Says Minnesota Prosecutors Didn't Quit — “I FIRED THEM ALL” After Refusing to Cooperate with ICE and Demanding Taxpayer-Funded Paid “Vacation” Till April Pam Bondi appears on Fox News' Hannity announcing that Minnesota prosecutors who refused to cooperate with ICE were fired. The narrative pushed by the corporate media has officially collapsed. After early reports claimed that at least six prosecutors in the Minneapolis U.S. Attorney's Office had “resigned in protest” over the Justice Department's actions following the fatal shooting of ICE protester Renee Nicole Good, Attorney General Pam Bondi stepped in and set the record straight.  According to The New York Times, the group of ousted attorneys includes Joe Thompson (Former Acting U.S. Attorney) Harry Jacobs Melinda Williams Thomas Calhoun-Lopez Ruth Schneider Tom Hollenhurst Source: thegatewaypundit.com HUGE WIN FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY: Supreme Court Greenlights Lawsuits Against Late Mail-In Ballots — Opens Door to Nationwide Challenges to Democrat Schemes The Supreme Court handed a crushing blow to the radical left's ballot-harvesting machine on Wednesday. In a stunning 7-2 decision, the High Court ruled that Republican Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL) has the legal standing to challenge Illinois's unconstitutional law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to 14 days after Election Day. This ruling reverses the Seventh Circuit and sends the case back to the lower court—where Illinois' late-ballot scheme will now be evaluated on the merits This is the game-changer we have been waiting for. For years, Democrats and their media allies have relied on “late-arriving ballots” to shift the results of elections days or even weeks after the polls close. We all remember what happened in 2020. We remember the “pauses” and the late-night spikes. But now, the Supreme Court has finally opened the floodgates for Republicans to sue to stop it. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, made it clear: candidates have a “personal stake” in the rules governing their elections. This destroys the liberal argument that Republicans can't sue unless they can prove a specific fraudulent ballot cost them the race. The following states accept ballots that arrive late, as long as they have a valid postmark: Alaska California District of Columbia Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi Nevada New Jersey New York Oregon Texas (Note: Must be received by 5:00 PM the day after Election Day) Virginia Washington West Virginia Note on Territories: Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam also typically accept late-arriving ballots if postmarked by Election Day. Several states that previously accepted late-arriving ballots have recently passed laws requiring ballots to be in the hands of election officials by the time polls close on Election Day, regardless of when they were mailed. Kansas (Changed in 2024/2025) North Dakota (Changed in 2025) Ohio (Changed in 2025) Utah (Changed in 2025) In all other states (e.g., Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona), your ballot must be received by the county election office by the close of polls on Election Day. Source: thegatewaypundit.com (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Monday, December 22nd, 2025Today, Trump's Justice Department violated the law with a partial release and subsequent redaction of the Epstein Files as representatives Garcia and Massie weigh options for consequences; Epstein survivor Annie Farmer speaks out about potential missing FBI reports from 30 years ago; Abrego's lawyers have documentary evidence tying Todd Blanche to the decision to prosecute him; Milwaukee Judge Hanna Dugan is found guilty on one count of obstructing a proceeding and acquitted on another count of helping someone evade arrest; Elise Stefanik drops out of everything; RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz announce moves to ban gender-affirming care for young people; the Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado; Trump claims his ballroom is a matter of national security; and Allison delivers your Good News.Thank You, DeleteMeGet 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/DAILYBEANS and use promo code DAILYBEANS at checkout. Guest: Adam Klasfeldhttps://www.allrisenews.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/www.allrisenews.com, https://bsky.app/profile/klasfeldreports.com, https://x.com/KlasfeldReports, https://www.instagram.com/senecaprojectus/https://www.allrisenews.com/p/doj-deceived-the-court-to-hide-trumpSubscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@MSWMediaPodsProof Blanche was involved in the decision to prosecute Abrego-https://www.muellershewrote.com/p/breaking-proof-blanche-was-involvedHidden FBI Epstein Survivor Report UNEARTHED After 3 DECADES-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IToZ_0rCQn0Storieshttps://apnews.com/article/release-epstein-files-justice-department-trump-9290fcaad1cb6fcb1cbc1befabc01994https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/judge-hannah-dugan-trial-verdict.htmlhttps://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ballroom-national-securityhttps://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/12/18/nx-s1-5647789/transgender-gender-affirming-care-rfk-jr-dr-oz-trumphttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/climate/national-center-for-atmospheric-research-trump.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/nyregion/elise-stefanik-drops-out-governor.html Good Trouble - https://near.tl/sm/ik-ZushRaTime sensitive! Comment  BY December 22nd.The ESA (Endangered Species Act), is under threat. The current administration wants to repeal the blanket rule, which automatically gives the same protections to threatened species that endangered species receive, such as prohibiting the harming, killing, or trading of those species. Without the blanket rule, each species wanted or needed to be added to the ESA needs to be added  individually, which takes time, time threatened species might not have. Leave a comment at the Federal Register (link below) BY December 22nd, telling them not to change the rule! Learn More - https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/help-save-the-endangered-species-act/?utm_source=enewsga&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ESA_2025-Dec-17Link to Submit a comment:https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/21/2025-20552/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-regulations-pertaining-to-endangered-and-threatened#open-commentAllison is donating $20K to It Gets Better and inviting you to help match her donations. Your support makes this work possible, Daily Beans fam.http://itgetsbetter.org/dailybeansdonate From The Good Newshttps://www.theprovoiceproject.com→Go To https://DailyBeansPod.com Click on ‘Good News and Good Trouble' to Share YoursOur Donation Linkshttps://www.nationalsecuritylaw.org/donate, https://secure.actblue.com/donate/msw-bwc, http://WhistleblowerAid.org/beansJoin Dana and The Daily Beans and support on Giving Tuesdayhttp://onecau.se/_ekes71Federal workers - email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Dr. Allison Gill - https://www.muellershewrote.com, https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrote.com, https://instagram.com/muellershewrote, https://www.youtube.com/@MSWMediaPodsDana Goldberg - https://bsky.app/profile/dgcomedy.bsky.social, https://www.instagram.com/dgcomedy, https://www.facebook.com/dgcomedy, https://danagoldberg.comMore from MSW Media - https://mswmedia.com/shows, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, https://www.muellershewrote.comReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com First, the bad news S2 – Bangladesh - S21AM and S21RCsay their planned IOTA AS-127 operation has been postponed until sometime next year.  Cited are logistical challenges  and operational constraints in the region and "adequateresource availability concerns." Now, the Good News U.S. amateurs to receive expanded 60-meter privileges - TheU.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized expanded use of the 60-meter band for U.S. amateur radio operators, following rules adopted at the World Radiotelecommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). The new regulations, including a 15-watt effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) power limit (not effective radiated power, or ERP), will take effect 30 days after they are published in the Federal Register. Use of this band remains on a secondary basis. The full FCC Report and Order is available online, and ARRL provides more details on its website.  XU - Cambodia – DL7BO, Tom, will be on the air as XU7GNY, December 22 to January 18.  Tom will be on 160-6 CW, SSB and FT8, concentrating on the lower bands.  QSL direct to DJ4WK or use LoTW, Club Log or eQSL. 4K – Azerbaijan – 4K/DL4XT,Jan, will on 40 and 20-10M SSB, CW and FT8 December 26 to January 3.  He will be on the air casually, aka "holiday style."  For a QSL it's LoTW, Club Log OQRS and QRZ. A6 - United Arab Emirates – A60QATAR will be December 18-22 to join in Qatar's celebration.  Some Individual ops in UAE may use that call and add /1, /2, and similar. TL - Central African Republic -  CT1END, Carlos, reminds us CR7BNW, Joao, will be operating as  TL8BNW from Bangui, Central African Republic, for six months starting in December 2025. His first activity will take place from December 20-25, 2025, using SSB and FT8 on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. QSOs will be uploaded to LoTW, QRZLogbook, and via the Portuguese QSL bureau.FY - French Guiana - F4GPK, Peter, will be on as TO2FY December 22 to January 15 from Kourou. TG – Guatemala - TG9/AF4CZ willbe on the air "holiday style," December 7 to January 5, mostly digital modes on 40-10.  He will upload his log to LoTW, eQSL and Club Log. Z8 - South Sudan - YI1DZ (akaZ81D), Diya's, contract with UN-WFP in South Sudan runs until March 10, 2026, with a possible 11-month extension pending approval. Due to frequent travel and a rotating work schedulethat includes leave every six weeks, radio activity is limited tofree time, mostly on weekends. The author is currently in Istanbul and will return to Juba on December 15 and could be very active as Z81D the following weekend.C5YK, The Gambia – Andre, ON7YK, is QRV from The Gambia until January 25. He is operating as C5YK on SSB, RTTY, PSK, FT8, FT4, and some CW on 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10M. QSL only via LoTW, eQSL, or direct to ON7YK. He posts his logbook on his website.  “may be a little unreliable.” Manual log upload will be every several days. Borut says to not send cards through the bureau “as they will not find my home.” He will send direct cards once he is home in Slovenia, “via OQRS only.”  OQRS.   YU – Serbia - In celebration of IARU Region 1 Young Radio Operators Month, Serbian amateurs may use the special callsigns YT25YOTA and YU25YOTA throughout December 2025.

[Housing Wire] How 'shadow listings' reduce senior homeowners' final sales price. [Housing Wire] HUD extends the comment period in the Federal Register for proposed HECM reforms. [Housing Wire] Why credit report costs will skyrocket in 2026. Watch our video podcast here!

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe D’s have lost he narrative, they are trying to blame Trump for the affordability crisis, but he is turning it around on them. The autopen was used to bring Powell, Trump wants it investigated.The gold card has gone live, timing is everything. The affordability crisis is about the [CB]. The [DS] along with foreign gov have been trying to divide the people and the MAGA movement. It is not working, it crumbling and people are learning the truth once again. Trump sets the message and the direction of the midterms. The [DS] is struggling, they will not be able to overcome the economic factor in 2026. This will give the people the power to override anything the [DS] tries to do. Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); “Democrats Know Their Constituents Can’t Read Charts. That’s Why…” Another attempted “gotcha moment” on X by Democrats backfired, revealing that their political strategists and whoever handles their social media accounts lack the most basic chart-reading skills. However, X users pointed out that these political operatives aren’t DEI fools; instead, they seem incapable of telling the truth. https://twitter.com/MajorityPAC/status/1998434136483410412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998434136483410412%7Ctwgr%5E1e2efe6a29f9c814decbe7c889387ccc40d1410c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fpolitical%2Fdemocrats-know-their-constituents-cant-read-charts-thats-why Just like eggs earlier this year and power bills this fall, Democrat operatives are seizing any opportunity to blame Trump for soaring prices that mainly occurred in the previous four years. X user ALX shows why context matters.  Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/StephenMoore/status/1998763870001991751?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998789965254144171?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998830464321323091?s=20  into 2026. The Fed must do the right thing! https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998841970559512878?s=20  to inject $40 billion per month into Treasury bill purchases beginning December 12. The combined policies strengthen liquidity, reduce borrowing costs, and ease credit strains that often stall growth. Bank of America says both stocks and crypto stand to gain as confidence rises. The Fed's actions confirm the resilience of Trump's expanding second term economy. https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1999098794412319027?s=20 The post highlights a Wall Street Journal report on Ionic Rare Earths’ discovery of 16 rare earth and critical minerals in Utah’s Mill Creek area, including high-grade lithium and gallium, positioning it as the U.S.’s largest such reserve to reduce reliance on China, which controls 90% of global processing. An aerial image shows the arid Utah landscape near the Great Salt Lake with visible mining pits, underscoring the site’s remote, geologically rich Basin and Range province, where USGS surveys identified potential for 1.5 million tons of rare earth oxides  https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1998846082953130482?s=20 The Trump Gold Card program, launched via executive order in 2025, allows foreign nationals (primarily investors or those sponsored by corporations) to apply for a U.S. green card through expedited channels like EB-1(a) for extraordinary ability or EB-2 national interest waiver. It requires a nonrefundable $15,000 processing fee plus a “contribution” or “gift” of at least $1 million per individual (or $2 million via an employer sponsor), with additional amounts for dependents. The funds go to entities like the U.S. Department of Commerce, and applicants must prove a lawful source of money, similar to the EB-5 investor visa.  The process involves filing a new Form I-140G, followed by consular processing abroad—no in-country adjustment of status is allowed—and approvals can happen in weeks, though backlogs from per-country caps (especially for Indian or Chinese nationals) may still cause delays for the actual green card. This program is separate from the H-1B visa system, which remains a temporary work visa for skilled professionals with issues like annual caps (85,000 visas, including 20,000 for advanced degree holders), a random lottery selection process, and criticisms of abuse (e.g., companies using it to displace U.S. workers or suppress wages via outsourcing firms). In fact, alongside the Gold Card, the Trump administration introduced a separate $100,000 one-time entry fee for H-1B applicants to deter such abuses and ensure only “the best and brightest” use it. https://twitter.com/TheRubberDuck79/status/1998791717752062345?s=20  Autopen. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1998407015756964343?s=20   to decide if it gets a floor vote. I hope they do the right thing. The Affordability Crisis Is Not a ‘Hoax.' It Is an Existential Threat to the American Dream.  Recently, President Trump has been quoted as referring to the affordability crisis as a “Democrat scam,” “hoax,” and “con job.” Although I think Trump was likely trying to remind Americans that policies enacted when Democrats had total control of the federal government under the first two years of the Biden administration accelerated and exacerbated the affordability problem, it is dangerous for the president to use that type of language. Already, mainstream media reprobates are twisting Trump's words, leading people to believe that he is saying the affordability crisis does not exist.  In proper context, Trump is not denying that middle- and lower-class Americans are struggling to make ends meet; rather, he is trying to assign blame and hang the affordability crisis on the Democrats. But even doing that is politically unwise.  The American people are not nearly as concerned with pointing fault as they are with seeking immediately viable solutions to the untenable reality they face. For many Americans, the affordability crisis is so severe that they think the American dream is no longer within reach. In fact, only 22 percent of young Americans think they will be better off than their parents. Source: redstate.com Political/Rights https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1999146290584678721?s=20 https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1998819294658842681?s=20 https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1998773065870708813?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1999144165213380788?s=20 We hope the headlines and social media likes are worth it. DHS: Legacy Media Report Leaves Out an Important Detail on ICE Purchasing Planes for Deportations The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed  the agency has inked a deal for the purchase of six planes for nearly $140 million, which will aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in deportations, allowing them to bypass charter airlines. The Post report read: https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1998794208736411870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998794208736411870%7Ctwgr%5Ebd9d4a7f5e7443f5f0455bfbeb427e17d3fa2b05%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fkatie-jerkovich%2F2025%2F12%2F10%2Fdhs-confirms-excellent-news-about-deportations-and-its-own-fleet-n2197015 flight patterns.    President Trump and @Sec_Noem are committed to quickly and efficiently getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country. Source: redstate.com US To Ask Visitors For 5 Years Of Social Media History Under New Plan The United States is planning to require visitors from dozens of countries on the visa waiver program to provide up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal from the US Customs and Border Protection posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday. Countries on the list include much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Qatar, Israel, Chile and Brunei. Citizens or nationals of these countries have been allowed to freely travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. If the proposal is adopted, they’ll have to share their online footprint – something that immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants from different categories have been required to provide since 2019. The list also includes; Telephone numbers used in the last five years Email addresses used in the last 10 years IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos Biometrics – including facial, fingerprint, DNA and Iris data Information about one’s family – including  names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, places of birth and residences. The CBP proposal is open for a 60-day public comment period. ESTA – an automated system, costs $40 and is generally valid for two years. An ESTA holder can enter multiple times during that period. Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1998484877180604877?s=20   is part of the FBI's Joint Task Force Vulcan investigation out of @FBIHouston to locate, indict, and arrest members of MS-13 leadership “La Mesa.” Great work from @FBIOmaha and partners @HSI_HQ @DEAHQ and more – this admin is taking a whole of government approach to dismantling MS-13 and their presence within the country. DOGE https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1998810382576792048?s=20 https://twitter.com/pepesgrandma/status/1998428503759294519?s=20   EU High Level Group on combating hate speech and hate crime that wrote the 2016 Code of Conduct. The Code Conduct is a document agreed upon by social media companies for removing hate. The improved upon “Code of Conduct Plus” continues to be an important tool under the DSA: “On 20 January 2025, the revised Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online + (the ‘Code of conduct+') was integrated into the regulatory framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA), following a positive assessment from the Commission and the European Board for Digital Services. The Code of conduct+, which builds on the Code of Conduct adopted in 2016, strengthens the way online platforms deal with content deemed illegal hate speech according to EU law and Member States' laws. It facilitates compliance with and the effective enforcement of the DSA in this specific area.” This new Conduct Code+ was established as a “DSA Code of conduct”. This empowered civil society organisations to act as watchdogs. “Following its integration, adherence to the Code of conduct+ may be considered as an appropriate risk mitigation measure for signatories designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Search Engines (VLOSEs) under the DSA.” “The DSA classifies platforms or search engines that have more than 45 million users per month in the EU as very large online platforms (VLOPs)” https://twitter.com/emd_worldwide/status/1998556257251152246?s=20   letter confirms the details of that action. And it arrives at a very appropriate moment. As we watch certain officials in Europe experiment with coercive fines, regulatory threats, and pressure campaigns aimed at shaping American political discourse, the Moraes precedent is worth remembering. The United States views foreign attempts to control U.S. speech as a human rights violation and a breach of sovereignty. Geopolitical https://twitter.com/RMistereggen/status/1998419619220996236?s=20 society destabilised? When a country must hand over cash to escape a policy that harms it, the structure stops looking like a union and starts looking like organized coercion. Let's call the EU what it is: its a mafia organisation. Abolish the EU. Unelected Brussels Bureaucrat Demands Trump ‘Show Respect' for EU, as US President Is Chosen ‘The Most Powerful Person in Europe'   Trump is flexing his political and military muscles all over the world. Those who want respect, give respect.     Trump has just been chosen as ‘the most powerful person in Europe'. ‘ Politico reported: “Top EU officials tried to set the record straight Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Europe as a ‘decaying' group of countries ruled by ‘weak' leaders. […] ‘I think they're weak', the Republican said, referring to the continent's presidents and prime ministers, adding, ‘I think they don't know what to do. Europe doesn't know what to do'.” “European Council President António Costa said Europe and the U.S. ‘must act as allies' — and urged the Republican leader to show ‘respect'.   Costa is an unelected bureaucrat – he was not ‘elected', he was ‘appointed' by the same Globalist leaders that are polling 11% to 23% in their countries. Source: thegatewaypundit.com War/Peace https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1998980234763219052?s=20https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1999068890421195037?s=20   Impeccable. This clip emerged just as Maria Corina Machado, the woman Maduro has hunted for 16 months, escaped Venezuela and arrived in Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting his dictatorship. His secret police surrounded the U.S. Embassy thinking she was inside. She slipped out of the country anyway. Her team risked their lives to get her on that plane. Meanwhile, Maduro is on stage crooning about peace. The irony writes itself. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1998936856000397477?s=20   showed up in Norway anyway. The 58-year-old opposition leader arrived in Oslo Thursday and waved from the balcony of the Grand Hotel, free and defiant. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded her the prize for her fight against what it called a dictatorship. Maduro’s regime tried everything to stop this moment. It didn’t work.  https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1999068890421195037?s=20   freely in accordance with the regime. https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1999065856580661500?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998879421491483071?s=20   Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” “For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.” https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1998895443347124514?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1999140870516576385?s=20  6th no-confidence vote, Zhelezaykov said, “I hear the public's dissatisfaction and consider the protection of democracy my top priority,” choosing to step down. Protests erupted in November over a 2026 budget packed with tax hikes, higher social contributions, and bloated spending. Even after scrapping the budget, crowds demanded total regime change, early elections, and a crackdown on corruption, culminating in massive rallies yesterday across Sofia and beyond. This is a rare public uprising toppling a government in real-time! With Bulgaria set to join the eurozone on January 1, the collapse risks economic chaos, currency shifts, investor panic, while exposing deep rot (corruption scandals cost $3B yearly, per EU audits). Zhelezaykov's exit might spark a power vacuum, pitting pro-EU reformers against nationalist factions. https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1998875723931812291?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1999099346676334925?s=20  Allegations that some staff members may have ties to Hamas, with zero indictments, no formal charges, and no due process. Washington, once UNRWA's biggest donor, froze funding in January 2024 after Israel accused roughly a dozen staff members of involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war. If the move goes through, it would effectively criminalize a major arm of humanitarian relief in Gaza and beyond. Although, it’s been noted that such sanctions would be highly unusual, since the U.S. is both a U.N. member and the host nation of the body that created the agency in 1949. Despite this, Trump previously reaffirmed that the U.S. would not fund UNRWA earlier this year. In October, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also referred to UNRWA as a subsidiary of Hamas: “UNRWA’s not going to play any role in it… The United Nations is here, we're seeing the work they're doing… They’re on the ground. We’re willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas.” https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/1998824786022003044?s=20  billion they seized might well come up   https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/1998849819071353071?s=20   is going to demand their frozen assets be returned. I suspect the current people in power don't expect to be around or forced to deal with that problem when it arises. They just want their money laundering schemes to continue being funded. Short term planning by the EU. https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1998991133033054636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998991133033054636%7Ctwgr%5E279dcf506be99c0c99616930f129b9a99fcd7bf2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F12%2Fwatch-ukraine-strikes-another-oil-tanker-russian-shadow%2F https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1999118921564090787?s=20 Trump talks Ukraine peace deal with Macron, Merz and Starmer President Donald Trump held a conference call with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday to discuss the war in Ukraine, a White House official said, as the U.S. president continues to push for an end to the conflict while expressing skepticism that Kyiv stands a chance of coming out ahead. Source: politico.com Zelenskyy Signals Openness to Elections After Trump Criticism President Donald Trump on Tuesday pressed Ukraine to hold a presidential election despite its war with Russia, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say he is prepared to hold a vote within months if parliament and Western allies make it feasible. Zelenskyy responded, saying the decision is solely for Ukrainians. “This is a question for the people of Ukraine, not people from other states, with all due respect to our partners,” he said. Ukraine’s constitution bars elections under martial law, but Zelenskyy signaled he’s willing to hold one anyway and asked the U.S. and European partners for help securing a wartime vote. “Since this question is raised today by the president of the United States of America, our partners, I will answer very briefly: Look, I am ready for elections,” he said. “Then, in the next 60 to 90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold the elections. I personally have the will and readiness for this.” Zelenskyy’s five-year term expired in May 2024. Source: newsmax.com Medical/False Flags FDA Reviewing Deaths Potentially Linked to COVID Shots The Food and Drug Administration is looking into whether COVID-19 vaccines were tied to any deaths, government officials announced this week. The FDA is “doing a thorough investigation, across multiple age groups, of deaths potentially related to COVID vaccines,” Andrew Nixon. a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. Manufacturers report that the FDA is also reviewing the safety of RSV immunizations. COVID-19 vaccines were deployed in late 2020 under emergency use authorization. Less than a year later, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first to receive full FDA approval. Source: newsmax.com [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1998789285281968322?s=20  with all the other America-hating Somalis! https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998806184846045404?s=20 BREAKING: Democrats Flip Miami – Eileen Higgins Wins Mayoral Runoff Election: Decision Desk Democrats flipped Miami Mayor's office on Tuesday. Higgins defeated Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a former Miami City Manager who served on Trump's DHS transition team. Higgins will be Miami's first Democrat mayor since 1997. Fox News reported: It took nearly 30 years, but Democrats finally broke their decades-long ballot box losing streak in Miami, Florida, the city known as the nation's “Gateway to Latin America.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/chad_mizelle/status/1998565231136747996?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998912315672977728?s=20   are: Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Tom Kean, R-N.J., Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, Chris Smith, R-N.J., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio. Full passage vote could happen Thursday. President Trump's Plan REVEALED: DC pipe bomb suspect obsessed with My Little Pony art, fan fic: report My Little Pony is a franchise marketed at young girls. An adult male fan of the toys are known as a “Brony,” a community that at its peak was large enough to hold annual conventions. Brian Cole Jr, the man charged with placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committees' Washington, DC headquarters the evening before January 6, 2021, was reportedly a massive fan of the children's series “My Little Pony,” making fan art and fan fiction dedicated to the characters.Per the New York Post, Cole, 30, appeared to have gone by usernames including iDeltaVelocity, Bron1Delta, Delta1Forgotten, and Blue Velocity online. In one account on an online forum, Cole allegedly posted dozens of fan art pieces dedicated to the My Little Pony franchise. Many of the art pieces feature characters with light purple bodies and multicolored hair.In a Tumblr account associated with the username delta1forgotten, Cole allegedly wrote in response to another user's drawing of a My Little Pony character with a machine gun, “Eh… I'd give her an RPG [Rocket-Propelled Grenade]. What can I say? Explosions are COOL!!”My Little Pony is a franchise marketed at young girls. An adult male fan of the toys are known as a “Brony,” a community that at its peak was large enough to hold annual conventions. Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr Daniel Chadborn wrote in his book “Meet the Bronies: The Psychology of the Adult My Little Pony Fandom,” “The subculture of Bronies was very online and unique and attracted a lot of male fans, who were breaking gender norms, which attracted a lot of attention.”He noted that the subculture is generally not sexual, however, he is not surprised that some members within the community are troubled. “Someone who is disaffected is often going to look for spaces to engage in, for a sense of identity and belonging.”Cole also allegedly wrote fanfiction dedicated to the franchise, with one story marked as being an “adventure/horror” story featuring the characters Applejack and Applebloom  Source: thepostmillenial.com Winning: Woke D.C. Police Chief Stepping Down Following Trump's Bold Moves to Federalize the DC Police Force and Send in National Guard https://twitter.com/MayorBowser/status/1997992364367884758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1997992364367884758%7Ctwgr%5Edc94739b1880255ed9a381d0aefa9d1b2da25236%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F12%2Fwinning-woke-d-c-police-chief-stepping-down%2F ‘Righteous Anger’: Erika Kirk Shuts Down Insane Conspiracies Surrounding Her Husband’s Murder Erika Kirk appears to have possibly reached her breaking point as she addressed those insane conspiracies surrounding the murder of her husband, Charlie Kirk, and to say she didn’t hold back is a serious understatement. During her appearance on Wednesday on Fox News’ Outnumbered, Kirk was asked about the accusations and claims floated by podcasters like Candace Owens and others surrounding the assassination of the late co-founder of Turning Point USA, including speculation about where Charlie is buried. No rock will be unturned. I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family more than anyone else out there. “My silence does not mean that I’m complacent,” Erika continued. “My silence does not mean that somehow Turning Point USA and all of the handpicked staff that loved my husband and that my husband loved them is somehow in on it. We are busy building.” Erika said she understands a lot of the noise is people trying to find answers to the horrific killing of her husband, and made it clear no “rock will be unturned. I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family more than anyone else out there.” Kirk said she does have a breaking point, though, and it’s when influencers and others go after those she loves, like her family, her Turning Point USA family, and her Charlie Kirk Show family. “When you go after the people that I love, and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode, going after the people that I love because somehow they’re in on this… NO!” Erika said, as the host Harris Faulkner pointed out, she’d never seen Kirk like this before. “This is righteous anger because this is not okay, it’s not healthy,” she added. “This is a mind virus… but this is not okay. But just know your words are very powerful, and we are human.” “My team are not machines and they’re not robots, they are human,” Erika continued. “We have more death threats on our team and our side than I have ever seen. I have kidnapping threats. I have…you name it, we have it. And my poor team is exhausted, and every time they bring this back up, what are we supposed to do, relive that trauma all over again?”  . Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/1998877640862904429?s=20 https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/1998867607429292200?s=20 2846 Feb 21, 2019 12:02:07 PM EST Q !!mG7VJxZNCI ID: 6b73ac No. 5304336  Dz8HH2lWwAIQX5K.jpg-large.jpg https://twitter.com/JudahsTrumpets/status/1098604676621189122 Be ready for the ‘Q’, Anon(s). Eyes on increasing +each day. You are the NEWS NOW. Handle w/ care. Q 3628 Nov 25, 2019 12:05:46 PM EST Q !!mG7VJxZNCI ID: 000000 No. 7370121  https://twitter.com/Incarcerated_ET/status/1198990090757914625 Enemy of the People. You are the NEWS NOW. Facts matter. Q https://twitter.com/medeabenjamin/status/1998886707891155231?s=20 https://twitter.com/_johnnymaga/status/1999140426222088595?s=20 https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1938072642374058297?s=20  Bejamin briefly – who had an interesting history of speaking to Chinese media. She co-founded Global Exchange with her husband, Kevin Danaher, which goes on a number of “Reality Trips” to various closed countries – Cuba, Venezuela, among others. If you’ve followed me long enough … you know that’s a big red flag. State-facilitated exchange trips are one of the most common “soft power” tools that countries have in exporting their ideology to others. https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/1998429763744976927?s=20 Supreme Court OKs Trump's Firing Of Biden FTC Appointee The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a significant victory, ruling that he can remove Federal Trade Commission leader Rebecca Slaughter after months of legal challenges. Trump has sought to dismiss Slaughter, a Democrat appointed by former President Joe Biden, since March. The court also agreed to consider whether presidents may dismiss FTC commissioners without cause. In the meantime, Slaughter will not be allowed to remain in office. Source:  conservativebrief.com  https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998163014336561437?s=20 https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/1998237338678563300?s=20 Trump Sinks Anonymous Reports by Reaffirming Support for Hegseth, Noem Trump sunk the anonymous reports while fielding questions from the press during a roundtable with tech CEO in the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday. https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998886540215472413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998886540215472413%7Ctwgr%5Ec250eb4c9bce232b03b56224d33227964e8f8b05%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Ft%2Fassets%2Fhtml%2Ftweet-5.html1998886540215472413 Trump's comments follow an Atlantic report that Trump “is starting to tire of the scandals surrounding Hegseth,” citing “an outside adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official.”They also come on the heels of an MS Now report, citing two anonymous sources, and claiming that “White House officials have grown frustrated with Kristi Noem's leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, leading to calls for a new secretary to more aggressively support key parts of the president's deportation agenda.” Source: breitbart.com https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1999130198906728645?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1998453138857099684?s=20   primarily Nordic-German. Importing voters is a CERTAIN path to a single-party supermajority and has ALREADY happened at the state level in California and New York. It also explains why those states have BANNED VOTER ID in order to accelerate a permanent socialist supermajority, destroying any semblance of democracy. We stand on the precipice of disaster, an end to America. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1998769742455435403?s=20   say stupid stuff like “I’m not voting in the mid-terms.” The Constitutional powers of the President are limited by design. Moreover, Trump faces unique challenges in an intransigent Deep State and an array of rogue judges, neither of which any other President has faced at this scale. Nevertheless, in less than a year Trump has kept more of his campaign promises than any other President since FDR. Some of you people need to wise up. There is no Government Fairy. It’s a hard slog, and we’re winning–unless YOU mess it up, Doomsters. Don’t mess it up. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1998827695439004144?s=20  care, the GOP deserves it.” This is self-fulfilling prophecy. It suppresses voter enthusiasm, suppresses voter turn out, and creates exactly the barren ground that Leftists have come to expect from a conservative movement that seems determined to fail at every turn even when it is winning. *versus* 2. “I am so happy that we have made so much progress. Trump has done amazing things in a short period of time against unprecedented institutional resistance. We are winning and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the restoration of our Constitutional republic. Nevertheless, there is much to be done. President Trump and the true conservatives in Congress need our enthusiastic, vocal support. We must keep the pressure on the eGOP, the Democrats and the lying media. This is a tough battle, but we will win.” THAT my friends is a message of victory. It too becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as it inspires the voting base yet does not ignore the work yet to be done. It’s winning. ————————— Allow me to paraphrase Napoleon Bonaparte: “In politics, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.” _________________________ In other words, why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves, Moriarity. https://twitter.com/Avis_Liberatum/status/1998829654241694036?s=20 https://twitter.com/MattMorseTV/status/1998541820285145219?s=20    and for America itself. In all fairness, the Democrats have been doing Redistricting for years, and continue to do so. Unfortunately, Indiana Senate “Leader” Rod Bray enjoys being the only person in the United States of America who is against Republicans picking up extra seats, in Indiana's case, two of them. He is putting every ounce of his limited strength into asking his soon to be very vulnerable friends to vote with him. By doing so, he is putting the Majority in the House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., at risk and, at the same time, putting anybody in Indiana who votes against this Redistricting, likewise, at risk. The people of Indiana don't want the Party of Sleepy Joe Biden, Kamala, Ilhan Omar, or the rest to succeed in Washington. Bray doesn't care. He's either a bad guy, or a very stupid one! In any event, he and a couple of his friends will partner with the Radical Left Democrats. They found some Republican “SUCKERS,” and they couldn't be happier that they did! Guys like Failed Senate Candidate Mitch Daniels, who I opposed in his Race against Senator Jim Banks, and Cam Savage, whoever that is, are fighting against the Republican Party, all the way. Bray and his friends are the favorite Republicans of Hakeem Jeffries, Crazy Nancy Pelosi, and Cryin' Chuck Schumer. Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring. If Republicans will not do what is necessary to save our Country, they will eventually lose everything to the Democrats. Rod Bray and his friends won't be in Politics for long, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again. One of my favorite States, Indiana, will be the only State in the Union to turn the Republican Party down! Master Messenger: Trump Goes Full MAGA at Pennsylvania Rally, Hands GOP the 2026 Talking Points The master messenger is at it again, this time handing the GOP the 2026 midterm talking points directly. During a rally Tuesday evening in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, President Trump reminded both Republicans and Democrats of just how savvy a messenger he can be when energizing his base. He crushed former President Joe Biden and his administration for overseeing the runaway inflation we are still battling today. He discussed his efforts to bring higher wage jobs to American workers, not illegal aliens. He dismantled Obamacare, highlighting high costs and the trillions in taxpayer dollars given to insurance companies instead of the American people. President Trump went full MAGA. The  message was clear: Republicans, take this message and run with it during the 2026 midterm election cycle. President Trump tore apart Obamacare. He is tired of insurance companies lining their pockets with Obamacare subsidies, and stated once again that he wants that money sent directly to the American people. Imagine being able to use your own money to purchase health insurance instead of those dollars going straight to the insurance companies? For Republicans in 2026, this is a smart policy that could excite the base in an election cycle where President Trump is not on the ballot. Healthcare across America, in many cases, is unaffordable and frustrating. This is certainly an area where the GOP can make up ground with sound policy ideas. President Trump has essentially closed our southern border by the sheer power he wields through the executive branch. The administration has now moved to tackle illegal immigration within our borders, in regards to both deportations and American jobs taken by illegal aliens.  Since President Trump took office, 100 percent of all net job creation has gone to American citizens. That is an amazing statistic that every GOP House and Senate member should be touting on the campaign trail. Not for nothing, but President Trump is also clearly tired of immigrants coming to America who do not care to fully assimilate or share our values. President Trump also announced a permanent pause on third-world migration, “including from hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries.” This is a very smart and, frankly, important policy. During the recent off-year election cycle, many Americans learned for the first time how many third-world immigrants have infiltrated major American cities. This is a winning message and one the GOP should carry into 2026. Finally, the deadly drugs have got to stop flowing into this country. President Trump has taken lethal action that is sure to have every drug boat planning to bring drugs to America second-guessing that decision. For some Republicans who support Trump’s policy but have struggled to properly communicate the importance to their constituents, the president simplified the issue for the entire party. Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/1998449163403419722?s=20  ALL THE INFORMATION.” LFG  One thing I know is that the American public (outside of X) needs to understand how rigged and fake our elections are before we have another election in this country. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Before you wrap it up and put a bow on it, does that gift for your Medicare client follow CMS guidelines? Listen to this episode of the Agent Survival Guide Podcast to find out and stay compliant!   Read the text version  

As a certified insurance agent, staying CMS compliant is a crucial component to your success. Listen to this episode for a mini crash-course on best practices, guidelines, and resources to stay compliant.   Read the text version  

OA1213 - Thomas is back for an action-packed Rapid Response Friday! This week: we compare the letter that just earned the former President of Honduras a pardon of his conviction for definitely being involved with narcotrafficking against the Trump administration's excuses for murder on the high seas of Venezuelans suspected to be involved with narcotrafficking--and if House Speaker Mike Johnson actually has a point in blaming Barack Obama for all of this. Matt then takes a quick look at Steve Bannon's petition for review of his conviction for contempt of Congress by the Supreme Court and explains how “safe third country” agreements now give ICE the power to deport asylum seekers to Central America without a hearing on their claims. Finally in today's footnote, Matt shares an incredible story from his week: an astonishing beyond-Kafkaesque legal argument the government has ordered his client to respond to that you will have to hear to believe. “Double-Tap Warfare: Should President Obama be Investigated for War Crimes?” Florida Law Review (Jan. 2017) Steve Bannon's cert petition to the U.S. Supreme Court in Bannon v. US (10/15/2025) U.S. v. Helen Bryan, 339 U.S. 323 (1950) Matter of C-I-G-M & L-V-S-G-, 29 I&N Dec. 291, (BIA 10/31/2025) Asylum Cooperative Agreement with Honduras, Federal Register (7/8/2025) ACA with Guatemala, Federal Register (7/15/2025) “The Night Raids,” Lynzy Billing, ProPublica (12/15/2022) Juan Orlando Hernandez letter to Trump seeking pardon, New York Times (12/2/2025) Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!

Double and triple check your enrollment applications for errors! Make sure your applications don't get flagged during the submissions process by following these tips. Read the text version   Register with Ritter & Unlock Digital Tools Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: Announcing IntegrityCONNECT Meet Your Ritter Sales Team IntegrityCONNECT Leads FAQs PlanEnroll – Take Your Business to the Next Level Integrity Sales Technology – Ritter Docs What to Know About SOAs in Medicare Health and Prescription Drug Plan Sales IntegrityCONNECT   References: “Social Security Performance.” Social Security, www.ssa.gov/ssa-performance. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025. “ Title 42 Chapter IV Subchapter B Part 422 Subpart V § 422.2264.” Federal Register, www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-V/section-422.2264. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025. Ruhle, Jessica. “What Do Seniors Do Online? 2025 Data for Marketers.” Creating Results, 26 Mar. 2025, www.creatingresults.com/blog/2025/03/13/what-do-seniors-do-online-2025-data-for-marketers/.   Follow Us on Social!  Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

Serve your clients and stay CMS compliant. That's your priority as an insurance agent. Here at Ritter, we're happy to help! Check out this episode for a refresher on what you can't say during Medicare sales appointments and why. Read the text version  

Marketing is a vital part of any business. But when it comes to marketing your services as an agent selling Medicare, there are specific rules and regulations. To help you out, we've compiled a list of FAQs around compliant Medicare marketing. Press play to get started!   Read the text version  

//The Wire//2300Z November 24, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: MASS STABBING STRIKES MADRID. EFFORTS TO OUTLAW CHRISTIAN CHURCH CONTINUE IN CONGRESS. COUNTER-ICE OPERATIONS CONTINUE TO GROW AND ORGANIZE NATIONWIDE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Caribbean: This morning the White House designated the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).Analyst Comment: This is a big deal. This was announced a few weeks ago but this morning this designation appeared in the Federal Register, so it's now in effect. The Cartel de los Soles is the cartel affiliated with much of the Venezuelan military, so this move is a necessary step in the process of expanding the conflict throughout the region.Spain: This morning a mass stabbing was reported in Madrid. One Moroccan national stabbed 3x people this afternoon in a residential area, before fleeing the scene. Counterterrorism police were activated due to the assailant shouting Islamic phrases during the attack. Authorities identified the man and raided his residence, and tased him twice while attempting to arrest him. The tasing failed, and armed police shot him four times, ending the incident. The assailant survived the shooting, and is currently being treated at a local hospital. The three victims also survived, though some of which suffered serious wounds.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security has announced a new billion-dollar initiative to increase biometric scanning at airports. DHS Secretary Noem stated that this investment is the largest expansion of surveillance technologies in many years.In Congress, significant efforts are underway to initiate a criminal investigation into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) within the United States. Last week, Rep. Joe Wilson (R) from South Carolina urged AG Bondi to investigate the Church due to his personal political opposition to Russia.Analyst Comment: These types of efforts always come out of the woodwork during the lead up to Christmas, so this is certainly not out of the ordinary. Almost all Dioceses have already condemned these efforts in the strongest possible terms, so this has done nothing but strengthen the communion between various jurisdictions. This effort is also largely a farce as Rep. Wilson, just a week before this scandal, showed enthusiastic support for the President of Syria, Mohammad al-Jolani. It is excessively ridiculous to seek the opinion of those whom would support a genocidal warlord who is actively murdering Christians (and everyone else) in his own country *right now*, so Wilson's efforts largely can be dismissed. Nevertheless, it is important to consider as, no matter who's in office, Christians are the only group that politicians feel safe in persecuting openly. The goalposts will continue to be moved, or at least try to be. Today it's ROCOR, tomorrow it will be another jurisdiction. There are already other similar initiatives to encourage the labeling of the eastern Three-Bar Cross as a hate symbol, along with the general targeting of Christian churches around the United States. Protestant churches keep burning down due to arson attacks, and Catholic churches are also host to desecration efforts worldwide, so this targeting does not apply only to the East.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Around the country, counter-ICE demonstrators have expanded operations to the economic front, in the form of protests against Home Depot for their alleged cooperation with ICE. Demonstrators have been observed to be taking advantage of a loophole in the retail world so as to cause economic harm to Home Depot. Demonstrators will purchase an ice scraper in the store, then promptly walk over to return it at customer service, running through this cycle over a period of hours. The end goal of this purchase/return cycle is mostly just to c

Sales events are a great way to generate Medicare leads. Learn best practices and how to stay CMS compliant while hosting a Medicare sales event in this episode!   Read the text version  

  Episode: #394 Hosts:  Andy Shiles & Lalo Solorzano Guest: Eric Hargraves Director – Elliott Davis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-hargraves-98a4572/ Firm: Elliott Davis — https://www.linkedin.com/company/elliott-davis-1920/ Published : November 20, 2025 Length: ~34 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Episode Overview In this in-depth roundtable discussion, Andy and Lalo welcome back Eric Hargraves, a listener favorite and trade policy expert known for breaking down complex issues with clarity. This episode tackles one of the hottest topics in global trade: the future of tariffs, IEEPA, and how the Supreme Court's upcoming decision could reshape U.S. trade policy. Eric shares his early analysis of the recent Supreme Court oral arguments on the use of IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) to impose broad, country-wide tariffs—an approach now under scrutiny. Together, they explore whether the U.S. is shifting away from country-of-origin-based tariffs toward sector-based or product-based tariff frameworks, and what that means for importers, exporters, and manufacturers. They also take a historical walk through Section 232 and 301, discuss China's role in the global supply chain, unpack forced labor concerns, and examine how trade policy is being used not just as an economic tool—but a geopolitical one. If your business relies on global sourcing, supply chain planning, cost modeling, or tariff strategy, this is a must-listen episode that cuts through political noise and focuses on operational reality. What You'll Learn in This Episode

Host: Cindy Allen Published: November 14, 2025 Length: ~14 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Summary This week on Simply Trade: Cindy's Version, Cindy Allen breaks down a whirlwind of trade developments—from the end of the federal shutdown to a rapid string of new tariff exemptions and reciprocal deals. Inspired by Taylor Swift's Death by a Thousand Cuts, Cindy explains how the industry isn't being overwhelmed by one big policy shift, but by the relentless series of small, fragmented, high-impact changes that hit importers, customs brokers, and compliance teams day after day. From air freight instability to Switzerland–U.S. negotiations, CAFTA carve-outs, and Argentina beef exemptions, Cindy sheds light on both the economic impact and the behind-the-scenes operational work that trade professionals must perform every time a new deal hits the headlines. This Week in Trade • The federal shutdown ends and the aviation system begins stabilizing • FAA restores routes after up to 6% of flights were cut • Air freight is preparing for a possible late-season peak (but uncertainty remains) • Global shipping flows shift again: • Europe, Middle East, Central America lanes show growth from China • U.S.-bound volumes remain down year-over-year • Anchorage continues its rise as a major air freight hub • Forecasts indicate overall soft demand for the remainder of the year New Trade Developments • U.S.–Switzerland trade deal announced (Details forthcoming; likely modeled after UK/EU/Japan tariff frameworks) • Central America tariff revisions under CAFTA • Expected apparel exemptions for Guatemala & El Salvador • Guatemala coffee exempted — positive for major U.S. importers • Argentina beef tariff reductions • Good for consumers • Raises sensitivity with U.S. cattle industry Here's a strong, concise paragraph version that keeps all the meaning but reads smoothly and professionally: Why This Feels Like “Death by a Thousand Cuts” Cindy explains that today's trade environment is overwhelming not because of one major policy shift, but because of the constant stream of piecemeal announcements that arrive without warning. Industry groups have little opportunity to offer input, and each new deal or exemption forces customs brokers into a full operational cycle—from interpreting vague notices and waiting for CSMS or Federal Register clarification to updating systems, revising SOPs, identifying affected HTS numbers, retraining teams, and notifying clients. Importers face a parallel burden as they update classifications, reevaluate landed costs, adjust sourcing and contracts, and communicate financial impacts across their organizations. With several new deals dropping within just a couple of days, teams are completing multiple implementation cycles back-to-back, making the pressure feel like a true “death by a thousand cuts.” Key Takeaways • The shutdown is over, but volatility continues across aviation and freight • Global trade flows are shifting, but the U.S. remains an outlier in demand • New tariff deals bring benefits but impose significant operational burdens • Compliance and broker teams are stretched thin by continuous policy shifts • The industry is experiencing a true “death by a thousand cuts” RESOURCES & MENTIONS • Global Training Center • TradeForce Multiplier Credits Host: • Cindy Allen – LinkedIn • Trade Force Multiplier Producer: • Lalo Solorzano – LinkedIn Subscribe & Follow New episodes every Friday. Presented by Global Training Center — providing education, consulting, workshops, and compliance resources for trade professionals. Connect with us: • Simply Trade Podcast on LinkedIn • Global Training Center on LinkedIn • YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Trade Geeks Community Don't forget to rate, review, and share with your fellow trade geeks!

Jump in the time machine with us as we travel back circa 2005 for the first Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, the debut of Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, two new Med Supp plans, and more!   Read the text version   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: 4 Ways PlanEnroll Will Make This Your Best AEP Yet 4 Reasons Why Ritter Insurance Marketing Should Be Your FMO Insurance Agency 5 Medicare Myths Your Clients May Believe 10 Tips to Submitting an Error-Free Medicare Enrollment Application 2026 Medicare Part D Bid Info Likely Means Higher Premiums & Plan Disruption — Here's Why A Review of Integrity's Top Medicare Quoting Tools How Insurance Agents Can Use AI Tools How Storytelling Helps Agents Quickly Connect with Clients ft. Don Connelly IntegrityCONNECT & PlanEnroll FAQs Register with RitterIM.com Risk Adjustment & Finding Value Beyond Coding Changes ft. Dr. Shannon Decker The Future of Medicare Part D: The Push Toward MAPD The Ultimate Agent Resource List Pt. 3: Staying Organized   References: “2005 CMS Statistics.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/research-statistics-data-and-systems/statistics-trends-and-reports/medicaremedicaidstatsupp/downloads/2005_cms_statisticspdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “2025 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 8 Nov. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2025-medicare-parts-b-premiums-and-deductibles. McManus, Melanie Radzicki. “A Short History of How Netflix Won World Domination in Streaming.” Entertainment.Howstuffworks.Com, HowStuffWorks, 21 Dec. 2018, entertainment.howstuffworks.com/short-history-netflix-world-domination-streaming.htm. “Beneficiaries with Special Needs Can Get Help from Medicare Managed Care Plans.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/beneficiaries-special-needs-can-get-help-medicare-managed-care-plans. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. Laschober, Mary. “Estimating Medicare Advantage Lock-In Provisions Impact on Vulnerable Medicare Beneficiaries.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/files/document/05springpg63pdf. “IPod Shuffle (1st Generation).” Apple.Fandom.Com, Apple Wiki, apple.fandom.com/wiki/IPod_shuffle_(1st_generation). Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “K & L Out-of-Pocket Limits Announcements.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/medicare/health-drug-plans/medigap/k-l-out-of-pocket-limits-announcements. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs to Remain Stable as CMS Implements Improvements to the Programs in 2025.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 27 Sept. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/medicare-advantage-and-medicare-prescription-drug-programs-remain-stable-cms-implements-improvements. Freed, Meredith, et al.  “Medicare Advantage 2025 Spotlight: A First Look at Plan Offerings.” KFF.Org, KFF, 9 Aug. 2025, www.kff.org/medicare/medicare-advantage-2025-spotlight-a-first-look-at-plan-offerings/. Freed, Meredith, Jeannie Fugleston Biniek, et al. “Medicare Advantage 2025 Spotlight: A First Look at Plan Premiums and Benefits.” KFF.Org, KFF, 9 Aug. 2025, www.kff.org/medicare/medicare-advantage-2025-spotlight-a-first-look-at-plan-premiums-and-benefits/. “Medicare Part B Immunosuppressive Drug Benefit.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/partbid-provider. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “Medicare Demonstration to Transition Enrollment of Low Income Subsidy Beneficiaries .” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 8 June 2006, www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/PrescriptionDrugCovContra/Downloads/MemoLTCContracting_060806.pdf. “Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount.” Federalregister.Gov, Federal Register, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/10/27/E6-17690/medicare-part-b-income-related-monthly-adjustment-amount. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. Cubanski, Juliette, and Anthony Damico. “Medicare Part D in 2025: A First Look at Prescription Drug Plan Availability, Premiums, and Cost Sharing.” KFF.Org, KFF, 9 Aug. 2025, www.kff.org/medicare/medicare-part-d-in-2025-a-first-look-at-prescription-drug-plan-availability-premiums-and-cost-sharing/. “Medicare Program Description and Legislative History.” Ssa.Gov, Social Security Administration, www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2006/medicare.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “Medicare Program; Establishment of the Medicare Advantage Program.” Federalregister.Gov, Federal Register, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/01/28/05-1322/medicare-program-establishment-of-the-medicare-advantage-program. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “Part D / Prescription Drug Benefits.” Medicareadvocacy.Org, Center for Medicare Advocacy, 30 May 2025, medicareadvocacy.org/medicare-info/medicare-part-d/. “Pop Culture in Review for the Year 2005.” Mrpopculture.Com, Mr. Pop Culture , 29 Nov. 2023, mrpopculture.com/pop-culture-in-review-for-the-year-2005/. "The Medicare Advantage program: Availability, benefits, and special needs plans - Chapter 9." Medpac.Gov, Medpac.gov, www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/import_data/scrape_files/docs/default-source/reports/Jun06_Ch09.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. Gold, Marsha. “The Landscape of Private Firms Offering Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage in 2006.” Modern.Kff.Org, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/7474.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “The next Generation of Medicare Beneficiaries - Chapter 2.” Medpac.Gov, Medpac.gov, www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/import_data/scrape_files/docs/default-source/reports/chapter-2-the-next-generation-of-medicare-beneficiaries-june-2015-report-.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. Crowder, Courtney. “Throwback: Pop Culture Trends of 2005.” Usatoday.Com, USA Today, 30 July 2015, www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2015/07/30/pop-culture-trends/30739417/. “Update to Medicare Deductible, Coinsurance and Premium Rates for 2006.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/downloads/R31GI.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. “Variation and Trends in Medigap Premiums.” Aspe.Hhs.Gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files/43721/index.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025. Hosch, William L. “YouTube.” Britannica.Com, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 19 Oct. 2025, www.britannica.com/topic/YouTube.   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance      Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel   Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

Did you know that immigrant labor is critical to our food system, and most of the food that gets to our plates was grown, harvested and processed by the hands of immigrants? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Daniel Costa, JD, attorney, and Director of Immigration Law and Policy Research at the Economic Policy institute. Costa explains details of immigration policy, our dependence on immigrants for economic growth, and policies that affect immigrants' quality of life. Costa was featured on the Investigate Midwest webinar on immigrant labor in the food system:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqm6J1jAEA. If you'd like to comment on immigrant work visas, go to the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/10/2025-17390/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request-revision-of-h-2a-temporary-agricultural, and if you'd like to better understand how Trump's anti-immigrant policies could collapse the U.S. food industry, see this recent article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/17/how-many-immigrants-food-industry-workersRelated Websites: https://www.epi.org/people/daniel-costa/

Today's podcast features the first part of a recent webinar produced on September 24, 2025, titled: "A New Era for Banking: What President Trump's Debanking Executive Order and Related State Laws Mean for Financial Institutions, Government, and Banking Customers." In Part 1, we discuss the following topics: 1.     History of Debanking, including: o   Operation Chokepoint: An initiative by federal prudential banking regulators during the Obama administration aimed at discouraging banks supervised by them from providing services to companies engaged in payday lending. o   OCC Final Regulation on Debanking: Issued by Acting Comptroller Brian Brooks toward the end of President Trump's first term, this regulation applied only to the largest banks in the country. It was sent to the Federal Register but never published and, therefore, never became effective. 2.     Elements and Scope of the Debanking Executive Order 3.     Statutory Authority (or Lack Thereof) of the Executive Order, which was largely based on the unfairness prongs of UDAAP and UDAP, even though a federal district court in Alabama held a few years ago that such unfairness prongs do not cover discrimination. Our presenters, who hold diverse views on the wisdom of the Executive Order, are: ·        Jason Mikula Founder and Publisher, Fintech Business Weekly Jason Mikula is an independent fintech and banking advisor, consultant, and investor. He also publishes Fintech Business Weekly, a newsletter analyzing trends in banking and fintech. He opposes the Executive Order. ·        Brian Knight Senior Counsel, Corporate Engagement, Alliance Defending Freedom Brian Knight serves as Senior Counsel on the Corporate Engagement Team at Alliance Defending Freedom. His work focuses on issues of financial access, debanking, and preventing the politicization of financial services. He opposes the Executive Order. ·        Todd Phillips Assistant Professor of Law, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University Todd Phillips is an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University. His areas of expertise include bank capital and prudential regulation, deposit insurance, and the laws governing federal regulators. He opposes the Executive Order. ·        Will Hild Executive Director, Consumers' Research Will Hild is the Executive Director of Consumers' Research, the nation's oldest consumer protection organization. He has led efforts to combat ESG and what he considers "woke capitalism," including launching the Consumers First campaign. He supports the Executive Order. ·        Graham Steele Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions, U.S. Department of the Treasury Graham Steele serves as the Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He is an expert on financial regulation and financial institutions, with over a decade of experience working at the highest levels of law and policy in Washington, D.C. He opposes the Executive Order. Alan Kaplinsky, the founder and first practice group leader and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group at our firm, moderated the webinar. We will be releasing Part 2 of this webinar on November 6, 2025.