Open Thread | The Corruption of This Administration KNOWS NO BOUNDS

Posted on August 14, 2026 by rikyrah

READ THE TWEET.
It doesn’t just say that they will no longer collect this information.
THEY ARE GOING TO DELETE THE DATABASE CONTAINING THE INFORMATION ALREADY COLLECTED.

Treasury Department
@USTreasury
Aug 11
Today, @FinCENnews issued a final rule that permanently removes the requirement for U.S. companies and U.S. persons to report beneficial ownership information. FinCEN today also announced that it will delete previously reported information by U.S. persons .

…………………………………….

Tom Malinowski
@Malinowski
18h

I helped pass this law in 2020. It’s purpose is to prevent drug traffickers, Russian & Chinese kleptocrats, and other international criminals from setting up anonymously owned companies to hide their money in the US. Trump’s Treasury Dept. is doing this to help criminals. 1/

Tom Malinowski
@Malinowski
18h

“Beneficial ownership information” is just a record of who actually owns a company. That’s all that was being reported here, so that we didn’t have LLCs in Delaware laundering millions of dollars through the US and into offshore banks on behalf of totally anonymous people. 2/

Tom Malinowski
@Malinowski
18h

Treasury deleting the beneficial ownership info it already gathered is utterly crazy. This database was not public — it was just for law enforcement to use in investigating crimes. It’s like Trump ordering the deletion of the FBI’s fingerprint database. 3/

Tom Malinowski
@Malinowski
18h

Why is the Trump administration doing this? I don’t know. But it’s certainly good news for rich Russians who want to buy his condos, or Gulf royals buying his fake crypto. The true identities of people he’s done business with, if registered with Treasury, will now be deleted. 4/

Tom Malinowski
@Malinowski

Last but not least, this is totally illegal!

Congress passed a law — with strong Republican support BTW — saying Treasury had to collect and keep beneficial ownership info. The Trump administration cannot say “we’re just not going to do it.” 5/
9:51 PM · Aug 11, 2026
https://x.com/Malinowski/status/2087371265610760435

Tom Malinowski
@Malinowski
18h

This will find its way to court. It will be struck down.

But the deletion of data currently available to law enforcement may be irreversible.

It’s one of the most lawless and corrupt things this administration has done, and that’s saying a lot.

Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Open Thread, Politics, Treasury Department | Tagged , , , , , , | 60 Comments

Open Thread | More of This Administration’s Disrespect Towards the Military

Posted on August 13, 2026 by rikyrah

I thought about adding this as an update to the previous post, but, I think this deserves a post all of its own.
As you read this, I want you to imagine what the reaction of the MSM would be if this was the Biden Administration and Lloyd Austin was Secretary of Defense.

EXACTLY

They will never beat the allegations of their professional malpractice when it comes to dealing with this Administration. The differences are obvious and glaring.

Multiple USS Abraham Lincoln sailors have tried to go overboard amid extended deployment, families say
By Natalie Oliverio
Aug 11, 2026, 06:16 PM

Loma, who lives in San Diego, said her husband had been repeatedly overextended before he tried to jump from the carrier.

“He’s scared,” Loma said. “He thinks he’ll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out, his 13-year career is ruined, just like that. That’s not fair, that’s not right. That’s not what he should be worrying about right now.”

Loma said she initially received a call from the ship’s ombudsman after the incident but has not heard from anyone with the Navy in recent weeks.

Lincoln’s roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines remain on a deployment that began Nov. 21. The carrier has been deployed for more than eight months while supporting U.S. military operations in the Middle East against Iran.

The deployment, which was anticipated to end in May, has been extended with no publicly announced return date.

[…]

More than 200 family members attended a meeting in San Diego last week with acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. During a separate virtual meeting later that evening, families raised concerns about sailors’ mental health, exhaustion and safety, according to recordings of the meeting reviewed by MS NOW.

Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill, commander of Naval Surface Forces, acknowledged the strain on sailors and their families during the virtual meeting.

“We hear you loud and clear [regarding] the impact this has on families, on service members and the long-term ability of us to stand, sustain our forces’ health,” Cahill said, according to MS NOW.

Cahill described deployment-resilience counselors and chaplains aboard warships, along with Human Factors Councils designed to review factors affecting sailors’ well-being and identify related risks.

The Navy has said Lincoln’s leadership is continuously assessing sailors’ psychological readiness and that the carrier has access to counselors, chaplains, medical professionals and other support services.

This is outrageous. Those poor sailors.

Continue reading →

Posted in Open Thread, Politics, U.S. Military | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Open Thread | This Administration Continues to Hurt Our Veterans by Decimating Their Mental Health Care

Posted on August 12, 2026 by rikyrah

THIS IS A DAMN SHAME:

Mike Levin
@MikeLevin

“It was always bad. And now it’s at a breaking point.”

That’s how a VA psychologist described mental health care for veterans after the Trump administration hollowed out the system meant to serve them.

That same psychologist described one-on-one sessions for the veterans who need them most being pushed online, with some cut to as little as 16 minutes. In one case, individual therapy was replaced by group sessions packed with as many as 35 veterans at once.

Hundreds of mental health staffers have left the VA under this administration and haven’t been replaced. So when a veteran needs more time, more care, more attention, it simply isn’t there. The VA now has around 500 fewer psychologists and psychiatrists than it did a year ago, and the numbers keep falling.

This is the country’s largest health care system, serving 9 million veterans.

They face mental health challenges at higher rates than the rest of us. They die by suicide at roughly twice the rate.

When their care is neglected, it costs lives.

Secretary Collins was handed a fundamental responsibility, and veterans are paying the price for his failure to meet it. We must not stay silent while those who served scream out for someone to listen.
propublica.org/article/democr…
https://x.com/MikeLevin/status/2086967485002063950

Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Open Thread, Politics, Veteran Administration, Veterans | Tagged , , , , | 40 Comments

Open Thread | The Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare Will Affect Families All Around The Country

Posted on August 10, 2026 by rikyrah

And, it didn’t need to happen.
The cuts were for no other reason than to pay for TAX CUTS FOR MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES

Peter Morley
@morethanmySLE

Starting 1/1/27: CUTS to Medicaid will total roughly $1T & SNAP CUTS will be $400B. These are NOT just CUTS, they are death sentences. For the first time ever, states via block grants MUST decide who lives & who dies.

BLOOD will be on the hands of the GOP & Trump Administration.
6:32 PM · Aug 2, 2026
https://x.com/morethanmySLE/status/2083984280422691038

This thread was very informative.

James F. Love IV
@JamesFLoveIV
Jul 31

Short 🧵

Re: Medicaid reductions enacted in 2025 and the evidence available as of July 2026.

Impact on Nursing Homes:

Medicaid is the primary payer for more than 60% of nursing-home residents.

A 2024 HHS/ASPE study found that Medicaid payments covered, on average, only about 82% of the actual cost of caring for Medicaid residents.

For roughly 40% of nursing homes, Medicaid payments covered 80% or less of those costs.

aspe.hhs.gov/reports/assess…

That does not mean Medicaid supplies 60% of nursing-home revenue, however, because Medicare and private-pay residents generate different reimbursement amounts.

So Medicaid is financially critical even when it isn’t the majority of total revenue.

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) surveyed 363 nursing-home providers in June 2025 and asked what they would have to do if federal Medicaid funding were reduced:

77% would reduce their Medicaid census.
58% would reduce current staff.

55% would limit hiring/recruitment.
27% said they would have to close facilities.

This is a survey of operators saying that federal Medicaid reductions would force them to close facilities, not a government projection.

ahcancal.org/News-and-Commu…

How many residents could be displaced?

There were approximately 1.2 million nursing-home residents as of July 2025.

If 27% of facilities ultimately closed, a simple proportional estimate would be:

1.2 million × 27% ≈ 324,000 residents.

GAO found that 44 states cover some assisted-living services through Medicaid.

No reliable studies say “X% of assisted-living revenue comes from Medicaid.” The percentage varies a lot by facility and state.

For example, Sonida Senior Living reported that Medicaid represented 7.7% of its resident revenue in 2025, down from 10.1% in 2024.

Another large senior-living operator, Brookdale Senior Living, reported only 4.8% of resident-fee revenue from government reimbursement programs (primarily Medicaid and Medicare) in 2025.

sec.gov/Archives/edgar…

Therefore, assisted living as an industry is considerably less Medicaid-dependent than nursing homes, although Medicaid-dependent assisted-living facilities can be severely affected.

Bottom line:

Nursing homes:

Medicaid importance. Very high

Medicaid primary payer >60% of residents.

Typical Medicaid revenue share
Roughly 20–30%+ nationally, varying greatly

Facilities potentially forced to close 27% in AHCA survey.

U.S. facilities forced to close. appx. 14,742.

Potential nursing-home displacement if 27% closed ~324,000.

The really significant point is that the 27% number is not an invented political talking point. It comes from a 2025 survey of nursing-home operators themselves.

But it would be misleading to say “27% of nursing homes will close because of Medicaid cuts.” The accurate statement is “27% of surveyed nursing-home providers said Medicaid cuts would force them to close facilities.”

ahcancal.org/News-and-Commu…

The problem is particularly serious because nursing-home Medicaid isn’t simply optional insurance for many residents. Medicaid pays for nursing-facility care after Medicare’s limited skilled-nursing coverage ends, including long-term care that Medicare generally doesn’t cover.

I constructed this thread to prepare young families with parents in Nursing Homes to move their parents into their homes once the Republican enacted cuts to Medicaid become effective January 1st, 2027—in 5 months.

324,000 of them are coming home.

Thank this guy.

End 🧵

Continue reading →

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Breaking News, Economy, GOP, Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, Open Thread, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Weekend Open Thread

Posted on August 8, 2026 by rikyrah

Good Morning.

I hope that you are enjoying this weekend with family and friends.

…………………………………….

One of my oldest friends came into town. She came because she had secured tickets to the Obama Presidential Center. So, we went along with Peanut and her mother.
I have to say that I was impressed. It really is an entire campus. We were there from Noon until it closed at 5 pm.
What did I love?
There was no wasted space. There were exhibits and short movies and artwork everywhere.
There was a lot of sitting space. Every floor. For people with mobility issues, they maybe couldn’t take in everything, but, there was a lot for them to take in on every floor. While the rest of your party that could walk and linger, there were clear spots where you could sit and take in a lot of the exhibit on every floor.

Every floor told a different story about the Obamas and their lives together.
• Their beginnings in Chicago.
• The beginnings of their political journey in Chicago.
• The 2 years of running for President
• What President Obama faced and accomplished while President
• The People’s House and how the Obamas used the WH to display what is best in America.
• Their goodbye at the end of those 8 years.

There was something interactive on every floor.

The displays were wonderful.

It was a review of history, and I am glad to have lived through it. I appreciated the floor where it outlined all the policy that happened during the Obama Presidency. Had a long talk with Peanut about the substantial achievements of 44.
Continue reading →

Posted in Weekend Open Thread | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Open Thread | The Truth About Dr. Fauci’s Service

Posted on August 7, 2026 by rikyrah

The GOP Attack on Dr. Fauci is because they have nothing to run on for November 2026 Elections, so they are trying to use distractions about 2020 and COVID to try to activate the GOP rubes.

Gene Trevino
@GenoVeno73

Dr. Anthony Fauci advised SEVEN Presidents (both Republican and Democratic) on infectious diseases — Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden — that’s 38 years.

In these 38 years Dr. Fauci advised on EIGHT major outbreaks:
– Anthrax attacks/biodefense
– SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
– Avian influenza/bird flu (primarily H5N1)
– West Nile virus
– MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
– Ebola
– Zika
– Chikungunya

Dr. Fauci also advised on THREE major pandemics:
– HIV/AIDS
– 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) — Officially declared a pandemic by the WHO
– COVID-19

Out of 38 years, advising SEVEN U.S. President’s from both parties, @RandPaul @SenRandPaul thinks Dr. Fauci LIED to the American people under only ONE “president” – @realDonaldTrump

HERE’S THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER:
– Trump fucked up the handing of the covid pandemic
– Trump doesn’t want history to remember him as a fuck up
– He’s using Dr. Anthony Fauci as his scapegoat

Can’t you people see this “scapegoat” pattern with Trump when he loses, or when he fucks up — he ALWAYS wants to cast blame on someone that isn’t him. ALWAYS!!
8:57 PM · Aug 1, 2026
https://x.com/GenoVeno73/status/2083658387464626361

Posted in 2026 Elections, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccine, Elections, Health, Immunization, Open Thread, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

Open Thread | A Further Reminder About Mail Ballots for the November 2026 Election

Posted on August 5, 2026 by rikyrah

Democracy Docket
@DemocracyDocket

California rejected nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots in its June primary, 63% of which were not postmarked or received within the state’s legally permitted window.

We’re breaking down why recent changes by USPS could be to blame: demdock.com/3TYw3F2

I am going to continue to highlight stories like this, because I want people to recognize the precautions that need to be taken for the November 2026 Election.

IF you are going to use a Mail Ballot to vote for the November 2026 Election:

1. IF you have the option of using an Election Jurisdiction Mail DropBox – DO SO.
2. IF the only way for you to return your Mail Ballot is via the USPS….
DO NOT DROP IT OFF IN A MAILBOX.
DO NOT GIVE IT TO YOUR POSTMAN.
TAKE IT TO YOUR LOCAL POST OFFICE. GO INSIDE. REQUEST THAT THE POSTAL WORKER PUT A DATE STAMP ON YOUR BALLOT RETURN ENVELOPE.

IN.FRONT.OF.YOU.

There is no reason for your ballot to be rejected because of a Post Office Date Stamp.
……………………………….

California rejects nearly 150,000 mail ballots despite voter safeguards
By Yunior Rivas
July 24, 2026

California rejected nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots in its June primary, exposing how votes can still go uncounted even in a state with some of the nation’s strongest voter protections.

According to recently released state data, county election officials rejected 148,241 mail-in ballots of the more than 8.5 million total returned last month.

The overwhelming driver were ballots that were deemed too late: 93,479 ballots were rejected because they were not postmarked or received within California’s legally permitted window, accounting for 63% of all rejected mail ballots.

That percentage is especially notable, according to Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy.

“The increase in late ballots is helping to drive that increase in rejected ballots overall,” Romero told Democracy Docket. “And that’s concerning.”

The vast majority of California voters — about 90% — cast their ballots by mail.

California mails a ballot to every active registered voter and counts mailed ballots that arrive up to seven days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld states’ authority to use similar receipt deadlines, rejecting a Republican National Committee challenge to a Mississippi law that counts ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within five business days.

The Court held that federal law does not require states to possess every ballot by Election Day.

The grace period is meant to protect voters from ordinary mail delays. But California’s experience shows that a grace period may only be as protective as the bureaucratic systems on which it depends.

The U.S. Postal Service acknowledged in a rule that took effect in December that most postmarks are applied when an envelope reaches an automated processing facility, not when a voter places it in a mailbox, hands it to a carrier or brings it to a local post office. The agency also admitted that its Regional Transportation Optimization program will make gaps between possession and postmarking more common.

“The date inscribed by a postmark applied at a processing facility may be later than the date that the mailpiece was first accepted by the Postal Service,” the agency wrote.

Under the new transportation system, post offices serving ZIP codes more than 50 miles from regional processing centers generally lost a second daily truck trip. Mail collected during the day can remain at a local post office until the next morning before being transported for processing and postmarking.

The Postal Regulatory Commission warned that pilot versions slowed mail and that the program would disproportionately burden rural communities.

A ballot placed in the mail on Election Day can therefore remain in postal custody overnight, receive a postmark the next day and become invalid under California law — even if it reaches an election office during the seven-day window.

Posted in 2026 Elections, Elections, Mail Ballots, Open Thread, Politics, Voter Disenfranchisement, Voter Suppression | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Open Thread | Once More…THE PARTIES ARE NOT THE SAME

Posted on August 3, 2026 by rikyrah

NO….
The Parties are NOT THE SAME.

Gene Trevino
@GenoVeno73

🚨 DO YOU GET IT NOW!??!

1️⃣ August 1, 2018 — Democratic amendment for an extra $250 million in election security grants to States.

Sought additional federal grants for States to upgrade voting equipment and cybersecurity ahead of the 2018 midterms. This would have secured federal elections by giving States more resources to protect against foreign hacking and system vulnerabilities.
47 Republicans VOTED NO (only 1 Republican supported this).

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

2️⃣ June 27, 2019 — Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act (H.R. 2722):
Required voter-verified paper ballots, cybersecurity standards for voting systems, domestic manufacturing of equipment, and grants for upgrades and audits. This would have secured federal elections by creating a paper trail for every vote, reducing cyber risks.
184 Republicans VOTED NO (only 1 Republican supported this).

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

3️⃣ March 3, 2021 — For the People Act (H.R. 1):
Expanded automatic/same-day registration, early and mail voting, independent redistricting, campaign-finance rules, and some election-administration measures. This would have secured federal elections by expanding access, reducing barriers, standardizing practices, and increasing transparency.
209 Republicans VOTED NO.

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

4️⃣ June 22, 2021 — For the People Act (S. 2093):
This was the Senate version of the same bill above. It would have secured federal elections through expanded access, uniform standards, and greater oversight.
All 50 Republicans in the Senate VOTED NO.

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

5️⃣ August 24, 2021 — John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4):
Would have restored and updated the Voting Rights Act preclearance formula so certain jurisdictions would need federal approval before changing voting rules. This would have secured federal elections by blocking discriminatory voting changes before they take effect.
All 212 Republicans VOTED NO.

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

6️⃣ October 20, 2021 — Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747):
This was a narrower version of the bill above focused on national standards for early/mail voting, automatic registration, protections for election officials, and anti-subversion rules. This would have secured federal elections by creating consistent access rules and reducing opportunities for partisan interference.
All 50 Republicans in the Senate VOTED NO.

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

7️⃣ November 3, 2021 — John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4):
This was the Senate version of the Voting Rights Act preclearance restoration. This would have secured federal elections by reinstating federal oversight against discriminatory changes.
48 Republicans in the Senate VOTED NO.

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

8️⃣ January 19, 2022 — Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act:
This combined the Freedom to Vote Act’s national standards with the John Lewis Act’s preclearance restoration. This would have secured federal elections by pairing expanded access rules with restored federal protections against discrimination.
All 50 Republicans in the Senate VOTED NO.

SO DON’T EVER TELL ME DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT SECURE ELECTIONS.

————————————–

The @GOP @HouseGOP @SenateGOP @Republicans really are NOT concerned with securing our federal elections.

ALL of these Democratic proposals would have provided better security, better standards, and better oversight over federal elections.

Absent from these Democratic proposals is the “voter ID” measure, but LITERALLY EVERY STUDY has proven there is NO NATIONWIDE VOTER FRAUD — by immigrants, non-citizens, or anyone else.

And yet, these Democratic proposals would have secured our elections. REPUBLICANS VOTED NO!!

9:25 PM · Jul 26, 2026
https://x.com/GenoVeno73/status/2081491111936225542

Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, GOP, Open Thread, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 41 Comments

Weekend Open Thread

Posted on August 1, 2026 by rikyrah

Good Morning.

I hope that you are enjoying the weekend with Family and Friends.

The Tuckers: Meet the descendants of America’s first African family

Posted in Black History, Weekend Open Thread | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Open Thread | Why It’s A NO for Me With This ‘ Class Over Race’ Nonsense

Posted on July 31, 2026 by rikyrah

This poster has it nailed perfectly.

𝓝𝓲𝓴𝓴𝓲 𝓑𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓼
@NikkiBarnes

Here’s the issue that parts of white America have with Black people. And I’m speaking specifically about the openly racist elements of the Republican Party and the DSA activists trying to reshape the Democratic Party.

Black Americans are a smaller percentage of the population, but we wield enormous electoral power because of where we are geographically concentrated, particularly throughout the South. The reality is that many Democratic candidates cannot win office without overwhelming support from Black voters. That’s the math, and that’s the source of the frustration.

The DSA is approaching politics primarily through the lens of class. Black America has always had to navigate both race and class. For generations, we’ve fought to gain access to economic opportunity, not because capitalism has always worked for us, but because we’ve historically been excluded from wealth. That’s why our families have encouraged paths that can create generational stability, whether through entrepreneurship, higher education, skilled trades, or athletics. We don’t apologize for wanting economic security after centuries of being denied it.

The same misunderstanding shows up in the attacks on the Jewish community. Jewish institutions have long invested in building community through philanthropy, education, entrepreneurship, and mutual support. Those traditions have helped create resilient institutions and opportunities that benefit countless people beyond their own community.

When Black and Jewish communities work together, you see two groups that understand what it means to survive discrimination while also believing in building institutions, creating opportunity, and investing in future generations. That coalition has accomplished real change, and that’s exactly why some people find it threatening.

Instead of confronting the economic and political failures within their own movements or families, some activists try to convince Black voters that our priorities should be subordinated to their ideological project. We’re not interested in that. Our communities have spent generations organizing, building, voting, and creating institutions that uplift people. We won’t abandon that work to satisfy someone else’s political theory.

The Black and Jewish coalition remains strong. We intend to continue building power, expanding opportunity, and defeating efforts to divide us. Move accordingly.
1:13 AM · Jul 26, 2026
https://x.com/NikkiBarnes/status/2081186149733703834

Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 Elections, Black Voters, Open Thread, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments