20 Years On, the Background Check System Continues to Miss Dangerous Gun Buyers
DHS Refusing to Look Into Hack of Voting Machines ; Pot Users Weigh Less ; and More Picks
DHS Is Refusing to Investigate Hack of Voting Machines (Chris)
The author writes, “Pressure to examine voting machines used in the 2016 election grows daily as evidence builds that Russian hacking attacks were broader and deeper than previously known. And the Department of Homeland Security has a simple response: No.”
How the IRS Gave Up Fighting Political Dark Money Groups (DonkeyHotey)
From ProPublica: “Six years after it was excoriated for allegedly targeting conservative organizations, the agency has largely given up on regulating an entire category of nonprofits. The result: More dark money gushes into the political system.”
How Luxury Developers Use a Loophole to Build Soaring Towers for the Ultrarich in NY (Russ)
The author writes, “About one-fourth of the 88 floors at 432 Park Avenue, one of the world’s tallest residential buildings, have no homes. Instead, they are reserved for structural and mechanical equipment.”
It Cost What? Medical Pricing Shrouded in Secrecy, Leaving Patients in the Dark (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Hospitals, outpatient centers, medical practices and free-standing emergency rooms spit out a number — the initial billed charge — which is often many times more than what they expect to collect, say health policy experts. What facilities eventually get paid often bears little resemblance to the original charges, varying wildly from patient to patient and venue to venue for the exact same treatment.”
Marijuana Users Weigh Less, Defying the Munchies (Mili)
From Science Daily: “New evidence suggests that those who smoke cannabis, or marijuana, weigh less compared to adults who don’t. The findings are contrary to the belief that marijuana users who have a serious case of the munchies will ultimately gain more weight.”
