Category: Politics, Religion & Money

Massachusetts General Hospital is the anchor for the Mass General Brigham network, that was originally branded as Partners Healthcare. Layoffs were announced shortly before I was at MGH three weeks ago to have my afib corrected. The cuts are supposed to be in administration.

https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/2025/03/14/how-readers-will-be-impacted-by-the-mass-general-brigham-layoffs/

I wonder how much Mass General pays Epic Systems every year? The purchase price in 2015 was $1.2 billion, and that was just for the software. The University of Massachusetts Memorial System is in this list of the most expensive Epic installations.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/ehrs/most-expensive-epic-ehrs-ranked.html

UMass is having its own financial difficulties, made worse by what the Trump administration is doing.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/03/12/umass-medical-school-hiring-spending-freeze

Was the cost/benefit of Epic Systems worth the $700 million that UMass paid?

Speaking of healthcare IT, the government’s relevant website showed a lot of activity leading up to January 20. Since then? Only one item, and that was two weeks ago.

https://www.healthit.gov/

Land Ho! That is if this bit of Cape Cod sand can be called land, given the inevitability of beach erosion.

https://www.capeandislands.org/local-news/2025-03-13/for-sale-beachfront-property-optimism-required

https://www.bea.gov/about/bea-advisory-committee

Trump and his idiot cabinet picks, both official and not, are taking a Tesla down a road to Hell that isn’t paved with good intentions.

Take it, Dee Dee! 1-2-3-4!

Jim McGovern, representing the Massachusetts 2nd Congressional District, addressed a packed high school auditorium this morning. Without a single MAGA hat in sight, McGovern delivered a forceful message of Democratic resistance against Trump and his subservient Republican cronies.

Listening to McGovern and the questions from his constituents, I had flashbacks to my radio reporting days. Back then, I stayed to the very end of meetings, then I’d conduct interviews to get audio for broadcast. Today, as a spectator rather than a reporter, I left after two hours when an activist took some applause he received as giving him permission to indulge in vituperative grandstanding.

There’s so much confusion resulting from Trump giving Musk authority over his confirmed cabinet picks.

Trump has always been a terrible manager. Six business bankruptcies can’t be wrong.

So I don’t know why any members of Trump’s cabinet are surprised that he immediately undermined their positions. Elon was called to a meeting, and he even showed up in a suit.

The meeting got heated, resulting in Donny allegedly putting some limits on Musk’s ability to act independently. Here’s a paywall-free NYTimes link with the inside scoop on the White House poop.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-musk-doge-power.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2E4.cmLF._9–cA1g_GnO&smid=url-share

Cryptocurrency is a form of gambling that serves no functional purpose other than money laundering. Trump, having pulled plenty of scams himself, previously declared crypto to be a scam. Donald now wants in on the scam and he’s advocating for an American crypto reserve currency.

Now that I am clear of cancer and free from afib, it would be nice if I could enjoy life. Trump is making that very difficult, especially regarding Social Security and Medicare. With those concerns in mind, tomorrow morning I will be attending a “coffee with your congressman” meeting with Representative James McGovern.