A new poll reveals that most Americans hold the perpetrator primarily responsible for the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson. However, a significant portion also attribute responsibility to the company’s profit margins and denials of health care coverage, particularly younger Americans. This widespread belief reflects long-standing frustrations with the healthcare system and insurance industry practices. About 30% of respondents reported personal struggles with insurance coverage in the past year, further highlighting public discontent.
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The Teamsters’ strike against Amazon, billed as the largest in the company’s history, highlights a stark contrast between Amazon’s immense profitability and the reported miserable working conditions experienced by its employees. It’s hard to argue against the accusation of insatiable greed leveled against the company. Being one of the world’s largest and most profitable entities, Amazon should ideally be a fantastic place to work, offering fair wages and excellent conditions.
Instead, numerous accounts paint a grim picture of workplace realities – threats, restricted bathroom breaks, and unrelenting pressure. The core issue seems to be a perceived lack of fair compensation relative to the company’s massive profits.… Continue reading
I was a health insurance executive. What I saw made me quit. It wasn’t a single event, but a slow dawning realization of the system’s inherent cruelty and the complicity of those within it. The pursuit of profit above all else permeated every decision, every meeting, every strategy session.
It started subtly. The subtle nudges towards denying claims, framed as “cost-saving measures.” The training emphasized identifying “unnecessary expenses,” turning adjusters into soldiers in a war against the insured. Denying a claim from a woman who’d paid premiums for twenty years, citing “pre-existing damage,” was a turning point. It felt profoundly wrong, a betrayal of the very trust the system was built upon.… Continue reading
An Emerson College poll reveals that 41% of young adults (18-29) found the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson acceptable, a significantly higher percentage than other age groups. This follows the December 4th shooting of Thompson in New York City, with the alleged perpetrator, Luigi Mangione, charged with murder as an act of terrorism. Mangione’s arrest included a manifesto expressing contempt for the healthcare industry, highlighting underlying societal anger towards the system. Reactions to the event have been diverse, ranging from horror to surprising acceptance, reflecting deep-seated frustrations with healthcare costs and accessibility.
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Giant companies, specifically pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), received secret payments to facilitate the unrestricted flow of opioid prescriptions, significantly contributing to the devastating opioid crisis. This wasn’t a simple oversight; these payments, often in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, acted as a de facto incentive to prioritize profit over public health. The sheer scale of the payments, like the approximately $400 million Purdue Pharma paid to PBMs by 2012, underscores the blatant disregard for the human cost of their actions.
These PBMs, controlling access to medication for millions, wielded immense power. Instead of utilizing this power to restrict opioid prescriptions, even amidst a surging overdose crisis, they actively worked to keep the flow of opioids unrestricted.… Continue reading
Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, who displayed erratic behavior in court, is fighting extradition to New York. A handwritten document recovered from him expressed anger towards corporate greed and the healthcare industry, and he is believed to have acted alone. He was identified by a McDonald’s customer and apprehended by police, who found a firearm consistent with the murder weapon and fraudulent identification documents in his possession.
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Newly uncovered documents reveal that major oil companies were alerted to the climate change risks of fossil fuels as early as 1954. This warning, delivered by the Air Pollution Foundation, an industry-funded group, represents the earliest known instance of big oil being informed about the potentially catastrophic consequences of their products. Despite receiving this warning, the oil industry actively downplayed and denied the harms of burning fossil fuels, utilizing a strategy similar to the tobacco industry’s tactics for denying the dangers of smoking. These actions, which date back to the 1950s, laid the groundwork for decades of climate denial and delay by big oil.
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Boeing workers have decided not to accept the wage deal on the table, and I find myself reflecting on the ramifications of this choice—socially, economically, and morally. The vote was decisive, with 64% of union members rejecting the proposal, a significant statement from those who have endured years of stagnant wages and uncertain job security. When the offer is deemed unacceptable, especially against a backdrop of soaring inflation and an increasingly shaky company reputation, it reveals a profound discontent that can’t be ignored.
The primary issue at hand revolves around the longstanding demand for the restoration of the defined-benefit pension plan that Boeing had frozen a decade ago.… Continue reading
The irony of GM’s profit nearing record highs a year after claiming it couldn’t afford to meet its workers’ pay demands seems almost comical at first glance, but beneath that surface is a grim reality that speaks volumes about the state of corporate America. I find myself reflecting on how often I’ve encountered this narrative, where companies cry poverty just as they are about to close negotiations that could lead to meaningful improvements for their employees. It’s a playbook that’s become all too familiar over the years.
When GM executives, led by CFO Paul Jacobson, proclaim about the strong revenue growth and profitable operations while simultaneously refusing to uplift workers’ wages, I can’t help but feel a knot in my stomach.… Continue reading
The devastating news of the Tennessee plastics plant employees trapped and some among the missing and dead due to Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters is heartbreaking. The fact that the employees were not allowed to leave until the water had covered the parking lot is both tragic and enraging. One can’t help but wonder why these employees were not instructed to stay home in the first place, especially with the knowledge of the approaching hurricane causing damage and flooding inland.
It is appalling to think that these employees were threatened with losing their jobs if they left the plant before it was too late.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood