April 11, 2026

Trump Weighs Ultimate Gift to For-Profit Insurance Industry: Medicare Privatization

“They want to remove the guarantee of Medicare,” one advocate said of the Trump administration’s floated plan to automatically enroll seniors in Medicare Advantage.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/medicare-advantage-default-enrollment



The Trump administration is considering enacting a policy that would automatically funnel seniors into for-profit Medicare Advantage plans—which critics say would set Medicare on the path to full-scale privatization.

Chris Klomp, the Trump administration’s director of Medicare and deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), told STAT last month that enrolling seniors in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by default “is something that we’re thinking through.” MA plans are funded by the federal government and run by private insurance companies such as UnitedHealthcare and Humana, both of which have been accused of improperly denying necessary care to patients and overcharging taxpayers.

The default enrollment scheme was floated in the far-right Project 2025 agenda that President Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to disavow. Currently, older Americans who have received Social Security benefits for at least four months before they turn 65 are automatically enrolled in traditional Medicare, and they can choose to enroll in an MA plan as an alternative.

“Another bad idea straight from Project 2025,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said in response to Klomp’s comments on the proposed default enrollment change. “Medicare Advantage is private, for-profit insurance that overcharges American taxpayers by billions every year and regularly denies seniors the care they need.” “Making Medicare Advantage the default option hurts patients and taxpayers,” Pocan added, “but it will make insurance execs a lot of money.”

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April 11, 2026

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi seems to have decided Swalwell needs to drop out:

The race for California governor was already a mess for Democrats. Now what?

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/joegarofoli/article/california-governor-democrats-swalwell-22200549.php

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No matter what type of defiant statement he makes about staying in the race, Swalwell’s days are numbered. As always, look to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for direction on where this story ends.

Pelosi never endorsed Swalwell, even though some of her most trusted lieutenants — like Sen. Adam Schiff — did. On Friday, Pelosi said in a statement that “the young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability.”

On Friday afternoon, she said she called Swalwell and told him “it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

Not too tough to translate the Pelosiese here: Get out.

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April 11, 2026

25 of most enticing walking holidays in Europe for this year

Wondering where to lace up your boots this year? Our expert picks the best trails, from Amalfi coast hikes to Greek island hopping and Norwegian fjord explorations

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/best-walking-tours-in-europe-0q9lp5tvh

https://archive.li/MtNn0


The town of Assisi in Umbria, Italy
Getty images

Remember that song by Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made for Walkin’? Well, Nancy, I’ve got news. It’s not just the footwear. Our bodies are made for walking too — and there are few holiday pursuits more natural and rewarding than a proper old-fashioned hike. You stretch your legs a little, conversation is uncorked and the need to reach your goal before nightfall supplies all the purpose you need. Suddenly, you notice your surroundings too — and that’s what makes this collection of European walking holidays especially mouth-watering, because they explore some of the continent’s most dramatic and fascinating landscapes. The scenic splendour comes courtesy of destinations such as Madeira, Mont Blanc and Albania’s Accursed Mountains. In the Dolomites you get a side order of serious gastronomy too. And in Umbria, Galicia and the hilltop Cathar towns of France there are deep layers of history to sift through along the way. Our continent has plenty more going for it. World-class networks of mapped and waymarked trails are perhaps our most obvious advantage, closely followed by a plentiful supply of comfortable hotels and mountain refuges.

But what’s less appreciated is Europe’s geographical range. It means that, whatever the season, you can undertake a serious hike. In mid-winter Spain’s Canary Islands beckon. In spring Italy’s Amalfi coast and Greece’s Cycladic islands are at their best. Come summer Europe has some of the finest and most accessible mountain ranges to tramp through. In other words, the options are almost limitless. And here’s another layer of choice to go on top. Should you book on a guided or a self-guided tour? Both can be brilliant. Guided groups are the no-stress, social option — but they come with one big caveat. Ask the operator what their average group is like before you commit. In my experience, conversation flows most easily among people of more or less the same age — and when it’s good, the chat becomes the absolute highlight of the trip. But even so, discovering a landscape by yourself can be more deeply satisfying as I discovered once, exploring Gascony with the help of a self-guided itinerary from Inntravel. I was alone, but never bored and never lonely. It was just me and my boots, walking.

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Saxony, Germany/North Bohemia, Czech Republic


Headwater’s seven-night itinerary takes you to Elbe’s Sandstone mountains

No, it doesn’t look much like the Alps. But the crazy pillars and canyons of Saxon Switzerland make this national park near the Czech Republic amazing all the same. Mind you, you’ll need to be sure-footed to enjoy this circular self-guided Walking in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains itinerary with Headwater. En route, over a week of rollercoaster, 6 to 11-mile walks, you’ll be climbing ladders, teetering on cliff-edge paths and sashaying through deep, rocky clefts, with enchanted forests, brooding castles and the thunderous Lichtenhain waterfall among the many highlights. Accommodation is in three smart, four-star hotels — two of which have pools.

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Graubunden, Switzerland


Explore Graubunden with a botanist on this tour
Shutterstock

There’s more to the Alps than mountain scenery, as you’ll discover on this week-long tour of the upper Engadin valley, where mountain flowers and ecology get a share of the limelight. Based in the smart, contemporary Hotel Palü in Pontresina, on this Naturetrek trip you’ll sally forth with the botanist and photographer David Tattersfield on daily walks that use cable cars, local buses and the Bernina railway to explore high peaks, alpine meadows, natural rock gardens and fields of scree. All are home to extraordinarily robust and brilliantly coloured plants, and you may also spot ibex, chamois and golden eagles.

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The Cyclades, Greece


Syros is full of pretty coastal hiking paths
Getty images

The ever-changing play of sunlight across the Aegean is sure to add extra sparkle to this guided Greek Island Wanderer itinerary. On Paros, you’ll walk a Byzantine road, paved with marble, that’s thought to be 1,000 years old. On Syros, coastal routes are the norm, while a dramatic path beckons in Santorini, along the island’s crater. On each of your four island stops you’ll stay in small and friendly hotels, with plenty of free time for day trips to neighbouring islands or optional hikes with your guide.

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more destinations' pics

April 10, 2026

Israel and the Cease-Fire

Will Bibi Netanyahu manage to keep the war going, or will Trump finally appreciate that U.S. interests and Bibi’s are far from identical?

https://prospect.org/2026/04/10/israel-netanyahu-trump-cease-fire-iran-war/


President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. Credit: Alex Brandon/AP Photo

President Trump’s hapless efforts to extricate himself and the United States from his failed Iran war may have one salutary piece of collateral damage. There is now a wedge between Trump and one of his prime manipulators: Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister who prodded Trump into launching the war and recklessly sought to widen it, is now trying to sabotage the fragile cease-fire.

We have to hope that there will not be far more serious collateral damage in the form of increased antisemitism—of the real kind, not the fake version that Trump has been using to eviscerate civil rights enforcement for everyone but Jews. At some point, Trump may well turn on his former close ally and take MAGA with him. The fact that the U.S. delegation to Islamabad this weekend is headed by Vice President JD Vance is a mark of Trump’s desperation. Vance was one of the few senior people in the administration (and the only one whom Trump can’t fire) to express skepticism about the war.

But even before Vance departed for Pakistan, Netanyahu was doing his best to undermine the deal. Netanyahu had not been consulted about the cease-fire, nor was Israel was invited to participate in negotiations. On Wednesday morning, hours after Trump announced the cease-fire, Israel’s military launched over 100 strikes on southern Lebanon, killing more than 300 people, including in Beirut neighborhoods outside of Hezbollah’s traditional domain that had been spared. Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon have now killed more than 1,800 people, including many civilians, and displaced more than one million from their homes.

Vance tried to claim that suspension of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon was not part of the bare-bones cease-fire agreement, calling it a “misunderstanding” with the Iranians: “I think the Iranians thought that the cease-fire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t, we never made that promise,” Vance told reporters. He was contradicted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped negotiate the terms. Sharif said that Lebanon was explicitly part of the cease-fire agreement.

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April 10, 2026

This F*cking Guy Episode 35 - OpenAI's Sam Altman: Everything You Didn't Know About His Sh*tty Past

In our 35th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the AI Scammer, Sam Altman. From his early tech bro days at Loopt and Y Combinator, to getting a thrill by playing “God" with AI decision-making, to acting VERY shady about the death of an OpenAI employee, this may be our most disingenuous guy yet!

0:00 - Intro
01:45 - Early life, lawsuit filed against him by sister Annie Altman
04:16 - Early business ventures: Loopt and Y Combinator
10:12 - Starting OpenAI, ChatGPT and the circular economy
23:22 - Ad break
26:18 - Fear mongering about AI, problems with ChatGPT
34:59 - OpenAI using a voice eerily similar to Scarlett Johansson's and other copyrighted work
38:28 - OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji found dead
42:04 - Sam Altman Ousted and Reinstated from OpenAi
46:35 - Outro/Matrix rating

April 10, 2026

Hysteria: Pam Bondi Was "Qualified" as Attorney General... But We'll NEVER Defend Her

Political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco are joined by a bicoastal squad of funny, opinionated women to talk through everything from reproductive rights to romcoms. They break down the political news of the week, plus the topics, trends, and cultural stories that affect women’s lives. New episodes drop every Thursday.

Crooked Media believes that we need a better conversation about politics, culture, and the world around us—one that doesn’t just focus on what’s broken, but what we can do to fix it. We are a media network that showcases stories, voices, and opportunities for activism that inform, entertain, and inspire action, because it’s up to all of us to do our part to build a better world.

That’s it. End of mission.

Learn more about us at https://crooked.com/

April 10, 2026

Maintaining the momentum of Mamdani's historically successful election campaign has meant doing the little things right.

https://prospect.org/2026/04/10/zohran-mamdani-getting-new-york-city-believe-in-government/


Credit: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via AP Images

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – It was the first Rental Ripoff hearing and people were pissed. Set up by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and attended by leaders of his administration and 150 city workers across multiple departments, the hearings gave tenants a chance to describe conditions their landlords refuse to fix—rats, mold, dangerous construction—along with a spate of unnecessary and hidden fees. They had three minutes each to share their experiences. But they also got to do something unexpected: set policy priorities for one of the largest cities in the world.

Arrayed around the room were posterboards, which not only asked tenants what problems they faced but sought their input on policy proposals brainstormed by staff, like fining landlords who don’t make repairs, making it easier to form tenant unions, or enabling the city to take over buildings when there are serial violations. Placing a sticker by the proposal signaled approval. But in addition, the public could also write their own policy alternatives on Post-It notes. And they did. “Require transparency on who landlords (LLC) are so [we] can hold them accountable,” read one note. Another suggested a crackdown on charging market rates when the unit is rent-stabilized so the landlord could pocket the difference.

“Some management companies list vacant apartments and request non-refundable application fees,” a third person wrote. “They make more money on application fees than collecting rent.” “People came up with interesting ideas!” said Sam Levine, who runs the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). “For policy development, it’s an interactive process. It’s like nothing I’ve done in my career.” The last of five Rental Ripoff hearings, one for each borough, was in Staten Island this week. “I’m sad they’re over!” Levine said.

Mamdani came to Gracie Mansion on the strength of mass engagement from his supporters, including the 104,400 volunteers who knocked on doors daily during his campaign. His first hundred days in office end today, and his goals for the period have been twofold: show those supporters meaningful progress on their concerns, and expand participation in New York City democracy even more. The block and tackle of municipal government, like filling 100,000 potholes in 100 days, has been one of the basic mechanisms of this effort. Mamdani is confronting many of the city’s biggest daily annoyances, by stopping illegal towing, taking down sidewalk sheds, and investing in public bathrooms. “Mamdani is just going down the list of things that have pissed him off while living in NYC and addressing them one by one,” said one X commenter (who, granted, is from Texas).



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April 10, 2026

Yazoo - Situation (Dave Ralph's Tea Freaks English Breakfast Mix) + Situation (Daniel Miller/Mark Saunders 12" Mix) 1999

Label: Mute – P12 YAZ 6
Format: 2 x Vinyl, 12", Promo
Country: UK
Released: 1999
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Tech House

April 10, 2026

Vertical Vertigo: Brian Callaci's book describes the deregulatory strategies franchisors use to protect their profits.

https://prospect.org/2026/04/10/apr-2026-magazine-vertical-vertigo-franchise-deregulation-antitrust-law/


Credit: Petros Karadjias/AP Photo





Twenty years ago, Bhupinder “Bob” Baber shot himself three times in the chest with a .380 handgun inside the bathroom at his friend’s Quiznos in Whittier, California. Baber ran two Quiznos in nearby Long Beach, and at the time of his suicide, he had sunk $100,000 and 18 months of his life into litigating Quiznos over a venue and arbitration clause, before the court ever got to hear the merits of his case. The Toasted Subs Franchisee Association, of which Baber was a member, published his last words on their website, describing how the legal dispute had ruined his life. “My struggle will continue after my sacrifice,” he wrote.

In response, Quiznos accused the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association of exploiting Baber’s death, and demanded they instead publish an apology calling their own actions “morally reprehensible,” as well as dropping any and all legal claims moving forward. This would cure the association’s supposed breach of contract. The association refused, and so 11 days after Baber’s death, Quiznos terminated its contracts with the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association’s eight board members. Seventeen days after his death, Quiznos notified its remaining franchisees that “from time to time, we need to take the steps necessary to protect the brand, as we have in this case.”

Chains of Command: The Rise and Cruel Reign of the Franchise Economy, by Brian Callaci, unbundles the business and legal strategy behind why a franchisor’s branding power is inextricably tied up with the treatment of its franchising partners. The story begins with Dunkin’ Donuts founder William Rosenberg, who banded together with other early franchisors as the International Franchise Association (IFA) in 1959. The IFA had a simple goal: protect franchisors from antitrust enforcement and organized labor. And they triumphed. “The IFA is the umbrella entity that, along with individual Franchisors, has enough money and power to buy the legislation that protects the Franchisor, and exploits the Franchisee,” Baber wrote in his suicide note.

It took decades to accomplish. But the IFA achieved near-immunity from the antitrust laws thanks to a dispute between a chain of retail electronics stores and a television maker. Before 1977, franchisors restricting how a franchisee operated their business was presumptively illegal under the antitrust laws. But in Continental T.V. v. GTE Sylvania, the Supreme Court upended this precedent by requiring that any alleged harm in a vertical relationship be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. No longer would franchisors need to fear the “haunting question” of the Sherman Act, the IFA’s attorney Philip Zeidman said afterward.

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April 10, 2026

The Human League - The Lebanon (12-inch Extended Version) 1080p H 264 AAC + Thirteen (1984)

Label: Virgin – VS 672-12
Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 23 Apr 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop