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Which means you have less than three weeks to buy me that amazing gift!
😂😂😂
Sidebar: I AM going to put out a political gift guide next week — my favorite things to buy for the political junkie in your life. It will be for paid subscribers only so…
My gift to you — because I am sure you were wondering — is the ability to steer this newsletter once a week via this post. Ok, it’s not as great as a Lexus wrapped in a big red bow, but it’s something! (Does anyone actually buy that Lexus for Christmas?)
Speaking of Lexuses (Lexi?):
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This is only politics-adjacent, but I am curious on your thoughts.
I've been watching the news coverage of the shooting of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson and I have been struck by the media's unwillingness to address this event's elephant in the room.
I don't an executive should be murdered for what he or she does at work. That being said, I have heard a number of vague contextual comments for the motive along the lines of "well, health insurance can be a contentious subject."
But in the this case, if the murder did take place because of unhappiness with some aspect of health insurance, it seems disingenuous not to at least touch on the fact that Thompson was a controversial CEO even in a controversial industry.
United Health Care has the largest number of claim denials in the industry - 32%, which is more than four times higher than the industry's lowest company. It has been using an AI-based program to examine claims, which even the company admits can have an error rate close to 90% in some categories.
Thompson was one of several United Health executives under investigation for selling off company stock before an anti-trust lawsuit filed against the company was made public.
I could go on and on with this.
But do you think that any of this is "newsworthy" in the context of his murder? I would argue that it is. Not in an effort to blame the victim. But to explain the anger surrounding the company's business. And it also helps explain today's negative social media reaction.
This stupid "Golden At-Bat" thing isn't actually going to happen, right? Even Rob Manfred has enough sense not to really pursue this abomination, right? RIGHT!?