Author Archives: Belinda Norbert

Supreme Court Set to Devastate Millions of Lives Later This Year. But Will They Pull the Trigger?

Mother Jones

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Greg Sargent notes that the future of Obamacare is one of the big political unknowns of the new year:

One of the big, looming questions of 2015 is this: Will the Supreme Court really gut Obamacare subsidies in the three dozen states on the federal exchange, potentially depriving millions of health coverage at a moment when the law, now heading into its second year, is clearly working as intended?

One thing to watch as we approach the SCOTUS hearings on King v. Burwell this spring is how many people are newly qualifying for subsidies in those states as this year’s enrollment period continues….We could be looking at a lot of people who would lose subsidies in the event of a bad SCOTUS ruling, perhaps more overall than previous estimates of around four million. And the enrollment period still has six weeks to go.

I’ve guesstimated previously that around 6 million would be affected in 2016 if the Supreme Court kills subsidies on the federal exchange later this year. Charles Gaba figures it’s somewhere around 5-6 million this year. That’s a lot of people who would face one of two things: (a) an increase of maybe $2-5,000 in their health care premiums, or (b) an end to health care coverage completely because they flatly can’t afford the unsubsidized premiums.

Will this affect the court’s thinking? It’s hard to think of a comparable case where a ruling would have had such an immediate, devastating effect on millions of ordinary people. If anything, that gives me hope. Will John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy really be willing to inflict that kind of real-world pain, regardless of their ideological convictions? Maybe not. At least, I hope not, because I’ve basically given up on the idea that the Supreme Court is anything other than crudely results-oriented these days. Especially on the conservative side of the aisle, they simply don’t seem to care much about law or precedent or common sense anymore. They like what they like and they hate what they hate, and they shape their opinions to match.

Maybe that’s just the despair of a liberal who’s seen a lot of cases go against him over the past few years. Maybe. But I guess we’re going to find out later this year.

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Supreme Court Set to Devastate Millions of Lives Later This Year. But Will They Pull the Trigger?

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Tips That Will Get You Enthusiastic For Gardening

How one takes care of their organic garden can say a lot about them as a person. An activity that focuses on working in the dirt and relying on nature and time is what makes organic gardening enjoyable. That can sound intimidating to a new organic gardener, which is why they should read the list of tips below.

Finished compost can be soaked in water to create a potent brew for various gardening needs! This compost tea becomes a high-protein solution, rich in necessary nutrients you can use for foliar feedings, your backyard garden or even the plants that you keep indoors. Just another advantage of compost you can put to good use!

Divide large clumps of perennials. Some perennial plants lose vigour and flower less well if the clump becomes too large. Plants like Shasta daisies, bearded irises, phlox, chrysanthemum and coneflower benefit from being divided every three years. Without division they become congested, and the centre of the clump will begin to die out. Simply dig the entire plant out, keeping the root ball intact, and divide it into pieces using a shovel. By doing this, you will have at least two or three new plants!

To save on energy, cost, and resources, don’t plant more of a crop in your garden than you are able to use. If you’re not planning on selling your crops at a market, planting more than you can use will just end up wasting resources and space in your garden. If you have extra space, look into planting a variety of crops instead.

Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Certain plants are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds due to their nectar. Hummingbirds tend to favour any flower that is shaped like a trumpet, especially if it is pink, red or purple. Examples of these are honeysuckle, fuchsia and monarda. Butterflies like flat, daisy-like flowers, such as chrysanthemums, asters and coneflowers. Choose a sunny position, as both butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate the warmth.

Don’t grow food no one will eat. Just because you can grow something, doesn’t mean you should. If your kids don’t like spinach now, fresh spinach from the garden isn’t going to change that and much will go to waste. Consider what you and your family like to eat and then determine your garden accordingly.

Organic gardening really is a time and labour intensive activity, but that does not mean it is only for serious organic gardeners. This relaxing activity can be enjoyed by anyone with any kind of gardening skills. These tips were constructed to help those of all skill sets find out how to grow their own organic plants.

If you are looking for the best flower enhancer for your plants, simply visit the CX Hydroponics website by clicking on the given link.

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