Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Julie Poole

Witamy Paçzki @hmullphoto.bsky.social · 2d

This is terrific reporting on a cruel and exploitative state government scam designed to impoverish families after having a loved one dies, who required Medicaid coverage for the cost of their care. It should be illegal in all states.

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 2d

From @juliepoole.bsky.social: When callers pose even basic questions about how to get claims on their family homes dismissed, they are often left without answers. When families are hit with enormous six-figure claims, no one advocates on their behalf.

One Woman's Fight Against Texas' Medicaid Estate Recovery Program

Her mother had been in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now, the state wanted its money back: “It was like wild animals pouncing on meat."

www.texasobserver.org

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Reposted by Julie Poole

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 4h

we’ll see how his mayoral tenure shakes out but i am convinced that Mamdani has the juice. not just the charisma to win an election but the temperament to govern and the measured pragmatism of someone who genuinely believes what they’re saying and wants to accomplish real things.

Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani

www.nytimes.com

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 4h

Why do I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to read this?! Thank you!

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Reposted by Julie Poole

The Nation Magazine @thenation.com · 4h

Bernie Sanders tells @nicholsuprising.bsky.social that the Democratic Party is made up of folks who have money.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-democratic-party-mamdani/?utm_campaign=SproutSocial&utm_content=The+Nation+Magazine&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

www.thenation.com

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Texas Standard @texasstandard.bsky.social · 1d

For nearly two decades, the state’s Medicaid Estate Recovery Program has filed repayment claims against Medicaid recipients after they die, threatening the inheritances of vulnerable Texans. buff.ly/kH0rSNE

This state program collects money from the deceased. Families pay the price.

For nearly two decades, the state’s Medicaid Estate Recovery Program has filed repayment claims against Medicaid recipients after they die, threatening the inheritances of vulnerable Texans.

txst.us

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 4d

100%!

Economic Hardship Reporting Project @economichardship.bsky.social · Feb 25

“'Very little in our current media ecosystem addresses poor Americans,' says Victor Pickard...The main reason for its absence, he says, is that media owners are 'dedicated to making as much money as possible.'”

@alissaquart.bsky.social in @columjournreview.bsky.social www.cjr.org/analysis/ame...

America Needs a Working-Class Media

Catering to rich audiences is not serving us.

www.cjr.org

Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 4d

Damn, try to follow this logic.

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 4d

The Health Secretary has claimed that children who are circumcised have double the rate of autism, most likely because they are taking Tylenol.

RFK Jr. Ties Autism to Circumcision and Tylenol in Bonkers Rant

The Health Secretary also accused some pregnant women of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

trib.al

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Olivia Messer @oliviamesser.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: We sent @stevanzetti.bsky.social to a Turning Point USA event, where Attorney General Ken Paxton was the keynote speaker — just hours after he announced his “undercover operations to infiltrate and uproot leftist terror cells in Texas.” It went how you expect.

thebarbedwire.com/2025/10/08/k...

Texas Republicans Are Using Charlie Kirk’s ‘Martyrdom’ to Crush Free Speech

Hours after announcing ‘undercover operations’ into leftist groups, Ken Paxton compared Charlie Kirk to Jesus at a Turning Point USA event.

thebarbedwire.com

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 4d

@kitoconnell.com is doing such great work.

This bill is disgraceful.

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 4d

“It’s assumed that trans people are going to be fined, arrested or kicked out of places when in reality it’s the [public] entity that takes on the burden.”

SB 8 targets schools, libraries and other venues, allowing the state to "investigate" and levy massive fines.

How the Bathroom Bill Weaponizes Transphobia Against Public Institutions

A legal expert called the new anti-trans Texas bathroom law “the most plainly unlawful, undemocratic legislation I’ve seen in recent history.”

www.texasobserver.org

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Jessica Washington @jesswash.bsky.social · 5d

I wrote about the inherent contradiction between the Trump administration's MAHA agenda and its refusal to investigate or halt the dumping of toxic chemicals into our food, water and air.

theintercept.com/2025/10/02/r...

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Reposted by Julie Poole

steven monacelli @stevanzetti.bsky.social · 19d

Public Citizen identified eight companies that received nearly $1B in non-competitive state contracts between 2014—2024. During those same years, these companies, their PACs, their officers, and their employees donated nearly $3M to Texans for Greg Abbott PAC.

www.citizen.org/article/awar...

Awarding Influence - Public Citizen

www.citizen.org

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Mandi Spishak-Thomas @aspishakthomas.com · 4d

Thorough and important coverage on Medicaid estate recovery, a policy that continues to be understudied, misunderstood, and deeply harmful to families. Behind every bad policy is somehow always, disturbingly, private equity. Follow up this article with our recent MER paper in @jhppl.bsky.social

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Josephine Lee @josephinelee.bsky.social · 18d

Trump hastens plan to deny domestic workers the minimum wage. www.texasobserver.org/texas-domest...

Texas Domestic Workers Face Trump Attack on Minimum Wage

Advocates warn a proposed rule by the Department of Labor will deepen the country’s “crisis of care.”

www.texasobserver.org

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Susan Hinton @susanhinton.bsky.social · 6d

Private Equity: The “Texas Health & Human Services Commission hired HMS to handle the MERP administration, paying the company a 12.5% commission on any recovered funds ... HMS is owned by Gainwell Technologies, which is owned in turn by a private equity firm, Veritas Capital, worth $50 billion.”

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 7d

Our top story, from @juliepoole.bsky.social: After suffering a stroke, their mother, Marilyn, spent two and a half years in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now the state wanted its money back.

“It was like wild animals pouncing on meat.”

One Woman's Fight Against Texas' Medicaid Estate Recovery Program

Her mother had been in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now, the state wanted its money back: “It was like wild animals pouncing on meat."

www.texasobserver.org

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Reposted by Julie Poole

estarianne @estarianne.bsky.social · 7d

You will be shocked to learn that the company the state sends to take people's houses is owned by private equity.

Yes someone's making a profit from this ghoulish venture.

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 8d

In our magazine, from @juliepoole.bsky.social: When callers pose even basic questions about how to get claims on their family homes dismissed, they are often left without answers. When families are hit with enormous six-figure claims, no one advocates on their behalf.

One Woman's Fight Against Texas' Medicaid Estate Recovery Program

Her mother had been in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now, the state wanted its money back: “It was like wild animals pouncing on meat."

www.texasobserver.org

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Jeb Boyt 🌮 @jeboyt.bsky.social · 7d

Troubling.

If we were going to do this, we shouldn’t outsource it for someone to profit off of.

12.5 percent commission on recovered funds

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Patti Neff-Tiven @solestrella7.bsky.social · 7d

I had to get a lawyer to get POA on my dad who was already in a nursing home with Alzheimer's when my mom passed unexpectedly and then get a Lady Bird deed to avoid this very thing. We were privileged enough to go thru a year+ process. TX gonna TX

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 7d

Our top story, from @juliepoole.bsky.social: After suffering a stroke, their mother, Marilyn, spent two and a half years in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now the state wanted its money back.

“It was like wild animals pouncing on meat.”

One Woman's Fight Against Texas' Medicaid Estate Recovery Program

Her mother had been in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now, the state wanted its money back: “It was like wild animals pouncing on meat."

www.texasobserver.org

1 1

Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 7d

It’s the little things, like when a story I wrote shows up in my google alerts.

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 7d

Important Medicaid programs are being cut right now. The Medicaid Estate Recovery Program is the sort of program the government SHOULD get rid of, instead it’s going after the health care benefits that people actually need. MERP is wasteful spending at its absolute worst.

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 8d

In our magazine, from @juliepoole.bsky.social: When callers pose even basic questions about how to get claims on their family homes dismissed, they are often left without answers. When families are hit with enormous six-figure claims, no one advocates on their behalf.

One Woman's Fight Against Texas' Medicaid Estate Recovery Program

Her mother had been in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Now, the state wanted its money back: “It was like wild animals pouncing on meat."

www.texasobserver.org

1 21 33

Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 18d

A few years ago, I didn’t even know how to write a book review. Now I’m writing long form features. As a freelancer, I’ve had to hustle and grind. Most of the stories I do would not exist without grant funding. A handful of editors & organizations are the ONLY reason I get to do this work at all.

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 18d

Brilliant piece by @josephinelee.bsky.social No need to repeat that Trump has never cared about the working poor. That’s pretty clear by now.

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 18d

Out today from @josephinelee.bsky.social: “The work is physically hard, the pay right now is barely keeping up with other jobs. There is a shortage of workers willing to even do these jobs because of the already low wages.”

Texas Domestic Workers Face Trump Attack on Minimum Wage

Advocates warn a proposed rule by the Department of Labor will deepen the country’s “crisis of care.”

www.texasobserver.org

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 18d

Tomorrow, I’m teaching a class on how to write an artist statement.

I searched for the last artist statement that I wrote and what I found blew my hair back.

My statement was so bold and vulnerable and true to who I am as a writer.

After I reread it I thought, “Damn, that was brave.”

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Reposted by Julie Poole

Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 18d

BREAKING: The Federal Bureau of Prisons just terminated its union's collective bargaining agreement this afternoon, according to this letter posted online by the national union president:

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 24d

Hahahaha!!

Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 24d

NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com

Pentagon demands journalists pledge to not obtain unauthorized material

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is imposing strict new rules that would severely limit the ability of journalists to report on the Pentagon.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Julie Poole @juliepoole.bsky.social · 26d

As far as I remember from J-school, the media’s job is to hold power to account. And that’s what journalists are doing.

Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 26d

New today: Media outlets, including the Texas Observer, argue that Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, are elected officials subject to public scrutiny.

News Orgs Fight to Unseal Records in the Paxtons' Divorce Case

The media outlets, including the Texas Observer, argue that the Paxtons are elected officials subject to public scrutiny.

www.texasobserver.org

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