Finished reading: Social Catholicism for the Twenty-First Century? Volume 1 by William F. Murphy 📚

This is a vitally important & timely read for anyone interested in the relationship between the Catholic church & these political times.

Today, I was able to attend a special exhibit at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum: The Artist Who Captured Eichmann.

This compelling exhibition tells the exciting exploits of Peter Malkin, an artist and Mossad agent who played a pivotal role in apprehending Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1960. During his three-week mission, Malkin sketched and painted on the pages of a South American travel guide, creating a unique artistic chronicle of his experiences.

This was an episode of history not on my radar until now. The art was vibrant and engaging, a stark contrast to the evil encountered by the artist.

JD Vance says school shootings are a ‘fact of life,’ calls for better security

No, JD. You’re wrong. School shootings are not a fact of life.

They are the result of policies that prioritize “liberty” over life and an inane interpretation of the 2nd amendment over the common good.

Scarlett Johansson Says OpenAI Ripped Off Her Voice for ChatGPT

Johansson’s statement, relayed to WIRED by her publicist, claims that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asked her last September to provide ChatGPT’s new voice but that she declined. She describes being astounded to see the company demo a new voice for ChatGPT last week that sounded like her anyway.

This alleged behavior by OpenAI erodes any trust I might have had in the company. Brazenly disregarding Johansson’s declination does not bode well for those of us who don’t have the resources to hire a legal team.

Perhaps this story will be an exhibit in the NYTimes’ lawsuit against OpenAI which alleges similar behavior: seemingly amicable negotiations that end with OpenAI doing whatever they want with content they don’t have permission to use.

In Battle Over Health Care Costs, Private Equity Plays Both Sides

There are many problems with health care spending. No one is immune from culpability in the skyrocketing costs of health care in the United States. And yet, no one may be more culpable than private equity firms.

The series of articles published recently in The New York Times highlights MultiPlan, a for-profit entity who purports to “help make healthcare transparent, fair and affordable for all.”

Their data-driven method to determine fair reimbursement, Data iSight, is described by Chris Hamby (NYT) here:

Data iSight starts by using Medicare’s methods for setting rates. But subsequent calculations are less transparent. MultiPlan says it applies multipliers that allow for a fair profit for hospitals and something approximating a fair market rate for physicians. The documents show that MultiPlan allows insurers to cap prices and set what they consider fair profit margins for medical facilities.

One huge problem here is that the wrong stakeholder gets the power to determine what is “fair.” Among the many stakeholders in medical care, the patient should be centered with decision-making power. If this article is accurate, it is the private equity owned MutiPlan - in concert with insurance companies - who holds the power to determine fair payment.

Health care in the U.S. would be much better if such important payment decisions were not made by organizations who exist with the primary purpose of earning a profit for their investors.

Here’s a link to my favorite local iconographer: kellylatimoreicons.com/blogs/new…

I am particularly drawn (pun not intended) to the series of Holy Family / Nativity renderings. They are spot on & a great tool for reflection.

Finished reading: Black Health by Keisha Ray 📚

I recommend this book to anyone interested in public health, racial justice, and/or the common good. I will likely assign some of this text in my next section of public health ethics.