Horizon Cutting-room links: Friday, 3 January 2025

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are Open. Employees are expected to begin the workday on time. Normal operating procedures are in effect. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

“Net Neutrality Rules Struck Down by Appeals Court,” New York Times

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati, said that the F.C.C. lacked the authority to reinstate rules that prevented broadband providers from slowing or blocking access to internet content. The decision put an end to the Biden administration’s hallmark tech policy, which had drawn impassioned support from consumer groups and tech giants like Google and fierce protests by telecommunications giants like Comcast and AT&T.”

“UnitedHealth’s Army of Doctors Helped It Collect Billions More From Medicare,” Wall Street Journal

“A Wall Street Journal analysis found sickness scores increased when patients moved from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage, leading to billions of dollars in extra government payments to insurers. … Sickness scores for those UnitedHealth patients increased 55%, on average, in their first year in the plans, the analysis showed. That increase was roughly equivalent to every patient getting newly diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and breast cancer, the analysis showed.

“That far outpaced the 7% year-over-year rise in the sickness scores of patients who stayed in traditional Medicare, according to the analysis.“

“How a Consulting Firm and Trump’s I.R.S. Pick Pushed a Problematic Tax Credit,” New York Times

“[Billy] Long joined Lifetime’s network of salespeople soon after leaving Congress in 2023, pitching businesses and nonprofits in his former Missouri district, including swimming pool and roofing contractors, on taking the credit. He regularly sported a hat that said, ‘Ask me about E.R.T.C.’ — the initials for the credit — as he sought out business.

“Mr. Long referred his clients to Lifetime, which would prepare an application for the tax credit and keep a slice of the money from the I.R.S. … In an interview he recorded with another promoter of the tax credit, Mr. Long said Lifetime had helped clients claim $1.3 billion in tax refunds. He said that ‘virtually every’ business would qualify for the credit, encouraging people to disregard accountants who said they couldn’t claim it.”

“Trump Transition Team Considering a Public Safety Czar for D.C.,” Washington City Paper

“President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is considering a possible takeover of public safety in D.C., potentially installing—with congressional approval—some type of federally appointed czar over law enforcement in the nation’s capital, according to two sources. The sources emphasized no firm decisions have been made. … Two separate sources suggested that a U.S. deputy attorney general or similar official could possibly be appointed to directly oversee the District’s police force, fire and emergency services, the 911 call center, and possibly even juvenile justice work that is now done by the locally elected Attorney General Brian Schwalb.”

“We tried Delta's Shake Shack burger in the sky. Does it actually work?” the Points Guy

“Somehow, Delta and Shake Shack managed to make an airplane burger that tastes exactly the same as a fresh-cooked one at one of the chain's locations on the ground. It's easily the best burger I've had on an airplane.”