I’m currently paying $650/month for a silver HMO obtained on ACA marketplace. That’s a lot. But starting in 2026, the same coverage will be about $1200/month! That’s way out of my budget. And to add insult, the absolute cheapest, bottom-of-the-barrel coverage is $700/month.

Hi, I'm the ProPublica reporter who's been tracking an unusual stat: U.S. citizens grabbed by immigration agents. I did it because the government isn’t. This is what I found.

This is a powerful post by Laurene Powell Jobs on what is means to be a philanthropist and, more importantly, what it does not. Kudos to her for saying it so plainly.

Great piece here on workers at dollar stores, in an environment where labor law has been largely rendered moot, still organizing and managing to earn victories. From our friends at @capitalandmain.bsky.social. prospect.org/labor/2025-1...

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵) www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

sherman, for the love of god!

While we're talking about who national news organizations hire, the bigger issue than who is in charge is whether these places truly reflect the communities they serve. If CBS, NYT, CNN etc. continue to only hire out of big coastal cities, coverage won't improve.

My latest @modernretail.bsky.social is a look at how indie wine & spirits brands almost found themselves without a distributor after RNDC pulled out of California. How they huddled up and bounced back: www.modernretail.co/operations/h...

so the US government just forced a tech company to delete an app it doesn’t like, which is totally normal stuff www.404media.co/iceblock-own...

No it doesn’t, that’s you doing that

I still love Facebook bc sometimes you get these gems, like being among the first to know Ryan Adams got deplaned on Delta www.facebook.com/ryanadams/po...

For Gucci-owner Kering, cost-cutting is an up-and-coming trend on.ft.com/4nJHha2 | opinion

The gasp i gasped at this bit

Yet another recession indicator? Private label diapers are about to be big business. New @modernretail.bsky.social www.modernretail.co/operations/w...

It's today's must-read at @prospect.org. Big thanks to People's Policy Project for their support on it. Check it out! prospect.org/world/2025-0...

The Department of Agriculture said it will end a longstanding annual food insecurity survey. Experts say the move will obscure the effects of recent changes that will lead to people losing food aid.

"We hit at a moment where everyone was becoming aware there was a problem but wasn’t totally sure what the solution was, especially for their kids." The anti-smartphone tech wave is upon us. New @modernretail.bsky.social www.modernretail.co/operations/h...

Studio B, Coachella Valley's only purpose-built Dolby Atmos mixing room, is featured today in the Desert Sun! Thank you @bblueskye.bsky.social for taking the deep dive into Dolby Atmos and beyond! www.desertsun.com/story/life/e...

reminder: Jimmy Kimmel is enough of a mensch that he devised a segment on which actors who are just short of having enough work to qualify for union healthcare come on his show and deliver a single line of dialogue deadline.com/2024/07/jimm...

Quick teaser for this weekend's Modern Retail Podcast episode: I spoke with Kat Cole, the inimitable ceo of AG1 who led the company to $600M in revenue last year. She goes deep on supplement research, and it's SO meaty. Listen wherever you pod!! @modernretail.bsky.social #dtc #retail

forgot this song existed. good song.

Cannot get enough of "Goldie Montana" 😍 atwoodmagazine.com/gbgm-goldie-...

when gandalf isn’t with bilbo and the gang i imagine he’s in back to back zoom meetings

New: CBS News has changed its interview format in reaction to complaints from DHS. According to a statement from a network spokesperson, Face The Nation will now only broadcast live or live to tape interviews

Big day for me: 25th edition of my Substack newsletter! Read, subscribe, etc. - it's a collection of my latest work, personal essays, and fantastic pop culture recommendations: open.substack.com/pub/melissam...

The latest issue of the NACLA Report was co-edited by Breno Bringel and myself. NACLA is deeply committed to socio-environmental justice in the Americas, so we wanted this issue to provide insights into the state of ecological imperialism in the region, including its green capitalist facades.

Love this. I still listen to my wedding playlist 💞 faroutmagazine.co.uk/david-byrne-... #musicsky

The Guardian has today printed the names, and where possible, images, of all the media workers killed in Gaza, as part of an international day of action involving more than 150 media organisations. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Write about what you love, they say @modernretail.bsky.social www.modernretail.co/marketing/ta...

“Having a guy” for a task is the number one most important thing you can do as you get older. We need to cultivate your guys, and the greatest honor is to be someone else’s “guy.”

"UC Berkeley Labor Center economist Enrique Lopezlira said the benefits of those narrowly targeted tax breaks will likely be outweighed by the costs of Trump’s other economic policies." capitalandmain.com/trumps-polic....

This feels very misguided, didn't the RNC already lose a lawsuit about this? Spam is actually one of the most non-partisan things about our society right now, everybody gets it. Tell Gavin Newsom to lose my number, lol www.ftc.gov/system/files...

How the new space economy is transforming Southern California www.latimes.com/business/sto...

When a Rivian charging outpost opened here in Joshua Tree, I was sort of put off by the branded presence. But then I thought, how is this different than a gas station? It's not, except for better amenities & brand awareness. My latest @modernretail.bsky.social: www.modernretail.co/operations/r...

According to the latest Nielsen Media Distributor Gauge for July, YouTube’s streaming dominance has now extended to its sixth consecutive month. The streamer also widened the gap between itself and its closest competitor, The Walt Disney Company, during the just-concluded month. bit.ly/460Ferg

Indiana and Tennessee opted out of summer EBT, a program that gives thousands of families essential grocery support. Bryce Covert reports: trib.al/gNgCrjR

Shared an archived essay on my Substack this week. I'm fairly nervous about it being ~out there~ in the world, as it is a very old piece of writing ... but compelled to share it, because love spans times and realms. melissamdaniels.substack.com/p/mds-archiv...

In light of the FTC's suit against LA Fitness over making it too hard to cancel memberships, upping this from @modernretail.bsky.social -- good brands know that making it easier to cancel is good customer service! www.modernretail.co/marketing/wh...

You'd be hard pressed to find a company that has the breadth & scale of product development as SharkNinja, known for its Slushi, Cream etc. ... now, they've got a new pro in charge of design & development who is looking to make more viral hits: www.modernretail.co/operations/i...

The world's largest retailer — like many others — has been absorbing most of the increased costs, but raising prices of some goods. n.pr/477XqRS

things were better when the computer lived in its own specific room and you only went in there sometimes

California approves an unprecedented plan to protect Joshua trees from climate change threats

Not over what an incredible show Wild Pink played at @pappyandharriets.bsky.social last night. Great to hear one of the best indie rock bands today in such an intimate setting. Plus they’re central and western New Yorkers 💛🎸🤘

New from me: After more than a year of battles and accusations, Wonderful Co. says it will donate the nursery where UFW sought to unionize farmworkers. The company says the wine and table grape industry's downturn drove the decision. labor experts question the timing. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Dear PR people cobbling together emails: I am once again asking you to clear your formatting before you send an email, bc these bullet lists you’re popping over are virtually unreadable on a phone-sized screen 🧐

I think this is a pretty serious problem. LLMs are extremely good at making you FEEL like they’re useful (while patting you on the back for your brilliant and insightful questions). Thay can encourage greater & greater reliance unless & until there’s an actual consequence to it just making shit up.

Not an HR or workplace expert, but I’m guessing this is part of the reason RTO mandates are so disheartening. We just want to work near our pets. Is that so much to ask?