Republicans' stumble on an immigration funding bill is raising questions about other parts of their legislative agenda. That includes whether Republicans can enact another catchall, party-line bill referred to in Washington parlance as "Reconciliation 3.0." House Republicans have spent recent weeks laying the groundwork for the massive bill, which they hope will serve as a final sales pitch to voters going into the midterms. Success will reinforce the GOP's message of being able to deliver on legislative priorities. Failure will underscore some of the Republican fractures under President Donald Trump that could leave voters seeking an alternative. Democrats say Republicans will have a more difficult path than they did with Trump's tax and spending cuts bill.
California will become the first state in the nation to provide infants with hundreds of free diapers before they leave hospitals after birth. Officials say the goal is to ease the financial burden on families welcoming newborns in the notoriously costly state. The state will provide 400 diapers to each newborn through participating hospitals. The program in its first year will be limited to hospitals largely serving low-income patients, and then it will expand statewide after that. It comes two years after Tennessee and Delaware became the first states to offer free diapers to families enrolled in their state's Medicaid programs.
By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
The White House is releasing details of President Donald Trump's 2027 budget, including a $1.5 trillion defense spending request. That's the largest of its kind in decades. The Republican president had indicated even before the war against Iran that he wanted to increase defense spending to modernize the military. He's also calling for a 10% cut in non-defense discretionary spending. The president's annual budget does not carry the force of law. Instead, it reflects an administration's priorities and provides a road map to Congress, which handles spending issues. But Congress is free to reject it and often does.
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press
Democrats are pushing new tax-cut plans to ease voters' affordability worries and blunt Republicans' advantage on the issue. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland proposes ending federal income tax for many people earning about $46,000 or less. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker backs a plan that wipes out tax on the first $75,000 of income. Democrats say simple tax relief sells better than complicated credits. Critics warn these plans drain money for restoring funding for Medicaid and other priorities. Analysts also say benefits can tilt toward higher earners and add to deficits.
A new KFF survey shows many Americans who had Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance last year are struggling with high health costs. The findings come three months after the expiration of enhanced tax credits that had offset most enrollees' monthly premiums. Thursday's poll of more than 1,000 of last year's ACA enrollees finds that more than half of those who re-enrolled are looking for ways to cut their spending. This includes cutting back on food and other household basics to afford health costs. One enrollee, 48-year-old Priscilla Brown in Florida, says she sometimes doesn't take her medicine for her Type 2 diabetes so that it will last longer. The poll also finds that 1 in 10 of last year's ACA enrollees dropped health insurance entirely.
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ALI SWENSON Associated Press
Updated
Vice President JD Vance has announced that the Trump administration would "temporarily halt" some Medicaid funding to the state of Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds. Vance, who made the announcement Wednesday with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the administration was taking the action "in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people's tax money." Wednesday's move is part of a larger Trump administration effort to spotlight fraud around the country.
The need to move a loved one into a nursing home or assisted living facility often comes suddenly — after a fall, a medical crisis or the loss of a caregiver. Experts say knowing what to look for can make a critical difference. Federal data and star ratings can help rule out the worst nursing homes, but they shouldn't be the only guide. Experts on long-term care say staffing levels are the most important factor. They say visiting facilities at night or on weekends is key to getting a complete picture. They recommend looking beyond a nice lobby to see if there are odors, call bells ringing nonstop or employees speaking disrepecfully to residents.
The Trump administration is set to launch TrumpRx, a website to help patients buy prescription drugs directly from manufacturers at discounted rates. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday's expected unveiling in a social media post. The website is not a purchasing platform but directs users to drugmakers' own sites. President Trump first mentioned TrumpRx in September, highlighting deals with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices. The website's release faced delays, but it now showcases efforts to reduce costs through agreements with major companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca. However, the actual savings for consumers remain unclear.
