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As health insurers increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to process claims, denials have been on the rise. In 2023, about 73 million Americans on Affordable Care Act plans had their claims for in-network services denied, and less than 1% of them tried to appeal. Now, AI is being used to help patients fight back. Ali Rogin speaks with Indiana University law professor Jennifer Oliva for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Tonight on The Last Word: The Justice Department has 29 days to release the Epstein files. Also, the U.S. unemployment rate rises to 4.4%. And Congress has a December 31 deadline to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. Andrew Weissmann, Rep. Brendan Boyle, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin join Lawrence O'Donnell. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums expire on December 31st, but Congress has yet to come to a bipartisan agreement on policy ahead of that deadline. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) explains his party's strategy and the affordability crisis for many Americans. Former CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Dr. Toby Cosgrove has hope for AI's impact on health care costs; he discusses the future of hospitals and medical innovation. Plus, leaders in the industry have penned a concerned letter to President Trump, the HHS, and the FDA about rare disease research and investment. Outside of health care, President Trump will lower tariffs on some Argentinian food products, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will work with the U.S. on a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries - 13:48Dr. Toby Cosgrove - 26:16 In this episode:James Lankford, @SenatorLankfordHakeem Jeffries, @RepJeffriesBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode, Tudor Dixon talks with Scott Jennings about his new book A Revolution of Common Sense and how Donald Trump reshaped American politics and media. Jennings breaks down why authenticity matters more than ever, the contrast between Trump-style campaigning and traditional GOP politics, and the political fallout surrounding Marjorie Taylor Greene. They also dig into institutional battles in Washington, the release of the Epstein files, the shortcomings of Obamacare, and the cultural challenges driving the demand for major reform in America. The Tudor Dixon Podcast is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network. For more visit TudorDixonPodcast.com Pick up your copy of Scott Jennings' NEW BookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Medicaid is a massive, life-sustaining program whose new work requirements and funding cuts risk stripping coverage from millions of people who can't afford to lose it. In this episode, Cindy Mann, partner at Manatt Health and former director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, explains how Medicaid was created alongside Medicare in 1965 and has grown into the nation's largest public coverage program, serving nearly 80 million people across diverse populations. She details the state–federal financing structure, explains why match rates vary, and highlights how Medicaid remains foundational to the Affordable Care Act's coverage continuum. Cindy breaks down the proposed Medicaid cuts in HR1 and the impact of work requirements, illustrating how administrative barriers lead to people losing coverage and increasing uncompensated care costs without improving employment outcomes. She also challenges the “deserving versus undeserving poor” narrative and highlights efforts by states and providers to protect coverage gains. Tune in and learn how Medicaid's design, politics, and future will shape health, budgets, and justice in America! Resources Follow Cindy Mann on LinkedIn. Follow Manatt Health on LinkedIn and explore their website! Learn more about the Medicaid program here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Rachel Bonesteel of Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy to the pod to discuss her recent Forefront article focused on how ACO REACH enabled ACOs to participate in an advanced, global-risk, population-based payment model.Related Articles:ACO REACH 2023 Performance Results Indicate A Pathway To Sustainable Accountable Care (Health Affairs Forefront)Opportunities To Enhance Design And Implementation Of ACO REACH's Core Payment Model Design Elements (Health Affairs Forefront)Enhancing Design And Implementation Of ACO REACH's Equity-Focused And Beneficiary Engagement Design Elements (Health Affairs Forefront)Future Of Accountable Care: Lessons Learned And Potential Paths Forward During A Time Of Transition (Health Affairs Forefront)Medicare Accountable Care Organizations In 2023: Large Savings With Increasing Value-Based Programmatic Competition (Health Affairs Forefront)Medicare ACOs In 2024: Increased Participation And Evolving Policy Impacts (Health Affairs Forefront) Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss congressional dynamic as lawmakers vote to release Epstein files as they advance NDAA and appropriations and debate the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies; redistricting starts to turn against the Republicans and the House descends into disarray; the 28-peace plan Washington appears to have crafted with Moscow to end the Ukraine war without consulting with Kyiv that satisfies Russia's demands and comes as Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces his worst corruption scandal and the US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen Randy George visit to Ukraine this week as Russian forces advance on Pokrovsk; Poland's accusation that Russian agents tried to sabotage Warsaw-Lublin rail line and western security services try to convince Azerbaijan to hand over Yaroslav Mikhailov, a Russian who is accused of engineering the bombs that made their way onto DHL logistics aircraft; Chinese pressure on Taiwan and Japan as Washington announces arms sales to Taiwan and India; Japan's first sale of a weapon system to the United States; China's attempt to fill the void left by the US skipping COP 30 in Brazil and and the G-20 in South Africa this weekend; President Trump's praise for Saudi Arabia's Mohamed bin Salmaan at the White House as the nations sign trade deals and the sale of nearly 50 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lighting II fighters that have prompted concern in Israel as its forces launched a new round of air strikes in Gaza.
We’re weeks away from 20 million Americans seeing a massive spike in their healthcare premiums. That’s if no deal can be struck to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. We heard from some of those being affected. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
If the Affordable Care Act subsidies are allowed to expire at the end of the year, premiums would double for the average enrollee, with some paying over $1,000 more every month. The subsidies were at the heart of the recent government shutdown, but Democrats were not successful in securing a deal. William Brangam spoke with Jonathan Cohn and Brian Blaze for their views on the debate. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Led by President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress are solidifying their opposition to extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and seem to be coalescing around giving money directly to consumers to spend on health care. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to leave his mark on the agency, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention altering its website to suggest childhood vaccines could play a role in causing autism. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Avik Roy, a GOP health policy adviser and co-founder and chair of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: CNBC's “Cheaper Medicines, Free Beach Trips: U.S. Health Plans Tap Prescriptions That Feds Say Are Illegal,” by Scott Zamost, Paige Tortorelli, and Melissa Lee. Paige Winfield Cunningham: The Wall Street Journal's “Medicaid Insurers Promise Lots of Doctors. Good Luck Seeing One,” by Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty. Joanne Kenen: ProPublica's “What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic,” by Nat Lash. Shefali Luthra: ProPublica's “‘Ticking Time Bomb': A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn't Get an Abortion in Texas,” by Kavitha Surana and Lizzie Presser.
If the Affordable Care Act subsidies are allowed to expire at the end of the year, premiums would double for the average enrollee, with some paying over $1,000 more every month. The subsidies were at the heart of the recent government shutdown, but Democrats were not successful in securing a deal. William Brangam spoke with Jonathan Cohn and Brian Blase for their views on the debate. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
We’re weeks away from 20 million Americans seeing a massive spike in their healthcare premiums. That’s if no deal can be struck to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. We heard from some of those being affected. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Protesters want Pennsylvania legislators to vote to bar themselves from receiving unlimited gifts or campaign contributions. Harrisburg Republicans joined energy-sector workers at the state Capitol to celebrate Pennsylvania's withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or "reggie." When Congress reached a deal to end the federal government shutdown, it did not include extending additional tax credits for people who buy insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Pennsylvanians stand to pay, on average, double their current premiums in 2026. Some are considering buying cheaper catastrophic health plans instead. Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry is partnering with the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership in Schuylkill County. The organizations have announced plans to open a rural dentistry campus. PPL's residential customers can expect a nearly 4% increase in their electricity costs starting December 1st. The public is invited to weigh in on Lancaster's proposed data center benefits agreement during a special city council meeting set for tonight (Thursday evening). The North Hanover Mall is condemned, after a wall collapsed last weekend. The City of Reading may be forced to pull millions of dollars from its reserves over the next few years to balance its budget.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Susan Pendergrass is joined by Elias Tsapelas, director of state budget and fiscal policy at the Show-Me Institute, to explain what was actually at stake in the recent federal government shutdown. They break down the debate over extended Affordable Care Act subsidies, why health insurance costs keep rising, how COVID-era provisions distorted the marketplace, and what Congress may do next. The conversation also covers fraud concerns, the future of ACA reform, and what these decisions could mean for Missouri families. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Photo: Kiara Worth Trump administration proposed new oil drilling off coasts of California and Florida for first time in decades; Desperate Gaza residents skeptical of UN-approved peace plan backed by Trump; UN chief urges countries to act quickly on climate crisis, as fire burns several COP-30 buildings, disrupting negotiations; Affordable Care Act subsidies for 22 million people set to expire, eligibility expansions at risk without action by Congress; Tipping Point report describes rapid surge in poverty, likely to worsen due to Big Beautiful Bill cuts; November 20 is World Children's Day, World Philosophy Day, and 80th anniversary of Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity The post UN chief urges quick climate action as fire disrupts COP-30 negotiations; Gaza residents skeptical of UN-approved peace plan – November 20, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.
From being at the center of some of the most significant shifts in U.S. healthcare policy over the past two decades, Liz Fowler can offer valuable perspective in uncertain times. In her most recent government role, Liz served as director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), an organization she helped create a decade earlier. As Chief Health Counsel at the Senate Finance Committee, Liz played a major role in the drafting and passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, which established CMMI. She then served as special assistant to President Obama on health care and economic policy at the National Economic Council to implement the ACA. She also played a key role drafting the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA).Liz says she's a public servant at heart, but credits her time in the private sector at Johnson & Johnson and WellPoint (now Elevance) for making her a more effective government leader. Today, Liz provides guidance, insight, and strategy for a broad array of health care stakeholders, including payers, health systems and providers, trade associations, technology companies and more as co-founder and managing partner of Health Transformation Strategies.Liz talked to Keith Figlioli for this episode of Healthcare is Hard to share insight and perspective as healthcare organizations navigate changing regulations, including those in the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Topics they discussed include:The ROI of CMMI. Liz explained the difficulties tracking the savings that CMMI generates. She believes the mechanisms for measuring CMMI are too narrowly defined, making it hard to capture the full impact of its work. She advocates for a broader definition of success, emphasizing that innovation is a process—one where failure can provide just as much impact and opportunity for learning.Limited bandwidth for innovation. It's a challenging time for healthcare organizations that are scrambling to meet deadlines and ensure they're in compliance with various regulations, including provisions of the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Liz believes this is pulling time and attention away from innovation and slowing progress toward advancing value-based care. Despite the overall constraints Liz sees with the current regulatory environment, she's optimistic about rural health transformation funding and how that could spark some innovation.The revolution that's not coming. Throughout the conversation, Liz reiterated that “healthcare is hard.” She cautioned against expecting sweeping, revolutionary change, noting that progress in healthcare is incremental. Drawing on her 25+ years in health policy, Liz encouraged listeners to celebrate small victories and keep pushing forward, as real transformation happens step by step.To hear Liz and Keith discuss these topics and more, listen to this episode of Healthcare is Hard: A Podcast for Insiders.
Hampton Roads has some of the state's highest enrollment in the Affordable Care Act market.
Lawmakers in Washington voted overwhelmingly to release the Epstein files. USA Today reports on what comes next. President Trump says he opposes extending Affordable Care Act subsides that are set to expire at the end of the year. Dan Diamond, reporter at the Washington Post, explains the alternatives on the table. Iran’s drought crisis has led many to say the country is now water bankrupt. Vox reports on why the situation in Tehran should be a warning to other dry cities. Plus, why Trump waved off questions about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi during the Saudi crown prince’s visit, a panel of federal judges blocked Texas’s gerrymandered congressional map, and how interaction with humans is changing raccoons. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Some 24 million people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But subsidies and tax credits that have made these plans more affordable for the past few years are expiring, and the cost of health insurance is likely going to double, on average, for those losing subsidies. How do you plan for that? Plus, a Cloudflare outage took down sites yesterday, and tensions between China and Japan escalated.
Some 24 million people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But subsidies and tax credits that have made these plans more affordable for the past few years are expiring, and the cost of health insurance is likely going to double, on average, for those losing subsidies. How do you plan for that? Plus, a Cloudflare outage took down sites yesterday, and tensions between China and Japan escalated.
Tariff juggling - just moving them around - no studies, no rationale Big Moves - One of the worst Novembers since 2008 The Big Short - End of a Era? PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - Last Few Days for IBIT CTP - Closing Price This Friday - The Big Short - End of a Era? - What is happening to Bitcoin? - THC laws changing - interesting loophole closed Markets - Tariff juggling - just moving them around - no studies, no rationale - Big Moves - One of the worst Novembers since 2008 - Hindenburg Omen - Fed Losing Cred WHY? - If tariffs are not inflationary and this administration has brought down prices on groceries.... - President Trump signed an EO Friday lowering tariffs on beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas, according to Bloomberg - So , just shooting from the hip on all of this are we? --- Seriously, where is the plan, where is the analysis, where are the results? Total horseshit More Tariffs - Switzerland and U.S. agree to trade deal; U.S. will lower tariffs to 15% from 39%; Swiss companies are planning to make direct investments in the USA amounting to $200 billion by the end of 2028 - Switzerland will reduce some import duties on US Imports - For other US export interests, a solution was agreed that takes Switzerland's agricultural policy interests into account: under the agreement, Switzerland will grant the US duty-free bilateral tariff quotas on selected US export products: 500 tonnes for beef, 1,000 tonnes for bison meat and 1,500 tonnes for poultry meat. - Furthermore, Swiss companies are planning to make direct investments in the USA amounting to $200 bln by the end of 2028. - What did we accomplish here? - Just going back to what it was with a slightly higher tariff on Swiss goods than before...BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING KILLED WITH FOOD COSTS Fed Update - Markets no longer view December as a sure bet - Lots of Fed speakers out with commentary that is hawkish - Currently, there is a 46% chance of a rate cut by 0.25% - a month ago it was at 95% - AND, they should not cut in the absence of all data (Stephan Miran looking for 0.50%, but he is a total tool) More Horseshit! - Former Federal Reserve Board Gov. Adriana Kugler broke the central bank's rules regarding stock trading, according to a report released by the U.S. Government Ethics Office. - Now we know why she abruptly resigned a few months ago - That disclosure shows two kinds of violations of Fed rules regarding financial transactions by senior officials at the central bank: purchases of stocks of individual companies, as opposed to mutual funds; and purchases of securities during so-called “blackout periods” leading up to and after Federal Open Market Committee meetings. - Oh - Supposedly her husband did it - but come on! - Fed losing more credibility - this is not the first time.... StampFlation - The Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission for Shipping Services price changes to take effect Jan. 18, 2026. The proposed adjustments were approved by the governors of USPS this week. - The change would raise prices approximately 6.6 percent for Priority Mail service, 5.1 percent for Priority Mail Express service, 7.8 percent for USPS Ground Advantage and 6.0 percent for Parcel Select. BIG - Michael Burry, the investor whose successful bets against the U.S. housing market in 2008 were recounted in the movie "The Big Short," is closing his hedge fund, Scion Asset Management. - In a letter to investors dated October 27, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, Burry said he would liquidate the funds and return capital, "but for a small audit/tax holdback" by the end of the year. - "My estimation of value in securities is not now, and has not been for some time, in sync with the markets," Burry said in the letter. - Put on a big OPTIONS short on NVDA and PLTR - We checked and his Registration expired.. Has about $155 million under management - not so much.. - He hinted that he will be back doing something and will announce on November 25th... Softbank - We know that they CUT all of their NVDA holdings - Looking at the 13F, also cut ORCL - New position in INTC - Looking to raise significant cast to outlay to private companies over the next couple of months. - Stock is up 120% YTD, DOWN 12% last week - Did you know He had for many years the distinction of being the person who had lost the most money in history (more than $59 billion during the dot-com crash of 2000 alone, when his SoftBank shares plummeted), a feat surpassed by Elon Musk in the following decades. THC Blues ??? - A new ban, tucked into legislation ending the longest shutdown in history, outlaws products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. == Industry executives said that threshold will wipe out 95% of the $28 billion hemp retail market when it takes effect in a year. - 300,000 jobs could be effected ($28 billion annually) - Possible that state laws will win out, but clearly Federal laws are not going the way of the industry. - Concern that the blackmarket will grow again - However, this can be seen in several ways as it may be cleaning up some of the selling of things like Delta-8 those weird knock-offs seen at gas stations) UK Tax Scrap - British government bond yields rose sharply on Friday morning as investors react to reports that Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will scrap an expected increase in income tax. - The moves came as investors reacted to a report from the Financial Times of an income tax U-turn. - Remember that they did a similar plan a few years ago that caused major havoc with markets and currencies until they withdrew the idea. How Does This Work? - House Republicans drafting legislation that will redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies to individuals and away from health insurance companies, according to Politico Some Eco ...?? - Employment Situation for September 2025 that was supposed to be released on Friday, October 3, 2025, will now be release Thursday, November 20, 2025 8:30 AM ET - What about October? White House says it may NEVER be released Hindenburg Omen - There was some excitement in the world of technical analysis the past two weeks as we saw 5 separate signals fire for something called the Hindenburg Omen. This is a warning signal of trouble, but trouble does not always come. What is fair to say is that Hindenburg Omen signals have appeared at every major stock market top going back several decades. - According to Tom McClellan: The current count of 5 signals is not as big as some other clusters. But we got 4 signals in a cluster at the end of 2021, ahead of the 2022 bear market. So 4 is enough, if the market is inclined to live up to this warning. And 2 signals were enough back in December 2024 and March 2025 to tell us about the trouble in the market which unfolded in the April 2025 tariff reaction minicrash. But 5 is better. Pied Piper - Losing Followers - OpenAi plans to invest $1.4 Trillion over the next 5 years or so - Biggest beneficiary - Oracle - Stock went from $250 to $340 overnight - now a $220 (Full Round-trip) - Oracle is looking to raise $38 billion in debt sales to help fund its AI buildout, according to sources with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named because the information is confidential. Bloomberg reported on the planned debt raise last month. Disney Earnings - Hmmmmm...... - Shares fall 8% as revenue misses - Digging in for a prolonged flight with YouTube - The company also missed quarterly revenue expectations as the cable weakness overshadowed strong growth in the company's streaming and parks businesses central to its growth. - Family of 4 - Trip to Disney - A 3-night trip with tickets and dining is estimated to be between $6,000 and $9,000 Starbucks - Can it get any worse for this company? - Starbucks Workers United launched a strike in more than 40 cities and 65 stores on the day of chain's Red Cup Day sales event. - NY incoming Mayor Mandami says there should be a total boycott of the stores - The union is pushing for improved hours, higher wages and the resolution of hundreds of unfair labor practice charges levied against Starbucks. Buffett - Berkshire - Berkshire Hathaway revealed a $4.3 billion stake in Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), and further reduced its stake in Apple (AAPL), detailing its equity portfolio for the last time before Warren Buffett ends his 60-year run as chief executive officer. - They also sold more Bank of America - *6% reduction - although still the thrid largest stockholder - Sold homebuilder DR Horton - Bought position in Domino's Pizza and Chubb ---- DPZ chart looks terrible Over to China - Economy not getting any better - Fixed-asset investment contracted 1.7% for the first ten months of the year, steepening from a 0.5% decline in the January-to-September period. - Retail sales climbed 2.9% in October from a year earlier, softening from a 3% year-on-year rise in September. - Industrial output expanded 4.9% in October, a slowdown from a 6.5% rise in the prior month. - The last time China recorded a contraction in fixed-asset investment was in 2020 during the pandemic, according to data going back to 1992 from Wind Information, a private database focused on the country. Electric Prices - We know that the new wave of data centers are requiring HUGE amounts of energy to keep them running - Residential utility bills rose 6% on average nationwide in August compared with the same period in the previous year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Retiring before Medicare? You might face a tricky balancing act between doing Roth conversions and keeping your health insurance subsidies through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Tanner Watson, CFP®, helps us unpack a real-life retirement planning case to show how Roth conversions can impact your premium tax credits and what strategies can help you make the most of both. Download our FREE 5-Factor Retirement guide: https://wisemoneyguides.com/ Schedule a meeting with one of our CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™: https://www.korhorn.com/contact-korhorn-financial-advisors/ or call 574-247-5898. Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/WiseMoneyShow Listen on podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/WiseMoney Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RzfHaemmR3A Submit a question for the show: https://www.korhorn.com/ask-a-question/ Read the Wise Money Blog: https://www.korhorn.com/wise-money-blog/ Connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WiseMoneyShow Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wisemoneyshow/ Kevin Korhorn, CFP® offers securities through Silver Oak Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Kevin offers advisory services through KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group. KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are not affiliated. Mike Bernard, CFP® and Joshua Gregory, CFP® offer advisory services through KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group. This information is for general financial education and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations. All investing and investment strategies involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Asset allocation & diversification do not ensure a profit or prevent a loss in a declining market. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
You're listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for November 18, 2025. 0:30 We break down a major federal court decision with sweeping implications for the Constitution and the balance of power between states and Washington. A federal judge has dismissed the Department of Justice’s challenge to New York’s law blocking federal immigration agents from making arrests inside state courthouses—raising an urgent question: Can a state legally obstruct the enforcement of federal law? 9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. Mohammed Bin Salman arrived in Washington D.C. today for a state visit at the White House.The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia came to the US to finalize several trade deals with the Trump administration. A judge in Tennessee has ruled the Governor of the state does not have the legal right or power to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in the state. A three judge panel has ruled that Texas' newly redrawn congressional districts are unconstitutional because they were racially gerrymandered. 12:30 Get Prodovite Plus from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 13:00 We take a look at a growing internal revolt inside the Democratic Party—one that could spell the end of Chuck Schumer’s leadership. Schumer is being pushed out by a party base that has moved far to the left of him. With Senator Cory Booker publicly framing Schumer’s generation of Democrats as the past, we break down what that political language really signals: an impending transfer of power. 16:00 We ask the American Mamas what happened to Marjorie Taylor Greene. Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson dive into the sudden and dramatic shift in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s public persona—why she’s showing up on left-wing media, apologizing on CNN, clashing with fellow MAGA Republicans, and now openly feuding with President Trump himself. From her failed push to oust Speaker Mike Johnson to her sharp turn toward “unity” messaging, the mamas sort through the contradictions and speculate about the ambition, pressure, and possible political maneuvering behind it all. They also explore why so many once-rising conservative stars—from Dan Crenshaw to MTG—seem to lose their footing in Washington, and whether a shaky ideological foundation makes politicians vulnerable to shifting with the political winds. If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button. 23:00 We react to Northwestern University’s newest “well-being initiative”: a free vending machine stocked with everything from Narcan and fentanyl test strips to condoms and Plan B. By placing life-saving tools, basic necessities, and abortion-inducing medication side-by-side—accessible at the push of a button—the university is sending a troubling moral message: that all choices carry the same weight and all consequences can be conveniently erased. 26:30 We tackle an unexpected moment of honesty from longtime media insider Fareed Zakaria. Despite his résumé across some of the nation’s most left-leaning outlets, Zakaria used his CNN platform to spotlight a politically inconvenient truth: America’s affordability crisis is overwhelmingly concentrated in places governed by Democrats. We Dig Deep into into why policies in deep-blue states like New York and California consistently deliver higher costs and poorer outcomes, even as voters continue re-electing the same leaders. 32:00 Get TrimROX from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 32:30 We talk about the misnamed Affordable Care Act that has made healthcare less affordable by adding layers of bureaucracy. Costs could be lowered through greater price transparency from hospitals and clinics, and by eliminating “concierge” health insurance that covers routine, guaranteed services like checkups. Instead, insurance should function like car or home insurance—covering unexpected, high-cost events, not routine maintenance. 35:30 Plus, Nicki Minaj publicly supported President Trump’s comments about global Christian persecution, and that's a Bright Spot. Though known for explicit music and public feuds, Minaj identifies as a Christian, and Christianity is about grace, not perfection. After Minaj reposted Trump’s message, UN Ambassador Mike Walz invited her to speak at the United Nations, where she thanked Trump for drawing attention to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. 40:00 After years of positioning herself as one of Trump's strongest allies, Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling Trump a "traitor." She's leaning into fringe conspiracy theories like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson with their theories about Charlie Kirk. At some point, we just have to say, "Whoa." 41:30 And we finish off with a day in 1883 that changed the way we keep time. Follow us: americangroundradio.com Facebook: facebook.com / AmericanGroundRadio Instagram: instagram.com/americangroundradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The health care apocalypse has arrived. In the past month, many of the 30,000 Vermonters who get their health insurance through Vermont Health Connect — part of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it's popularly known — are experiencing sticker shock. Average health insurance premiums on Vermont Health Connect are projected to more than double, the highest rate increases countrywide.This is a disaster foretold. Democrats in Congress have warned for months that unless pandemic-era health insurance subsidies were extended, the 24 million Americans who get their health insurance through ACA marketplaces would see astronomical price hikes. Yet, despite a 43 day government shutdown, Republicans in Congress and President Trump refused to extend subsidies. The price tag for inaction has just arrived.Vermonters are now faced with excruciating choices. Middle-income participants are facing additional premiums of $10,000 per year for individuals and $32,000 for a family of four. Others are considering going without insurance all together. “We can't take out a second mortgage on our house to afford one year of health insurance,” said Arica Bronz, a pilates instructor in Williston, where she lives with her husband, a primary care physician, and their two daughters. Bronz's monthly family premium will rise from $1,100 to $2,700 per month in 2026. After factoring in a $15,000 annual deductible, she said that in case of a serious medical event, her family will pay $47,000 before their insurance kicks in. Bronz feels she has no choice. She is going to cancel health care coverage for her family. “We're trying to get all the scans done and just make sure we're tip-top healthy before we make the leap. I can't tell you how much sleep I've lost considering what it's like to jump in this day and age to no health care for a family.”If too many people drop health care coverage, experts warn that Vermont's struggling health care financing system could enter a death spiral. “I have a tremendous fear that what we are watching before us is the undoing, the dismantling of our healthcare financing system,” said Michael Fisher, Vermont's chief health care advocate. “This is devastating and it's self-inflicted. And the majority in Congress think it's the right thing to do."Fisher nevertheless said that those whose income falls within 400% of the federal poverty level — around $130,000 for a family of four — may still qualify for subsidized health care premiums.As Arica Bronz contemplates a future without health insurance, she said, “We don't have a safety net. Hopefully that will inspire us to just be really thoughtful and careful. ... It's kinda terrifying.”
Hello everyone, I'm not a huge fan of these sort of admin episodes, but there's enough going on I figure it'll be worth it. So here's an update on three fronts: first, the upcoming consistory, which may be on your radar already since you listen to my show, second, what's been going on at the USCCB this past week, and third, some show updates, including something I've put together to feel a bit better about having these admin updates periodically. So first, CONSISTORY Those of you already familiar with the word will know why it grabbed my attention earlier in the month, when various sources announced that Pope Leo was calling the Cardinals together for a consistory in January of next year. You see, it was a consistory that threw a wrench onto my daily show plans in 2023, and in 2024 it was another consistory that sent me back into a hiatus I'm still recovering from. For those not in the know already, a consistory is a meeting of the Cardinals of the Catholic Church, a group so particular they have multiple terms even for their administrative meetings, the other being a conclave, and which, well, if you're listening to this, I'm just going to assume you're already familiar with the idea of a conclave, if only because that's what I spent most of my air time covering the first half of this year. So enough about conclaves. Those are different from consistories. The type of consistory that gets me scrambling when I see the word is a consistory for the creation of new cardinals. The consistory that showed up on our radars earlier this month shows no particular signs of being one of those, though stranger things have happened and I'm fully expecting Pope Leo to hand out some red hats and titles sometime in 2026. I just don't think it'll be at this promised January 8th meeting, since that's usually included in the description—often with names—right from the start when we've got that on the docket. Don't be disappointed though—we can still expect this to be an extraordinary consistory, and not least because “extraordinary consistory” is the technical term for this specific type of consistory and I enjoy punning with ya'll. You see, an “extraordinary” consistory is when the Pope calls together all the Catholic Cardinals around the world for a meet-up in Rome, as opposed to an ordinary consistory, which is typically just a meeting of the Cardinals resident in the Eternal City, which are generally unremarkable enough that they don't get reported on, unless he's creating new Cardinals. Oh, and by the way, I kind of had a hunch about this but this research is where I first confirmed Cardinals are actually *required* to live in Rome unless they're serving out and about as a diocesan bishop somewhere. Which makes sense given their role as an advisory body for the Pope. It's clear there are exceptions—the Argentine Capuchin priest Cardinal Dri, may he rest in peace, died in Buenos Aires a few months ago. He's the one Pope Francis elevated at the age of 96 in 2023, we did an episode about him. Nor are such exceptions particularly new–Saint John Henry Newman, who Pope Leo recently proclaimed as a Doctor of the Church, became a Cardinal late in life and travelled to the Eternal City for the occasion but continued to reside in England. All right, enough about what older Cardinals get up to. How common are these extraordinary consistories? Well, these meetings are unusual, but not unheard of. According to the incredible Gabriel Chow of GCatholic.org, Pope Saint John Paul II held seven of them, all but one within a few months of him creating a batch of new Cardinals, something he tended to do every three years. It seems like he got Cardinals on his mind and liked to both create new ones and catch up with the old ones as a group in the same general stretch. Cardinal season, if you will. A lot of the reporting on this upcoming consistory notes that Pope Benedict, JPII's successor, never held an extraordinary consistory, and that might technically be true if we're only counting things officially declared “extraordinary consistories”, but GCatholic disagrees, counting the meetings of cardinals held the night before his first creations of new Cardinals as extraordinary consistories. I'm not sold on that interpretation, as from what I've seen those gatherings were not as well attended as a typical extraordinary consistory would be, since again, those are mandatory. But they did seem to be private affairs of the Cardinals, which is one of the hallmarks of extraordinary consistories and another factor that distinguishes them from ordinary consistories, at least as far as the Code of Canon Law is concerned. Put a pin in that.Also, even though, yeah, it was officially a pretty minor meeting, the consistory where Pope Benedict announced that he was going to be resigning the Papacy–yeah– I mean–wasn't officially an “extraordinary consistory”, but it was an *extraordinary* consistory. As for Pope Francis, most of the coverage agreed he held two extraordinary consistories: one in 2014, with the topic of the family, which was part of the ramp up to Amoris Laetitia where communion for divorced Catholics was the apparent hot-button subtext. He also held one in 2022, where they discussed the new Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. If that's not ringing a bell, that's the one where pretty much every Vatican department got renamed to a Dicastery. If it's still not ringing a bell, don't worry about it. For what it's worth, both of these were either right before or right after new batches of Cardinals were made. I think if I got made a Cardinal the day *after* a two-day closed-door meeting of all the Cardinals I'd feel a little bit left out. Though maybe the Cardinals who formally joined the body just in time to hear two days of explanations of that new Constitution changing all the department names would have preferred to have been left out of that one. Either way, GCatholic counts a third Extraordinary Consistory for Pope Francis, a two-day affair right before he made a batch of new Cardinals in 2015. But like the ones GCatholic reported as happening in Pope Benedict's pontificate, this gathering didn't have all the Cardinals–or at least it didn't have enough Cardinals around that it had a “mandatory for everyone” vibe like an extraordinary consistory is supposed to. According to Catholic News Agency, 148 cardinals made an appearance, and because I'm the sort of nerd I am, I can tell you that that was out of a full college of 212 at the time, and yes that includes disgraced Cardinal Keith O'Brien, because he never renounced the Cardinalate itself, only renouncing the rights and privileges associated with it, and it also incidentally includes Mr. Theodore McCarrick, who would go on to renounce the Cardinalate in later years and would wind up deservedly laicized, but who was still a Cardinal at this stage.You probably didn't need me to mention all that, but just in case, there you have it. It's worth noting that one of the reported topics during the 2025 conclave, at least during the meetings in the leadup to the conclave, was frustration from the Cardinals over a general lack of consultation of the Pope with the College of Cardinals as a whole, i.e. they wanted more extraordinary consistories. I wouldn't be too shocked if we saw such gatherings in say, January and June, fit in between the end of Christmas and the beginning of Lent and around the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, respectively, become a regular thing, if Pope Leo does want to lean into these big extraordinary consistories being a regular thing. Now, it's fun and all to hear reports that the expected meeting is a response to popular demand by the Cardinals, but what will it actually be about? Why is Pope Leo apparently calling a closed-door meeting of all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church? Well, first off, despite all my talk, and despite a lot of other people's talk, no such meeting has actually been called yet. What we have at this stage is a letter that went out from the Secretariat of State stating that “Holy Father Leo XIV has in mind to convene an Extraordinary Consistory for the days of January 7 and 8, 2026.” Which, admittedly, is pretty straightforward, and is coming from an official source. But Pope Leo having that “in mind” is not the same as actually announcing it, which matters because the letter goes on to state that “In due course, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will send to Your Eminence the relevant letter with further details”. In other words, watch this space. And yes, it's entirely possible that “further details” could still include noting that by the way while everyone is in town Pope Leo's going to create some more new Cardinals too. I don't expect that since my read on him is he's going to want to be more respectful of the official 120-elector cap than his predecessor was, but it wouldn't be the first time they've covered multiple items while the Cardinals were gathered. It's probably more efficient from a travel cost perspective, anyhow. By the way, if they DO create more new Cardinals, it won't be right after the Extraordinary Consistory On An Unknown Topic, because Pope Leo is already booked for the next day, when he is due for his annual meeting with diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, followed by him meeting with all the ambassadors from the 184 states that have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. With that context–while recognizing those are regular annual meetings so it could be a coincidence–I am tempted to think there *will* be something big Pope Leo hopes to talk about with all the Cardinals and then all the diplomats. Maybe something going back to my hope–and the hope of many–on Catholic-Orthodox relations, some fruit of Pope Leo's visit to Turkey to mark the 1700th anniversary of Nicea later this month, a council which Catholics and Orthodox agree on, and which helped set the date of Easter. To speculate one step yet further, if they were looking at something relating to the dating of Easter, the timing would be pretty good, a few months out. ***To complicate matters further, *** the day *before* the expected Extraordinary Consistory, Pope Leo will be closing the Holy Doors to finish out the Holy Year. So yeah, that date's booked too, unless he wants to multitask, which given all he's got going on, he doesn't seem opposed to doing. *** IN THE END, it's likely the bulk of the discussion will be the fruit of the “study groups” that came out of the Synod on Synodality, which are meant to reach some form of consensus on a number of active topics discussed over the course of the synod during the last few years. The study groups are so idiosyncratic and generally wonkish that even I, who love listing off obscure stuff at you, refuse to go through them in detail, but they contain are hot button issues such as women deacons and polygamy alongside, uh, cold-button topics such as canon law and the role of nuncios, although I suppose it depends on what you're into. Anyways, it's worth noting that—following what has proven to be a pattern for the Synod on Synodality with extension after extension—the end-of-the-year “deadline” for the study groups doesn't seem to be a hard deadline and at least some of the study group discussions may well still be ongoing past the time of the Extraordinary Consistory, so really, who knows? Again, time will tell.*** Ok, time for the second promised topic: the USCCB, that is, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They had one of their Plenary or General assemblies this week–I believe they use the word interchangeably–-which, now that you're hip to consistory talk you can think of Plenary Assemblies as the US Catholic Bishops' version of an extraordinary consistory with everyone gathered to chat about whatever. In this case, a major order of business was the election of new leadership, especially a new USCCB President and Vice-President. When it comes to the USCCB, often the Vice-Presidency is the real election to watch, since unless they've hit retirement age the Vice President usually gets elected the President after putting in their three-year term as VP. But in this case, both President and Vice President were retiring, so this was one of the more open election years, with ten candidates nominated by their peers, including Bishop Barron of the Word on Fire media empire which will be printing breviaries for Americans in the coming years–more on that lucrative endeavor some other time. In the end, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City was elected USSB President, and will serve in that capacity until 2028 when, if tradition holds, he will be succeeded by the man who was runner-up this time around, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas. We'll see if tradition does hold, as it's not really a secret that US politics is deeply divided and the shift would be from a perceived conservative to a perceived liberal if that's the way it goes, although yes, both are Catholic bishops so there's a lot of agreement between the two. One bishop who was not particularly agreeing with the rest of the body present was the emeritus bishop of Tyler, Texas, one Joseph Strickland. I've discussed Bishop Strickland here and there, and he seems interested in continuing to pop up, despite his removal from his see a couple years ago after publicly endorsing a video calling Pope Francis a “diabolically disordered clown”. In any case, he is apparently still part of the USCCB–which makes sense as he's still a bishop, though I'm not going to act like I expected him there. From what I can tell, since he's officially an emeritus bishop, he does not get to vote. But he did have some floor time, and used it to try to add condemning Fr James Martin's outreach to LGBT folks to the docket, a plea which went unanswered. There's video of this online if you want to find it, and sure, a link in the notes for your convenience. Don't get the wrong idea though, the bishops actually have been pretty active since the new USCCB President took up his role, on the one hand banning gender-affirming care for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals, something which I honestly was surprised wasn't already done, and on the other hand speaking up pretty loudly about all the deporting going on around here. It's the latter topic I'm going to focus on for today, no offense to my friends who might love a word on the former, but I'm trying to stay positive, you know? Plus there's more meat on the immigration side of the discussion, specifically my favorite thing: a statement short enough to read in its entirety for ya'll.Yes, for the first time in over a decade–since their Special Message on the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act–the Bishops overwhelmingly voted in support of releasing the following Special Message, and by overwhelmingly I mean 216-5 with three abstentions. Without further ado: “As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones. Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity. Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation's immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together. We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks. The Church's teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God's compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church's concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord's command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34). To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone! We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts. We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform. As disciples of the Lord, we remain men and women of hope, and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5) May the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.” Alright, now for the final topic, PODCAST ADMIN. Assuming you've been around for a minute, you've probably noticed that Popeular History is approximately eight projects in a trenchcoat. You might think that sounds like an exaggeration, but I did wind up with 8 tabs when I organized all my episodes i nto a spreadsheet I plan to use as a roadmap for the show. The Cardinal Numbers tab even has info about the Cardinals in question from my cardinals database. Not all the Cardinals, mind you, for now it's focused on the current cardinals since that's where the show is focused. Eventually the full database will be made public-facing in some form, minus perhaps some embarrassing scribbled notes like instructions on how to pronounce names that will only make sense to me since I'm bad at phonetic alphabet stuff. Oh, and the Worldbuilding section has the epitomes next to links to the episodes they're summarizing! Cool stuff like that, and as an added bonus I'll even be putting things like when I expect to get to the next episode or two of a particular series, that way if you want an answer it's there without relying on me randomly mentioning on the show at some point. I'm even including notes about things like when I have something recorded and am just working on editing it. So that's all exciting! Check it out!–I'm putting that link at the tail end of the show notes for your convenience. It should be publicly accessible, let me know via email to popeularhistory@gmail.com if you hit any snags. Also, jubilation! Popeularhistory.com is back up, and I have no idea how that happened. My ability to make changes to it directly went away about a year ago, hence all but the RSS feeds being frozen, zombie mode, but now it's back. I didn't even have to log in to anything. I think St Carlo Acutis just did another miracle (miracles effect from Pontifacts). So that's an unexpected plus that literally only came up when I googled up the name of my old host as part of an explanation that the spreadsheet I just described was going to replace the website moving forward. I guess it isn't? We'll see–I am very confused, I was already prepared to move on–but I'm not mad about it. Finally, one more last-minute thing has popped up. Our hero, Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, will be visiting Detroit December 4th through 7th, raising funds for the struggling Christian remnant in the Holy Land. Detroit is a manageable trip from my home base in Ohio (go Bucks) and I'd love to meet Pierbattista Pizzaballa. But I don't plan to crash Pierbattista Pizzaballa's fundraising trip emptyhanded. And so, I've created a gofundme to raise money so I can give Pierbattista Pizzaballa a real check for a grand in addition to a comedically oversized check made by my children, which I'm sure Pierbattista Pizzaballa will really truly appreciate as a Franciscan friar. Obviously December 4th through 7th is soon, so act now via the link in the show notes if you'd like to contribute to what is already my most successful fundraiser to date. And don't worry if you miss the deadline, I still intend to forward funds to him and his cause as appropriate, whatever way I can. Full disclosure: I'm setting aside $200 of the funds for travel expenses for me getting there, and giant check. Thank you in advance and remember: prayer support is just as welcome and is even more important than financial support. Alright, that's all for tonight! November's Habemus Pointsam is coming out soon, I just need to edit it! Of course, you already knew that, because you saw it on the database, right? Thank you for listening, God bless you all! Thanks, Joe! LINKS: Early reporting on upcoming extraordinary consistory: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2025/11/08/pope-leo-to-call-college-of-cardinals-to-rome-for-a-two-day-january-meeting/ https://thecatholicherald.com/article/pope-leo-to-call-cardinals-to-rome-for-extraordinary-consistory-amid-speculation-of-first-encyclical https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-leo-xiv-to-convene-extraordinary-consistory-of-cardinals-in-january-report/?utm_source=lsncathfb&fbclid=IwY2xjawN_jjJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR7SwHBdI9sPFNkrmLzutgXvu6eUyuUQPNbHpBxEEej8S63RLNA83qCYOPDyqQ_aem_kfnzrdO3vyL7EE2rqlgcWg https://www.ncregister.com/news/pope-leo-calls-january-2026-consistory Gcatholic.org consistory notes: https://gcatholic.org/documents/tag/consistory CNA Reporting on 2015 consistory: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/31501/a-reform-to-promote-harmony-%E2%80%93-pope-francis-opens-a-much-debated-consistory Bishop Strickland at the USCCB: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OU0i97XFTlw USCCB Special Message: https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/us-bishops-issue-special-message-immigration-plenary-assembly-baltimore Popeular History Episode Spreadsheet link (feel free to share, this should give public access) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17NFWcln6CA8yjH96-bORP2G3HA2ct331E6Zi880BewU/edit?usp=sharing Pizzaballa Trip Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gregg-bring-pierbattista-pizzaballa-a-giant-check?fbclid=IwY2xjawOKzAVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR4IokJTnLt5tbazv1IuHqeQowX8-horhHZ0HRkHo5beXwCliQi3avOZ4LXDaA_aem_Lsc6fiO4LRUoTq6WizJ3fQ
On Wednesday's "Connecticut Today," host Paul Pacelli wondered if it's time for the State of Connecticut to offer a non-profit "public option" healthcare insurance plan to help folks who are being priced out of the Affordable Care Act - or "Obamacare" (00:53). Fairfield GOP State Sen. Tony Hwang reacted after state regulators voted to block a proposed sale of the Aquarion Water Company (14:56). University of New Haven Associate Professor of Accounting, Finance, and Taxation Dr. Jim Mohs talked about a new report regarding the Trump White House's tariff policies (18:03). Finally, Hearst Connecticut Media Senior Columnist and Editor Dan Haar dropped by for his weekly update (23:34)
For the Affordable Care Act, it's been one battle after another. The ongoing fight over the ACA subsidies at the center of the government shutdown are just the latest flash point in the law's 15-year history. KFF Health News' Julie Rovner joins Kimberly to break down where things stand with the ACA and whether we're on the cusp of another national healthcare debate. Plus, the other health policy changes coming under the Trump administration.Here's everything we talked about today:"The State of the Affordable Care Act" from KFF Health News"Oz: Trump administration weighing ACA subsidies extension" from The Hill "8 Things to Watch for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period" from KFF "Obamacare sticker shock is more shocking in some states than others" from Politico"GOP plans to replace Obamacare have failed. Here's what lawmakers propose now." from Washington Post We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including ACA subsidies, the New Jersey election results, USAID and more.
For the Affordable Care Act, it's been one battle after another. The ongoing fight over the ACA subsidies at the center of the government shutdown are just the latest flash point in the law's 15-year history. KFF Health News' Julie Rovner joins Kimberly to break down where things stand with the ACA and whether we're on the cusp of another national healthcare debate. Plus, the other health policy changes coming under the Trump administration.Here's everything we talked about today:"The State of the Affordable Care Act" from KFF Health News"Oz: Trump administration weighing ACA subsidies extension" from The Hill "8 Things to Watch for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period" from KFF "Obamacare sticker shock is more shocking in some states than others" from Politico"GOP plans to replace Obamacare have failed. Here's what lawmakers propose now." from Washington Post We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
If you've been hearing more talk about health insurance costs lately — you're not alone. From higher renewal premiums to open enrollment decisions, healthcare has become one of the biggest line items in many household budgets.In this episode, Melissa Joy, CFP®, talks with Cole Craven, co-founder of Move Health, about what's really happening with health insurance in 2025 and how to make confident decisions for your family or your retirement.Cole works closely with financial planners to help clients understand their options, and he shares practical insights you can use right now — whether you're choosing coverage through your employer, the marketplace, or looking ahead to early retirement.You'll learn:What's driving healthcare costs higher in 2025How the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace actually worksThe difference between COBRA, private plans, and marketplace coverageWhat to know about tax credits (and what might change next year)Why planning for healthcare is essential if you're retiring before 65How to find the right help during open enrollmentIf you've ever said “I'd retire early if it weren't for health insurance,” this conversation is for you.Resources:Learn more about Move Health: advisors.movehealth.ioConnect with Cole: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-craven/, Follow Move Health https://www.linkedin.com/company/move-health-partnersThe previous presentation by PEARL PLANNING was intended for general information purposes only. No portion of the presentation serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from PEARL PLANNING or any other investment professional of your choosing. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy, or any non-investment related or planning services, discussion or content, will be profitable, be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Neither PEARL PLANNING's investment adviser registration status, nor any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed that a certain level of results or satisfaction will be achieved if PEARL PLANNING is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. PEARL PLANNING is neither a law firm nor accounting firm, and no portion of its services should be construed as legal or accounting advice. No portion of the video content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if PEARL PLANNING is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. A copy of PEARL PLANNING's current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request or at https:...
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:As Trump changes his tune on the Epstein files, Texas Republicans are suddenly also no longer opposed - showing their spineless complicity with the Dear Leader: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-texas-congress-21192934.php...Trump could just order the release of the files - but language in the discharge petition may protect him from their complete release: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/us/politics/trump-epstein-files-congress.htmlTexas' junior Senator Ted Cruz may be using his recent feud with Tucker Carlson and related hard-right loons to make himself look relatively normal ahead of a 2028 presidential run: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/17/trump-reacts-ted-cruz-2028-presidential-run/87325162007/83% of Texans who use the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance coverage are about to see their premiums double, at least: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/30/texas-aca-obamacare-health-insurance-open-enrollment/The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. are preparing a legal and public relations challenge to the THC ban that was attached to the bill that ended the federal government shutdown: https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/texas-veterans-thc-hemp-ban-21189415.phpThe head of FEMA, after a disastrous response to the July 4 floods in Texas, is headed for the door: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/fema-david-richardson-resigned-texas-21192820.phpA Texas judge has rejected Ken Paxton's requests to ban the company that makes Tylenol from testifying that the product is safe for pregnant women, and a request to stop them from paying dividends to their shareholders: https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/11/judge-smacks-down-texas-ags-request-to-immediately-block-tylenol-ads/The embattled former CEO of Alamo Trust is suing Lt. Governor Ken Paxton and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who pressured her to resign over what they saw as her "woke" supervision of the Alamo: https://www.expressnews.com/news/texas/article/alamo-ceo-lawsuit-resignation-21193101.phpAfter weeks and weeks, the University of Texas at Austin remains silent on whether or not they will accept Donald Trump's "compact", which would turn burnt orange into the new MAGA red: https://www.kxan.com/news/whats-actually-happening-ut-austin-students-feel-left-in-the-dark-university-remains-silent-on-trump-compact-deal/The Houston Black American Democrats are hosting both Colin Allred and James Talarico tonight (Tuesday 11/18) at 6pm for a Texas Senate Race Spotlight at 6pm: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jbHXb62bZRXupMUo6We're excited to see YOU at one (or both!) of our 2025 Holiday Parties this December in Austin and Dallas - for the first time, featuring live podcast tapings! Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2025Check out our web store, including our newly-expanded Humans Against Greg Abbott collection: https://store.progresstexas.org/Thanks for listening! Our monthly donors form the backbone of our funding, and if you're a regular, we'd like to invite you to join the team! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
The subsidies roughly 22 million Americans rely on to help pay for their health insurance are set to expire at the end of next month unless Congress votes to extend them. We discuss the debate on the Hill, and what would happen to the Affordable Care Act without the subsidies.This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
The longest government shutdown in American history ended last week, thanks to 8 Senate Democrats giving up the fight to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. The infighting between Democrats hasn't stopped since. But what if Democrats' caving was actually a good thing? Tim Miller of the Bulwark joins the show to discuss how the Democrats may be in a prime strategic position as Republicans deal with scandals, skyrocketing costs of living and healthcare, and several MAGA faithful turning on Trump.And in headlines: President Trump sends federal agents to Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of his ongoing immigration crackdown, Marjorie Taylor Greene continues feuding with Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announces a new gas deal with Greece.Show Notes:Check out The Bulwark – www.thebulwark.com/Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
John Fawcett breaks down today's top stories, including President Trump's bold new plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and more revelations from the Epstein files.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A surprise insertion in the bill to end the federal government shutdown has thrown Native hemp producers into chaos. The language prohibits products like beverages, vapes, and gummies containing THC compounds derived from hemp. Those products were widely available and contribute to a nearly $30 billion industry. Among them is the Lac du Flambeau tribe that produces and sells hemp-derived products. The end of the government shutdown also means the clock is ticking for Native Americans receiving health insurance subsidized by the Affordable Care Act. Without action by Congress, insurance premiums for those people will jump significantly after the start of the New Year. We'll hear about what the possible options are foa the millions of people facing a major hike in insurance costs. GUESTS Angie Wilson (Pit River Tribe), tribal health director for Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Rob Pero (Bad River Tribe), founder and president of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and the owner of Canndigenous Candace Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Indians), director of cannabis operations for the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Indians Dionne Holmquist (Aztec ancestry), director of biobased solutions at Makoce Agriculture Development
Join TJ McCormack as he fills in for Lionel on the Red Apple Podcast Network for a high-energy "free-for-all". McCormack, a self-described "maverick of fight or flight", navigates topics ranging from the fracturing world of politics (including debates on the Affordable Care Act and government shutdowns) to finding lightheartedness in the Bible. Expect deep dives into golden-age comedy classics like Blazing Saddles, The Jerk, and Caddyshack, contrasted with frustrated rants about the "insanely rude people" who dominate our lives by using speakerphones in public. It's informative, entertaining, and perhaps a literal disaster, as this "suburban Caucasian Volvo guy" seeks emergency advice for his wife's overheating 2016 Volvo SUV. Tune in for classic cinematic trivia, listener confessions, and McCormack's struggle with his "lousy timing". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When we talk about healthcare in America, I mean among friends and family, not reporters and pundits, it is difficult to know which headline-making topic to tackle first. Some conversations focus on disparities in health outcomes, preventable gaps based on race, income and geography that require political will to overcome. Others focus on the profound impacts on the horizon for 22 million Americans facing spikes in their premiums, a feature of our current administration's budget bill, that they cannot afford. The state of healthcare in America and the pathway to systems transformation is the life's work and expertise of Anthony Wright, my guest on this week's episode of Power Station. Anthony leads Families USA, a nonprofit that has been instrumental in advocating for and winning policy solutions, which include passage of the Affordable Care Act and the Children's Health Improvement Program and the ending of surprise medical billing. He brings both personal experience with healthcare instability and nonprofit leadership in multiple states to this national role. Anthony wants legislators and reporters to hear more stories about the human impacts of these cutbacks and not just the political impacts. They can start by listening to Anthony Wright Anthony here.
The Democrats who voted to reopen the government earlier this week have stirred up turmoil within their party, with many on the left viewing it as a betrayal for failing to extend COVID era Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans, meanwhile, are up in arms over a last-minute inclusion to the funding package, which would allow senators who allegedly had their phones tapped to sue the federal government for hundreds of thousands of dollars. FOX News Digital Congressional Correspondent Liz Elkind joins the Rundown to unpack the drama on Capitol Hill, and what to look out for as the government gets back to business. Later, Philip Diehl joins to discuss the future of the penny, after the mint officially ceased its production earlier this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rep. Seth Moulton (D–Mass.) is not one to shy away from criticism of his own party. He made waves in the past when he insisted that the Democrats' approach to dialogue on transgender issues was stifling. Moulton has also been vocal about the need for generational change in an aging Washington. This time, the Massachusetts congressman is speaking out about the deal that ended the longest government shutdown in history. And how Senate Democrats missed an opportunity to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies “If Republicans were somehow gaining advantage here, if the polling was shifting in their favor, if they had done well in the elections last week, then I might say,'Okay, I get it. It doesn't seem like this strategy is working, so let's give up,'” says Moulton. “But Schumer has just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.” Moulton is a veteran who served four tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer. He's also challenging Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey for his seat in the 2026 midterms, facing competition from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the process. “Senator Markey is a good guy,” says Moulton. “He served the country for half a century. I mean, he's been in office longer than I've been alive. He and I agree on many of the issues. He says the right things, he has great press releases, but how much has he actually gotten done?” In this week's episode of The Conversation, Moulton talks with POLITICO's Dasha Burns about how Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is failing his party, why age needs to be a major consideration for lawmakers and how Senate Democrats could have done more to guarantee access to affordable healthcare. Plus, POLITICO's Senior Congressional editor Mike DeBonis joins Dasha to discuss how the shutdown finally came to an end, which party ended up better off afterwards and how this event may shape Congress in the year to come. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this podcast misstated that former Rep. Joe Kennedy III is running against Sen. Ed Markey in 2026. Kennedy ran against Markey in 2020 but has not announced plans to run against Markey in 2026.
Sean 'FI Tax Guy' Mullaney and Cody 'Measure Twice' Garrett are two of the smartest financial planning pros who are best known for sharing their deep knowledge in the financial independence community and beyond. They join us today to break down tax planning in a way you may not have ever heard before. They don't agree with some of the conventional advice and make a case for the contrarian views they share in their new book, 'Tax Planning To and Through Early Retirement'. In this conversation, we dive into: Top year-end tax tips for later starters Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits Drawdown principles Moving through the 5 phases of retirement How a little tax awareness can go a long way This discussion is intended to be for general educational purposes and is not tax, legal, or investment advice for any individual. Bill, Jackie, and the Catching Up to FI podcast do not endorse Sean Mullaney, Mullaney Financial & Tax, Inc. and their services. ===DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS===
Healthcare Policy & Obamacare the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), caused premiums to skyrocket instead of reducing costs. Discussion of President Trump’s stance on healthcare reform, emphasizing Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as a solution to empower individuals rather than insurance companies. Includes a tweet from Trump advocating for HSAs and opposing corporate welfare for health insurers. Stock performance data of major health insurance companies since Obamacare passed, highlighting massive profit increases. Government Shutdown & Political Divide Commentary on the recent government shutdown, blaming Democrats for prolonging it. Portrays Democrats as controlled by “Marxists” and “radicals,” contrasting Republican values of individual freedom and choice. Mentions internal Democratic Party conflicts and leadership struggles. Legislation Preview Introduction of the “Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2025”, aimed at making welfare fraud a deportable offense for illegal immigrants. Provides statistics on SNAP and public benefits abuse by non-citizens, estimating billions in costs over a decade. Profile on Senator John Fetterman Highlights Fetterman’s dissent from mainstream Democratic positions, especially his strong pro-Israel stance. Discusses his recovery from a stroke and the backlash he faces from within his party. Suggests growing incompatibility between being pro-Israel and being a Democrat. Campus Violence & Radical Groups Reports on violent protests at a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley, allegedly funded by far-left organizations. Mentions Antifa involvement and chants celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk. References DOJ investigation into funding sources behind these protests and university administrators’ alleged complicity. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Government Shutdown Analysis The recent end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history (43 days). Democrats, particularly Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, caused harm to Americans for political gain. The economic impacts: delayed flights, unpaid federal workers, halted food stamp benefits, and harm to small businesses. Predicts future political consequences and possible repeat shutdown scenarios. Includes quotes from President Trump during the signing of legislation reopening the government. Healthcare Debate Focuses on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), labeling it as financially disastrous and unaffordable. Advocates for reforms such as health savings accounts and reducing subsidies to insurance companies. Suggests reconciliation as a legislative strategy to bypass Democratic opposition. Persecution of Christians in Nigeria Highlights severe violence against Christians by Boko Haram and other radical Islamic groups. States that over 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009 and thousands of churches destroyed. Discusses U.S. legislative efforts to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and impose sanctions on complicit officials. Criticizes Tucker Carlson for allegedly downplaying the persecution issue. Domestic Extremism & Campus Violence Violent protests by Antifa at a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley. Mentions previous assassination of Charlie Kirk and ongoing threats against conservative speakers. Raises concerns about university administrators allegedly enabling violence. Discusses DOJ investigations into funding sources for radical groups and legislation to target financial backers of riots. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As Congress debates whether to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage, Hayden Rooke-Ley, lawyer and senior fellow at the Brown University School of Public Health, explains how the infighting is already driving up costs and narrowing networks.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D–Mass.) is not one to shy away from criticism of his own party. He made waves in the past when he insisted that the Democrats' approach to dialogue on transgender issues was stifling. Moulton has also been vocal about the need for generational change in an aging Washington. This time, the Massachusetts congressman is speaking out about the deal that ended the longest government shutdown in history. And how Senate Democrats missed an opportunity to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies “If Republicans were somehow gaining advantage here, if the polling was shifting in their favor, if they had done well in the elections last week, then I might say,'Okay, I get it. It doesn't seem like this strategy is working, so let's give up,'” says Moulton. “But Schumer has just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.” Moulton is a veteran who served four tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer. He's also challenging Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey for his seat in the 2026 midterms, facing competition from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the process. “Senator Markey is a good guy,” says Moulton. “He served the country for half a century. I mean, he's been in office longer than I've been alive. He and I agree on many of the issues. He says the right things, he has great press releases, but how much has he actually gotten done?” In this week's episode of The Conversation, Moulton talks with POLITICO's Dasha Burns about how Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is failing his party, why age needs to be a major consideration for lawmakers and how Senate Democrats could have done more to guarantee access to affordable healthcare. Plus, POLITICO's Senior Congressional editor Mike DeBonis joins Dasha to discuss how the shutdown finally came to an end, which party ended up better off afterwards and how this event may shape Congress in the year to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The longest government shutdown in American history is finally over, but a new political fight may be just beginning. Eight Democrats and independents crossed the aisle in the Senate to help reopen the government, sparking anger inside their party and fresh questions about Democratic leadership. FOX News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream joins the Rundown to break down how the shutdown ended and what it means for the future of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and healthcare subsidies. Plus, the questions surrounding the latest in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. After more than 230 years, the U.S. Mint has officially ended penny production, as the cost to make them has surpassed their value and relevance. Philip Diehl, former U.S. Mint Director and President of U.S. Money Reserve, joins to discuss the impact of the penny's phase-out on retailers and consumers and the future of coins like the nickel. Plus, the rise of cashless payments, and concerns about cryptocurrency's volatility for everyday transactions. Plus, commentary from presidential historian and author of “The Power and the Money,” Tevi Troy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein's files include messages linking President Trump to the disgraced financier, as Congress prepares to vote on a bill forcing the release of the full Epstein records. After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history ends with a bipartisan deal that leaves Democrats split over what they gained. And with health insurance subsidies still set to expire, millions of Americans could soon face higher premiums unless lawmakers act before year's end.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Kelsey Snell, Diane Webber, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Harley Schlanger, a historian and national spokesman with expertise in the financial industry since the 1980s, offers insights through The LaRouche Organization, where followers can access his analyses on geopolitics and economics. The recent government shutdown, orchestrated by Senate Democrats in a bid to extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire, brutally exposed the fragility of their socialist welfare empire, with SNAP benefits for millions of low-income Americans abruptly halted as leverage in the standoff. Critics highlighted how Democrat-controlled states exploit loopholes in the Affordable Care Act to divert federal funds toward healthcare for undocumented immigrants, turning taxpayer dollars into a slush fund for illegal border crossers while insurance giants like Blue Cross rake in billions in subsidies. This cynical tactic, which risked starving families reliant on food stamps just past Election Day, underscored the Ponzi-like nature of these programs, where Democrats prioritized bailing out their failing healthcare scheme over essential services, forcing Republicans to vote repeatedly for full funding that was repeatedly blocked. NATO and EU leaders are accelerating Europe's slide toward direct conflict with Russia through unprecedented military pacts, including France and Britain's coordination of nuclear forces and missile systems, framing the continent as a militarized frontline in a broader anti-Russian strategy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the alliance of already declaring war via Ukraine proxies, with NATO's creeping expansion into the Arctic and Pacific designed to isolate Moscow and provoke escalation, echoing long-suspected Western plots dating back to 1993 documents advocating offensive operations against Russia using Eastern European buffers. As EU elites dismiss peace talks as "more dangerous than war" and ramp up hybrid defenses against perceived Russian threats, voices warn that this desperation masks internal failures on debt and energy, pushing the bloc into a suicidal confrontation that could doom the continent.
The government shutdown is inching closer to an end as members of the House of Representatives return to Washington today. They are expected to vote on a bill to end the shutdown this week, after eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a budget package on Monday night. The package includes funding for the government until January and would also reinstate federal employees who were laid off during the shutdown. But, and there's a big but, the budget package does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that make health insurance more affordable for millions of people. To discuss the potential end to the shutdown further, with no answers on healthcare, we spoke with Delaware Democratic Congresswoman Sarah McBride on Tuesday afternoon.And in headlines, CNN reports the United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, a judge ruled West Virginia National Guard troops can stay in DC, and President Donald Trump is pushing a 50-year-mortgage plan for prospective homebuyers.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton! If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too. Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Clay's New Studio! Clay debuts his new studio, complete with a treadmill that he'll be walking on during the show to try stay in shape. He jokes that he might have to change his background though because it resembles a penis. Clay and Buck argue that the shutdown was a strategic move by Democrats to sow chaos and emotional unrest ahead of the elections but ultimately backfired. The hosts emphasize that the disruption to air travel—delayed flights, unpaid air traffic controllers, and public frustration—was a tipping point that forced Democrats to retreat. President Donald Trump’s response to the shutdown is spotlighted, including his call for bonuses for air traffic controllers who continued working and criticism of those who took time off. The show frames this as a leadership moment, contrasting Trump’s decisive stance with what they describe as Democrat disarray. Clay and Buck also dive into the internal conflict within the Democratic Party, noting that eight Democrat senators broke ranks, leading to what they call a “civil war” within the party. Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders are both criticized, with Sanders accused of using emotional manipulation and class warfare rhetoric to rally support. The show mocks the Democrats’ messaging around “Trumpism” and their failure to deliver tangible results from the shutdown. Most Hated Industry in America Clay and Buck argue that the Affordable Care Act has led to skyrocketing premiums, reduced quality of care, and a broken system that benefits insurance companies more than patients. The discussion includes commentary on SNAP benefits, obesity-related healthcare costs, and the lack of price transparency in medical services. The hosts call for market-driven reforms and accuse Democrats of subsidizing the most hated industry in America—health insurance. Healthcare Realities A major segment focuses on healthcare policy and the future of Obamacare, with in-depth criticism of how Democrats have handled healthcare reform. The hosts argue that the Affordable Care Act has empowered insurance companies and failed to deliver meaningful improvements, potentially setting the stage for a push toward a single-payer system. A retired healthcare executive calls in to offer a free-market solution, emphasizing the need to reduce government control and restore physician autonomy. In a cultural pivot, the show covers President Trump’s surprise appearance at an NFL game, where he flew over in Air Force One and joined the Fox Sports broadcast booth. Trump’s commentary on football, his high school playing days, and interactions with players like Drew Brees are discussed as emblematic of his growing cultural acceptance. The hosts highlight how athletes, including the Detroit Lions, celebrated Trump with the now-viral “Trump dance,” signaling a shift in how young men and sports figures view the president. Leftwing Bitchiness Reflections on the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with Clay and Buck criticizing Democrats for what they describe as a performative and damaging political stunt. The hosts argue that the shutdown achieved little beyond public frustration and economic disruption. The conversation shifts to pop culture as Kim Kardashian’s repeated attempts to pass the California bar exam are discussed. While acknowledging her billionaire status, the hosts commend her persistence and ambition, contrasting it with what they perceive as a lack of humility and gratitude from former First Lady Michelle Obama. A significant portion of the hour is dedicated to a critical examination of Michelle Obama’s public statements, her Princeton thesis, and her perceived victimhood narrative. The hosts argue that the Obama family received unprecedented media grace and support, especially compared to other presidential families, including the Bushes, Clintons, and the current First Family under President Donald Trump. Make sure you never miss a second of the show by subscribing to the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton show podcast wherever you get your podcasts! ihr.fm/3InlkL8 For the latest updates from Clay and Buck: https://www.clayandbuck.com/ Connect with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on Social Media: X - https://x.com/clayandbuck FB - https://www.facebook.com/ClayandBuck/ IG - https://www.instagram.com/clayandbuck/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/ClayandBuck TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.