Podcasts about veterans affairs

*This episode is being reuploaded* This week Francis wrestles with an article about VA benefits from The Hill, watches First Blood, and goes over the most important part of body armor: The Groin Flap If you like the show you can get more on our Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you access to seven years of bonus episodes - https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie  How Runaway disability compensation is straining Veterans Affairs - https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4304058-how-runaway-disability-compensation-is-straining-veterans-affairs/ Space Force officers earns Ranger tab - https://www.stripes.com/branches/space_force/2023-10-16/space-force-guardian-army-ranger-tab-11725891.html  Life on the Mississippi by Rinker Buck - https://www.amazon.com/Life-Mississippi-Epic-American-Adventure/dp/1501106376 

Jason Miller, executive editor of Federal News Network, joins Off the Shelf for a wide-ranging discussion of the procurement news of the day. Miller shares his thoughts and analysis of key procurements like the Department of Veterans Affairs' recent VA TGN2 awards and POLARIS. He also outlines the history of VA TGN2, and the current post award prospects for debriefings and their implications.  Miller also discusses the recent POLARIS protest and what it means for the procurement moving forward.  Finally Miller talks about DISA's recent industry day and what he and industry learned about DISA's reorganization, acquisition changes, and business accomplishments.  

Recorded from the exhibit hall of the Society of American Military Engineers Small Business Conference, we hear from small businesses, both attending and exhibiting. We will be brining you these quick interviews, profiling each business that was kind enough to speak with us. HRP's joint venture with Thunderbird environmental was one of hundreds of exhibitors at the SAME SBC. This conference brings together federal agencies and businesses operating in the federal marketplace to deliver comprehensive market research, learn of and/or share contracting opportunities, connect with teaming partners, support the nation's contracting goals, engage in networking between private companies and federal program managers and procurement/contracting officers. More than a dozen federal agencies have participated in SBC, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Naval Facilities Engineering Command; Air Force Civil Engineer Center; Department of Veterans Affairs; Veterans Health Administration; Department of Energy; General Services Administration; Department of State; Small Business Administration; Environmental Protection Agency; Federal Emergency Management Agency; and National Aeronautics & Space Administration.We were also joined by Shaun Mail, our Southeast regional manager and Kathlynn Majors our Southeastern Sales manager for the play hard section.A reminder that our Play Hard segment is also available in video form! Watch that on our YouTube Channel.Make sure you subscribe, give us a review & check us out on social media!YouTubeLinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebookWebsite

White Ribbon VA is a national call to action to eliminate sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence across the Department of Veterans Affairs by promoting a positive change in culture so that the actions outlined in the pledge become the organizational norm. NASW and other mental health organizations have partnered with White Ribbon. In this episode we talk about the importance of White Ribbon VA with  Dr. Bridget Truman, associate director of the Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior at the Veterans Central Office, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Asheville, NC;  Doctor Angela Lamson is a professor at East Carolina University and a representative of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; and Doctor Carole Warshaw, MD, director of the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health and a representative of the American Psychiatric Association.

Show SummaryOn this episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Tanya Hess, a Licensed Psychologist and Training Director for the Department of Veterans Affairs Coaching Into Care Family Call Center, a national telephone-based support service for family emmbers and others who want to help reluctant veterans access their VA health care benefits, particularly for mental health concerns. About Today's GuestsDr. Tanya Hess has been doing therapy in the Philadelphia area since 2007. She trained in adult and child psychotherapy and psychological assessment at Emory University, The  University of Tennessee, and Pennsylvania Hospital. Her post-doctoral fellowship work was  in eating disorders and residential treatment at Renfrew Center. Since completion of her fellowship she has worked in treatment and outreach for the Veterans Affairs in Philadelphia, specializing in family engagement. Dr. Hess' research has included the interaction between emotion and personality and the use of therapeutic assessment as a treatment tool. Links Mentioned In This EpisodeCoaching Into Care Web siteEmail Coaching Into Care TeamCoaching Into Care on FacebookCoaching Into Care contact number: 888-823-7458, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time.PsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor the course, Coaching a Loved One Into Care. At times, it can be difficult to talk to a Veteran about seeking help. This course equips caregivers with tools to identify potential struggles, and better understand problems with traditional approaches like ultimatums and forceful discussions. You can see find the course here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/coaching-a-loved-one-into-care This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Dr. Michael Swango, also known as Dr. Death, had his residency rescinded after his internship at Ohio State due to patients dying under his care while he was working in an ambulance, and due to his falsification of internship documents. His faculty and peers expressed their concerns, and yet, nobody alerted police or other medical institutions. After working as an EMT for an Illinois ambulance service, several of his colleagues fell ill after consuming food he brought in, or coffee he prepared. Dr. Death was arrested for arsenic poisoning and served five years, but he was still able to work as a resident in New York and Zimbabwe following these incidences. After his rotation at the VA in New York, Special Agent Bruce Sackman set his sights on Swango, leading to his capture. Next week, be sure to listen to my interview with retired Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation division, Bruce Sackman regarding Dr. Death, as well as several other medical serial killers he has investigated and brought to justice. Bruce is truly a pioneer in investigating medical serial killers, and the investigation and arrest of Michael Swango is just one of many cases Bruce has handled. For bonus content, ad-free and early episodes, archived episodes, a private Discord community, and more, subscribe to @fthatpod on Patreon! Check out the website!www.fthatpod.comIf you liked what you heard today, give the podcast a like, review, and subscribe. Follow F**k That on Facebook, TikTok and Twitter @fthatpodInstagram @fthat_podYouTube Channel: @fthatpodThank you to this week's sources: Behind the Murder Curtain: Special Agent Bruce Sackman Hunts Doctors and Nurses Who Kill Our VeteransBy: Bruce Sackman, Michael Vecchione, Jerry Schmetterer Interview with Bruce Sackman Morrow, L. (1999, Aug 29). Dr. death. New York Times Book Review, 9-7, 9:1. United States of America vs. Michael J. SwangoIndictment WikipediaMichael Swango https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_SwangoThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5741034/advertisement

This is the perfect episode to listen to as the holidays are upon us - my guest, Talia Fox, and I talk about how to have healthier, more conscious relationships with ourselves and others.  Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Howard University and she is a Harvard University Fellow. An inspirational leader in every sense of the word, Talia is often referred to as the Jedi of Inspiration by her clients. With over two decades of experience in transforming thousands of executives from all sectors, she has become a visionary for leadership and legacy building. Her extensive background in psychology and education has given her the tools she needs to assist leaders in developing successful strategies for complex missions, ranging from defense systems to healthcare initiatives.  As CEO of KUSI Global, Inc., Talia helps organizations like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvard University, Transunion, the National Institutes of Health, Howard University, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs maximize human potential by leveraging strategic intelligence and helps individuals and organizations foster connected cultures and promote conscious equity.

This week Francis wrestles with an article about VA benefits from The Hill, watches First Blood, and goes over the most important part of body armor: The Groin Flap If you like the show you can get more on our Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you access to seven years of bonus episodes - https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie  How Runaway disability compensation is straining Veterans Affairs - https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4304058-how-runaway-disability-compensation-is-straining-veterans-affairs/ Space Force officers earns Ranger tab - https://www.stripes.com/branches/space_force/2023-10-16/space-force-guardian-army-ranger-tab-11725891.html  Life on the Mississippi by Rinker Buck - https://www.amazon.com/Life-Mississippi-Epic-American-Adventure/dp/1501106376 

Scagz is joined by KRYZ to discuss the recent passing of his father Nelson A. Ortiz who was a Veteran & Patriot who served his country faithfully and has had his funeral arrangements stuck in limbo with the  @DeptVetAffairs  We will also be touching on the election of the first Libertarian President in the history of the world, Javier Milei in Argentina.Support our show by subscribing using the link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/796727/support If you are looking for a premium cigar from Nicaragua go to mypatriotcigars.com and use our Promo Code: DOOMED for 15% off your purchase.Support the showGo to Linktree.com/TwoDoomedMen for all our socials where we continue the conversation in between episodes.

The White House has introduced a first-ever playbook aimed at addressing social determinants of health with directives for the departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Education, Commerce, Veterans Affairs and more. Learn about the three key pillars in this playbook, which include efforts around data strategies and partnerships. We dive into what these mean for federal technology opportunities and solutions.

Welcome to an interview with the author of The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead. In this book, Talia shares her methodology for transforming how we live and lead by first tapping into our own power so that we can make choices that align best with what really matters to us as individuals. The Power of Conscious Connection is a blueprint for a more conscious, compassionate, and connected world. Each page of this book will stir you to the core, awaken your senses, and challenge you to commit to a new way of living and leading. In a time where division seems to prevail, Talia Fox reminds us of our potential for coming together. Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Howard University and she is a Harvard University Fellow. An inspirational leader in every sense of the word, Talia is often referred to as the Jedi of Inspiration by her clients. With over two decades of experience in transforming thousands of executives from all sectors, she has become a visionary for leadership and legacy building. Her extensive background in psychology and education has given her the tools she needs to assist leaders in developing successful strategies for complex missions, ranging from defense systems to healthcare initiatives. As CEO of KUSI Global, Inc., Talia helps organizations like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvard University, Transunion, the National Institutes of Health, Howard University, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs maximize human potential by leveraging strategic intelligence and helps individuals and organizations foster connected cultures and promote conscious equity.  Get Talia's book here: https://shorturl.at/aiwAQ The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead Visit Talia's website: https://kusitraining.com/ Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Show SummaryOn this episode, we feature a conversation with The Honorable Cheryl L. Mason, who served for nearly five years as the fourth Senate-confirmed Presidential appointee and first woman and military spouse Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). About Today's GuestsThe Honorable Cheryl L. Mason served for nearly five years as the fourth Senate-confirmed Presidential appointee and first woman and military spouse Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As Chairman, Ms. Mason led a team of approximately 1,200 personnel including Veterans Law Judges, attorneys, and operations and administrative professionals, and executed a budget of $228 million to meet the Board's mission of conducting hearings and deciding appeals on benefits and services for Veterans and their families. During her tenure, the Board implemented several technological innovations to include the interactive decision template (IDT), CASEFLOW – a modernized end to end process of tracking claims and appeals through the Department, and Virtual Tele-hearings, which revolutionized the hearing process and improved both customer experience and employee experience by enabling Veterans to have hearings on their cell phones at locations of their choice. She expanded the corps of Veterans Law Judges, recommending and onboarding over 70 new Veterans Law Judges and expanding the Board's budget by more than $100 million. She also championed and implemented the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) appeals process putting veterans at the center of the appeals process giving them choice, control, and clarity in the appeals process.Chairman Mason delivered results increasing and improving access and outcomes for veterans and their families by nearly doubling the number of hearings held and decisions issued in less than 5 years and driving the resolution of legacy appeals from over 472,000 to less than 96,000 during her tenure. Ms. Mason was recognized by Disabled American Veterans as the 2021 Outstanding Federal Executive and was a recipient of the FedHealthIT 2020 Leading for Impact: Women in Leadership Award. She was recently awarded the Hiring Our Heroes Bonnie Amos Lifetime Achievement Impact Award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.Ms. Mason formerly served as the Executive Director for Veterans and Military Spouse Talent Engagement Program office for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this position, Ms. Mason provided executive-level direction and expertise launching a marketing, outreach and training program VA-wide to over 400,000 people focused on building partnerships, training hiring managers and HR specialists, and promoting recruitment, employment, and retention of Veterans and military spouses in VA to support military readiness, financial stability, food security, suicide prevention, and the transition of service members and their families to veteran status. During her tenure, she doubled the number of recruitment events for VA, launched a tracking program to measure success, and implemented technology and streamlined processes to deliver clear and concise training materials throughout the VA and externally.Throughout her career, Ms. Mason held several positions at VA and other Federal agencies, including at HQ USAFE at Ramstein AFB, GE. Ms. Mason is the spouse of an Air Force veteran, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF (retired), and is the daughter of a World War II Navy Veteran. She advocates for supporting and changing the culture and increasing awareness surrounding mental health and suicide awareness/prevention. Originally from Portsmouth, Ohio, Ms. Mason received her B.A. with Distinction in Political Science and Psychology from Ohio Northern University and her J.D. from Creighton University School of Law.Links Mentioned In This EpisodeCheri's WebsiteCheri's LinkedIn ProfilePre-order Dare to RelatePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor the course, Understanding the VA for You and Your Family. In this course, you will receive a comprehensive overview of the VA's many available services, tools, and resources.  You can see find the course here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Understanding-the-VA-for-You-and-Your-Family This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Director of the American Legion Media & Communications Division, Jeff Stoffer, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the cover story for the upcoming edition of the American Legion Magazine. Stoffer also discussed an interview with the Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Denis Richard McDonough. Emeritus professor of economics and the founding director of the Center for Study of Working Class Life at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Michael Zweig, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his book “Class, Race, and Gender: Challenging the Injuries and Divisions of Capitalism.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs says its new Electronic Health Record (EHR) hasn't seen a total outage in more than six months. But the Oracle-Cerner EHR still isn't meeting a standard in its contract with VA for the system to run incident-free at least 95% of the time. As of Nov. 8, the Oracle-Cerner EHR has gone 185 consecutive days without a total outage within the VA, and has seen 100% system availability in 10 of the last 12 months. But Kurt DelBene, VA's assistant secretary for Information and Technology and its chief information officer, told members of the House VA Committee that the EHR still doesn't meet a standard for incident-free time outlined in its contract with the vendor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the Under Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, says their most important clinical care and public health issue right now is preventing veteran suicides. The data show that 17 vets a day die by suicide. Their work includes making sure vets know that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline is available for them. He also explained that the VA has communicated to the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that his department is ready to conduct clinical trials using marijuana when and if the substance is reclassified as a less dangerous drug. Other topics discussed include why vets should sign up now for new benefits available through the PACT Act, how the VA performs on various metrics and the latest details about innovations they're bringing to the entire health care sector. Join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter for this conversation as we prepare for National Veterans and Military Families Month, starting on November 1. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

This week we meet with the command team at the 133rd Airlift Wing, learn about the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Program at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and get an update from the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of the Minnesota National Guard. Guests include: Col. Jesse Carlson – 133rd Airlift Wing CMSgt […] The post 133rd Airlift Wing and DEIA at the MDVA appeared first on Minnesota Military Radio.

SCHUMER SAYS 'GOOD NIGHT FOR AMERICAN PEOPLE' AFTER SENATE PASSES BILL AVERTING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The Senate passed the stopgap funding bill by a vote of 87-11 on Wednesday night.  The Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) late Wednesday night to fund federal agencies into early next year, temporarily averting a government shutdown just before the holiday season.  The bill passed by a vote of 87-11, with 10 Republicans and only one Democrat voting no. GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Tim Scott were absent for the vote. The House of Representatives passed the CR on Tuesday by an overwhelming majority of 336-95.  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described Wednesday as "a very, very good night for the American people" before announcing a government shutdown has been avoided, which he credited to "bipartisan cooperation."  In his remarks after the bill's passing, Schumer was referring to the plan proposed by newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Saturday that was ultimately supported by Republicans and Democrats.  Johnson suggested creating two separate deadlines for funding different parts of the government in an effort to prevent Congress from lumping all 12 spending bills into a massive "omnibus" package.  Bills concerning military construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development must be worked out by Jan. 19 while the remaining eight appropriations bills must be decided upon by Feb. 2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn How To Help The Library Of Congress HonorThe Veterans, Living Or Deceased, For...Veterans DayNationwide Campaign to Collect Stories from the Men & Women Who Served their Country with Monica Mohindra of the Veterans History Project When we think of U.S. military veterans, we often imagine those who saw combat overseas, but just as relevant and heroic are those who served in other capacities, including Uniformed Public Health Officers and those who were deployed to respond during a natural disaster or public health crisis. The Commissioned Corp of the U.S. Public Health Service is one of eight uniformed services. Founded more than 200 years ago, its members play a critical role in protecting our nation's health in all 50 states and overseas. Monica Mohindra, Director of the Veterans History Project, joins Mark Alyn to discuss how the VHP is actively seeking stories from these veterans with oral history interviews, original photographs, letters and other corresondence to be archived and made accessible for future generations. LIVING HISTORY — Collecting, preserving & making accessible firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from WWI through todayTIMELESS TREASURES — Audio & video-recorded oral history interviews, unpublished memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries/journals, artwork and historical documentsALL INCLUSIVE — Veterans from all branches and ranks who served at any point are eligible to participate in the Veterans History ProjectVETERANS DAY SEARCH — VHP actively seeks Commissioned Corps veteran's oral history interviews, original photographs, letters & other correspondence VHP Director, Monica Mohindra, has worked for more than 15 years with the Project. She has coordinated major initiatives with Members of Congress, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Endowment for the Humanities, PBS, Ken Burns/ Florentine Films, the HISTORY Channel, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others. Energized by the large collections development initiatives which enable exploring new audiences and new participation in the Project, the most meaningful part of her work is helping uncover and shed light on the individual personal stories of US veterans.

Learn How To Help The Library Of Congress HonorThe Veterans, Living Or Deceased, For...Veterans DayNationwide Campaign to Collect Stories from the Men & Women Who Served their Country with Monica Mohindra of the Veterans History Project When we think of U.S. military veterans, we often imagine those who saw combat overseas, but just as relevant and heroic are those who served in other capacities, including Uniformed Public Health Officers and those who were deployed to respond during a natural disaster or public health crisis. The Commissioned Corp of the U.S. Public Health Service is one of eight uniformed services. Founded more than 200 years ago, its members play a critical role in protecting our nation's health in all 50 states and overseas. Monica Mohindra, Director of the Veterans History Project, joins Mark Alyn to discuss how the VHP is actively seeking stories from these veterans with oral history interviews, original photographs, letters and other corresondence to be archived and made accessible for future generations. LIVING HISTORY — Collecting, preserving & making accessible firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from WWI through todayTIMELESS TREASURES — Audio & video-recorded oral history interviews, unpublished memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries/journals, artwork and historical documentsALL INCLUSIVE — Veterans from all branches and ranks who served at any point are eligible to participate in the Veterans History ProjectVETERANS DAY SEARCH — VHP actively seeks Commissioned Corps veteran's oral history interviews, original photographs, letters & other correspondence VHP Director, Monica Mohindra, has worked for more than 15 years with the Project. She has coordinated major initiatives with Members of Congress, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Endowment for the Humanities, PBS, Ken Burns/ Florentine Films, the HISTORY Channel, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others. Energized by the large collections development initiatives which enable exploring new audiences and new participation in the Project, the most meaningful part of her work is helping uncover and shed light on the individual personal stories of US veterans.

Title: Flyover Friday, November 10, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, November 17, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:GOP Senators can't stop Biden's student loan plansIllinois legislature approves plan for Small Nuclear ReactorsOhio Republicans can't take a hintOhio Secretary of State misses personal financial disclosure deadlineBiden Administration expands veterans' health careDemocrat Dan Kildee of Michigan is retiringWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado.We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on Twitter @ THE heartland pod. Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://missouriindependent.com/briefs/attempt-to-kill-biden-student-debt-relief-plan-tied-to-income-fails-in-u-s-senate/Senate Republicans fail to kill President Joe Biden's income-based student debt relief planBY: ARIANA FIGUEROA - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 7:10 AM     WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution, which was 2 votes short of passing.Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said “There are millions of students, poor, working class … who will benefit from what the president has done. Republicans don't think twice about giving huge tax breaks to ultra-wealthy billionaires and large corporations, but when it comes to helping out working families with student debt relief, suddenly it's too much money, it will raise the deficit, we can't afford it. Give me a break.”The Department of Education unveiled the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan hours after the Supreme Court in June struck down the Biden administration's one-time student debt cancellation that would have forgiven up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for anyone making less than $125,000 per year.Borrowers who received Pell Grants would have been eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.The new income-driven repayment plan calculates payments based on a borrower's income and family size and forgives balances after a set number of years. More than 5.5 million student loan borrowers have already enrolled in the SAVE plan, according to data released by the Department of Education.Repayments on federal student loans restarted last month after a nearly three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.With the SAVE plan, borrowers with undergraduate loans will pay 5% of their discretionary income, rather than the 10% required under previous income repayment plans. https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/illinois-lawmakers-approve-plan-to-allow-small-scale-nuclear-developmentIllinois lawmakers approve small-scale nuclear developmentThursday, November 9, 2023Governor, who vetoed previous bill, supports new effortBy ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Thursday approved a proposal that would allow companies to develop new nuclear power generation in Illinois for the first time since 1987. House Bill 2473 does not entirely lift the 36-year-old moratorium on nuclear construction, but rather creates a regulatory structure for the construction of small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs. The bill limits the nameplate capacity of such reactors to 300 megawatts, about one-third the size of the smallest of the six existing nuclear power plants in Illinois. It also requires the state to perform a study that will inform rules for regulating SMRs, which will be adopted by regulators at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency by January 2026.  Proponents of the measure say it is a step to make the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels more reliable for customers throughout the state, while opponents warn the unproven technology comes with safety risks and the potential for cost overruns. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, 44-7, and the House, 98-8. The opposition came exclusively from Democrats. Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that he would sign the bill. He worked with lawmakers on the new bill after vetoing a broader measure this summer. Leadership of the Illinois AFL-CIO umbrella labor organization released a statement Thursday calling the policy “important for our state's economy and our clean energy future.” It echoed a release from the Illinois Manufacturers Association, an industry advocacy group that testified in support of the proposal several times, saying that it would allow the state to “continue leading in energy and manufacturing innovation.”The legislation's sponsors, Republican State Sen. Sue Rezin, and Democratic State Rep. Lance Yednock said the bill has the potential to bolster Illinois' electric reliability as intermittent sources like wind and solar begin to make up a larger portion of the state's energy output. Sen. Rezin said she is particularly interested in the potential for SMRs to be developed at the sites of former coal plants in Illinois, avoiding the need to build new transmission lines. Because permitting nuclear energy takes many years at the federal level, the earliest a nuclear project could be brought online in Illinois would be in the 2030s.  But critics of the bill and of nuclear power are worried.David Kraft, an outspoken critic of nuclear energy and head of the Chicago-based advocacy group Nuclear Energy Information Service, urged lawmakers at a Thursday committee meeting to reject the bill. Kraft said he was concerned about the lack of existing SMR installations and the unproven nature of the technology. While some nuclear reactors of this scale do exist in other countries, no commercial SMRs have ever been built in the United States. In a follow-up interview, Kraft said that SMRs bring with them security concerns, as the smaller installations have different staffing requirements than traditional reactors and use a more highly enriched type of uranium. This relative abundance of this uranium, according to Kraft, could incentivize the further proliferation of nuclear weapons. Sierra Club Illinois chapter director Jack Darin called nuclear energy “at best, a distraction.” Sierra Club was one of the main advocacy organizations that sought Pritzker's veto of the previous bill. Since 2016, five other state legislatures have either repealed or weakened their bans on nuclear construction. Counting Illinois, bans on nuclear construction remain on the books in 11 states. Several of the states that have lifted their bans in recent years have done so to pave the way for SMR technology. But the biggest player in that industry has seen several upsets in recent weeks. As lawmakers debated the bill on Wednesday, NuScale Power – the only company with a federally approved SMR design – announced that it was canceling its highly watched “Carbon Free Power Project” in Utah, which would have been the first commercial project with a NuScale reactor. The project's cancelation comes after months of falling stock prices and criticism from trading firms. Still, its leaders say the company will continue with its other projects, which are at various steps of regulation and planning. Bill sponsor Sen. Rezin noted that “there's a lot to learn” from NuScale's canceled project, but hopes Illinois' and other states' moves to reverse their construction bans will encourage nuclear energy development in the U.S. She said “If we do not build out this technology with companies that are in the United States, there's other companies and countries such as Russia that are looking to sell that technology. We don't want that.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/ohio-senate-gop-floats-idea-of-15-week-abortion-ban-despite-voters-saying-no/Ohio Senate GOP floats 15-week abortion ban despite voters saying noBY: MORGAN TRAU - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 5:00 AMThe Ohio Senate president has floated the idea of a 15-week abortion ban following voters decisively choosing to keep lawmakers out of their reproductive care.The debate over Issue 1 continues at the Statehouse. Some fringe and alt-right Republican House representatives are infuriated with the voters who stood up to secure abortion rights in the state.Issue 1, the proposal to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, passed 57-43% on election night. Despite this large victory, Statehouse Republicans have been mulling over ways to combat it.State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) is seemingly leading this fight with other far-right representatives Bill Dean (R-Xenia), Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Beth Lear (R-Galena). The quartet is described by other Ohio Republicans as being on the extreme end of their caucus due to anti-vaccine beliefs, peddling of conspiracy theories, and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.Describing a potential 15-week abortion ban, GOP Senate President Matt Huffman said “clearly there is a majority of people in Ohio” who want the ban - however, that would of course be the opposite of what the voters just said a week ago. ere are no statistics to prove this, and based on the language of Issue 1, the voters chose not to have any restrictions before viability.Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau asked President Huffman “Would 15 weeks be going against the will of the people?” He said he didn't know.After the election where Ohioans stood up to demand abortion rights, the Senate President said this “wasn't the end” and there would be a “revolving door” of repeal efforts.  This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/sec-frank-larose-misses-deadline-for-u-s-senate-financial-disclosures/Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose misses extended reporting deadline in U.S. Senate race. He's the only one who didn't file. BY: NICK EVANS - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 4:55 AM     The three Republican candidates hoping to topple U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, go before voters in a few months, and by now should've disclosed information about their personal finances. Two of them, state Sen. Matt Dolan and entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, have done so. But after filing an extension through Nov. 14, though, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose still has not.In both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, candidates and members have to regularly file disclosures that describe their financial positions, assets and liabilities. But the reports stick to broad strokes. Filers name their mutual funds, for instance, but the amount of their holdings are bracketed — $1,001-$15,000, $15,001-$50,000, etc.Current U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown reported about $27,000 in retirement income from his time as a state official. His U.S. Senate income doesn't need to be disclosed, nor do his U.S. Senate retirement accounts.Brown also reports serving as a trustee at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. since 2008.Under U.S. Senate rules, candidates must file financial disclosure reports within 30 days of becoming a candidate. LaRose announced his candidacy July 17, and filed for a financial disclosure extension August 9. That extension gave him until November 14 to file his report.Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose still has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond.Late filing carries a $200 penalty and failing to file or filing a false report carries a civil penalty of up to $50,000.LaRose's failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September. While his Republican opponents have loaned their campaigns significantly more money, LaRose's previous disclosures from his time as a state lawmaker don't suggest he'd have that much cash readily available.Chagrin Falls Republican Matt Dolan comes from a wealthy family that owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. In addition to serving in the legislature, Dolan has worked in the Geauga County prosecutor's office and as an Assistant Attorney General.The state senator's investment holdings are vast—including stocks from more than 250 companies, more than 50 mutual funds and bonds. He reports a Morgan Stanley money market account with more than $1 million alone as well as several mutual funds worth more than half a million dollars each.Dolan also reports a handful of retirement accounts, partial ownership of several LLCs and real estate. One residential building brought in more than $50,000 in rent.In addition to his income Dolan holds personal line of credit with Morgan Stanley worth at least $5 million. The interest rate for that credit line is just 5.96% according to Dolan's amended report — roughly 2.5 percentage points below the current prime rate.Dolan has loaned his campaign a total of $7 million.Next, there's Bernie MorenoIf anything, Moreno's disclosure is even more complex. The Westlake entrepreneur began his business career selling cars, and his report describes his role as director of 17 different automotive business entities, most of which are no longer operating. But from cars, Moreno has branched into several other lines of business including real estate and tech.Moreno's assets are held in a series of trusts, and the report includes several notes about partial ownership and recent sales. He owns 65% of Dryver, LLC, for instance, which the report values at between $5 million and $25 million. Moreno recently sold off his stake in a different company called Champ Titles, and reports making more than $5 million on the deal.He has investments worth at least half a million dollars in handful of Tel Aviv companies working technology, social media investing and healthcare AI. Moreno has also invested in Narya, the venture capital firm U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, started before running for office. Vance has endorsed Moreno's senate bid.Moreno also reports owning millions in residential and commercial real estate. He owns 43% of a home in Ocean Reef, FL worth at least $5 million. It appears the property is a rental because it generated more than $50,000 in income. Moreno also owns a 1% stake condos located in Washington, D.C., and New York City, as well as a $1 million unimproved parcel in Zapotal, Costa Rica, and at least $1.5MM sitting in two checking accounts.Moreno has loaned his campaign $3 million.https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/veterans-health-care-coverage-expanded-by-biden-administration/Biden Administratoin expands Veterans' health care coverage BY: JACOB FISCHLER - NOVEMBER 10, 2023 4:01 AM     Officials said the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand health care coverage for certain groups of veterans and their families, and create new programs meant to make care more accessible.The VA will make coverage of certain toxic burn pit-related conditions available sooner than anticipated. Family members of veterans who served at North Carolina's Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from between 1953 and 1987 will be eligible to have the costs of treating Parkinson's disease covered. And all living World War II veterans will be eligible for no-cost health care, including at nursing homes, the department said in a series of news releases.The administration will also create a new graduate medical education program to help expand health care availability for veterans in rural, tribal and other underserved communities. And the VA will spend $5 million on an advertising campaign aimed at having more veterans sign up for services.https://michiganadvance.com/2023/11/16/dan-kildee-dean-of-michigans-u-s-house-delegation-wont-run-for-reelection-in-2024/Dan Kildee, dean of Michigan's U.S. House delegation, won't run for reelection in 2024Retirement leaves open a key seat made more competitive with redistrictingBY: KEN COLEMAN - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 1:53 PM     Kildee, who is 65, said a cancer diagnosis this year caused him to reassess his career plans. Kildee's retirement from the 8th Congressional District including Genesee, Bay and Saginaw counties and portions of Midland County, leaves open a seat made more competitive during the last redistricting process. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has moved the seat from “leans Democratic” to a “tossup.”A number of candidates could line up to run in 2024 from both parties. Republican Martin Blank, a surgeon, has already declared. Other Republicans who could run are last year's nominee Paul Junge, former House Speaker Tom Leonard and state Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland).On the Democratic side, potential candidates could include former Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint), Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely, state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), former state Rep. Pam Farris (D-Clio) and state Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint).In a 2020 interview with the Michigan Advance, Kildee recalled having only been in Congress for a few years when news of the Flint water crisis broke.“That was one of those moments where I knew why I was there. I knew exactly why I was in Congress. I had to go to bat for my hometown because they only had one member of Congress, and I had to persuade a whole bunch of people to help me out with Flint.”Kildee has served as a leader in the House Democratic caucus and has been a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He is the co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee. Pelosi told the Advance in 2020 that Kildee “has proudly carried on his family's long legacy of service, becoming a tremendous champion for the people of Flint and all Michiganders” as part of leadership.“As a powerful member of the Ways and Means Committee, his persistent, dissatisfied leadership has delivered critical resources to strengthen and develop his community and ensure that our budget remains a reflection of our nation's values. Congressman Kildee's bold vision and expert guidance as chief deputy whip has been invaluable to House Democrats as we work to advance progress that make a difference in the lives of hard-working families in Michigan and across the country.”Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said through a statement that “no one fights harder for his constituents than Dan Kildee.“Congressman Kildee knows the Bay region like the back of his Michigan mitten, and I am so grateful for our productive partnership,” Whitmer said. “I am grateful for our collaboration to bring progress to areas of Michigan that too many left behind. We brought good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back to Flint, worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs with President Biden, and delivered on the issues that make a real difference in people's lives.”   U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) called Kildee's retirement “a huge loss for Congress, for Michigan, and for me personally. The center of his work is and always has been his hometown of Flint, for which he has fiercely advocated especially in the darkest hour of the Flint water crisis,” Slotkin said. “While I'm thankful I have another year to work with him, and thrilled that he is moving on to his next chapter, this departure stings.”U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) said that Kildee “will be missed. His deep knowledge of many issues and his concern for others has made a difference in countless lives, and his years of service have benefited our country in many ways,”Advance Editor Susan J. Demas contributed to this story.We will definitely have more on the developing primary picture for this open seat in Michigan, as well as the new open seat in Virginia as Abby Spanberger runs for Governor, and everything else that happens as we are now just a couple of short months from the 2024 primary season.Well that's it for me. From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Stories featured in today's show appeared first in the Kansas Reflector, Michigan Advance, Ohio Capitol Journal, Missouri Independent and Capital News Illinois. Thanks for listening, see you next time. 

Title: Flyover Friday, November 10, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, November 17, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:GOP Senators can't stop Biden's student loan plansIllinois legislature approves plan for Small Nuclear ReactorsOhio Republicans can't take a hintOhio Secretary of State misses personal financial disclosure deadlineBiden Administration expands veterans' health careDemocrat Dan Kildee of Michigan is retiringWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado.We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on Twitter @ THE heartland pod. Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://missouriindependent.com/briefs/attempt-to-kill-biden-student-debt-relief-plan-tied-to-income-fails-in-u-s-senate/Senate Republicans fail to kill President Joe Biden's income-based student debt relief planBY: ARIANA FIGUEROA - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 7:10 AM     WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution, which was 2 votes short of passing.Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said “There are millions of students, poor, working class … who will benefit from what the president has done. Republicans don't think twice about giving huge tax breaks to ultra-wealthy billionaires and large corporations, but when it comes to helping out working families with student debt relief, suddenly it's too much money, it will raise the deficit, we can't afford it. Give me a break.”The Department of Education unveiled the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan hours after the Supreme Court in June struck down the Biden administration's one-time student debt cancellation that would have forgiven up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for anyone making less than $125,000 per year.Borrowers who received Pell Grants would have been eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.The new income-driven repayment plan calculates payments based on a borrower's income and family size and forgives balances after a set number of years. More than 5.5 million student loan borrowers have already enrolled in the SAVE plan, according to data released by the Department of Education.Repayments on federal student loans restarted last month after a nearly three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.With the SAVE plan, borrowers with undergraduate loans will pay 5% of their discretionary income, rather than the 10% required under previous income repayment plans. https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/illinois-lawmakers-approve-plan-to-allow-small-scale-nuclear-developmentIllinois lawmakers approve small-scale nuclear developmentThursday, November 9, 2023Governor, who vetoed previous bill, supports new effortBy ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Thursday approved a proposal that would allow companies to develop new nuclear power generation in Illinois for the first time since 1987. House Bill 2473 does not entirely lift the 36-year-old moratorium on nuclear construction, but rather creates a regulatory structure for the construction of small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs. The bill limits the nameplate capacity of such reactors to 300 megawatts, about one-third the size of the smallest of the six existing nuclear power plants in Illinois. It also requires the state to perform a study that will inform rules for regulating SMRs, which will be adopted by regulators at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency by January 2026.  Proponents of the measure say it is a step to make the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels more reliable for customers throughout the state, while opponents warn the unproven technology comes with safety risks and the potential for cost overruns. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, 44-7, and the House, 98-8. The opposition came exclusively from Democrats. Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that he would sign the bill. He worked with lawmakers on the new bill after vetoing a broader measure this summer. Leadership of the Illinois AFL-CIO umbrella labor organization released a statement Thursday calling the policy “important for our state's economy and our clean energy future.” It echoed a release from the Illinois Manufacturers Association, an industry advocacy group that testified in support of the proposal several times, saying that it would allow the state to “continue leading in energy and manufacturing innovation.”The legislation's sponsors, Republican State Sen. Sue Rezin, and Democratic State Rep. Lance Yednock said the bill has the potential to bolster Illinois' electric reliability as intermittent sources like wind and solar begin to make up a larger portion of the state's energy output. Sen. Rezin said she is particularly interested in the potential for SMRs to be developed at the sites of former coal plants in Illinois, avoiding the need to build new transmission lines. Because permitting nuclear energy takes many years at the federal level, the earliest a nuclear project could be brought online in Illinois would be in the 2030s.  But critics of the bill and of nuclear power are worried.David Kraft, an outspoken critic of nuclear energy and head of the Chicago-based advocacy group Nuclear Energy Information Service, urged lawmakers at a Thursday committee meeting to reject the bill. Kraft said he was concerned about the lack of existing SMR installations and the unproven nature of the technology. While some nuclear reactors of this scale do exist in other countries, no commercial SMRs have ever been built in the United States. In a follow-up interview, Kraft said that SMRs bring with them security concerns, as the smaller installations have different staffing requirements than traditional reactors and use a more highly enriched type of uranium. This relative abundance of this uranium, according to Kraft, could incentivize the further proliferation of nuclear weapons. Sierra Club Illinois chapter director Jack Darin called nuclear energy “at best, a distraction.” Sierra Club was one of the main advocacy organizations that sought Pritzker's veto of the previous bill. Since 2016, five other state legislatures have either repealed or weakened their bans on nuclear construction. Counting Illinois, bans on nuclear construction remain on the books in 11 states. Several of the states that have lifted their bans in recent years have done so to pave the way for SMR technology. But the biggest player in that industry has seen several upsets in recent weeks. As lawmakers debated the bill on Wednesday, NuScale Power – the only company with a federally approved SMR design – announced that it was canceling its highly watched “Carbon Free Power Project” in Utah, which would have been the first commercial project with a NuScale reactor. The project's cancelation comes after months of falling stock prices and criticism from trading firms. Still, its leaders say the company will continue with its other projects, which are at various steps of regulation and planning. Bill sponsor Sen. Rezin noted that “there's a lot to learn” from NuScale's canceled project, but hopes Illinois' and other states' moves to reverse their construction bans will encourage nuclear energy development in the U.S. She said “If we do not build out this technology with companies that are in the United States, there's other companies and countries such as Russia that are looking to sell that technology. We don't want that.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/ohio-senate-gop-floats-idea-of-15-week-abortion-ban-despite-voters-saying-no/Ohio Senate GOP floats 15-week abortion ban despite voters saying noBY: MORGAN TRAU - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 5:00 AMThe Ohio Senate president has floated the idea of a 15-week abortion ban following voters decisively choosing to keep lawmakers out of their reproductive care.The debate over Issue 1 continues at the Statehouse. Some fringe and alt-right Republican House representatives are infuriated with the voters who stood up to secure abortion rights in the state.Issue 1, the proposal to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, passed 57-43% on election night. Despite this large victory, Statehouse Republicans have been mulling over ways to combat it.State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) is seemingly leading this fight with other far-right representatives Bill Dean (R-Xenia), Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Beth Lear (R-Galena). The quartet is described by other Ohio Republicans as being on the extreme end of their caucus due to anti-vaccine beliefs, peddling of conspiracy theories, and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.Describing a potential 15-week abortion ban, GOP Senate President Matt Huffman said “clearly there is a majority of people in Ohio” who want the ban - however, that would of course be the opposite of what the voters just said a week ago. ere are no statistics to prove this, and based on the language of Issue 1, the voters chose not to have any restrictions before viability.Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau asked President Huffman “Would 15 weeks be going against the will of the people?” He said he didn't know.After the election where Ohioans stood up to demand abortion rights, the Senate President said this “wasn't the end” and there would be a “revolving door” of repeal efforts.  This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/sec-frank-larose-misses-deadline-for-u-s-senate-financial-disclosures/Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose misses extended reporting deadline in U.S. Senate race. He's the only one who didn't file. BY: NICK EVANS - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 4:55 AM     The three Republican candidates hoping to topple U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, go before voters in a few months, and by now should've disclosed information about their personal finances. Two of them, state Sen. Matt Dolan and entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, have done so. But after filing an extension through Nov. 14, though, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose still has not.In both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, candidates and members have to regularly file disclosures that describe their financial positions, assets and liabilities. But the reports stick to broad strokes. Filers name their mutual funds, for instance, but the amount of their holdings are bracketed — $1,001-$15,000, $15,001-$50,000, etc.Current U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown reported about $27,000 in retirement income from his time as a state official. His U.S. Senate income doesn't need to be disclosed, nor do his U.S. Senate retirement accounts.Brown also reports serving as a trustee at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. since 2008.Under U.S. Senate rules, candidates must file financial disclosure reports within 30 days of becoming a candidate. LaRose announced his candidacy July 17, and filed for a financial disclosure extension August 9. That extension gave him until November 14 to file his report.Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose still has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond.Late filing carries a $200 penalty and failing to file or filing a false report carries a civil penalty of up to $50,000.LaRose's failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September. While his Republican opponents have loaned their campaigns significantly more money, LaRose's previous disclosures from his time as a state lawmaker don't suggest he'd have that much cash readily available.Chagrin Falls Republican Matt Dolan comes from a wealthy family that owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. In addition to serving in the legislature, Dolan has worked in the Geauga County prosecutor's office and as an Assistant Attorney General.The state senator's investment holdings are vast—including stocks from more than 250 companies, more than 50 mutual funds and bonds. He reports a Morgan Stanley money market account with more than $1 million alone as well as several mutual funds worth more than half a million dollars each.Dolan also reports a handful of retirement accounts, partial ownership of several LLCs and real estate. One residential building brought in more than $50,000 in rent.In addition to his income Dolan holds personal line of credit with Morgan Stanley worth at least $5 million. The interest rate for that credit line is just 5.96% according to Dolan's amended report — roughly 2.5 percentage points below the current prime rate.Dolan has loaned his campaign a total of $7 million.Next, there's Bernie MorenoIf anything, Moreno's disclosure is even more complex. The Westlake entrepreneur began his business career selling cars, and his report describes his role as director of 17 different automotive business entities, most of which are no longer operating. But from cars, Moreno has branched into several other lines of business including real estate and tech.Moreno's assets are held in a series of trusts, and the report includes several notes about partial ownership and recent sales. He owns 65% of Dryver, LLC, for instance, which the report values at between $5 million and $25 million. Moreno recently sold off his stake in a different company called Champ Titles, and reports making more than $5 million on the deal.He has investments worth at least half a million dollars in handful of Tel Aviv companies working technology, social media investing and healthcare AI. Moreno has also invested in Narya, the venture capital firm U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, started before running for office. Vance has endorsed Moreno's senate bid.Moreno also reports owning millions in residential and commercial real estate. He owns 43% of a home in Ocean Reef, FL worth at least $5 million. It appears the property is a rental because it generated more than $50,000 in income. Moreno also owns a 1% stake condos located in Washington, D.C., and New York City, as well as a $1 million unimproved parcel in Zapotal, Costa Rica, and at least $1.5MM sitting in two checking accounts.Moreno has loaned his campaign $3 million.https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/veterans-health-care-coverage-expanded-by-biden-administration/Biden Administratoin expands Veterans' health care coverage BY: JACOB FISCHLER - NOVEMBER 10, 2023 4:01 AM     Officials said the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand health care coverage for certain groups of veterans and their families, and create new programs meant to make care more accessible.The VA will make coverage of certain toxic burn pit-related conditions available sooner than anticipated. Family members of veterans who served at North Carolina's Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from between 1953 and 1987 will be eligible to have the costs of treating Parkinson's disease covered. And all living World War II veterans will be eligible for no-cost health care, including at nursing homes, the department said in a series of news releases.The administration will also create a new graduate medical education program to help expand health care availability for veterans in rural, tribal and other underserved communities. And the VA will spend $5 million on an advertising campaign aimed at having more veterans sign up for services.https://michiganadvance.com/2023/11/16/dan-kildee-dean-of-michigans-u-s-house-delegation-wont-run-for-reelection-in-2024/Dan Kildee, dean of Michigan's U.S. House delegation, won't run for reelection in 2024Retirement leaves open a key seat made more competitive with redistrictingBY: KEN COLEMAN - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 1:53 PM     Kildee, who is 65, said a cancer diagnosis this year caused him to reassess his career plans. Kildee's retirement from the 8th Congressional District including Genesee, Bay and Saginaw counties and portions of Midland County, leaves open a seat made more competitive during the last redistricting process. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has moved the seat from “leans Democratic” to a “tossup.”A number of candidates could line up to run in 2024 from both parties. Republican Martin Blank, a surgeon, has already declared. Other Republicans who could run are last year's nominee Paul Junge, former House Speaker Tom Leonard and state Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland).On the Democratic side, potential candidates could include former Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint), Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely, state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), former state Rep. Pam Farris (D-Clio) and state Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint).In a 2020 interview with the Michigan Advance, Kildee recalled having only been in Congress for a few years when news of the Flint water crisis broke.“That was one of those moments where I knew why I was there. I knew exactly why I was in Congress. I had to go to bat for my hometown because they only had one member of Congress, and I had to persuade a whole bunch of people to help me out with Flint.”Kildee has served as a leader in the House Democratic caucus and has been a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He is the co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee. Pelosi told the Advance in 2020 that Kildee “has proudly carried on his family's long legacy of service, becoming a tremendous champion for the people of Flint and all Michiganders” as part of leadership.“As a powerful member of the Ways and Means Committee, his persistent, dissatisfied leadership has delivered critical resources to strengthen and develop his community and ensure that our budget remains a reflection of our nation's values. Congressman Kildee's bold vision and expert guidance as chief deputy whip has been invaluable to House Democrats as we work to advance progress that make a difference in the lives of hard-working families in Michigan and across the country.”Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said through a statement that “no one fights harder for his constituents than Dan Kildee.“Congressman Kildee knows the Bay region like the back of his Michigan mitten, and I am so grateful for our productive partnership,” Whitmer said. “I am grateful for our collaboration to bring progress to areas of Michigan that too many left behind. We brought good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back to Flint, worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs with President Biden, and delivered on the issues that make a real difference in people's lives.”   U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) called Kildee's retirement “a huge loss for Congress, for Michigan, and for me personally. The center of his work is and always has been his hometown of Flint, for which he has fiercely advocated especially in the darkest hour of the Flint water crisis,” Slotkin said. “While I'm thankful I have another year to work with him, and thrilled that he is moving on to his next chapter, this departure stings.”U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) said that Kildee “will be missed. His deep knowledge of many issues and his concern for others has made a difference in countless lives, and his years of service have benefited our country in many ways,”Advance Editor Susan J. Demas contributed to this story.We will definitely have more on the developing primary picture for this open seat in Michigan, as well as the new open seat in Virginia as Abby Spanberger runs for Governor, and everything else that happens as we are now just a couple of short months from the 2024 primary season.Well that's it for me. From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Stories featured in today's show appeared first in the Kansas Reflector, Michigan Advance, Ohio Capitol Journal, Missouri Independent and Capital News Illinois. Thanks for listening, see you next time.