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Two top congressional progressives are joining forces with leading health care activists to pressure Washington officials to help ease the burden of patients’ medical debt and predatory practices. The upcoming “Freedom From Medical Debt” initiative, led by Our Revolution, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and first reported by The Hill, is intended to push Democrats from the […]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lower-income new mothers could gain a full year of Medicaid health-care coverage in Missouri under legislation given final approval Friday as part of a national push to improve maternal health. The legislation, which now goes to Gov. Mike Parson, would add Missouri to a growing list of Republican-led states that […]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — On the day he took office, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to pursue an agenda that would heal the state’s political divisions. In an op-ed, he pledged to prioritize environmental protection, the economy, education. He highlighted the “diverse, bipartisan group of qualified individuals” he hired for his administration. “It is time […]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri ACLU on Thursday sued statewide officials for stonewalling a constitutional amendment to restore abortion rights as the attorney general pushes for a price tag on the proposal that is 1 million times higher than what the state auditor has estimated. At issue is a power struggle between two […]

As transgender people have increasingly gained acceptance and visibility, conservative lawmakers have zeroed in on restricting their rights: keeping transgender children off girls’ sports teams and out of certain bathrooms, and blocking them from receiving gender-affirming medical care. In response, a growing number of Democratic-controlled states have moved to protect such rights, especially access to […]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For most of her life in New Mexico, Christina Wood felt like she had to hide her identity as a transgender woman. So six years ago she moved to Oregon, where she had readier access to the gender-affirming health care she needed to live as her authentic self. Once there, Wood, […]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate waded into the culture wars Friday by passing bills to make Minnesota a refuge for youth seeking gender-affirming care, out-of-state abortion patients and providers seeking protection, and to ban so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth. All three bills passed the Democratic-controlled House earlier this session. While Democrats […]

Clashes over electric vehicle policies are exacerbating tensions between the Biden administration and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key swing vote in the Senate.  For months, Manchin has fumed about the Treasury Department’s interpretation of electric vehicle (EV) tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — the Democrats’ climate, tax and health care bill.  In recent weeks, the senator, who […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the math in House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s plan to trim the federal deficit is “unforgiving” —- estimating a deep 22% cut to non-defense spending that would leave children poorer, veterans sicker, families hungrier and housing more expensive. “There is no escaping the pain to working families and our […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled a sweeping package Wednesday that would raise the nation’s debt limit by $1.5 trillion into next year while imposing a long list of Republican priorities, including new spending caps, work requirements for recipients of government aid and others that are sure to be nonstarters for the White […]

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were trading mixed Wednesday, as investors took a wait-and-see attitude ahead of earnings reports and possible moves by central banks. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2% in morning trading to 28,590.40. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1% to 7,370.70. South Korea’s Kospi gained less than 0.1% to 2,573.12. Hong Kong’s […]