So, here's where things stand this morning. As John suggested, it's all moving pretty fast. In a 60 to 40 vote, a group of moderate Democrats broke from their party and voted with Republicans on legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending affordable care act tax credits that expire on January the 1st.The deal includes a mini package of appropriation bills that fund military construction, veterans affairs, the department of agriculture, and the legislative branch, as well as a stop ...

We are officially in uncharted territory in the longest government shutdown in American history. Since 1976, the US government has shut down 21 times, including this one. The previous record was a 35-day shutdown during President Trump's first term.We've already seen pain for federal workers who have missed paychecks as well as airport chaos due to staffing shortages and concern from millions of Americans about how they'll feed their families during this time. That pain is on track to snowball if this shutd ...

Healthcare Industry Perspective - The industry views the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a significant failure and a "massive scam" [1] - The industry believes the ACA should have never been implemented [1]

Welcome to day 18 of the government shutdown. >> Tens of millions of people are going to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. >> At the heart of the shutdown is a clash over subsidies that help people buy Affordable Care Act health insurance.Democrats really feel strongly about these subsidies. It's a law that President Barack Obama passed and they also feel like it could be something that would help them with swing voters because people really don't like it when they lose t ...

I'm back on Capitol Hill after my exclusive interview with Majority Leader John Thun. And this is the news we're asking Democratic senators about today that he made with me exclusively. So then what assurances can you offer Democrats that they will get a negotiation on this.>> Well, I mean I think Yeah. Well, I've told them I've said and I've said we are willing to have the conversation. I've said if you need a vote, we can we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain.Um at some point Democrats have to ...

We begin this morning with President Trump escalating his war on blue cities amid the growing government shutdown. Last night, he authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard members in Chicago against the wishes of Illinois Governor JB Pritsker. The move comes amid clashes between immigration officials and protesters over ICE raids in and around the city.But while President Trump pushes the limits of his presidential authority in Chicago, a federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked his call of 200 Nat ...

Project 2025 & Government Shutdown - Project 2025 is a 922-page ultra-conservative agenda crafted by the Heritage Foundation, aiming to reshape policy for potential Republican administrations [1] - The current government shutdown is viewed as an opportunity to implement aspects of Project 2025, including budget cuts and agency restructuring [1] - Russell Vote, a self-described Christian nationalist, is considered the key architect of Project 2025, advocating for aggressive use of executive power [1] Political Strategies & Consequences - The White House is accused of using the shutdown as cover to enact policies aligned with Project 2025 [1][3] - $18 billion in transit project funding in New York and $8 billion in green energy funding in 16 states are threatened to be frozen or canceled [2][3] - The Democrats are advised to allow the shutdown's consequences to be felt by voters, particularly those who support Trump, to highlight the negative impacts of his policies [10][14] - Republicans in swing seats are reportedly concerned about the political fallout from the shutdown [11] - Early polling suggests that approximately 150% more people blame Trump and the Republicans for the shutdown [13] Economic Impact - Tariffs are identified as causing "enormous economic damage," hurting farmers, working-class manufacturing jobs, and construction jobs [9] - The potential for farmer bailouts is discussed, with concerns that such bailouts could be seen as a validation of Trump's policies [14][15] Virginia Elections - Virginia is highlighted as a bellwether state, with upcoming congressional races in 2026 being particularly important [12][18][21] - Republicans risk losing three or four congressional seats in Virginia due to the shutdown [18]

McCay wrote a piece this year entitled The Visionary of Trump 2.0%, in which he takes a look at Russell Vot's potential impact under Trump's second presidency, which I'm thinking we might see quite soon. Uh, we'll get to that in just a moment. Um, Mara, I want to start with you though on my question.Um, in terms of the American people, busy, hardworking, maybe a little bit tuned out, like exhausted by the news. Um, are they really clued into what's at stake. How quickly would Americans feel the cuts to heal ...

Government Shutdown & Healthcare Debate - Republican claims that Democrats shut down the government to provide healthcare funding for undocumented immigrants are false [1][2][3] - US law prohibits unauthorized immigrants from receiving federally subsidized healthcare coverage through Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, or the Children's Health Insurance Program [3] - A Democratic bill seeks to extend Medicaid coverage to lawfully present immigrants without formal legal status [4] - The Democrats' bill also aims to extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act premiums [5] Political Messaging & Public Perception - 47% of people believe Republicans are responsible for the government shutdown, while 30% blame Democrats [8] - The Trump administration's messaging is designed to appeal to its base and create content for Fox News [7] - Democrats need a clear and focused message to counter Republican narratives [15] - Democrats should highlight the chaos and economic damage caused by Trump's policies [15][16] Strategic Recommendations for Democrats - Democrats should directly challenge lies from Republican figures and media outlets [24] - Democrats should target Republicans who support Trump's policies [25] - Democrats should emphasize that Trump's policies, including healthcare cuts, will hurt his own voters [20][21]

Social Security Concerns - Social Security's retirement fund could be depleted in approximately 8 years, potentially leading to a benefit cut of about 23% [1] - The depletion date for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) fund has moved forward by about 6 months due to the Social Security Fairness Act, and another 3 months due to lower fertility rates and worker-to-retiree ratio [7][8][12] - A couple retiring in the year of insolvency could face a $16,500 reduction in their annual benefits [13] - For a single person with a primary insurance amount (PIA) of $3,500 claiming at age 70, benefits could drop by $12,000 annually after the potential cut [15] - For a couple where one spouse has a PIA of $3,500 and the other $2,500, claiming at 70, their combined benefits could drop by $20,000 annually [15][16] Medicare Challenges - The Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund (Medicare Part A) is projected to be depleted by 2033, three years earlier than the previous projection [5] - Medicare Part B premiums are expected to continue rising, with an example projection using a 6% annual increase [40][41] - Changes in Part D (prescription drug coverage) are causing significant price increases for consumers, with some monthly charges jumping from $3.30 to $35.90 [43][44] Healthcare Coverage Issues - Potential Medicaid cuts and changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could result in approximately 8 million people losing Medicaid coverage and another 8 million losing ACA coverage [1][46] - Proposed changes to ACA enrollment involve stricter requirements and shorter enrollment windows, potentially leading to people losing coverage inadvertently [50][51]