Federal payments underpinning healthcare scheme unlawful, says White House, in move that takes a further swipe at Democrats’ signature reform
Donald Trump has planted a timebomb under Obamacare, issuing a notice late on Thursday night that scraps vital federal subsidies underpinning the current healthcare system.
Related: Trump accused of sabotage after signing executive order to weaken Obamacare
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Trump administration
Repealing and replacing Obamacare ‘off the table’, says Chuck Schumer
Senate minority leader addresses Affordable Care Act after tweet from Trump saying the two discussed measure and possibility of ‘great’ new bill
Repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is “off the table”, Chuck Schumer said on Saturday, after Donald Trump tweeted that he had spoken to the Senate minority leader to see if Democrats were interested in helping pass “great” healthcare legislation.
Related: The Trump-Russia dossier: why its findings grow more significant by the day
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Trump substantially weakens Obamacare contraception mandate
Many more employers allowed to opt out of requirement to cover birth control without copay in move that could cause thousands of women to lose coverage
The Trump administration has dramatically expanded the number of employers allowed to flout the Affordable Care Act (ACA) policy that requires company healthcare plans to cover contraception at no additional cost.
Related: White House drafts rule to roll back 'contraception mandate' for health coverage
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What Trump did this week: health bill fails (again) and NFL row flares up
The president kicked off the week with a spat over black NFL players’ protests, while Republicans bungled their final (for now) attempt to repeal Obamacare
- Each week Trump seems to make more news than most presidents do in a lifetime. The Guardian is keeping track of it all in this series every Saturday
Having whipped up a national row over black NFL players’ protests in a Friday-night speech in Alabama, Trump, clearly convinced he was on to a winner, continued to poke at the wound all weekend. Players hit back in unprecedented numbers by kneeling, locking arms or staying in the tunnel during the national anthem. Whether the president chose to spark the controversy as a distraction from difficulties with North Korea or the Republicans’ flailing healthcare bill, or to shore up his rightwing base following doubts among the faithful about his attempts to cut an immigration deal with Democrats “Chuck and Nancy”, the effect was to drown out the original reason for the protests – racism and police brutality – and reframe the issue as one about patriotism. Trump planted himself cynically and effectively on the side of the flag, the military and The Star-Spangled Banner.
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Tom Price took military jets abroad, bringing total cost of travel to more than $1 million
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price took military jets to Europe and Asia, Politico reported Thursday evening, bringing the total cost to taxpayers of Price’s travel to more than $1 million since May.
Price has been under scrutiny since Politico began reporting on his extensive use of chartered flights last week. On Thursday afternoon, Price said he would pay back the costs of his own seat on those chartered flights — just over $50,000 out of the total cost of more t...
Trump says he is willing to work with Democrats on healthcare reform
President says he expects a vote on healthcare next year and says he may issue a ‘major’ executive order to allow the purchase of insurance across state lines
Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was open to working with Democrats on healthcare, following the collapse of yet another Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
Trump claimed that the GOP could corral enough votes to pass the measure – a last-gasp effort to deliver on a central campaign promise of the last seven years – but not in time for this week’s deadline, after which 60 votes would be needed instead of 51.
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‘Height of hypocrisy’: Clinton calls out Trump team over private email reports
Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law among six administration figures who reportedly used private email accounts for White House business
At least six senior Trump administration figures have used private email accounts for official White House business, according to various media reports.
Related: Republican plan to defeat Obamacare looks doomed as Susan Collins says no to bill
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Trevor Noah on treasury secretary Mnuchin: ‘So out of touch it’s almost beautiful’
Trevor Noah addressed Steven Mnuchin’s attempts at tax reform – and he and his wife Louse Linton’s attempts to use a government jet for their honeymoon
On Monday night, Trevor Noah reprised one of his signature segments, Profiles in Tremendousness, to discuss treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton.
“Donald Trump has been president for eight months now and most of his campaign promises remain undone, from repealing Obamacare to building the beautiful wall t...
‘This is the only country I know’: DREAMers react to Trump’s cynical game
The Trump administration’s decision to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is a cruel and cynical political ploy that puts the lives of nearly 800,000 young people who came to America as children in continued limbo.
Known as DREAMers, these young people have lived the bulk of their lives in the United States, but lack the security of full citizenship and under the constant threat of deportation to a country that is foreign to many of them. That t...
Interior Department investigating Zinke for reportedly threatening senators over Trumpcare votes
The Interior Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has launched a “preliminary investigation” over reports that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke threatened to pull funding from Alaskan energy projects if Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) didn’t vote in support of President Donald Trump’s health care proposal.
“The OIG is undertaking a preliminary investigation into this matter,” Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall sai...