In 24 hours, the Republican National Committee completely changed its tune about Virginia

November 8, 2017 Donald Trump, News, politics

Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was in damage control mode on Wednesday morning, insisting that Democrat Ralph Northam’s victory in Virginia over Ed Gillespie was just business as usual — despite saying yesterday that the RNC was “all in” on Virginia.

“Ed’s finishing strong, he’s putting forward a positive vision for Virginia,” McDaniel told Fox’s Harris Faulkner on Tuesday. “The President̵...

Brown, queer, transgender, and not Christian: Meet the new wave of progressive lawmakers

November 8, 2017 lgbtq, News, politics, religion

Tuesday night was historic. Amid high turnout across Virginia, New Jersey, Washington, and elsewhere, voters elected a range of progressive candidates, many whose victories signify the first time queer and transgender people, communities of color, and religious minorities will be represented in office.

Here are a few of the next wave of diverse U.S. lawmakers.
Danica Roem, Virginia
Manassas Park Democrat Danica Roem triumphed over one of Virginia’s most socially conserv...

Election night’s silver cloud for progressives has a lead lining in Ohio

November 8, 2017 health care, medicaid, News, politics

Voters rejected a proposal aimed at slashing prescription drug prices for Ohio’s 3 million Medicaid recipients on Tuesday by a 4-to-1 margin after pharmaceutical companies raised about $60 million for ads and organizing against the measure.

The measure would likely have incurred a legal battle had it passed. It mandated that Medicaid bean-counters pay the same prices that drug companies offer to Veterans Affairs beneficiaries, without specifying how exactly the low-income heal...

Maine embraces Obamacare, votes to expand Medicaid to 70,000 low-income people

November 8, 2017 Affordable Care Act, health care, medicaid, News, politics

Tens of thousands of low-income people previously locked out of affordable coverage got good news tonight.

Voters in Maine elected to expand the Medicaid program, which offers health insurance to low-income people. Before this ballot measure’s success, the state’s legislature repeatedly tried to expand Medicaid, but Gov. Paul LePage (R) issued five different vetoes blocking the legislation.

The Medicaid expansion is a major provision of the Affordable Care Act, bu...

Dangerous Medicaid waivers likely to be approved under Trump administration

November 7, 2017 Affordable Care Act, health care, medicaid, News

A philosophical change is underway for the decades-old Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for over 68 million people, including children, pregnant persons, seniors, modest income-earners, and those living with disabilities.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), released new criteria Tuesday outlining how it will judge state applications that look to innovate the 1965 insurance program....

Trump publicly blames mental illness for mass shootings. His record tells a different story.

November 6, 2017 News

“This is a mental health problem at the highest level,” said President Donald Trump while in Japan on Monday, the day after a gunman killed at least 26 people in a rural Texas church.

Mentally ill individuals are often villainized and become the political scapegoat following mass shootings, even though people with severe mental illness are 10 times more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators of violence.

ThinkProgress

Read More

What you need to know about the Trump administration’s next anti-abortion push

November 2, 2017 health care, News

While the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have failed to restrict abortion providers (in the United States, that is) from receiving any federal funds, it doesn’t mean they’ll stop trying.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will likely release funding notices for the Title X program — which funds family planning services to nearly four million, mostly low-income people — next week, according to the Washington Post. Health clinics t...

The Trump administration’s two-faced approach to the opioid crisis. Case in point: Medicaid

November 2, 2017 health care, News

What’s opioid addiction treatment without health insurance? Expensive. Nearly one in 10 people receive treatment, and nearly a third of those people cited high costs and no insurance as a barrier, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The Trump administration’s health care track record so far — riddled with efforts to weaken insurance access, specifically for lower income people — undermines a White House that says itR...

Papa John’s CEO blames black athletes for disappointing pizza sales

November 1, 2017 News, sports

During a post-earnings conference call this week, John Schnatter — better known as the CEO (and spokesman) of Papa John’s — told reporters and shareholders that the cause for the company’s lackluster performance in recent months has nothing to do with its food or customer service, but rather the NFL’s handling of the protests during the national anthem.

“The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players’ and owners’ satisfaction,” he said during the...

Trump tried to explain his tax plan. It was a disaster.

November 1, 2017 Donald Trump, News, politics

Addressing reporters in the White House on Wednesday, President Trump tried to explain how he plans to shepherd his tax cut plan through Congress. As was the case during his failed push to repeal Obamacare, Trump couldn’t do it.

Trump began with a painfully obvious reminder — legislation is a result of a collaborative effort between the two chambers of Congress.

“In the House, I must tell you, they’ve been working really hard, and they’re coming ...