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What happens to health programs if the federal government shuts down?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

By Julie Rovner, KFF Health NewsFor the first time since 2019, congressional gridlock is poised to at least temporarily shut down big parts of the federal government — including many health programs.If it happens, some government functions would stop completely and some in part, while others wouldn’t be immediately affected — including Medicare, Medicaid, and health plans sold under the Affordable Care Act. But a shutdown could complicate the lives of everyone who interacts with any federal health program, as well as the people who work at the agencies administering them.Here are five things to know about the potential impact to health programs:1. Not all federal health spending is the same.“Mandatory” spending programs, like Medicare, have permanent funding and don’t need Congress to act periodically to keep them running. But the Department of Health and Human Services is full of “discretionary” programs — including at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control ...

As COVID infections rise, nursing homes are still waiting for vaccines

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

Jordan Rau, KFF Health News, Tony Leys | (TNS) KFF Health NewsDALLAS CENTER, Iowa — “COVID is not pretty in a nursing home,” said Deb Wityk, a 70-year-old retired massage therapist who lives in one called Spurgeon Manor, in rural Iowa. She twice contracted the disease and is eager to get the newly approved vaccine because she has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which weakens her immune system.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the latest vaccine on Sept. 12, and the new shots became available to the general public within the past week or so. But many nursing homes will not begin inoculations until well into October or even November, though infections among this vulnerable population are rising steeply, to nearly 1%, or 9.7 per 1,000 residents, as of mid-September from a low of 2.2per 1,000 residents in mid-June.“The distribution of the new COVID-19 vaccine is not going well,” said Chad Worz, CEO of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. “Older adults in t...

How a government shutdown could affect travel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

By Sean Cudahy | NerdWalletIf Congress cannot reach a spending deal by Oct. 1, a resulting government shutdown could significantly impact travel and not in the best way.The U.S. Travel Association warns a shutdown could come with “dire consequences,” costing the industry an estimated $140 million per day.Some of the aviation industry’s most essential workers — air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers — would be required to work without pay. Past shutdowns have led to more federal employee absences, longer security lines and more flight delays.“The federal government is already failing the traveler,” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement. “A shutdown would be further proof of Washington’s inability to find reasonable solutions to problems that affect Americans nationwide.”How would a government shutdown affect air travel?Even though thousands of federal workers would be furloughed in the event of a government sh...

Stock market today: Wall Street wavers, Treasury yields ease amid encouraging inflation report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Most of Wall Street is wavering on Friday following some encouraging signals on inflation, as it limps to the end of what’s been a miserable September.The S&P 500 was 0.2% lower in afternoon trading, with the majority of its stocks falling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 145 points, or 0.4%, to 33,523, as of 1:33 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%.Nike jumped 7.1% after reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Strength overseas helped it make up for some declines in North America.Yields in the Treasury market eased further from the highest levels in more than a decade. Yields fell after a report showed the measure of inflation that the Federal Reserve prefers to use was a smidgen cooler last month than economists expected.The 10-year Treasury yield pulled back to 4.55% from 4.58% late Thursday. It charged this week to its highest level since 2007, up from 3.50% in May and just 0.50% in 2020.When Tre...

McCarthy’s last-ditch plan to keep the government open collapses, making a shutdown almost certain

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open collapsed on Friday as hard-right holdouts rejected the package, making a shutdown almost certain.McCarthy’s right-flank Republicans refused to support the bill despite its steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions, calling it insufficient. The White House and Democrats rejected the Republican approach as too extreme.The bill’s failure a day before Saturday’s deadline to fund the government leaves few options left to prevent a shutdown that will furlough federal workers, keep the military working without pay and disrupt programs and services for millions of Americans.The outcome puts McCarthy’s speakership in serious jeopardy with almost no political leverage to lead the House at a critical moment that has pushed the government into crisis.Ahead of voting, the Republican speaker all but dared his hold-out colleagues to ...

European Union heads to visit Canada amid talks for access to EU science grants

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

OTTAWA — The top heads of the European Union are expected to visit Canada this year, as officials discuss the possibility of Ottawa joining a major research-funding pact. Brussels and Ottawa hold leaders’ summits every two years as part of an agreement signed in 2017 alongside a major trade deal.The EU’s ambassador to Canada, Melita Gabric, says detailed planning for the visit has yet to start, but it is expected for sometime “this year.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed an agreement with Trudeau in March that calls for more collaboration on green vehicles and fighting disinformation — and Gabric says more details could be hammered out during a visit.The EU commissioner for budgets, Johannes Hahn, says the meeting will help both sides take stock of their support for Ukraine, as well as talks to have Canada possibly join a more than $100-billion scientific research program called Horizon Europe.Hahn is visiting Canada to drum up invest...

Sunwing Airlines to fold into WestJet within a year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

CALGARY — WestJet says it aims to wind down Sunwing Airlines and integrate the low-cost carrier into its mainline business by October of next year.WestJet, which bought the Toronto-based company’s main airline and vacation divisions in May in a move representing a major consolidation of the aviation market, says Sunwing’s 18 Boeing 737s and 2,000 employees will be folded into the Calgary-based carrier in a seamless transition.WestJet and Sunwing together make up 37 per cent of seat capacity on direct flights to sun destinations, and 72 per cent from Western Canada, according to a report from the Competition Bureau last fall.Some experts have warned that the move could mean less service and higher fares — particularly in Western Canada and smaller cities across the country.As a condition of Ottawa’s sign-off on the Sunwing acquisition, both parties pledged to maintain capacity on the most affected routes and keep the Sunwing Vacations head office in Toronto and a regional...

Europe strikes back in Ryder Cup and ties record for largest lead

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Europe had the stars, all the pivotal shots and a delirious home crowd pushing them to a record-tying lead Friday in the Ryder Cup, an opening day performance so dominant the Americans never won a match.It was a rude welcome and a harsh reminder to the Americans why it has been 30 years since they last won the Ryder Cup away from home. And if Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland keep this up, that drought is sure to continue.Europe swept the opening session for the first time, winning all the foursomes matches before they even reached the 18th hole. Three of the fourballs matches in the afternoon that did reach the par-5 closing hole at Marco Simone all went in favor of European blue.Rahm chipped from deep rough across the green for eagle on the par-4 16th and then holed a 35-foot eagle putt on the 597-yard 18th hole as he and Ryder Cup rookie Nicolai Hojgaard earned a halve against Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.Justin Thomas and Jordan S...

Southern EU nations urge for a new migration and asylum deal and beefed-up surveillance

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Leaders of nine southern European countries called Friday for the EU to finalize a new migration and asylum deal, and to beef up efforts to prevent departures from North Africa during a summit in Malta. The gathering came as another shipwreck drama unfolded off Libya’s coast. A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting said the needs of front-line countries — such as Italy — that receive the vast majority of migrants, must be “adequately met.” It said the European Union as a bloc must strengthen its response by beefing up surveillance operations of Europe’s external borders to prevent departures and break up human trafficking networks.The one-day huddle included host Malta, as well as Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. Slovenia and Croatia, which have coastlines on the Adriatic Sea, were added to the so-called “Med Group” in 2021. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President C...

What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for control of the Senate and the looming government shutdown

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death creates a vacancy in the Senate at a time when her Democrats hold the slightest majority in the chamber.Feinstein, a centrist Democrat who had represented California since 1992, had medical struggles in recent months that already had prompted questions about whether she’d resign and who might replace her.California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to pick a replacement soon. An election to pick the state’s next senator serving a full six-year term is scheduled for next year.Here’s a look at what Feinstein’s death means for the Senate at a critical time on Capitol Hill:HOW DOES IT IMPACT CONTROL OF THE SENATE?Before Feinstein’s death, Democrats held a 51-49 majority. They had control of 48 seats, plus three independent members who generally vote with Democrats. Until her seat is filled, Democrats will be at least one vote short of a majority as they try to advance their priorities. There are no major votes looming in the Senate th...