POLICY

Jan 13 2025POLITICS

Medicaid's Future in Question: A Republican Perspective

Medicaid has expanded significantly under President Biden, reaching a record 79 million Americans, including low-income adults and children. However, with Donald Trump's potential return to the White House and a Republican-controlled Congress, the future of Medicaid looks uncertain. Republicans are

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Jan 13 2025POLITICS

Why Land Prices are Making Homes Out of Reach

Ever felt like housing is becoming way too expensive? You're right, and it's not just because of the pandemic. The truth is, it's more about how much land costs these days. Prices have gone up even faster than housing costs, making land about 40% of what we pay for a home. In big cities like San Jos

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Jan 13 2025HEALTH

Fighting Food Insecurity: Why Healthy Eating Should Be a Priority

In late 2024, a significant bill was introduced in Congress by Illinois representative Robin Kelly. The Fueling Optimal Outcomes through Diet (FOOD) for Health Act aims to boost access to healthy food and reduce healthcare costs. This bill allocates $20 million to support Food is Medicine programs,

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Jan 13 2025POLITICS

How Undocumented Workers Fund Social Security

You won't believe who's helping to keep Social Security running: undocumented immigrants. In 2022 alone, they contributed a whopping $25. 7 billion in taxes to the program, according to a study by a tax research group. The kicker? They can't collect benefits without legal status, so their money supp

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Jan 13 2025ENVIRONMENT

Do Financial Policies Really Help Cut Emissions?

Do you know how countries are trying to reduce their carbon footprint? This study took a look at 87 countries from 2000 to 2023, focusing on how climate-related financial policies, or CRFPs, are helping them switch to renewable energy and cut down on CO2 emissions. Using some fancy methods like the

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Jan 13 2025HEALTH

Making Smart Public Health Choices: Tips from the Pros

Ever wondered how we can create wise public health policies? It all begins with solid research, but putting it into practice fairly isn't always a breeze. Let's take a page from doctors and hospitals. They rely on evidence to make crucial treatment decisions. We can borrow from their approach and ap

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Jan 13 2025HEALTH

Lowering Drug Prices: What You Need to Know

Imagine you're a Medicare beneficiary in the US, eagerly waiting for lower drug prices. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is supposed to make that happen. But how does it all work? Well, let's dive into it. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been busy crafting guidelines for t

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Jan 12 2025HEALTH

Are Wheelchair Services Up to Snuff? Stakeholders Weigh In

Think of the wheelchair service delivery process (SDP) as a giant machine with lots of moving parts. With so many pieces, it's easy for things to go wrong. Stakeholders in the United States were asked about how well this machine is working. The results? Not so great. A survey showed that most people

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Jan 11 2025BUSINESS

Meta Pivots Away from Inclusion Efforts, Shifting Focus

In a recent development, Meta has taken a step back from its diversity and inclusion initiatives. The company has informed its employees that they are no longer required to interview candidates from underrepresented backgrounds or prioritize diverse suppliers. This move marks a significant shift in

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Jan 11 2025FINANCE

Job Surprise: December 2024 Sees Surge in Hiring

December brought a big surprise in the job market, with a whopping 256, 000 new jobs added. This was way more than the expected 155, 000, and it even surpassed November's 212, 000 new jobs. The unemployment rate also dropped slightly to 4. 1%. Even a broader measure, including those who are discoura

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