George Texs blog

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators late Monday said they are closer to an agreement on changes to immigration policy in order to clear a multi-billion-dollar global security package, but any timing on a deal or details of that framework remained elusive. “While the job is not finished, I’m confident that we’re headed in the right direction,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky acknowledged that progress was made on immigration negotiations over the weekend, but said that more time was needed for an agreement and to produce legislative text. “Senate Republicans will not make up for others showing up late to the table by waiving our responsibility to carefully negotiate and review any agreement before voting on it,” McConnell said. The Biden administration is negotiating with a group of bipartisan senators to strike a deal that would tighten immigration restrictions and thus ease passage of mo...

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Wednesday said that there was “no question” former president Donald Trump was responsible for supporting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol more than two years ago. Biden’s comments followed  Tuesday’s ruling by Colorado’s Supreme Court  that ordered Trump barred from appearing on the state’s 2024 presidential ballot, on the grounds of a Civil War-era insurrection clause — the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. “It’s self-evident. You saw it all,” Biden said shortly after landing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to White House pool reports, when asked about the court case and at first saying he would not comment. “Now, whether the 14th Amendment applies, I’ll let the court make that decision.” The U.S. Supreme Court would handle the appeal of the Colorado decision expected from Trump. “But he certainly supported an insurrection,” Biden continued. “No question about it. None. Zero. And he seems to be doubling down on about everything.” ...

Millions of Americans live in “ ambulance deserts ” — areas that are more than a 25-minute drive to the nearest emergency medical services (EMS) station. The most rural areas can be more than an hour away from help.   These sparsely populated communities can have trouble sustaining ambulance services, if small patient volumes and low reimbursements rates don’t cover operating costs. They also struggle with staffing. Most medics across the country are paid, but 75 percent of those who do volunteer are based in rural areas. However, their ranks are aging , and the younger generation isn’t showing enough interest in volunteering.   Why do ambulance deserts matter? Even though rural Americans are older and sicker than urban Americans , they have less access to health care . They have a higher risk of dying from certain diseases, like strokes and cancer, and are more than twice as likely to suffer accidental deaths, such as fatal car crashes and opioid overdoses. And the...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said if he were elected president, he would not allow the U.S. justice system to put former President Donald Trump in jail or prison. “The idea that we’re going to put an almost 80-year-old former president in prison – that’s not going to be good for this country,” DeSantis said, answering a question during a caucus event at Jethro’s BBQ in Ankeny, Iowa Tuesday evening. The comments came after the Colorado Supreme Court released its decision barring the former president from the Colorado ballot  under the 14th Amendment  – a decision likely to be appealed to the federal Supreme Court. The Colorado lawsuit is one of many legal battles Trump faces as he competes for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Multiple state courts have heard challenges to Trump’s place on primary and general election ballots, and the former president has been charged in four criminal cases. The Florida governor said he believes that Trump’s legal challenges are one ...

Milagro, inmigrante peruana del condado de Riverside, ha tenido un acceso intermitente a la atención médica en las dos décadas que ha estado en este país. La mujer de 48 años, que trabaja como gerente administrativa en una organización sin fines de lucro, puede recibir atención de emergencia por un paquete limitado de beneficios que el estado pone a disposición de los inmigrantes sin papeles. También ha podido tener sus mamografías, radiografías y análisis de sangre en clínicas que cobran en base a los ingresos del paciente. Sin embargo, conseguir citas lleva mucho tiempo y a menudo están lejos de su casa. “Es muy frustrante, porque tienes que tener tiempo para ir, y no puedes simplemente perder un día de trabajo”, dijo Milagro, quien pidió que no se publicara su apellido por temor a las autoridades de inmigración. Milagro y su esposo se encuentran entre los más de 700,000 inmigrantes de entre 26 y 49 años que se espera que califiquen para el seguro de salud completo a partir...

Eight months after states started dropping millions of low-income families from Medicaid rolls, grassroots groups say they are leading the push to re-enroll people denied coverage for bureaucratic reasons. Nationwide, more than  12.5 million  people have lost coverage since April. That’s when the federal pandemic provision that had required states not to drop anyone from the rolls expired and states restarted income eligibility checks. Federal officials over the summer allowed states to exercise  flexibility  to avoid potentially unnecessary coverage losses, and mailed letters to governors warning that high numbers of removals for procedural reasons and long wait times could violate federal rules. Still, as of Dec. 13,  71%  of the people who were dropped lost their coverage through “procedural” disenrollments — that is, they were missing paperwork or otherwise didn’t complete the renewal process by a specified date — according to health policy research organization KFF. Ma...

California’s safety-net health program, Medi-Cal, is on the cusp of major changes that could rectify long-standing problems and improve health care for the state’s low-income population. Starting Jan. 1, Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, will implement new standardized contracts with its 22 managed care health plans , which collectively cover 99% of enrollees. The new contracts tighten enforcement of quality measures, especially for women and children; require the health plans to report publicly on the performance of medical providers ― and in some cases other insurers ― to whom they delegate care; and mandate that plans reveal the number of enrollees who don’t have access to primary care and invest more to plug the gap. They also commit plans to better integration of physical and mental health care and greater responsiveness to the cultural and linguistic needs, sexual orientation, and gender identity of members. To realize these promises, state regulators will have to...

In January 2024, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will be dealing with two major issues reflecting the state of Florida and the state of the nation: The opening of the Florida Legislature’s session and the launch of the GOP Iowa caucuses. The regular legislative session convenes Jan. 9, 2024 in Tallahassee, and the governor is expected to provide a State of the State address that covers major policy issues and the massive state budget for Florida. Flags flying at half-staff over the Florida Capitol. Credit: Michael Moline The legislative session will continue for just two months, while the presidential race will likely become more hectic and even more dicey as the campaign continues. And then there’s the third front: Nikki Haley. CNN reported Friday that GOP presidential contenders DeSantis of Florida and Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, will participate in back-to-back live CNN presidential town halls on Jan. 4 at the private Grand Vi...

Maine’s housing authority received $35 million in 2023 — the first time in 54 years it has received a direct appropriation from the state budget — to help build more affordable rental housing for communities that have struggled to keep up with high housing prices. The state’s program provides funding to developers for affordable housing projects with between five to 18 units, a size that housing advocates say is sorely needed in many rural communities. That includes construction for new housing, reuse of buildings for housing, and rehabilitation of existing housing. Mark Wiesendanger, director of development at MaineHousing, said that as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates it was difficult for the independent state agency to support itself at the level the program needed, but that political leaders saw the value of their work and were able to make the historic investment because of a  $141 million budget surplus . Wiesendanger said there’s a lack of housing across the i...

Following a  school shooting in Nashville last month , hundreds of protesters gathered in the Tennessee Capitol demanding lawmakers act to address the out-of-control gun violence that once again unnecessarily took innocent lives. In response, the Tennessee’s Republican-controlled state House  took the historic and extraordinary action  of expelling two Black Democratic lawmakers for joining their constituents in demanding justice. This egregious overreaction not only gave us permission to drop the “theory” from critical race theory, it also gave us a masterclass in the dying efficacy of respectability politics. Respectability Politics The lawmakers in question, state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, were expelled for “breach of decorum,” and a third lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, survived expulsion by a single vote. On Monday, the Metro Nashville Council voted to reappoint Jones to his seat , the Tennessee Lookout, a sibling site of the Pennsylvania Capit...

Britney Ortiz came to Florida as a young child from Mexico. Now, the 20-year-old Orlando resident intends to transfer to the University of Central Florida (UCF) and major in business marketing next semester – though that’s a big “if.” The if is whether the Florida Legislature will repeal an in-state tuition break for undocumented students, often called Dreamers. Britney Ortiz. Credit: Mitch Perry. “Right now the in-state tuition at UCF is about $6,000,” says Ortiz, who is now at Valencia College. “If they get to repeal it, I’ll be expected to pay $22,000, and that’s not including books, housing or transportation.” Ortiz hopes that sharing her story will move others. “We’re putting a face to the problem actually,” she says. Ortiz and other students who have benefitted from a 2014 state law granting in-state college tuition for undocumented high school students made the trek to Florida’s state Capitol last week to try to convince lawmakers that a repeal would be a mistake...