Weekend reads: A scramble to preserve Medicaid, DOGE axes NC contracts, Scientists have their say
Gov. Josh Stein sent congressional leaders a letter asking them to spare Medicaid from budget cuts. About 3.1 million North Carolinians use the government health insurance.
The U.S. House is considering Medicaid cuts that could reach $880 billion over 10 years. North Carolina Medicaid Director Jay Ludlam told legislators last week a cut of that magnitude would mean a possible loss to North Carolina of $27 billion over 10 years. [Read more….]By
As the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) works to slash contracts, grants, and leases around the country, North Carolina is set to lose more than 20 U.S. government facilities.
Those losses — largely in the form of leases DOGE says it has terminated — include Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service offices, court buildings, and environmental and agricultural posts around the state. While the agency lists some as transferred to federal spaces, others are described as permanently closed.[Read more…]By
Hundreds of scientists and students overtook Raleigh's Halifax Mall Friday to call for an end to the Trump administration's attacks on funding for the sciences and higher education, warning of calamity for North Carolina's research economy.
Part of a nationwide 'Stand Up for Science' protest that drew crowds from San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza to Boston Common — including a crowd of thousands outside the Lincoln Memorial — the demonstration at noon in Raleigh took aim at President Donald Trump's cuts to cancer research, support of anti-vaccine activists, and threats toward universities around the country. [Read more…]By
State officials charged with leading western North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene have warned that there are years of rebuilding ahead.
But top state lawmakers made their expectations clear Thursday: they want shovels in the ground, and houses under construction, as soon as possible. [Read more…]By
Women living in Winston-Salem whose husbands were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited the state Legislative Building in Raleigh on Wednesday to share their stories with lawmakers.
The visit comes a day after the state Senate approved and sent to the House a bill dubbed the North Carolina 'Border Protection Act.' The legislation would require state agencies like the Department of Public Safety and Highway Patrol to enter agreements with ICE to assist with immigration enforcement.[Read more…]By
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has denied an appeal by Raleigh's Saint Augustine's University (SAU) to restore its accreditation. The historic HBCU was stripped of its accreditation by SACSCOC last December following a series of financial challenges. As NC Newsline previously reported, the college failed on multiple occasions to meet payroll, leaving faculty unpaid as they cancelled classes. [Read more…]
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Trump's Medicaid cuts deal a damaging blow to federally qualified health centers
Experts said federally qualified health centers were already on shaky financial ground, as the funding they receive for the care they provide has not kept up with rising costs, such as personnel and medical technology. Advertisement Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' signed on July 4 includes over the next 10 years. The new law is projected to cause Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up 'This kind of was the last straw,' Edward D. Shanshala, CEO of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services. In New Hampshire, about — receive health insurance through Medicaid. In Massachusetts, about 300,000 people are at risk of losing their health coverage over the next decade, and the state stands to lose about $3.5 billion in funding, Advertisement Shanshala said the health center in Franconia, which serves about 1,400 patients, will shutter by year's end. He said Ammonoosuc Community Health will lose about $524,000 of its $11.5 million operating budget due to Medicaid cuts. Closing the Franconia location will save about $230,000, he said. 'It is all we can do at this time and a decision we are forced to make, not one we want to make,' he said in a letter to staff. Franconia patients will be able to receive care at Ammonoosuc's locations in Whitefield or Littleton, 10 to 20 miles farther away for most patients, according to Shanshala. 'What about people who have transportation barriers, who might walk to my office?' said Buddensee. 'I do have patients who do that, who can't drive or don't have a license or a vehicle.' Buddensee said along with her patients, she's been saddened and disappointed about the closure. The new federal law includes work requirements for some Medicaid recipients and increased reporting requirements for enrollments and renewals, The Franconia health center isn't the only closure. Riverbend Community Mental Health announced in July it will close a supportive 'The things that are happening within the Medicaid world right now are very, very concerning and have the potential to really make it difficult for people to get the care they need,' said Lisa K. Madden, CEO of Riverbend. Advertisement The Mascoma Community Health Center in Canaan, N.H., will close at the end of October because of federal funding changes, issues with Medicaid reimbursement, high operating costs, and low patient volumes. 'Both the federal and state changes to Medicaid and the subsidies to the Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance played a big role in our decision to close,' said Ted Bolognani, CEO of HealthFirst, which has run the Canaan health center for about the last two years. New Hampshire's new state budget contained Georgia J. Maheras, senior vice president of policy and strategy at the Bi-State Primary Care Association, which covers New Hampshire and Vermont, said that since the pandemic health centers have been dealing with expenses rising faster than revenue. 'With that background, this legislation is very concerning ... it is likely that there would be additional site closures across northern New England and the country,' she said. Modeling has indicated that about a third of patients on marketplace plans will lose insurance, while 10 percent to 25 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries could lose coverage, according to Maheras. That amounts to about New Hampshire Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan said they expect about 46,000 New Hampshire residents to lose Medicaid. Another 10,000 could lose marketplace insurance, according to Shaheen. Advertisement 'In Franconia and Concord, Granite Staters are already beginning to see the devastating ways in which the Republican budget bill will hurt New Hampshire families and rip away access to health care — and sadly this is only the beginning,' Hassan said. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing the impacts of state and federal legislation on the Medicaid program, spokesperson Jake Leon said. Leon did not respond to questions about the recent closures in New Hampshire or whether others are at risk of closing. 'While it may take some time to determine the full impact, the Department routinely communicates with Medicaid beneficiaries and providers and will continue to do so,' Leon wrote in an email. Federally qualified health centers are required to see all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. That means uninsured patients can still receive care, but the health center is unable to charge insurance for their visit and instead charges a sliding fee as low as $5 to $10. 'It is a significant potential loss of revenue to the health center,' said Alison L. Croke, CEO of Wood River Health, a health center with three locations in Rhode Island that she said stands to lose about $500,000 in revenue as a result of federal cuts. The health center is barely breaking even as it is, even after laying off staff and freezing salaries last year, Croke said. 'Health centers are kind of teetering on the edge there, and so if we're pushed over that cliff with a half a million dollar loss in revenue, there are some tough choices that we would need to make,' she said. Advertisement For health centers with multiple locations, shuttering some centers is one way to reduce costs, Croke said. 'Hospitals and pretty much every other provider are already under some strain in Rhode Island, and any sort of further reductions are going to further destabilize the system,' said Howard Dulude, interim president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island. He said federal cuts may disrupt services, staffing, and access to care. Hospital closures are a concern the organization is monitoring closely, he said. Michael A. Curry, CEO of Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said about 47 percent of patients served by members of his organization are Medicaid recipients at risk of losing coverage. 'That's a significant threat to your financial model as a health center,' he said. He said the 52 health centers represented by his organization are committed to avoiding outright closures. 'With these Medicaid cuts, health centers will have to figure out a way to change their operations, to adjust to the loss of revenue, the disruption of access to Medicaid, and then figure out how to operate a health center without those resources,' Curry said. 'That's a daunting task for any business.' Amanda Gokee can be reached at
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Bessent taking over IRS as acting head after commissioner departure
Following Billy Long 's announced departure from the Internal Revenue Service, which came less than two months after he was sworn in as commissioner, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step in as the agency's acting head, Axios has learned. The big picture: The Treasury Secretary, who will take over the post as he continues to manage trade negotiations and assists in the search for a new Federal Reserve chair, joins several other administration officials who are juggling multiple government posts under President Trump. The IRS, which is a bureau of the Treasury Department, faced deep job cuts amid a broader DOGE-driven purge of the federal government under Trump, as well as a chaotic leadership churn. Catch up quick: Long, a former U.S. congressman for Missouri and auctioneer, shared in a Friday X post that Trump tapped him to be ambassador to Iceland, adding he was "thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda." In a separate post, he assured that "tax filing season will start at the customary time. Multiple outlets reported that Trump ousted Long from the role. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. By the numbers: The IRS has seen a revolving door of leadership throughout the president's second term, with Bessent being the sixth person to lead the agency in Trump's second term and the seventh since the start of the year. Trump announced his intent to nominate Long to head the agency in December 2024 — but he was not confirmed by the Senate until June. Danny Werfel, who had served as commissioner since March 2023, resigned on Inauguration Day and was replaced in an acting capacity by his deputy, who then retired. In February, Bessent announced chief operating officer Melanie Krause would take over the post — but she resigned in April on the heels of a deal to share taxpayer data with immigration authorities. Two other acting heads filled the role before Long.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Trump says homeless should leave D.C. "IMMEDIATELY" — after floating federal takeover of capital
President Trump wrote Sunday that homeless people should be moved out of Washington, D.C., "IMMEDIATELY" and relocated "FAR" away, as he hints at more aggressive policing in the nation's capital — and suggests putting the city under federal control. The Trump administration announced last week it had boosted the presence of federal law enforcement in D.C., after the alleged assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, staffer. In a series of Truth Social posts over the weekend, the president suggested he may take further action, announcing a Monday morning press conference he said would "involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation's Capital." Mr. Trump's possible next steps remain unclear. "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong," Mr. Trump wrote in a Sunday morning Truth Social post accompanied by photos of roadside encampments and garbage. "There will be no 'MR. NICE GUY,'" the president continued. "We want our Capital BACK." Hours later, Mr. Trump wrote: "Before the tents, squalor, filth, and Crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the World. It will soon be that again." Last week, the president also threatened to "exert my powers" to put Washington under federal control. Mr. Trump has floated the idea of federalizing D.C. in the past. His latest call to take over the city was driven by an alleged attack on ex-DOGE employee Edward Coristine during a weekend carjacking attempt. Mr. Trump posted about the incident on Tuesday and appeared to share a photo of Coristine. Writing that crime in the capital is "totally out of control," he suggested a federal takeover of Washington if the city's local government "doesn't get its act together, and quickly." The president likely doesn't have the authority to fully federalize the capital city — unless Congress repeals a 1973 law that gave the city's residents the power to elect their own mayor and city council. He can temporarily take over the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department if he "determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes," but it's not clear that the legal conditions are met. Mr. Trump also said Sunday that his press conference will focus on "Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital," citing a pricey Federal Reserve office renovation project. Violent crime in D.C. has been declining for the last year and a half after spiking in 2023, according to local police data. So far this year, robberies have dropped by 29% and overall violent crime is down 26%, as of August 6. Last year, violent crime in the capital city hit its lowest level in more than 30 years, the Justice Department said. Meanwhile, about 5,138 people are homeless in D.C., down 9% year-over-year, according to a tally conducted earlier this year by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. That's higher than 2022 and 2023's figures, which put the number of homeless people below 5,000, but lower than the more than 6,000 homeless people who were reported throughout the 2010s. Mr. Trump has pressed cities like D.C. to remove homeless people from the streets. He signed an executive order last month telling the Justice Department to "reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit state and local governments' ability to commit individuals on the streets who are a risk to themselves or others." It also directed federal agencies to prioritize grants to cities that "enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering." The move drew criticism from advocacy groups like the National Homelessness Law Center. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday she isn't sure what the president's Monday announcement will be but she suspects "he is surging federal law enforcement." Bowser spoke to the cable network before Mr. Trump's most recent posts on Sunday, which included some criticism of the mayor. He wrote on Truth Social that Bowser "is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive." The mayor defended local officials' handling of crime in the city, saying on MSNBC the police and its federal partners "have spent over the last two years driving down violent crime in this city." She added that the city does need federal assistance, pointing to the fact that D.C. prosecutors work for the Justice Department and local judges are nominated by the president. "We are not experiencing a spike in crime," Bowser said. "In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down."
