Latest news with #969
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor signs Medicaid work requirements, Opioid Settlement Fund bills into law
Gov. Kim Reynolds, seen here in a file photo from May 2023, signed two dozen bills Friday. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Gov. Kim Reynolds signed more than 20 bills into law Friday, including funding for the state's Opioid Settlement Fund and state-level Medicaid work requirements. The governor has a little more than a week, until June 14, to sign the remaining bills passed during the 2025 legislative session into law. This week, the governor has held events signing multiple measures into law — including the reduction in Iowa's unemployment insurance tax system. On Friday, she signed into law House File 969, a bill expanding the disability and death benefits for first responders like firefighters, emergency medical services responders and law enforcement officer to cover all forms of cancer. This was not the only measure Reynolds signed into law Friday. She released a list of 24 new laws, which include some state spending provisions and other high-profile policies sent to her desk earlier this year. Here are some of the bills signed into law: As discussions — and conflicts — continue over the federal work requirement proposal for Medicaid coverage included in the GOP budget reconciliation bill, Reynolds signed Senate File 615, into law, a measure setting similar work requirements for the Iowa Medicaid program. The requirements for at least 80 hours of work each month would apply to people receiving health coverage through the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan. IHAWP is the state's expanded Medicaid program for low-income people between ages 19 to 64. There are exemptions to these work and reporting requirements for people with disabilities, serious illnesses or injuries, as well as those with children under age 6. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The law directs the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to seek a waiver to implement these requirements from the federal government. Iowa HHS has already submitted a waiver with a slightly different work requirement plan for IHAWP — one that sets a 100-hour per month work requirement, or for a person to be earn the equivalent in wages to working 100 hours a month at $7.25 per hour, or be enrolled in education or job skills programs to retain coverage. Reynolds said in a statement on the bill signing, 'it is priority of mine to ensure our government programs reflect a culture of work.' 'If you are an able-bodied adult who can work, you should work,' the governor said. 'We need to return Medicaid back to its intended purpose—to provide coverage to the people who truly need it.' Democrats and others critics have said the legislation will cut off health care coverage for eligible Iowans due to additional red tape, leading to a financial hit for rural hospitals and other health care centers. The measure also contains a component that could have lasting impacts for Iowa's expanded Medicaid program: If the federal government allows Iowa to implement work requirements, then later revokes approval, HHS would be directed to end IHAWP. The move to discontinue the program would require federal approval, and if the decision is not approved, Iowa HHS would be asked to pursue implementing an 'alternative plan' under federal Medicaid administration guidelines. After several years of stalled action, Reynolds approved the Legislature's agreement on how to spend money from opioid lawsuit settlements. House File 1038 distributes $29 million from the fund, money obtained in settlements for lawsuits by states against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies for their roles in the opioid epidemic. For several years, lawmakers in the Senate and House have failed to reach an agreement on how to spend the funds, which are obligated to go to opioid addiction treatment and prevention. But in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers agreed to a system that provides funding for specific organizations and programs that focus on addition treatment, recovery and prevention in fiscal year 2026. In future years, money in the settlement fund will go to Iowa HHS and the Attorney General's office — entities that will then decide how to allocate the money to organizations in the state. HHS will receive 75% of the funding each year and the AG's office will receive 25%. While some lawmakers said they were frustrated with the money going to these state entities instead of being distributed directly by the Legislature, the bill passed with broad bipartisan support as get the funding into Iowa communities. The governor thanked the Legislature for sending the bill to her desk in 2025. 'The opioid crisis continues to impact Iowa families,' Reynolds said in a statement. 'I'm thankful the legislature reached an opioid settlement fund agreement this session to immediately distribute $29 million to providers and appropriate ongoing available funds to support early intervention, prevention, treatment, and recovery.' The governor also signed House File 706, the bill setting higher penalties for violations of open meetings laws and requiring public officials t9 receive training on open meetings and records laws. The bill was brought forward this year after a similar measure was vetoed in 2024 after a last-minute amendment was added that public records advocates had said would lead to unintended consequences. But Rep. Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf, said adding heightened penalties and more training was still an important measure to pass as a means of addressing violations of these laws in Davenport related to the collapse of a six-story apartment building and alleged violations of open meeting laws in 2023. The bill was also amended in 2025 by the Iowa Senate to include language add two types of records to the state's list of confidential records — security camera footage from the Iowa Capitol and information from state employee identification card access systems. Senate File 175, also signed into law Friday, is a measure modeled after 'Meet Baby Olivia' laws passed in other states. Though Iowa's law does not reference the 'Meet Baby Olivia' video developed by the anti-abortion group Live Action by name, it requires students in 5th through 12th grade human growth and development classes be shown ultrasound video and computer-generated rendering or animations depicting 'the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at fertilization.' The bill was amended by the House to include a provision banning materials in school classrooms on fetal development that come from an entity that performs or 'promotes' abortion, or that contracts, affiliates, or makes referrals to organizations that perform or promote abortions. Democratic lawmakers said this ban would mean material coming from reputable organizations and health care providers, like the Mayo Clinic or the University of Iowa Health System, could be excluded, as the ban would not exclude organizations that perform abortions in cases necessary to save the life of the mother. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Johor Plantations posts higher net profit of RM75.93mil in 1Q25
KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Plantations Group Bhd (JPG) posted a higher net profit of RM75.93 million in the first quarter (1Q) ended March 31, 2025, compared to RM49.97 million in the same period last year. The surge in net profit was attributed to higher crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK) prices, according to the group in a Bursa Malaysia filing today. Revenue rose to RM340.43 million in 1Q 2025 compared to RM294.91 million in the same period last year. "Meanwhile, earnings per share (EPS) in the quarter increased to 3.04 sen from 2.45 sen a year ago," JPG said in a statement today. It also stated that CPO delivery declined to 56,203 tonnes in 1Q 2025, compared to 62,925 tonnes in 1Q 2024, and PK delivery dipped by 4.6 per cent, in line with the industry trend. The company said despite lower production volumes, it continued to deliver strong financial results, driven by a 22.2 per cent increase in the average realised CPO selling price, a 65.2 per cent rise in PK selling price, and a higher selling price premium recorded during the quarter. "The group's average CPO selling price stood at RM4,969 per tonne, reflecting a premium of RM236 per tonne over the Malaysian Palm Oil Board's (MPOB) average price. "PK also commanded a premium, with an average price of RM3,898 per tonne, RM269 per tonne above the MPOB reference price," it said. JPG declared an interim dividend of 1.00 sen per share for the quarter, payable on June 24, 2025. The group remains cautiously optimistic about its operational plans and production discipline to sustain resilient performance, given the elevated stock levels and the gradual recovery in demand. "While CPO prices may continue to face near-term pressure amid broader global uncertainties, the group maintains a prudent outlook and is strategically positioned to capture value as market fundamentals strengthen in the quarters ahead," it said. -- BERNAMA
News18
07-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan Claims India Hit Nausheri Dam. Here's What Will Happen If It Breaks
A breach of the Nausheri Dam could cause instant flooding in PoK, disrupt its power supply and accelerate the Indus River's flow towards Pakistan Following a series of swift air strikes by the Indian armed forces early on Wednesday, Pakistan's ISPR DG and ISI Chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary alleged that the Nausheri Dam in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was also targeted. In a press conference, Chaudhary claimed that the Indian armed forces struck the Neelam-Jhelum Hydropower Project. The Nausheri Dam, built on the Neelam River, is a critical component of the region's water infrastructure. The Neelam-Jhelum Hydropower Project reportedly has a generation capacity of 969 MW. Pakistan claims that India targeted the Nausheri Dam's structure, damaging the intake gates of its D-Sander Unit and the Protection Unit of the hydraulic system. The ISI Chief has described these actions as an act of 'Indian water aggression". The Nausheri Dam is located approximately 41 km northeast of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with around 90 per cent of its structure built underground. Designed to transport water to the power station near Chattar Kalas, the dam channels flow through a 48-km-long headrace tunnel. Standing 60 metres high and 160 metres long, it regulates a water flow of 280 cubic metres per second (cumecs). It has been claimed that a breach of the Nausheri Dam could trigger immediate flooding in PoK and severely disrupt the power supply across the region. It could also accelerate the flow of the Indus River, originating upstream, towards Pakistan, further worsening the crisis. Construction of the dam began in 2008 and has faced numerous controversies and delays. Local opposition and significant investment from China have marked its history. Although initially targeted for completion by 2018, the project has encountered several setbacks, including the closure of its tunnel in 2022. Work only resumed in 2023. The dam's annual production target is 5,150 gigawatts. The Indian armed forces initiated Operation Sindoor on Wednesday morning, launching missile strikes on nine terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. These targets included the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke. In response to the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, the prime minister authorized the armed forces to choose their targets, methods, and timing for anti-terrorism operations. First Published: May 07, 2025, 16:05 IST
Los Angeles Times
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump's orders have upended U.S. immigration. What legal routes remain?
Promising the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, President Trump, in his first days in office, has released a dramatic series of executive orders and other policy changes that will reshape the country's immigration system — and the experience of what it means to live in the U.S. as an immigrant, particularly one who is undocumented. There are an estimated 13 million to 15 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., including more than 2.5 million in California. That includes people who crossed the border illegally, people who overstayed their visas and people who have requested asylum. It does not include people who entered the country under various temporary humanitarian programs, or who have obtained Temporary Protected Status, which gives people the right to live and work in the U.S. temporarily because of disasters or strife in their home countries. However, many of the people who came to the U.S. using those legal pathways could also be at risk of deportation, because of other actions the Trump administration has taken. Trump has signed multiple executive orders targeting immigration that, as the Migration Policy Institute noted, do one of three things: sharply limit legal pathways for entering the U.S., bolster enforcement efforts to seal off the U.S.-Mexico border or promote aggressive sweeps to round up and deport people living in the U.S. illegally. Some of the orders have already been challenged in court, and advocates said others could be soon. Among the most consequential orders: Yes. Among the significant actions: ICE authorities this week have been posting daily figures on the agency's X account citing the number of undocumented immigrants arrested, including 1,179 on Jan. 27 and 969 on Jan. 28. Axios reported this week that ICE made 3,500 arrests during Trump's first week in office. During Biden's final year in office, the arrest number was about 350 a week. It is too soon to evaluate deportation numbers. Deportation, as opposed to removal, is a legal process that moves through the courts. On Jan. 27, ICE posted on X that: 'In one week, law enforcement officials have removed and returned 7,300 illegal aliens.' If that pace continues, and ICE removes 7,300 immigrants every week for a year, that would result in the forced removal of more than 350,000 people. That figure would outpace removals during the Biden administration. But during the Obama administration, ICE removals peaked at nearly 410,000 in fiscal year 2012. Obama's enforcement policies targeted undocumented immigrants with criminal records and people who had recently crossed the border without authorization, according to the Migration Policy Institute, while placing low priority on people with established roots in U.S. communities and without criminal records. While Trump tried to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, during his first administration, he has not yet touched the program this time around. The Obama-era program grants a renewable work permit and temporary reprieve from deportation to certain people who came to the U.S. as children. An estimated 537,730 people had DACA protection as of September, with the vast majority being from Mexico, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The legality of the program remains mired in the federal courts. There isn't one clear definition of a sanctuary policy. The term generally applies to policies that limit state and local officials from cooperating with federal authorities on civil immigration enforcement duties. California's 2017 sanctuary law, the California Values Act, prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from investigating, interrogating and arresting people simply for immigration enforcement purposes. The law does not prevent federal authorities from carrying out those enforcement duties in California. And it does allow local police to cooperate with federal immigration officials in limited circumstances, including in cases involving immigrants convicted of certain violent felonies and misdemeanors. Under L.A.'s sanctuary city law, city employees and city property may not be used to 'investigate, cite, arrest, hold, transfer or detain any person' for the purpose of immigration enforcement. An exception is made for law enforcement investigating serious offenses. L.A. Unified's sanctuary policy prohibits staff from voluntarily cooperating in an immigration enforcement action, including sharing information about a student's immigration status. An executive order issued on Trump's first day in office threatens to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions that seek to interfere with federal law enforcement operations. A memo from the Department of Justice, meanwhile, said state and local officials could be investigated and prosecuted for not complying with Trump's crackdown on immigration enforcement. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has called the pronouncement 'a scare tactic,' and vowed legal action 'if the Trump administration's vague threats turn to illegal action.' That depends on several factors. On average, nearly 40,000 people have been locked up in ICE detention centers on a daily basis during fiscal year 2025. There is probably capacity in the system for additional detainees, but how much isn't entirely clear, according to Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney with the ACLU National Prison Project. What is clear is that the administration intends to expand the ICE detention footprint. On Wednesday, Trump directed his administration to begin using the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which has 30,000 beds, for the detention of 'high priority' immigrants. The military also is allowing ICE to detain undocumented immigrants at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, according to multiple news reports. ICE operates six detention facilities in California, with capacity for nearly 7,200 detainees, and is pressing to expand. Agency officials are looking for space to accommodate 850 to 950 people within two hours of its San Francisco regional field offices, a development first reported by CalMatters. The agency is also looking to increase detention capacity in Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon, according to federal documents obtained by CalMatters. ICE facilities, which are largely run by private prison corporations, have been dogged by allegations of poor medical care and inhumane treatment. A 2019 law that would have banned private immigration facilities in California was overturned by the federal courts. Times staff writers Kate Linthicum, Brittny Mejia, Andrea Castillo and Rachel Uranga contributed to this report.
