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Politico
5 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Trump's next health nominee in the hot seat
Presented by With help from Simon Levien Driving the Day CHRISTINE FACES QUESTIONING — President Donald Trump's choice for a top post at HHS, Dr. Brian Christine, goes before senators today for a confirmation hearing. Christine will face questioning from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as lawmakers consider his nomination to be assistant secretary for health — one of the highest-ranking jobs at HHS and a position often held by admirals in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Why it matters: If he advances through the committee and is eventually confirmed by the full Senate, Christine, a men's sexual health doctor and GOP donor, would oversee thousands of uniformed public-health service members and be charged with carrying out Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s public health agenda, Simon reports. One of the highest-ranking positions at the agency, the assistant secretary for health advises the HHS secretary and recommends policy related to public health matters like disease prevention, vaccine programs and health disparities. He would also help lead a new HHS office called the Administration for a Healthy America, which consolidates existing agency offices to focus on primary care, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, HIV/AIDS and workforce development. Background: Christine, a urologic surgeon at Urology Centers of Alabama, has previously criticized the acceptance of transgender health care and the federal government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He's expressed opposition to trans athletes competing in women's sports and has said on his podcast — called 'Common Sense,' and last airing two years ago — that children experiencing gender dysphoria should seek counseling or 'pastoral care,' not gender-affirming treatments. He's also come under scrutiny after The Wall Street Journal reported in March that his Alabama urology practice advertised its work treating transgender men with erectile dysfunction. Christine has denied treating trans patients. Since taking office, Trump has directed HHS to restrict access to gender-affirming care treatments for children and teens. The Alabama GOP has praised Christine's nomination, calling him 'a longtime Conservative grassroots activist and dedicated supporter of the Alabama Republican Party.' In 2024, Christine contributed more than $8,500 to Trump's campaign. Key context: Dr. Rachel Levine, a pediatrician and the highest-ranking openly trans person to serve at the federal level, held the job during the Biden administration. Levine, who used the post to advocate gender-affirming care, was frequently the target of anti-trans attacks from Trump and his allies. WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. Today marks the third anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and awareness of the hotline is up dramatically from 2022, according to a new National Alliance on Mental Illness poll. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to khooper@ and sgardner@ and follow along @kelhoops and @sophie_gardnerj. HAWLEY'S ABOUT-FACE — Just weeks after voting for massive cuts to Medicaid in the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill,' Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill Tuesday that would walk back those cuts. Hawley repeatedly voiced his opposition to deep Medicaid cuts throughout the megabill negotiation process, specifically provisions that would hit rural hospitals. But he ultimately voted 'yes' on the recently enacted legislation, which contains more than $1 trillion in health care cuts and a provision that would cap state provider taxes — a move that hospitals have said could deeply reduce their revenue and limit access to health care for millions of Medicaid enrollees. Hawley said he voted for the bill's passage after negotiating for the inclusion of a $50 billion rural hospital fund but said at the time that he would 'continue to do everything in my power to reverse future cuts to Medicaid.' His new legislation, the Protect Medicaid and Rural Hospitals Act, would repeal the megabill's moratorium on taxes that states impose on providers to generate more Medicaid funding, which helps boost payments to hospitals. Hawley's bill would repeal megabill provisions that reduce state-directed payments — which enable states to increase the rates that privately run Medicaid managed care plans reimburse providers. His legislation would also double the megabill's investment in the rural hospital fund to $100 billion and extend the fund from five to 10 years. 'President Trump has always said we have to protect Medicaid for working people. Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,' Hawley said in a news release. Global Health PEPFAR U-TURN — Senate Republicans on Tuesday stripped cuts to global AIDs funding from the White House's $9.4 billion spending clawback request, POLITICO's Jordain Carney and Cassandra Dumay report. Republicans will remove a $400 million cut to the global AIDS program known as PEPFAR, reducing the amount of cuts in the package to $9 billion, said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who's leading the rescissions effort in concert with the White House. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expects the removal to be the only change made to the rescissions package, adding that there was a 'lot of interest' among Senate Republicans to address the cut to the program created under then-President George W. Bush and credited with saving tens of millions of lives. News of the change came after White House Budget Director Russ Vought briefed senators during a closed-door lunch Tuesday. Schmitt said the White House is on board with the change. 'We're fine with adjustments,' Vought told reporters. 'This is still a great package, $9 billion, substantially the same package. The Senate has to work its will, and we've appreciated the work along the way to get to a place where they think they've got the votes.' Background: Several GOP senators, including Appropriations Chair Susan Collins of Maine, had raised concerns about the AIDS funding cuts. It's unclear whether the $400 million rollback will be enough to secure her vote, but it might placate enough Republicans to advance the package through the Senate. Other Republicans being watched closely are Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran. At the Agencies HOSPITAL PAY CUT — The Trump administration is proposing cutting $280 million in payments to certain hospital clinics for administering drugs to patients, POLITICO's Robert King reports. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the cut would ensure that Medicare beneficiaries aren't charged more for the same service at a hospital than at an independent clinic. The proposed rule is likely to generate fierce pushback from the hospital industry, which has successfully fought similar congressional efforts. The rule also outlines 2026 Medicare payment rates for hospital outpatient services and ambulatory surgical centers and includes new changes to boost price transparency. 'These reforms expand options and enforce the transparency Americans deserve to ensure they receive high-quality care without hidden costs,' CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said in a statement. Background: The first Trump administration adopted a policy in 2019 to lower payments for outpatient hospital clinics to align them with those of independent clinics. Now, CMS wants to expand that policy to include services for storing or administering pharmaceuticals to patients. The agency estimates the change will reduce Medicare spending by $280 million, with $210 million allocated to Medicare and $70 million to Medicare beneficiaries thanks to lower co-insurance rates, according to a fact sheet on the rule. Key context: Site-neutral payments — when Medicare pays the same amount for the same service regardless of where it's provided — have gotten bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. But packages have never made it across the finish line partly due to fervent lobbying from the hospital industry, which argues the payment cuts would imperil the finances of vulnerable hospitals. What's next: The rule has a 60-day comment period before final approval. WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Lauren Gardner reports on Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal suggesting he's open to changing the federal vaccine injury program. KFF Health News' Darius Tahir reports in NPR that researchers fear a program that collects DNA data from millions of retired military service members could be in limbo. Endpoints News' Jared Whitlock reports on the Trump administration's disbanding of a newborn screening panel for rare conditions.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Philadelphia; a city that reads between the lines
In a city best known for birthing American independence, it's easy to overlook the quieter revolution of the pen. But Philadelphia is not only the birthplace of a nation — it's also one of America's great literary cities. From Benjamin Franklin's printing presses to contemporary indie bookstores thriving in repurposed rowhouses, the City of Brotherly Love has long been a haven for writers, readers, and radical thinkers. The Philadelphia skyline (Photo by J. Ryan for the PHLCVB) Founded in 1682 by William Penn, an English Quaker and advocate of religious freedom, Philadelphia was the capital of the colonial era province of Pennsylvania. It went on to play a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War, serving as the first capital of the United States from May 10, 1775, to December 12, 1777. 'As the capital, Philadelphia soon became a literary nucleus. Local presses printed pamphlets, newspapers, and journals, fanning the flames of rebellion and civic thought,' says the guide taking us on a walking tour of Philly. In 1731, inventor and to-be statesman Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, the first public library in the colonies. Free and open to the public, it is today known for its rare collection of books and art and often hosts exhibits and public programmes. A printer by trade, Franklin not only championed literacy but also published the influential Poor Richard's Almanack from 1732 to 1758. 'Published under the pseudonym of Richard Saunders, it contained all sorts of interesting information: the calendar, weather predictions, sayings, poems. recipes, trivia, advice, aphorisms, and proverbs,' the guide says. The Free Library of Philadelphia (Courtesy The Free Library of Philadelphia) Franklin considered his almanac a vehicle of instruction for common people who could not afford books. The print run for his 'literature for the masses' hit up to 10,000 per year. His one-liners, including 'Little strokes fell great oaks', 'Necessity never made a good bargain', and 'Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing', showcased his wit and wisdom -- and are quoted across the world till today. Franklin's contemporaries included writers like Thomas Paine, whose Common Sense, a 47-page pamphlet ignited the American independence movement, and Charles Brockden Brown, often considered the first American novelist. In the 19th century, the city nurtured literary giants such as Edgar Allan Poe, who was based here for six of his most productive years. It was while living at 7th and Spring Garden that he wrote The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Black Cat. The Poe House, now a National Historic Site, preserves the claustrophobic charm of his former residence, complete with a hauntingly bare cellar that could have inspired his darkest tales. Philadelphia was also home to Louisa May Alcott, who briefly lived here as a governess; and Walt Whitman, who spent his final years across the river in Camden, often crossing the Delaware for walks and literary salons. A plaque in Philadelphia's City Hall courtyard commemorates Whitman's influence, quoting his line: 'I loaf and invite my soul.' By the turn of the century, literary journals such as Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, headquartered in the city, were publishing rising stars like Oscar Wilde, who debuted The Picture of Dorian Gray in its pages in 1890. In the 20th century, Philadelphia continued to shape American literature through its universities and its grittier street-level narratives. Black writers, in particular, found their voices here, capturing the complexities of urban life, inequality, and Black identity. Philadelphia-born poet Sonia Sanchez became a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement, and her evocative verse has inspired generations of poets. She once described poetry as 'the soul's whisper,' a whisper that seems to echo in Philly's alleys and auditoriums alike. Novelists like John Edgar Wideman and Lorene Cary chronicled the experience of growing up Black in Philadelphia with works like Philadelphia Fire and Black Ice, blending memory and social commentary. Wideman's spare yet lyrical prose, influenced by jazz, gives the city's underbelly a powerful rhythm: 'He came out the alley with his hands up and the cop fired.' Philadelphia is also home to the literary quarterly American Poetry Review, which has brought voices like Adrienne Rich, WS Merwin, and Tracy K Smith to wider audiences. Literary landmarks The Free Library of Philadelphia, housed in a striking neoclassical building, is located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In April 2019, the building's first renovation since its construction in 1927 saw architects relocate six historic stacks to create 41,000 square feet of space for a modern business resource and innovation centre, an inclusive cultural and civic engagement space, and a welcoming teen centre. 'It frequently hosts literary and other events,' the guide says as we walk down the expansive road. The Rosenbach Museum and Library in Rittenhouse Square showcases some important literary treasures including the manuscript of James Joyce's Ulysses (Courtesy The Rosenbach Museum and Library) The Rosenbach Museum and Library in Rittenhouse Square showcases some important literary treasures: James Joyce's manuscript for Ulysses, 600 Lewis Carroll books, letters and rare photos; Shakespeare's 1664 folio; first editions of Don Quixote; William Blake's original drawings and books; portions of Charles Dickens' manuscripts; and notes for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The Black Writers Museum, the only US museum that spotlights Black literature, is located in Germantown and houses rare newspapers and documents, manuscripts, photographs first editions, signed books, and recordings. Then there's Historic Christ Church Burial Ground, where Franklin is buried. It's impossible to leave without placing a penny at the grave of the man who popularised his maxim: 'A penny saved is a penny earned.' A few blocks away is the house where Frances EW Harper, one of the first African American women to be published in the US, lived and worked as an abolitionist and writer. The bookshops of today Modern Philly showcases its past in its many cobblestone alleys, 18th-century buildings, and landmarks like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. But the historic façade co-exists with a restless, creative energy that reveals itself in its many murals and art galleries – and, of course, bookstores. Brickbat Books, a tiny store along Philadelphia's Fabric Row, stocks rare first editions and graphic novels. The creaky floors and quiet atmosphere make it a great place to book hunt. At House of Our Own, located in a two-storey Victorian townhouse near the University of Pennsylvania campus, students and the public have been scouring the shelves for new and used books for almost 50 years. Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books in Germantown, founded by scholar and activist Marc Lamont Hill, has become a hub for community-centred dialogue, offering an intentionally curated selection of books centering Black and marginalised voices. The hip neighbourhood of Fishtown has Ulises, a contemporary store stocking a fine range of artist-driven books and magazines, and offering performance art and indie film screenings. In Queen Village, Headhouse Books offers a quiet refuge of literary fiction, art books, and philosophical tomes, along with author events that feel more like intimate salons than formal readings. Harriett's Bookshop, named for historical heroine Harriett Tubman, celebrates women authors, artists, and activists (Courtesy Harriett's Bookshop) Further north, The Book Trader near Independence Mall stacks thousands of used books from floor to ceiling in narrow aisles — an organised chaos where you can stumble upon a vintage Vonnegut next to a well-loved Baldwin. As the name suggests, Harriett's Bookshop, named for historical heroine Harriett Tubman, celebrates women authors, artists, and activists. The Head & The Hand, meanwhile, supports local and emerging writers, and allows you to share your love for books with a 'date night' in the bookshop. And for those seeking genre delight, Partners and Son, a comic and graphic novel-focused shop in Olde Kensington, blends visual storytelling with literary depth. Philadelphia's neighbourhoods also host small press readings, poetry nights, zine fairs, and seasonal book festivals. Not to be missed is the Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl, a yearly celebration of the city's vibrant bookstore scene, held at the end of every August (August 23 this year). There's no specific trail; just a list of participating bookshops and numerous events like book signings, author talks, little giveaways, and discounted books. In many ways, Philadelphia is a city that reads between the lines. From the 18th-century writings of Benjamin Franklin to the contemporary voices emerging from community centres and coffeehouse stages, Philadelphia offers a layered and living literary tradition. The city's book culture is not confined to museums or monuments — it continues to evolve in libraries, bookstores, and the habits of readers and writers who call the city home. Teja Lele is an independent editor and writes on books, travel and lifestyle.
Mint
07-07-2025
- Mint
Viral video: People rush to ‘loot' mangoes on display at Lucknow mango festival; netizens question ‘civic sense'
As the festival for the king of fruits, Mango, wrapped up in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Monday, July 6, a video from the event showing attendees rushing to loot the mangoes on display went viral on social media. In the viral video, people can be seen grabbing the mangoes put on display for the Lucknow mango festival, smiling and giggling about the number of mangoes each person was able to grab. Both men and women were seen with hands full of mangoes, while some were also turning their sarees and dupattas into makeshift bags, enabling them to carry more mangoes. The person who posted the video on social media shared that the 'same mangoes were being sold outside' the festival camp. Social media users were shocked to see the kind of loot at the Lucknow mango festival and questioned the basic civic sense of Indians. 'This is our civic sense. No wonder other countries don't want Indians on their land,' a user said. 'They all wish they were born with 16 hands,' a user quipped. Another user said, 'Thodi der aur hone do table aur cover bhi ghar le ke chale jaenge.' A user added, 'India needs Civic Sense Day and Common Sense as subjects in schools and colleges.' 'Seeing this seems very uncomfortable…I can't imagine being there,' said a disgusted netizen. 'Isn't this a regular thing? Isn't this who we are? After boasting all about Sanskar, pride and heritage, this is a usual sight. We can be seen looting goods if a truck overturns on the highway,' a user slammed. Recently, a video from Madhya Pradesh showing attendees at an event fighting for a plate of free puri and sabzi went viral on social media. According to media reports, the viral video was from the Global Investors Summit held in Bhopal on 24-25 February 2025. The viral video captured attendees scrambling for food plates, with scenes of people snatching plates, breaking queues, and causing general mayhem.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
S&P 500 hits all-time high - Now what?
S&P 500 hits all-time high - Now what? originally appeared on TheStreet. The naysayers were once again proven wrong. Despite an economy in turmoil, an uncertain Federal Reserve, and geopolitical unease, the S&P 500 has climbed the proverbial wall of worry and notched a new all-time high, surpassing levels last seen in February before President Trump's tariff announcements sent stocks reeling. The S&P 500's returns have been impressive, gaining more than 23% since Trump on April 9 switched gears and paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days to hammer out trade deals. 💸. 📈 It's been an even more dramatic run for the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite. Since its early April low, that index has shot up more than 32%, largely on the back of AI powerhouses like Nvidia and Palantir, which have gained 64% and 95% over the period. The moves will likely have many scratching their heads, wondering what could happen next to the benchmark index. Fortunately, longtime analyst Ryan Detrick, chief strategist of Carson Group, has crunched the numbers to see what the S&P 500 historically has done in the wake of similar record-setting highs. The lifeblood of stock market returns is revenue and profit growth. The more sales and earnings, the more willing investors are to pay up for shares. Because of this, economic health is key to the S&P 500's performance. If households and businesses are expected to open their wallets more in the future, it's good for business, and that's good for stock market this year, worries that tariffs would spike inflation, crimping spending, led many to believe we were on the cusp of stagflation (inflation without GDP growth) or an outright recession. Those worries were compounded by the fact that the Fed hit the brakes on interest-rate cuts this year due to concerns that lower rates alongside tariffs would cause inflation to skyrocket. The concerns haven't fully disappeared, but they've retreated. While US GDP growth in the first quarter was slightly negative, most expect GDP to recover in the second quarter and for full-year GDP to be positive. The Federal Reserve pegs GDP growth at 1.4% this year, and the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow tracking tool suggests second-quarter GDP increased by 3.4%. Of course, the GDPNow measure will change as more data arrive, but the Q2 numbers are likely to be solid. More Experts Analyst makes bold call on stocks, bonds, and gold TheStreet Stocks & Markets Podcast #8: Common Sense Investing With David Miller Veteran fund manager sends dire message on stocks If so, the US might sidestep a profit-busting economic reckoning, allowing investors to ratchet higher their models for corporate profit. Additionally, the stock market has become more optimistic about the likelihood of Fed rate cuts later this year. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is under intense pressure from Trump to cut rates, and a wobbly jobs market could mean the Fed won't stay sidelined much longer as long as inflation remains in check. In April, core Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation, the gauge favored by the Fed, showed prices rose 2.5% from one year ago. That's above the Fed's 2% target but arguably not overly concerning, given that the Fed cut rates by 1 percentage point last year when inflation was higher. The S&P 500 may have priced in a lot of the potential upside associated with a healthier-than-expected economy. The S&P 500's price-to-earnings multiple, a key valuation measure investors use, peaked at more than 22 in February 2025 when the S&P 500 last made a new high. After retreating to 19 in April, the runup in stock prices has outpaced upward earnings revisions, causing the S&P 500's p/e multiple to swell again. According to FactSet, the benchmark index trades with a forward one-year p/e multiple of nearly 22. Historically, when the S&P 500's p/e multiple has been this high, gains in the following year have been harder to come by, with a negative average return from 1971 through 2020. History certainly isn't a guarantee, but Ryan Detrick considered what'd happened in the past when stocks behaved similarly, and his study also suggests lackluster returns are possible from here. "The S&P 500 hasn't hit a new high in more than four months, but that could end any day now," wrote Detrick on X. "Turns out, when it goes between 4-12 months without a new [all-time high] and then hits one, the forward returns are quite muted. Not once up double digits a year later. Hmm." Detrick spotted four prior instances that met his criteria for similarity. The average return one year after notching the new high after not having a new high for between four and 12 months is just 4.4%, significantly below the stock market's average 11%-plus annual return over the past 50 years. The shorter-term returns are potentially more concerning, though. In his study the average 3-month and 6-month returns for the S&P 500 were negative 5% and negative 1.3%, respectively. Of course, anything can happen. Much will depend on what actually happens with inflation, jobs, the Fed, and trade deals. Still, the data may suggest that investors should temper their outlook, at least for now. It's not all bad news for most investors, though. Remember, stock market weakness can provide a great opportunity to buy the dip on the market or individual stocks. Just ask anyone who bought stocks in April.S&P 500 hits all-time high - Now what? first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared. Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille
The Age
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Compared to Trump, ‘mad' King George looks decidedly sane
Maybe the mad king, the other one, wasn't so mad after all. 'George III is Abraham Lincoln compared to Trump,' said Rick Atkinson, who is vivifying the Revolutionary War in his mesmerising histories The British Are Coming and The Fate of the Day. The latter, the second book in a planned trilogy, has been on the New York Times bestseller list for six weeks and is being devoured by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. As the 'No Kings' resistance among Democrats bristles, and as President Donald Trump continues to defy limits on executive power, it is instructive to examine comparisons of Trump to George. 'George isn't the 'royal brute' that Thomas Paine calls him in Common Sense,' Atkinson said. 'He's not the 'tyrant' that Jefferson calls him in the Declaration of Independence, and he's not the sinister idiot who runs across the stage in Hamilton every night singing You'll Be Back.' (And when push comes to shove, I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love). Yes, George had manic episodes that scared people — depicted in Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III, a play made into a movie with Nigel Hawthorne and Helen Mirren. Palace aides are unnerved when the king's urine turns blue. 'He was in a straitjacket for a while, that's how deranged he was,' Atkinson said. 'His last 10 years were spent at Windsor, basically in a cell. He went blind and deaf. He had long white hair, white beard.' George was relentless about his runaway child, America. 'He's ruthless,' Atkinson explained, 'because he believes that if the American colonies are permitted to slip away, it will encourage insurrections in Ireland, in Canada, the British Sugar Islands, the West Indies, in India, and it'll be the beginning of the end of the first British Empire, which has just been created. And it's not going to happen on his watch.' Unlike Trump, who loves to wallow in gilt, repost king memes and rhapsodise about God's divine plan for him, George did not flout the rule of law.
