Latest news with #HalRogers
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Here's where Laurel, Pulaski County residents can get Social Security card replaced following tornadoes
KENTUCKY (FOX 56)—Tornado survivors in need of a replacement Social Security card will be able to get them on Wednesday and Thursday. Congressman Hal Rogers posted on Facebook around 2 p.m. that the multi-agency recovery centers in Laurel and Pulaski counties would be issuing replacement Social Security cards from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, June 4 and 5. Here's where Laurel, Pulaski County residents can get Social Security card replaced following tornadoes Second Publix location opens in Lexington Kentucky considers new area code as 502 nears exhaustion The Laurel County Multi-Agency Recovery Center is at the Laurel County Public Library. The Pulaski County Multi-Agency Recovery Center is at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset. Tornado survivors in need of a replacement Social Security card who are unable to get to a recovery center on Wednesday or Thursday can still request a replacement online here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Medicaid cuts will harm rural Republican communities most
Though President Trump promised a 'big beautiful' budget bill, what narrowly passed the House of Representatives in the early morning hours of May 22 will be anything but a big beautiful win for millions of marginalized Americans, and Medicaid beneficiaries won't be the only ones who feel the pinch. In fact, if passed, this legislation would destabilize the publicly insured and privately insured alike, especially in America's many rural communities. Trump's budget dramatically reduces the robustness of the federal social safety net, on which three in ten Americans (including nearly half of children) rely for critical programs ranging from health care to food security. Most drastically, the bill is set to cut Medicaid by nearly $800 billion over 10 years, add burdensome and ineffective work requirements and kick as many as 13 million people off their health insurance. These cuts will have demonstrably negative consequences for millions of Americans, including those who are not themselves enrolled in Medicaid. The irony is that despite nearly every Republican House member voting for its passage, it is rural, Republican majority communities that will face the most extreme consequences. Nineteen percent of Americans, or over 72 million, are insured by Medicaid and the share of the 66 million rural Americans on Medicaid is even higher at 23 percent. And not only do America's rural communities tend to vote more conservatively, but this is even true of Medicaid beneficiaries, the very people whose health coverage Republican legislators seek to strip away. Survey data from the Cooperative Election Study reveal that the majority of rural Medicaid beneficiaries in Republican states and districts are people who identify as Republicans. This is especially true in Republican congressional districts and states with Republican senators. For example, a majority of residents in districts held by some Republican congressmen — Reps. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) come to mind specifically — are enrolled in Medicaid (54 percent and 64 percent, respectively). About 40 percent of residents of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are enrolled in Medicaid. What's more, in most of these cases, the beneficiaries are Republican voters themselves. Meanwhile, in states with two Republican senators like Arkansas and Kentucky, nearly 30 percent of residents are enrolled in Medicaid, and between 40 and 55 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries reside in Republican-leaning rural areas. In each of these instances, survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation show that the majority of even Republican beneficiaries approve of Medicaid. Not only do 61 percent of Republicans see Medicaid as important to their communities, but 67 percent of Republicans want Congress to preserve or increase Medicaid funding. Political scientist David Mayhew famously argued that members of Congress are single-minded seekers of reelection. Yet even with broad public support for Medicaid and health care's salience in the minds of voters, Republicans' efforts to cut Medicaid would remove health insurance from their own voters. Beyond the effects experienced by enrollees directly, the proposed Medicaid cuts will reverberate throughout and harm all residents of rural communities by undermining the financial security of rural hospitals. According to estimates from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, not only have nearly 200 rural hospitals already closed in the last two decades, but over 300 rural hospitals face 'immediate risk' of closure in the coming years. What's more, the vast majority of these vulnerable hospitals are in Republican majority communities in the Republican states that failed to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. A key reason why these hospitals face closure is due to 'uncompensated care' costs, which accrue when uninsured or underinsured patients seek medical treatment for which they are unable to pay. Not only do rural hospitals experience higher rates of uncompensated care, but it proves more debilitating than in the case of research hospitals, which can steady themselves with higher insurance reimbursement rates and subsidies. Medicaid expansion has proven critical in strengthening these hospitals' financial security, because it drastically decreased the percentage of people showing up at hospitals without health insurance. The result has been that more rural hospitals have been able to remain open. In contrast, roughly 80 percent of rural hospitals that have closed since the passage of the Affordable Care Act have been in the Republican states that failed to expand Medicaid. The economic and health effects of rural hospital closures are catastrophic for all residents of affected communities, regardless of their insurance status. Numerous studies have shown that rural hospital closures lead to significant increases in mortality. Additionally, birthing outcomes and access to obstetric-gynecological care tend to suffer following closures. Many of these negative effects are driven by the drastically increased distances individuals must travel to receive care. When a rural hospital closes, patients are left to travel on average 20 miles farther to receive common health care services, and 40 miles farther for specialized care. That time is precious in the setting of acute health problems. Regardless of one's insurance status or provider, the farther you are from a hospital following a car crash or after a stroke, the worse the consequences. For most closures, Republican voters themselves and those with lower incomes are the people who face the longest distances to care following closures. Cutting Medicaid will only further restrict access to care and worsen health outcomes for rural people, regardless of insurance status. Outside of the immediate health effects, hospitals are typically the largest employers in congressional districts, and that is no less true in rural communities. In fact, the health care sector can supply as many as 10 percent of the jobs in a rural community. While some have argued that rural hospital closures are a symptom of communities' economic decline, their effects are also unmistakable, leading to a marked increase in unemployment and a reduction in residents' average income. In his recent New York Times op-ed, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) argued against Trump's budget. He wrote that while Trump promised to protect working-class tax cuts and social insurance programs such as Medicaid, the 'Wall Street wing' was instead seeking to slash health insurance for the working poor in a manner that he characterized as 'both morally wrong and politically suicidal.' The data are clear and Hawley is correct. Trump's budget will actively harm the health and incomes of rural communities and Republican voters, well beyond those who themselves are enrolled in Medicaid. Michael Shepherd is an assistant professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. Miranda Yaver is an assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Medicaid cuts will harm rural Republican communities most
Though President Trump promised a 'big beautiful' budget bill, what narrowly passed the House of Representatives in the early morning hours of May 22 will be anything but a big beautiful win for millions of marginalized Americans, and Medicaid beneficiaries won't be the only ones who feel the pinch. In fact, if passed, this legislation would destabilize the publicly insured and privately insured alike, especially in America's many rural communities. Trump's budget dramatically reduces the robustness of the federal social safety net, on which three in ten Americans (including nearly half of children) rely for critical programs ranging from health care to food security. Most drastically, the bill is set to cut Medicaid by nearly $800 billion over 10 years, add burdensome and ineffective work requirements and kick as many as 13 million people off their health insurance. These cuts will have demonstrably negative consequences for millions of Americans, including those who are not themselves enrolled in Medicaid. The irony is that despite nearly every Republican House member voting for its passage, it is rural, Republican majority communities that will face the most extreme consequences. Nineteen percent of Americans, or over 72 million, are insured by Medicaid and the share of the 66 million rural Americans on Medicaid is even higher at 23 percent. And not only do America's rural communities tend to vote more conservatively, but this is even true of Medicaid beneficiaries, the very people whose health coverage Republican legislators seek to strip away. Survey data from the Cooperative Election Study reveal that the majority of rural Medicaid beneficiaries in Republican states and districts are people who identify as Republicans. This is especially true in Republican congressional districts and states with Republican senators. For example, a majority of residents in districts held by some Republican congressmen — Reps. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) come to mind specifically — are enrolled in Medicaid (54 percent and 64 percent, respectively). About 40 percent of residents of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are enrolled in Medicaid. What's more, in most of these cases, the beneficiaries are Republican voters themselves. Meanwhile, in states with two Republican senators like Arkansas and Kentucky, nearly 30 percent of residents are enrolled in Medicaid, and between 40 and 55 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries reside in Republican-leaning rural areas. In each of these instances, survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation show that the majority of even Republican beneficiaries approve of Medicaid. Not only do 61 percent of Republicans see Medicaid as important to their communities, but 67 percent of Republicans want Congress to preserve or increase Medicaid funding. Political scientist David Mayhew famously argued that members of Congress are single-minded seekers of reelection. Yet even with broad public support for Medicaid and health care's salience in the minds of voters, Republicans' efforts to cut Medicaid would remove health insurance from their own voters. Beyond the effects experienced by enrollees directly, the proposed Medicaid cuts will reverberate throughout and harm all residents of rural communities by undermining the financial security of rural hospitals. According to estimates from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, not only have nearly 200 rural hospitals already closed in the last two decades, but over 300 rural hospitals face 'immediate risk' of closure in the coming years. What's more, the vast majority of these vulnerable hospitals are in Republican majority communities in the Republican states that failed to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. A key reason why these hospitals face closure is due to 'uncompensated care' costs, which accrue when uninsured or underinsured patients seek medical treatment for which they are unable to pay. Not only do rural hospitals experience higher rates of uncompensated care, but it proves more debilitating than in the case of research hospitals, which can steady themselves with higher insurance reimbursement rates and subsidies. Medicaid expansion has proven critical in strengthening these hospitals' financial security, because it drastically decreased the percentage of people showing up at hospitals without health insurance. The result has been that more rural hospitals have been able to remain open. In contrast, roughly 80 percent of rural hospitals that have closed since the passage of the Affordable Care Act have been in the Republican states that failed to expand Medicaid. The economic and health effects of rural hospital closures are catastrophic for all residents of affected communities, regardless of their insurance status. Numerous studies have shown that rural hospital closures lead to significant increases in mortality. Additionally, birthing outcomes and access to obstetric-gynecological care tend to suffer following closures. Many of these negative effects are driven by the drastically increased distances individuals must travel to receive care. When a rural hospital closes, patients are left to travel on average 20 miles farther to receive common health care services, and 40 miles farther for specialized care. That time is precious in the setting of acute health problems. Regardless of one's insurance status or provider, the farther you are from a hospital following a car crash or after a stroke, the worse the consequences. For most closures, Republican voters themselves and those with lower incomes are the people who face the longest distances to care following closures. Cutting Medicaid will only further restrict access to care and worsen health outcomes for rural people, regardless of insurance status. Outside of the immediate health effects, hospitals are typically the largest employers in congressional districts, and that is no less true in rural communities. In fact, the health care sector can supply as many as 10 percent of the jobs in a rural community. While some have argued that rural hospital closures are a symptom of communities' economic decline, their effects are also unmistakable, leading to a marked increase in unemployment and a reduction in residents' average income. In his recent New York Times op-ed, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) argued against Trump's budget. He wrote that while Trump promised to protect working-class tax cuts and social insurance programs such as Medicaid, the 'Wall Street wing' was instead seeking to slash health insurance for the working poor in a manner that he characterized as 'both morally wrong and politically suicidal.' The data are clear and Hawley is correct. Trump's budget will actively harm the health and incomes of rural communities and Republican voters, well beyond those who themselves are enrolled in Medicaid. Michael Shepherd is an assistant professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. Miranda Yaver is an assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Significant tornado threat Monday after weekend storms ravage heartland
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Monday, May 19, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast. Significant damage was reported in western Kansas early Monday morning after powerful storms produced tornadoes that damaged numerous homes and brought down trees and power lines amid a rare Tornado Emergency. One of the hardest-hit areas appeared to be the city of Plevna, Kansas. The National Weather Service office in Wichita had issued a Tornado Emergency for Plevna, Sylvia and Abbyville early Monday morning. First responders are continuing their heroic recovery efforts to search and clear the countless piles of destroyed homes and businesses in Kentucky and Missouri, days after a disastrous tornado outbreak tore across those states, leaving dozens of people dead. Kentucky suffered widespread damage, especially in London and Somerset. Gov. Andy Beshear said at least 19 people were killed in his state, although Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers believes that number could be closer to two dozen. At least seven others were also killed in Missouri. The central U.S. will remain under a heightened risk of severe weather on Monday, including parts of tornado-ravaged Missouri, where at least seven people were killed during Friday's outbreak. The FOX Forecast Center warns that a wide region from Kansas and Oklahoma extending into parts of Missouri and Arkansas is expected to experience severe thunderstorms. A concerning Level 4 out of 5 severe weather threat includes major cities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman and Broken Arrow in Oklahoma, as well as Fort Smith, Arkansas. While all eyes were on Oklahoma and Kansas on Sunday for severe weather, several tornadoes were also reported in eastern Colorado. A massive tornado stopped people in their tracks outside of Denver, just as the twister descended from the clouds. Here are a few more stories you might find interesting. London, Kentucky, tornado survivors piled into bathtubs, emerged to find everything gone Kentucky firefighter likely died shielding wife from catastrophic London tornado: 'Public servant at heart' St. Louis food truck owner killed during storms leaves behind 7 children: 'He always showed up with a hug' Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app. You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at or on your favorite streaming service. It's easy to share your weather photos and videos with us. Email them to weather@ or add the hashtag #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media article source: Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Significant tornado threat Monday after weekend storms ravage heartland
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Heartland communities decimated by tornadoes face renewed storm risk
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Sunday, May 18, 2025. Start your week with all the top weather news for the week ahead. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast. Recovery operations are underway, and first responders are continuing their heroic efforts to search for survivors among the countless piles of destroyed homes and businesses in Kentucky and Missouri, days after a disastrous tornado outbreak tore across those states, leaving dozens of people dead. Kentucky suffered widespread damage, especially in London and Somerset. Gov. Andy Beshear said at least 19 people were killed in his state, although Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers believes that number could be closer to two dozen. At least seven people were killed in Missouri when the severe weather and tornadoes swept across the state, including in the St. Louis area. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that slammed St. Louis has a preliminary rating of Ef-3, with winds estimated to be about 150 mph. In addition, the twister was up to a mile wide at some points when it was carving out its path of deadly destruction. Millions of Americans in the Plains, South and Midwest will be at risk of dangerous storms this week, including communities that were just slammed by deadly tornadoes and severe weather. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 4 out of 5 risk of severe storms on Sunday, including cities such as Wichita, Kansas. A Level 3 out of 5 risk is posted for Monday and Tuesday. Areas that were impacted by deadly tornadoes on Friday night are included in the Monday and Tuesday threat zones. The unofficial start to summer is getting closer, and millions of people across the U.s. are getting ready to travel for Memorial Day weekend. Data collected by AirHelp revealed the 10 best and worst airports for flight disruptions ahead of this year's holiday. The data came from airports with 10,000 or more flights during April 2025. Airports in California had the fewest disruptions, while airports in Texas and New Jersey had the most. The skies over Chicago became an apocalyptic scene Friday as a dust storm raced through the Windy City. The National Weather Service started issuing alerts about the dust in central Illinois and western Indiana on Friday evening, and a Dust Storm Warning was in effect in Chicago until 9 p.m. local time. Images circulating on social media showed a huge dust cloud moving through places such as Bloomington and Homer Glen in Illinois before the cloud arrived in Chicago. Here are a few more stories you might find interesting. Watch: Florida officers save 2 from drowning in rip current at national park Woman killed after church roof collapses during tornado strike in St. Louis Two dead after severe storms blast Northern Virginia Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app. You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at or on your favorite streaming service. It's easy to share your weather photos and videos with us. Email them to weather@ or add the hashtag #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media article source: Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Heartland communities decimated by tornadoes face renewed storm risk
