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Politico
2 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Long Covid's lingering financial side effects
LONG COVID'S TOLL — More than five years after the Covid-19 pandemic first ravaged the nation, many Americans are still dealing with the social and economic fallout of having contracted the disease. People with long Covid — those who have new or persistent symptoms lasting three months past infection — have experienced worse financial and employment outcomes, lasting up to three years after their initial infection, compared with people who haven't had the disease, according to a study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open from researchers at Rush University Medical Center, Yale School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and other research institutions. Long Covid patients reported worse work impairment, missed work and financial distress compared with those who never had Long Covid, the study found. Vaccination against Covid was associated with improved work and economic outcomes. Not just physical: 'While much of the focus in Long COVID research has been on the medical impact, we must also consider the sustained financial burden faced by those whose symptoms persist,' lead author Michael Gottlieb, an emergency medicine doctor and vice chair of research at Rush, said in a statement. Addressing the financial burden of long Covid might 'require policy interventions, such as expanded disability benefits or workplace accommodations to help combat the work and financial impact of this condition,' the authors wrote. The researchers analyzed self-reported data from more than 3,600 participants in the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry, a CDC-funded initiative aimed at better understanding Covid's long-term effects. Why it matters: About 6 percent of U.S. adults suffer from some form of long Covid, according to CDC estimates. The National Institutes of Health believes that as many as 23 million people have the illness, which can range in severity from mild to debilitating. The symptoms, which can include fatigue, headaches and brain fog, can be life-disrupting for many patients. Some treatments, like Paxlovid, have shown promise in reducing symptoms, but being diagnosed and finding suitable treatment can be difficult because of the disease's wide range of symptoms that often overlap with other conditions. HHS recently shut down its long Covid office, a casualty of the Trump administration's sweeping reorganization of the agency. At the time the closure was announced, an HHS employee who worked on long Covid and who was granted anonymity to share details of the move told POLITICO that abandoning work that could have cured the disease means the country's health care system will have to provide years, if not decades, of costly care for tens of millions of chronically ill people. In March, the Trump administration also canceled dozens of grants for long Covid projects, but some funding was restored after advocates fought back. WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. I'm still reeling from Taylor Swift announcing her new album. Send your Swiftie theories, scoops and feedback to khooper@ and sgardner@ and follow along @kelhoops and @sophie_gardnerj. At the Agencies LOOMER'S LATEST PREY — After successfully ousting several members of Trump's administration for alleged insufficient loyalty, far-right activist and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer tells our colleagues at Playbook that she has her next target: Stefanie Spear, the principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The reason why, in part: 'I think that there's a clear intention by Stefanie Spear to utilize her position to try to lay the groundwork for a 2028 RFK presidential run,' Loomer alleges. Asked for comment by Playbook, a senior HHS official did not deny that Kennedy is weighing a presidential bid. Read the full story in this morning's Playbook. CDC LATEST — CDC officials held a tense all-hands meeting Tuesday in the aftermath of last week's shooting at the agency's Atlanta headquarters, Sophie reports with POLITICO's Amanda Friedman and Lauren Gardner. The meeting came as law enforcement officials revealed early Tuesday additional information about the nature of the shooting: The man who opened fire at the agency on Friday died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was motivated by his distrust of Covid-19 vaccines. Agency update: At the CDC's all-hands meeting, Director Susan Monarez thanked employees for their work and acknowledged that 'misinformation can be dangerous,' according to a live transcript obtained by POLITICO. 'In moments like this, we must meet the challenges with rational, evidence-based discourse spoken with compassion and understanding,' she said. 'That is how we will lead.' CDC employees were closely watching Monarez at the meeting to see how she would respond to the shooting and the news that the suspected shooter had expressed distrust of the Covid vaccine. Two CDC employees, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told POLITICO that Monarez's speech was not what they'd hoped. '[Twenty minutes] of reading off a teleprompter,' one of the employees said in a text, adding that Monarez's remarks prompted an 'overwhelmingly negative response from folks in my immediate orbit.' Another agency employee said the meeting was in stark contrast to a separate meeting held for the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases staff on Saturday, where employees could ask Monarez questions. What's next: HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said that staff would have 'continued opportunities' to voice their perspectives to CDC leadership in the days ahead. 'Friday's shooting was a traumatic event for the agency, and leadership is working to provide continued updates along with resources for healing and recovery,' Nixon said in a statement. DOGE SAVINGS — The Trump administration has drastically exaggerated how much money it has saved through DOGE-related cuts to federal contracts, including at health agencies, according to an analysis of public data and federal spending records from POLITICO's Jessie Blaeser. Through July, DOGE said it had saved taxpayers $52.8 billion by canceling contracts, but of the $32.7 billion in actual claimed contract savings that POLITICO could verify, DOGE's savings over that period were closer to $1.4 billion. Despite the administration's claims, none of that $1.4 billion will lower the federal deficit unless Congress steps in. Instead, the money has been returned to agencies mandated by law to spend it. The health claims: Under the VA, DOGE's wall of receipts reported savings of $932 million from contracts canceled through June, including awards for a cancer registry, suicide-prevention services and other health care support. Federal records show the VA recovered just $132 million from the awards, or less than 15 percent of what DOGE claimed, and that the VA reinstated the contract for suicide-prevention support. One of DOGE's largest savings claims is from a canceled contract for a shelter in Pecos, Texas, to house unaccompanied migrant children. In a post on social media platform X in February, DOGE said HHS 'paid ~$18M/month' to keep the now-empty center open. Canceling the agreement, it said, would translate to more than $215 million in annual savings for taxpayers. By the time the contract was added to the DOGE termination list, that savings claim skyrocketed to $2.9 billion. But HHS and its Office of Refugee Resettlement were not on track to spend anywhere close to the contract's $3.3 billion ceiling. WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Tyler Katzenberger reports on a federal judge blocking the Trump administration from using Medicaid beneficiaries' personal data for immigration enforcement purposes. Bloomberg Law's Celine Castronuovo reports on Texas' attorney general accusing Eli Lilly of unlawfully pushing providers to prescribe its blockbuster obesity drugs and other treatments to receive Medicaid payments.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Blake Lively's deposition request revealed as she suffers major blow in Justin Baldoni legal battle
Blake Lively wants to limit her deposition in her ongoing legal battle against Justin Baldoni to a single session. On Wednesday, it was revealed that the deposition, which was supposed to take place Thursday, has now been rescheduled for July 31, as per TMZ. Insiders shared the postponement was a mutual decision. And the actress, 37, reportedly wants the proceedings to last no more than seven-hours, according to Matthew Russell Lee from Inner City Press. Though federal rules already limit depositions to seven hours per day, complex cases sometimes require multiple sessions. The star's demand was revealed after she suffered a setback when one of her claims was tossed out. The deposition was postponed after a federal judge dismissed Lively's claims against social media PR expert Jed Wallace. The judge added that Lively — who was recently branded a 'toxic diva' — can either refile her claims against Wallace in another jurisdiction or amend her existing complaint. has reached out to Lively's and Baldoni's representatives for comment. Wallace's lawyer indicated that if Wallace is brought back into the case, he would demand another deposition. But Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, reportedly argued that the Gossip Girl star should only sit for one deposition, limited to seven hours. Both sides needed time to review the amended complaint, which might affect the deposition, so they postponed it. Lively had alleged Wallace was involved in a negative campaign against her as she accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. Judge Lewis Liman cited a lack of jurisdiction, as Wallace and his company, Street Relations, are based in Texas, not New York where the lawsuit was filed. The judge explained that the 'alleged negative publicity campaign against Lively largely took place outside of New York. The few alleged actions targeting New York were taken by others, and there are no allegations suggesting [Wallace was] aware of them. Therefore, [Wallace] cannot be forced to defend this lawsuit in New York.' A spokesperson for Lively told TMZ that Blake respects the court's decision to dismiss Wallace from the lawsuit due to jurisdictional reasons. They added that it 'has nothing to do with the merits of her allegations about Mr. Wallace's role in the smear campaign and relates solely to the procedural question of whether he is subject to jurisdiction in New York or elsewhere.' Her team added they are considering their 'numerous options for holding Mr. Wallace accountable.' Lively is suing Baldoni, his publicity team, and other defendants, alleging that they retaliated against her after she made sexual harassment allegations. She claims Wallace was hired because he engages in 'untraceable' campaigns across social media platforms, and could 'weaponize a digital army' to 'create, seed, manipulate and advance disparaging content.' He was described in her civil rights complaint acting as a 'hired gun' for Baldoni, his agent Melissa Nathan, and her PR firm, The Agency Group (TAG). Wallace filed a defamation lawsuit against the actress earlier this year. Lively's deposition in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni will be held at a location of her choosing. She was granted the request to pick the location of her deposition by a judge on Monday, according to Variety, after her lawyers argued that Baldoni's attorneys were trying to turn the proceeding into a media spectacle. Baldoni's side requested for the deposition to be held at the Park Avenue offices of Meister Seelig & Fein, one of the firms handling his case. However, Lively's team objected to the location in a motion last week, claiming they feared a media ambush and Lively being swarmed by paparazzi on her way in and out of the building. Baldoni pushed back on her claim by accusing her of trying to use her 'celebrity status' to gain an upper hand in the proceedings. Lively's team also raised concerns that Baldoni would invite social media influencers to be present at the deposition, which is intended to be confidential. On Monday, Judge Lewis Liman approved for the deposition to be held at a different location, which has been redacted in the public version of the motion. Lively's lawyers also asked for Baldoni's side to provide a list of everyone who will be attending. Liman granted the request, with Baldoni's team instructed that they need to provide the list by noon on Tuesday. The judge also instructed Lively's team to provide printing and copying facilities for Baldoni's lawyers. In a moment of snark, Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman previously told TMZ that Lively's deposition should be live-streamed to an audience at Madison Square Garden. Freedman's suggestion, which Lively's attorney shot down at the time as a publicity-seeking distraction, would be to sell tickets to the event and donate the proceeds to domestic violence victims. Lively's team argued that Freedman's remarks demonstrated he couldn't be trusted to keep things professional if the deposition occurred at the place of his choosing. Mitchell Schuster, one of Baldoni's lawyers, dismissed the concern as unfounded, adding that holding the deposition somewhere else would be inconvenient for his team. Baldoni pushed back on her claim by accusing her of trying to use her 'celebrity status' to gain an upper hand in the proceedings; He is pictured 2024 The two sides are preparing to face off in court after they clashed while filming It Ends With Us last year. After Lively claimed that Baldoni's side would try to make the deposition into a 'public spectacle', the filmmaker hit back by arguing, via his lawyer, that Blake has not supported her claim with evidence. According to TMZ, Baldoni's defense team believes holding the deposition at Lively's lawyer's office puts them at a disadvantage. Justin's lawyer cited the potential need to consult with his hundreds of pages of notes and to use a conference room to speak in private. Baldoni's side wrote in the filing, 'Although Lively's foot-stomping and use of her celebrity status may have enabled her to seize control of the film, which is the crux of this dispute, her counsel's tantrum has no place in this Court. Lively is bound by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure like every litigant.' The parties have currently agreed to conduct the deposition on July 17, though recent legal filings indicate that the two sides have been in conflict over discovery requirements. In emails between Lively and Baldoni's attorneys that were entered into the record, Lively's lawyers accused Baldoni's team of failing to mail hard drives of evidence to them in a timely manner, which would make it difficult for the Gossip Girl star and her team to examine any documents or videos the defendants may refer to when questioning her. Her legal team also expressed concern in the new filings that Baldoni may hope to have her paraded in front of paparazzi and gawkers if the deposition is held in a less-private location. In a statement to TMZ, Lively's representative said: 'Ms. Lively is looking forward to her deposition next week, and it should follow the same rules as every other witness in this case. 'Justin Baldoni's lawyer has tried to make this matter a public spectacle at every turn, even proposing to sell tickets to a televised deposition at Madison Square Garden,' they continued. 'This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation and it deserves to be treated as such.' Lively, who along with husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, was dismissed from Baldoni's $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit nearly a month ago, is tentatively slated to take the stand when the trial begins in New York City in March 2026. Insiders close to Lively told the outlet that she was prepared to face a series of difficult inquiries at her deposition, and that Reynolds isn't expected to attend. Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment in a lawsuit; while Baldoni accused Lively, her husband Ryan and publicist Leslie Sloane of defamation and extortion in a $400 million suit - the latter of which was dismissed. Baldoni has denied the allegations brought about by Lively, while Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have denied the accusations made in litigation by Baldoni. In June, Lively suffered a setback in the case when a judge denied her attorneys' application for a protective order seeking to block her text messages with Taylor Swift from being entered as evidence. Baldoni's team subpoenaed Lively for text messages, emails and any other messages between her and Swift. His lawyers have subsequently been allowed to pore through the text trail, with all communications related to It Ends With Us set for scrutiny. In one embarrassing text exchange, Lively appeared to refer to herself as the Game of Thrones character Khaleesi, and to Swift as one of her 'dragons.' Elsewhere in Baldoni's filing is the claim that Swift was present at a meeting convened by Lively at her New York penthouse to discuss It Ends With Us script changes. Sources close to Swift insisted the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply arrived to find it underway. The situation reportedly left Swift — who is godmother to Lively's three daughters — feeling 'exploited' by her friend of ten years.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni Drops Taylor Swift Extortion Claims, Blake Lively's Lawyers Respond
Justin Baldoni's legal team has dropped its subpoena against Taylor Swift, which previously claimed Blake Lively's team was trying to extort the music star. The subpoena dropping was confirmed by a spokesperson for Lively (via TheWrap), with Lively's legal team saying they were 'pleased' that Baldoni's team stopped a 'harassing' probe into Swift and Lively's relationship. 'We supported the efforts of Taylor's team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process,' the spokesperson said. 'The Baldoni and Wayfarer team have tried to put Taylor Swift, a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe, at the center of this case since day one,' the statement continued. 'Exploiting Taylor Swift's celebrity was the original plan in Melissa Nathan's scenario planning document, and it continues to this day. Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded. At some point they will run out of distractions from the actual claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they are facing.' In a letter filed in court last week (via THR) from Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's team alleges that Michael Gottlieb, who is representing Lively, reached out to the legal firm that represents Swift, Venable. According to the letter, Gottlieb 'demanded that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature' would be released. Freedman's letter went on to say that Swift's legal team responded to the request in at least one written message. The letter Freedman entered into court is looking to have those communications released, claiming that they prove that Lively's team is essentially trying to intimidate a witness in Baldoni and Lively's ongoing legal battle. In response to the letter, Gottlieb said that the accusations are 'categorically false,' and that the use of anonymous sources is 'cowardly' from Freedman. The post Justin Baldoni Drops Taylor Swift Extortion Claims, Blake Lively's Lawyers Respond appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
State of Taylor Swift and Blake Lively's friendship after subpoena was withdrawn
Taylor Swift is 'feeling an immense sense of relief' after her subpoena in the Blake Lively legal mess was dropped— but that doesn't mean the former besties are patching things up. The pop superstar was dragged into the feud between Lively and It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni when a legal letter filed earlier this month by Baldoni's lawyers alleged that Lively had attempted to 'coerce' Swift to issue a public statement in support of her and urged her to delete text messages between them. The court filing claimed Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, had contacted Swift's attorney and demanded 'that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively's possession would be released'. Lively's lawyers later filed a motion asking the court to strike the accusations from its docket as 'baseless, unnecessary, improper and abusive,' and Lively's motion to dismiss Baldoni's letter was granted. Now, a source told Us Weekly that while Swift isn't publicly addressing the case, 'There's been radio silence between Taylor and Blake since the subpoena was dropped,' adding that their once-close friendship has 'stalled.' have reached out to reps for Swift and Lively for comment. According to the source, the 'legal tension' between the former besties has created noticeable 'distance' in their relationship. 'They won't pick up where they left off because of all the emotional residue,' the insider explained. Swift has privately expressed that the past few weeks have been 'stressful,' and she now appears 'happier and lighter' since the legal pressure eased, the source added. She's made it 'very clear she is feeling an immense sense of relief.' 'Taylor has handled it with a lot of grace and is not solely focused on it,' the insider continued. 'She's moved on.' The Us Weekly report comes comes not long after a source exclusively told that the singer 'is done' with Lively due to feeling like she had been 'exploited.' Earlier this month, the singer was officially subpoenaed in Lively's lawsuit when she was sent a legal notice by Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman as a witness. Swift's team slammed the subpoena as they argued that she was not very involved in the drama on set of 2024 film It Ends With Us. A rep for Taylor gave a blistering response to which read: 'Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film... 'She never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.' The rep noted that the only involvement Taylor had in the film was the use of one of her tracks titled My Tears Ricochet which was off of her 2020 album Folklore. The statement concluded: 'Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift's name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.' However, Justin's team soon withdrew the subpoena and a source exclusively told why his attorney did so by stating: 'They got exactly what they were seeking.' Swift made a big announcement on Friday - and revealed that she is now the owner of her entire music catalog. The buy-back deal has been reported to be worth 'between $600million-$1billion' - although sources claimed to MailOnline that number is 'highly inaccurate.' A separate insider informed Billboard that the Grammy winner had purchased back the rights to her music for around $360 million. Her boyfriend Travis Kelce offered subtle support for the songstress who teased the news on Instagram - and the NFL player notably liked the post. The couple - who were first romantically linked in 2023 - were recently spotted on a date night at Harry's Bar & Restaurant in West Palm Beach. A source told People that Swift whisked herself away to Florida to 'support and spend time' with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. 'Travis was working on Friday before his dinner date with Taylor. He left early to go meet her.' Lively has also been seen hanging out with new A-list pals, and stepped out for dinner in NYC earlier this month with fellow actress Salma Hayek. Blake and Justin's ongoing lawsuit began when she sued him for sexual assault late last year in December. Baldoni responded by filing a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, and is also suing the New York Times for $250 million. All of the parties deny the allegations against them. The legal battle is scheduled to go to court next year in March 2026.
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Taylor Swift insider who leaked Blake Lively's alleged ‘threat' to release pop star's private texts revealed
Taylor Swift's father, Scott Swift, reportedly went to Justin Baldoni's team with the bombshell claim that Blake Lively threatened to leak his daughter's texts if the pop star did not publicly support her in her ongoing feud with her 'It Ends With Us' co-star. 'Scott Swift did not want his daughter to be dragged into this any further and he voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni's team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor,' an insider alleged to the Daily Mail Friday. Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman made the alleged threat public in a court filing last week, claiming Lively's lawyer Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr brought the demand to Taylor's law firm, Venable, Page Six reports. The documents alleged Gottlieb 'demanded that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively's possession would be released.' The docs claimed Lively also asked Swift to delete their messages. Freedman doubled down further in a sworn affidavit, saying he spent an hour on the phone with a 'person very closely linked' to Taylor, who revealed the information. Scott's identity was not disclosed at the time. Gottlieb, meanwhile, told Page Six, 'We unequivocally deny all of these so-called allegations, which are cowardly sourced to supposed anonymous sources, and completely untethered from reality.' An insider backed Freedman Friday, though, telling Daily Mail that it seemed Lively's team 'tried to extort Taylor by threatening to release private information about her so that she would support a narrative that she was not a part of.' Page Six reached out to reps for Baldoni, Lively, Taylor and her dad but did not immediately hear back. Scott's reported efforts to protect his daughter come after her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also pledged his allegiance by unfollowing Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, on Instagram because of the ongoing drama. Despite all of the back-and-forth about the alleged threats, though, the judge in Lively, 37, and Baldoni's case ruled that those allegations are inadmissable in court, calling them 'improper' and 'irrelevant.' Baldoni, 41, then promptly dropped his subpoena against Taylor, 35, in what appeared to be a shocking legal move, given Freedman had argued for months that the Grammy winner played a role in Lively's alleged attempts to assert her control over his client's 2024 film. In Baldoni's $400 million extortion and defamation lawsuit against Lively — which he filed after she sued him for sexual harassment — it was alleged Taylor and Reynolds, 48, were present for a meeting about script rewrites in which the Wayfarer Studios co-founder felt pressured to follow the powerful stars' notes. 'The message could not have been clearer. Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively's 'dragons,' two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him,' Freedman alleged in the complaint. Despite those claims, an insider hinted to Page Six recently as to why Baldoni's team ultimately chose to drop their probe into Taylor. 'When information is voluntarily received, there is no need for subpoenas,' the source cryptically said. The information now appears to be the claims about the texts. The 'Lover' singer, for her part, has maintained she had nothing to do with the 'It Ends With Us' drama. Her rep previously told Page Six, 'Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see 'It Ends With Us' until weeks after its public release, and was travelling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.'
