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Japan Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
'Beautiful' or 'Ugly,' Trump's big bill shapes battle for House control in 2026 midterms
By BILL BARROW, JONATHAN J. COOPER and JACK BROOK House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries leads a health care town hall with U.S. Rep Troy Carter, D-La., at Xavier University in New Orleans, on July 10. Debate over President Donald Trump's sweeping budget-and-policy package is over on Capitol Hill. Now the argument goes national. From the Central Valley of California to Midwestern battlegrounds and suburban districts of the northeast, the new law already is shaping the 2026 midterm battle for control of the House of Representatives. The outcome will set the tone for Trump's final two years in the Oval Office. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats to break the GOP's chokehold on Washington and reestablish a power center to counter Trump. There's added pressure to flip the House given that midterm Senate contests are concentrated in Republican-leaning states, making it harder for Democrats to reclaim that chamber. As Republicans see it, they've now delivered broad tax cuts, an unprecedented investment in immigration enforcement and new restraints on social safety net programs. Democrats see a law that rolls back health insurance access and raises costs for middle-class Americans while cutting taxes mostly for the rich, curtailing green energy initiatives and restricting some workers' organizing rights. 'It represents the broken promise they made to the American people,' said Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat who chairs the party's House campaign arm. 'We're going to continue to hold Republicans accountable for this vote.' Whether voters see it that way will be determined on a district-by-district level, but the battle will be more intense in some places than others. Among the 435 House districts, only 69 contests were decided by less than 10 percentage points in the 2024 general election. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has so far identified 26 Democratic-held seats it must defend vigorously, along with 34 GOP-held seats it believes could be ripe to flip. Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, has so far listed 18 GOP incumbents as priorities, plus two districts opened by retirements. There are a historically low number of so-called crossover districts: Only 13 Democrats represent districts Trump carried in 2024, while just three Republicans serve districts Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried. Both committees are busy recruiting challengers and open-seat candidates and more retirements could come, so the competitive map will evolve. Still, there are clusters of districts guaranteed to influence the national result. California, despite its clear lean to Democrats statewide, has at least nine House districts expected to be up for grabs: three in the Central Valley and six in southern California. Six are held by Democrats, three by the GOP. Pennsylvania features four districts that have been among the closest national House races for several consecutive cycles. They include a suburban Philadelphia seat represented by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, one of just two House Republicans to vote against Trump's bill and one of the three GOP lawmakers from a district Harris won. Fitzpatrick cited the Medicaid cuts. Vice President JD Vance plans on Wednesday to be in Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan's northwest Pennsylvania district to tout the GOP package. Bresnahan's seat is a top Democratic target. Iowa and Wisconsin, meanwhile, feature four contiguous GOP-held districts in farm-heavy regions where voters could be swayed by fallout from Trump's tariffs. Beyond bumper-sticker labels – Trump's preferred 'Big Beautiful Bill' versus Democrats' 'Big Ugly Bill' retort – the 900-page law is, in fact, an array of policies with varying impact. Democrats hammer Medicaid and food assistance cuts, some timed to take full effect only after the 2026 midterms, along with Republicans' refusal to extend tax credits to some people who obtained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law; 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits. 'Folks will die here in Louisiana and in other parts of the country,' House Minority Leader Jeffries warned last week during a town hall in Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's home state of Louisiana. Jeffries singled out vulnerable Republicans like California Rep. David Valadao, who represents a heavily agricultural Central Valley district where more than half the population is eligible for the joint state-federal insurance program. California allows immigrants with legal status and those who are undocumented to qualify for Medicaid, so not all Medicaid recipients are voters. But the program helps finance the overall health care system, including nursing homes and hospitals. Republicans highlight the law's tightened work requirements for Medicaid enrollees. They argue it's a popular provision that will strengthen the program. 'I voted for this bill because it does preserve the Medicaid program for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled, and elderly,' Valadao said. 'I know how important the program is for my constituents.' The law includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. It makes permanent existing rates and brackets approved during Trump's first term. Republicans and their allies have hammered vulnerable Democrats for 'raising costs' on American households by opposing the bill. GOP campaign aides point to the popularity of individual provisions: boosting the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 (some families at lower income levels would not get the full credit), new deductions on tip and overtime income and auto loans; and a new deduction for older adults earning less than $75,000 a year. 'Everyone will have more take home pay. They'll have more jobs and opportunity,' Johnson said in a Fox News Sunday interview. 'The economy will be doing better and we'll be able to point to that as the obvious result of what we did.' Democrats note that the biggest beneficiaries of Trump's tax code are wealthy Americans and corporations. Pairing that with safety net cuts, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz concluded, 'The cruelty is the point.' Immigration, meanwhile, was Trump's strongest issue in 2024. NRCC aides say that will continue with the new law's investments in immigration enforcement. Democrats believe the Trump administration has overplayed its hand with its push for mass deportation. The president is a titanic variable. Democrats point to 2018, when they notched a 40-seat net gain in House seats to take control away from the GOP. This year, Democrats have enjoyed a double-digit swing in special elections around the country when compared to 2024 presidential results. Similar trends emerged in 2017 after Trump's 2016 victory. Democrats say that reflects voter discontent with Trump once he's actually in charge. Republicans answer that Trump's job approval remains higher at this point than in 2017. But the GOP's effort is further complicated by ongoing realignments: Since Trump's emergence, Democrats have gained affluent white voters -– like those in suburban swing districts -– while Trump has drawn more working-class voters across racial and ethnic groups. But Republicans face a stiffer challenge of replicating Trump's coalition in a midterm election without him on the ballot. Democrats, meanwhile, must corral voters who are not a threat to vote for Republicans but could stay home. Jeffries said he's determined not to let that happen. 'We're going to do everything we can until we end this national nightmare.' —- Associated Press reporters Michael Blood in Los Angeles and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
90 Plus: Francis Melba Braud
ST. MARTINVILLE, La. (KLFY) — Francis Melba Braud, 95, of St. Martinville just celebrated her birthday. According to the family, Ms. Braud helped to establish the African American Museum inside the St. Martinville Cultural Museum. Moreover, Braud is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and has achieved diamond status, which recognizes 75 years of service with the organization. Braud was born and raised in Rayville, Louisiana, just outside of Monroe. At one point, Melba's family moved to Houston. 'I went from Houston to New Orleans' Xavier, and from Xavier, I got married. We came here to live and I've been here ever since,' Braud explained. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Melba lives in the house she and her husband built. 'They were going around school talking about how Ms. Braud and Mr. Braud are building a castle over there.' It took them 20 years to complete the house. 'I've been married to you 20 years now, and you haven't built this house, so I'm leaving. That's when he struck the line to build this house,' she said. Melba attended USL, currently the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Melba and her husband had four children. Her husband, Newman, served in World War II. Plus, her husband was an educator. 'I was the first African American teacher at USL.' Melba recalls when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was marching for equal rights, the federal government allocated funds to cities and parishes for initiatives related to cultural history. She was appointed to the committee for that by the mayor. 'I did a lot of research with other college professionals and USL to do the historical background for the creation of the museum that we now have today in St. Martinville,' Braud noted. She also offers advice to parents on how to reverse the path that many children are currently following and falling victim to today. 'A long time ago, the old folk used to have to be buried by the young people. Today, the older people have to bury the young folks because so many of them are being shot and killed and falling towards drugs. It's true. We need to get our families together and get back together towards those goals our ancestors had,' Braud added. Acadiana Kidcaster: Thomas Broussard 90 Plus: Francis Melba Braud LPSS superintendent cracking down on students skipping school KOK Wings & Things expanding to new location in Lafayette Creole King's arrival sparks jobs and innovation at Port Iberia Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Business Standard
11-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
House Democrats decry health cuts in GOP tax law at Louisiana town hall
Democrats used a Louisiana town hall Thursday night to preview one of their main strategies for attempting to retake the US House next year, ripping into the health care changes in the just-passed Republican tax and spending bill. The House's Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, said the event was the first stop on a nationwide tour to educate voters about the bill's potential impacts. He described the legislation as an unprecedented assault on health care from a group of people who promised not to touch Medicaid. And during the first chance they got, they do the exact opposite, Jeffries told a crowd of several hundred at Xavier University in New Orleans. Shame on them. The gathering of some of the top House Democrats comes at a crucial time for the party. It is seeking a pathway back to power in Washington but is grappling for a message that will resonate with the working class voters who have migrated toward Republicans in recent elections. Democratic leaders believe the bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law on the Fourth of July, will sway voters ahead of the 2026 midterms, when Democrats look to win control of the House and break the hold Republicans have on the levers of power in Washington. The measure includes about USD 4.5 trillion in tax breaks by extending cuts made during Trump's first term, mostly benefiting the wealthiest Americans, and adding new ones that include no taxes on tips. It also slashes clean energy tax credits and unleashes hundreds of billions of dollars for Trump's national security agenda, including for border patrol and deportations. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 11.8 million adults and children are at risk of losing their health insurance under the bill, which over time will make it harder to enroll in federal health care programs, including Medicaid and others created by President Barack Obama'sAffordable Care Act. Additionally, it estimated 3 million Americans will no longer qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits. The legislation reduces federal Medicaid spending by USD 1 trillion. All so Republicans can give trillions of dollars in tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations, said Democratic Rep. Troy Carter, who represents much of New Orleans. It is, in fact, reverse Robinhood -- stealing from the poor to give to the rich. Democrats chose Louisiana as the site of their town hall to highlight the impact of those cuts. It's the home state of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Louisiana is among the states expected to lose one-fifth of its Medicaid budget over the next decade as a result of the bill. An estimated 1.5 million people in the state are enrolled in the health care program, and the policies could increase the uninsured population by more than 200,000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In Johnson's own district, the foundation found that some 38% of the residents are enrolled in Medicaid. Most of the health care changes in the bill, including the new Medicaid work requirements on certain adults, will not begin until after next year's elections, though a number of providers are already beginning to prepare for potential cutbacks. Carter said 33 rural hospitals in the state are at risk of closing. Dr. Takeisha Davis, chief executive of New Orleans East Hospital, said she was concerned about how health care cuts will affect patients and the public hospital's operations. It serves about 300,000 patients a year, roughly 60% of whom are on Medicaid. Davis was blunt in her assessment of the bill's potential impact, saying loss of health care would cause more preventable deaths in our area." CJ Marbley, the hospital's chief nursing officer, told the Democrats that the majority of maternal births in Louisiana are covered by Medicaid. Any reduction in this critical program has a potential loss of life for the infant and mother, he said, while noting that Black women are four times more likely than white women to die from complications during pregnancy. Johnson and Scalise stood with Trump at the White House when he signed the bill last week and insist the measure will boost the US economy, strengthen the borders and ensure that millions of Americans won't see a tax increase. Ahead of the town hall, Scalise said Democrats who opposed the bill will have to explain to the people of Louisiana why they voted against tax breaks on tips and overtime and extending Trump's tax cuts, as well as other provisions he says will help the state. Louisianans voted overwhelmingly to put President Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans majorities in the House and Senate to implement the America First agenda, which is exactly what we did with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill,' and the hard-working families of our state will benefit tremendously from it, Scalise said in a statement. Johnson's office did not respond to requests for comment, but he previously said that with the bill, We are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former HBCU star leaves University of New Orleans
The post Former HBCU star leaves University of New Orleans appeared first on ClutchPoints. After joining Master P and the University of New Orleans in the Spring, Jamal Gibson is heading back to the HBCU basketball ranks with a new team. Xavier University of Louisiana announced that Gibson is committing to the program in a shocking move. Before transferring to the University of New Orleans, he played for Southern University of New Orleans. Advertisement Standing at 6'8″ with no prior playing experience, Jamal Gibson still managed to make a huge impact on the court. During the 2023-2024 season, his first with the team, Gibson excelled, averaging 21 points and 15.8 rebounds per game while leading the nation in total rebounds. He shattered several Southern University of New Orleans basketball records, including single-season points (579), rebounds (453), and double-doubles (27). Carrying his momentum into the 2024-2025 season, Gibson continued to dominate, achieving his 43rd consecutive double-double with a remarkable 26-point, 20-rebound game against Wilberforce University. His exceptional play earned him numerous conference and national honors, and he capped off the season by reclaiming his Player of the Year awards for both offense and defense. It seemed as if the University of New Orleans was a perfect landing spot for Gibson, as he wasted no time in committing to the program. After entering the transfer portal on April 1st, he was confirmed as a Privateer just two days later, on April 3rd. At this time, it's not known why he departed the program shortly after joining it in April. But, he now joins a strong XULA program that finished 20-10 (18-6 in conference) on last season. The team made the NAIA tournament but lost to Avc Maria 88-84 in overtime. Jamal Gibson's specific skillset could be an asset for the team as they look to stay competitive and continue their culture of winning, as they haven't had a losing season since the 2016-2017 season when they went 10-20 and 6-6 in conference. Related: Sacramento State tops Ole Miss, North Carolina for four star recruit Related: NBA Champion Lindsey Hunter hired as high school head coach
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
St. John the Baptist Parish youth curfew back in effect for the summer
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, La. (WGNO) — The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office is reminding residents of the annual youth curfew. In a post to Facebook, deputies said with students on summer break, teenagers are only allowed to be out during a certain time of day. West Nile virus detected in Orleans Parish mosquitoes Minors under the age of 17 must be off the street between the hours of 10 p.m.-5 a.m., unless supervised by a parent or legal guardian, as established by the St. John Parish's Code of Ordinances Section 28-1. 'This curfew has been in place for years, it's not new,' said Sheriff Mike Tregre. He added that during the summer, property crimes, including vandalism and burglaries, tend to increase. 'We are not trying to ruin anyone's summer, but we will enforce the law,' Sheriff Tregre said. 'Parents, please know where your minor children are and make sure they are abiding by the curfew.' Told he'd never talk, New Orleans 6-year-old now starts conversations at Xavier University Any teen in violation of the curfew 'will be dealt with in accordance with juvenile court law and procedures.' Parents in violation of the curfew rules will face a fine of up to $100, imprisonment of up to 10 days or both as decided by the Awnings Justin Baldoni countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds dismissed Louisiana Public Broadcasting to honor six students across the state as young heroes NeuroJust – BioJust St. John the Baptist Parish youth curfew back in effect for the summer Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
