House Republicans release last-minute healthcare proposal<\/p>\n
Mike Johnson, Republican speaker of the House, released a healthcare proposal late Friday night after the Senate failed this week to pass legislation<\/a> to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.<\/p>\n The subsidies are expiring at the end of the month, impacting 21.8 million enrollees, who could face skyrocketing premiums.<\/p>\n The 111-page proposal<\/a> from House Republicans focuses on proposals to expand access to employer-sponsored health insurance plans and clamp down on so-called pharmacy benefit managers, according to an Associated Press summary<\/a>.<\/p>\n The GOP plan aims to allow more small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together and purchase health coverage, the AP explained: \u201cProponents say such plans increase the leverage businesses have to negotiate a lower rate. But critics say the plans provide skimpier coverage than what is required under the Affordable Care Act.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHouse Republicans are tackling the real drivers of health care costs to provide affordable care,\u201d Johnson said in a statement.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.08 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Trump demands Fed listen to him: \u2018I\u2019m a smart voice\u2019<\/p>\n Donald Trump declared he \u201cshould be listened to\u201d by the Federal Reserve, as he weighs candidates to lead the central bank amid an extraordinary campaign by the White House<\/a> to exert greater control over its decisions.<\/p>\n The US president told the Wall Street Journal<\/a> that former Fed governor Kevin Warsh is currently top of his list to chair the central bank. Jerome Powell, the current Fed chairperson, is scheduled to finish an eight-year stint in the role next May. Powell has repeatedly defied Trump\u2019s demands for drastic cuts to interest rates, prompting the president to launch a string of public attacks.<\/p>\n Trump is also considering his adviser Kevin Hassett, who leads the National Economic Council, as a potential chair of the Fed.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you have Kevin and Kevin. They\u2019re both \u2013 I think the two Kevins are great,\u201d Trump told the Journal in an interview published today. \u201cI think there are a couple of other people that are great.\u201d He argued the next Fed chair should listen to him on the future direction of rates: \u201cI don\u2019t think he should do exactly what we say. But \u2026 I\u2019m a smart voice and should be listened to.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>DoJ sues more states in effort to obtain voter data<\/p>\n The US Department of Justice has sued Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada as part of its ongoing efforts to collect detailed voting data, the AP reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n The federal lawsuits accuse the states of \u201cfailing to produce statewide voter registration lists upon request\u201d and follow similar suits against 14 other states<\/a> and Fulton county in Georgia.<\/p>\n Critics have raised alarms about potential policy violations, as some of the data the federal government is seeking includes names, dates of birth, addresses, driver\u2019s license numbers and partial social security numbers, the AP said. The department has sought data from at least 26 states, according to a tally by the AP, which notes that some election officials have expressed concerns, as federal law protects the sharing of individual data with the government.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.07 EST<\/p>\n House Republicans release last-minute healthcare proposal<\/p>\n Mike Johnson, Republican speaker of the House, released a healthcare proposal late Friday night after the Senate failed this week to pass legislation<\/a> to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.<\/p>\n The subsidies are expiring at the end of the month, impacting 21.8 million enrollees, who could face skyrocketing premiums.<\/p>\n The 111-page proposal<\/a> from House Republicans focuses on proposals to expand access to employer-sponsored health insurance plans and clamp down on so-called pharmacy benefit managers, according to an Associated Press summary<\/a>.<\/p>\n The GOP plan aims to allow more small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together and purchase health coverage, the AP explained: \u201cProponents say such plans increase the leverage businesses have to negotiate a lower rate. But critics say the plans provide skimpier coverage than what is required under the Affordable Care Act.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHouse Republicans are tackling the real drivers of health care costs to provide affordable care,\u201d Johnson said in a statement.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.08 EST<\/p>\n Republican representative says Clintons could face contempt of Congress<\/p>\n James Comer, a Republican representative from Kentucky and chair of the House committee on oversight and government reform, said Bill and Hillary Clinton \u201cmust appear for depositions or face contempt of Congress\u201d.<\/p>\n Comer\u2019s new statement came after House Democrats released new photos<\/a> from Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s estate, which included images with Bill Clinton and Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n Comer said it had been more than four months since the former president and former secretary of state and US senator were subpoenaed to sit for depositions related to the ongoing Epstein investigation, saying the couple \u201chave delayed, obstructed, and largely ignored the Committee staff\u2019s efforts to schedule their testimony\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Clintons fail to appear for their depositions next week or schedule a date for early January,\u201d Comer continued, \u201cthe Oversight Committee will begin contempt of Congress proceedings to hold them accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n No former presidents have been compelled to testify before Congress, the AP noted<\/a>. A spokesperson for Bill Clinton has previously said<\/a> the former president cut off ties more than a decade before Epstein was arrested in 2019 and was unaware of his crimes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.57 EST<\/p>\n Trump takes questions on Ukraine, Obamacare and Epstein<\/p>\n At an Oval Office event honoring a 1980 Olympic team, Trump briefly took questions from reporters, addressing the new Epstein estate photos<\/a>, Venezuela<\/a> and other subjects. Some highlights:<\/p>\n Trump said<\/a> the new Epstein photos, which included images of him, were \u201cno big deal\u201d.<\/p>\n He reiterated his calls warning about potential land strikes against Venezuela and saying strikes could extend beyond Venezuela<\/a>.<\/p>\n Asked about Ukraine, he declined to provide details<\/a> about a key provision in the US peace proposal, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s a very complex situation, but it would work. And a lot of people want to see it work.\u201d<\/p>\n A reporter asked about the imminent expiration of subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans<\/a>, saying: \u201cWhat\u2019s your message to the 24 million Americans who will see their insurance premiums go up?\u201d Trump responded, \u201cDon\u2019t make it sound so bad, because obviously you\u2019re a sycophant for Democrats.\u201d The president said he was leaving it to Republicans in Congress to advance legislation.<\/p>\n The president also revived his attacks on Somalia and Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota congresswoman, saying: \u201cShe\u2019s very bad for our country \u2026 All she does is complain, complain, complain \u2026 There\u2019s nothing worse than a person who comes in and does nothing but bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n He also criticized Yamiche Alcindor, an NBC correspondent trying to ask a question, saying, \u201cShe\u2019s very aggressive.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.57 EST<\/p>\n Trump criticizes NBC reporter: ‘She’s very aggressive’<\/p>\n The president criticized NBC News correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor, as she tried to ask a question at the Oval Office: \u201cWait, wait,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s very aggressive.\u201d He then called on another reporter.<\/p>\n He later called on Alcindor, who asked the president about the newly released photos from Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s estate.<\/p>\n The president has a history of criticizing Alcindor. In 2018, he told her a question she asked about his support from white nationalists was \u201csuch a racist question<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump has repeatedly made headlines recently for insulting female reporters, including calling a Bloomberg reporter<\/a> \u201cpiggy\u201d and labeling a New York Times reporter<\/a> \u201cugly\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump on new Epstein estate photos: ‘No big deal’<\/p>\n Donald Trump downplayed the new photos from Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s estate, released by House Democrats today, when asked about the disclosures by a reporter at the Oval Office.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t seen them. Everybody knew this man. He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. There are hundreds \u2026 That\u2019s no big deal. I know nothing about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Our earlier coverage of the released photos, which included images of the president.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says potential land strikes could extend beyond Venezuela<\/p>\n Asked by a reporter at the Oval Office about his repeated threats to escalate his attacks on Venezuela with land strikes, Donald Trump<\/a> responded: \u201cIt\u2019s not only land strikes on Venezuela, it\u2019s land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be in Venezuela. People bringing in drugs to our country are targets.\u201d<\/p>\n His comments came as Democrats continue to call for the release of footage of his administration\u2019s strikes against a vessel off the coast of Venezuela in September.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.29 EST<\/p>\n Donald Trump is at the Oval Office providing congressional gold medals to members of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, which defeated the Soviet Union team in a major upset.<\/p>\n Trump signs a bill to award congressional gold medals to members of the 1980 US Olympic men’s hockey team. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst\/Reuters<\/p>\n The president put on a white cowboy hat, surrounded by honorees who also arrived in cowboy hats.<\/p>\n The event comes as Trump is facing scrutiny over House Democrats\u2019 release of new photos<\/a> from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which included images of Trump, Bill Clinton and and the British former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The White House responded that the controversy was a \u201cDemocratic hoax\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Democratic leaders call for release of boat strike video<\/p>\n Top Democratic leaders have urged Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, to release the \u201ccomplete, unedited video\u201d of the Venezuelan boat attacks on 2 September, which involved a second hit that killed two survivors of an initial strike<\/a>. <\/p>\n Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the leaders of the congressional chambers, along with Mark Warner, the vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, sent a letter to Hegseth today reiterating the request that the full footage be disclosed to all members of the House and Senate before the end of the legislative session this month.<\/p>\n The letter also called for a public release, saying<\/a>:<\/p>\n We also urge you to expedite the public release of the video, taking into account appropriate precautions to protect sources and methods, so that the American people can judge for themselves the legality and necessity of their government engaging in such activities that potentially put our men and women in uniform at risk.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TSA is providing names of all air travelers to US immigration officials, report says<\/p>\n The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is providing the names of all air travelers to immigration officials, dramatically expanding the Trump administration\u2019s use of data sharing for deportations, according to a new New York Times report<\/a>.<\/p>\n TSA provides a list multiple times a week to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of people coming through airports, the report says. ICE allegedly uses the list to match it with its own database of people facing deportation and then sends immigration agents to the airport to make arrests.<\/p>\n The report, based on documents obtained by the New York Times, says it\u2019s unclear how many arrests have been made due to this data sharing, but said the collaboration led to the arrest of Any Lucia L\u00f3pez Belloza, a 19-year-old college student detained at the Boston airport, leading to her deportation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, said in a statement to the New York Times: \u201cThe message to those in the country illegally is clear: The only reason you should be flying is to self-deport home.\u201d<\/p>\n