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Commerce secretary says inflation will get ‘under control'

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Sunday insisted that inflation will come down but avoided addressing the notion that she was wrong to have called it “temporary” nearly one year ago.

When asked by CNN “State of the Union” co-anchor Jake Tapper why the Biden administration appears to have been “flat footed” in addressing inflation earlier, Raimondo pointed to job growth and wage increases since President Biden took office.

“Why does it seem the Biden administration is consistently playing clean-up on these problems that are playing out exactly as many experts forecast they would, instead of heading them off before they become a crisis?” Tapper asked.

At first, Raimondo pointed to her time as Rhode Island governor and high unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic then pivoted to praising Biden’s leadership.

“Because of the president’s leadership, we are – America is back to work. Wages are increasing. The labor market is strong. People have not been thrown out of their homes,” Raimondo said, pointing to differences in the current economy compared to previous years of economic slowdown.

“Yes, inflation’s a problem. In no way do I want to minimize that. The Fed is independent,” she said. “But, fundamentally, what we have here is a robust, economic recovery. And I think that’s in large part due to the president’s leadership.”

Numerous Biden administration officials and the president himself insisted nearly one year ago that rising inflation was “temporary” and “transient” before it hit a 40-year high earlier this year with prices on consumer goods up 8.3 percent.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week acknowledged she was wrong in believing last year that inflation would be transitory and a “small risk.”

The U.S added 390,000 jobs and the unemployment rate held even at 3.6 percent in May, building on months of high job growth, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department.

But job openings remained at near record highs, decreasing slightly to 11.4 million on the last business day in April, according to a report released Wednesday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were roughly two open jobs for each unemployed American.

“We have a strong economy now,” Raimondo said. “People are working. Inflation is a problem, I will grant you that. And we will get it under control, because we’re going to stick with it until we do.”

While economists differ over how much of inflation is driven by the tight labor market, they are generally concerned with the imbalance between the number of open jobs and the apparent lack of workers filling them.

Biden has in recent days put his relationship with the independent central bank in the spotlight as the administration looks to lower inflation, an issue conveyed as one of voters’ top concerns in recent polling as the midterm elections approach . 

Biden met with Fed Chair Jerome Powell in the Oval Office on Tuesday and said he would not “interfere” with the bank’s work as the Fed continues to raise interest rates, which makes it more expensive for banks to lend money and bolsters the purchasing power of the dollar.

When pressed by Tapper if the administration would remove Trump-era tariffs imposed on Chinese imports, a move some Democrats think would lower costs for consumers, Raimondo said Biden has asked her and other administration officials to “analyze that.”

Raimondo added that the administration has decided to keep some of the tariffs, like those imposed on steel, as a matter of national security and to protect American workers. But she said the administration may remove tariffs on other Chinese imports, like household goods and bicycles to ease inflation.

“It may make sense, and I know the president is looking at that,” she said.

Source: TEST FEED1

Schiff says Jan. 6 panel has more revelations for Americans: 'There's a great deal they haven't seen'

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 uprising, hinted on Sunday there are more revelations in store about the events that led up to the attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying a “comprehensive narrative” would be mapped for the first time when the panel holds its first public hearing this week.

Schiff told host Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that Americans have already seen “a number of bombshells” come out of the panel’s investigation — but said more surprises would be revealed on Thursday, including a narrative of the events leading up to Jan. 6.

“Our goal is to present the narrative of what happened in this country, how close we came to losing our democracy, what led to the violence,” Schiff said. “Americans I think know a great deal already — they have seen a number of bombshells already [and] there’s a great deal they haven’t seen. But perhaps the most important is the public has not seen it woven together, how one thing led to another.”

The Jan. 6 panel will hold its first public hearing at 8 p.m. on Thursday. It’s unclear exactly who will be testifying publicly, as the committee has not released the names of any witnesses. Chairperson Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) has said up to eight public hearings could be held throughout June as the panel presents the findings of its investigation, which included more than 1,000 interviews.

The Jan. 6 insurrection saw a mob of pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn certification of the 2020 election, which Trump and his allies and supporters continue to claim without evidence was stolen.

While the committee has made headways in its investigation, it has run into roadblocks and some stonewalling.

Peter Navarro, a former Trump adviser, and former White House strategist Steve Bannon have both defied subpoenas and have been charged by the Department of Justice for violating the court summonses.

Schiff on Sunday said the panel plans to present new findings that show there was a “propensity for violence” as well as a solid narrative of the events that led up to the rioting.

“The effect of the continued propagation of this big lie, to rile up the country and the president’s base was likely to lead to violence,” Schiff said. “So you will see that theme among the narratives that will be exhibited or experienced.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Both parties searching for midterm magic

The two parties on the Hill are madly scrambling for issues, themes and gimmicks they hope will resonate with voters in next November’s midterm elections for control of Congress. Call it the search for a magic midterm elixir. The Democrats now hold razor-thin majorities in both bodies that could easily flip to Republicans given the fate of a president’s party in non-presidential election years. 

What may have changed that historical dynamic in just the last month has been the May 2 leak of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft majority opinion reversing the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision, and the May 24 mass killing of 19 elementary school students and two adults in Uvalde, Texas.   

There is little Congress can do to block or influence the Supreme Court’s final judgment beyond channeling the strong vocal protests of abortion rights activists and engaging in some symbolic legislative attempts to enshrine the Roe doctrine in law.  

On the issue of gun violence, on the other hand, there has always been an abundance of firearms control measures waiting in the wings for action when the timing is right. And that is exactly what happened last Thursday when the House Judiciary Committee marked-up a 41-page gun control bill titled, the “Protecting Our Kids Act” (H.R. 7910). The measure, with six titles, will likely be fast-tracked through the Rules Committee and onto the House floor this week with limited general debate time and few, if any, amendments allowed. 

Congressional Republicans, in the meantime, have been relying primarily on running against the Biden administration’s inflation-charged economy and what they perceive as his loose immigration policies. Moreover, they have been riding cultural issues such as what is taught to young students in grade schools about race, gender, and American history. That may be a fitting platform for local school board candidates but an anomaly for national candidates from a party that has long touted the value of federalism — of devolving power to the people at the state and local levels. 

It has been an interesting turn of events in just one month’s time and, if anything, should be fair warning that there will probably be more twists and turns over the next five months before the votes are actually cast. If there is anyone acutely aware of the vicissitudes of American election-year politics it is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Not only has she been raising buckets of money across the country for her endangered House incumbent members, but also for candidates challenging sitting Republicans or running for newly created or opened House seats due to reapportionment and retirements.   

According to a Politico Playbook article on May 19, one of the House Democrats’ campaign strategies is to “pass everything, even if it’s doomed.” The article called this Speaker Pelosi’s “spaghetti-at-the-wall strategy” to see what sticks. The Speaker already knows that most of those bills will go nowhere in the Senate which is notorious as the place where good (and bad) House bills go to die. 

But it does give her House Democratic members cover to say on the campaign trail, when some obscure issue suddenly pops-up: “Oh, I voted for legislation to solve that problem six months ago. Unfortunately, I have no control over the inaction of my Senate colleagues.”   

That tactic may not overjoy Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). But he is already well practiced at blaming his Republican colleagues for blocking almost everything the majority party wants by using the threat of a filibuster that requires 60 votes to overcome. 

President Biden is doing his best to keep his party in control of Congress by campaigning relentlessly across the nation for Democratic candidates and on issues like gun violence and inflation. He does not have the power to do much about the latter — that’s the Federal Reserve’s wheelhouse. But a term popularized nationally decades ago was “jawboning” — using the presidential bully pulpit to pressure the private sector to take more responsible actions to hold down inflation. And that approach is now on display with the president’s cross-country anti-inflation tour begun last week. 

The last six months of a two-year Congress are always the most interesting and unpredictable as the body struggles not only to process its normal workload, including the 12 regular appropriations bills, but also to take innovative and bold actions to deal with issues that arise during campaign season.     

The results are usually mixed, with some unresolved matters punted into the next Congress.  But, as long as there is robust conflict marked by successes and failures, we can take some solace in knowing this is something the Founders fully  expected when they designed a system with both separate and shared powers, checking and balancing each other at every step of the way. 

Don Wolfensberger is a Congress Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, former staff director of the House Rules Committee, and author of, “Changing Cultures in Congress: From Fair Play to Power Plays.”  The views expressed are solely his own. 

Source: TEST FEED1

What to know about the avian influenza outbreaks

Recent outbreaks of avian influenza in the U.S. and dozens of other countries have sickened wild and domesticated birds, leading to fears of economic impacts and risk of spreading to human beings. Here’s what we know. 

Avian influenza has been around for many years, with occasional new strains crossing over from wild birds to domesticated poultry. The influenza virus can be shared across species and transported by migrating birds. Pigs can also contract the virus, and occasionally humans will get infected through close contact with infected animals. 

One of the largest epidemics occurred in 2014-2015, with many more human cases worldwide than previous outbreaks. Avian influenza could infect people if exposed to infected animals but it typically is not easily transmitted from human to human. Scientists have warned for decades that if a new strain of the virus appears that is more easily transmissible among humans that it could lead to a pandemic. 

People who are infected may not show symptoms, but if they do it can include eye redness, upper respiratory illness, fever, fatigue and cough. In severe cases, patients may be admitted to the hospital. A study of human cases from past outbreaks found that there was persistent lung damage in some patients up to 12 months later. Mortality rates vary by strain. For example, one outbreak in 2013 in China resulted 131 cases and 36 deaths, with a mortality rate of about 27 percent, according to a study published in Pathogens and Public Health. The same study cites that for the highly pathogenic virus H5N1 during previous outbreaks was as high as 60 percent.  

What’s happening now 

The recent outbreaks have affected wild birds and poultry flocks in the U.S., U.K., Israel and dozens of other countries. A few different strains are circulating, which is normal, including strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza. 

As of today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 37 million poultry birds in 36 states have been affected by the outbreak. When avian influenza is detected, whole flocks of poultry are culled to try to prevent further spread of the disease. Especially in settings where the birds would be housed in close quarters, the virus can move rapidly through a flock. 

There has been one case of avian influenza in a human in Colorado, detected in April. The first case in a person internationally was detected in Dec. 2021 in the U.K. 

How this relates to the economy, inflation and food insecurity 

With flocks needing to be culled for health and safety reasons, this could also lead to a shortage in supply. The shortage can affect the prices of chicken and eggs, but also downstream products like processed eggs in liquid or powder form. 

If prices increase, this could exacerbate the food insecure conditions that many people are already experiencing, in part due to the pandemic. Food banks have recently reported that demand has again increased, on top of inflation and supply chain issues. 

How concerned should we be? 

A recent study focused on the diversity of bird species and how that may affect evolution of the avian influenza viruses. The researchers suggest that wild ducks, geese, swans and gulls have varying roles in virus evolution based on how the species move geographically and which subtypes of the virus they harbor. Avian influenza viruses are known to mutate and evolve, so it is not surprising that new strains emerge periodically. 

Some scientists are concerned this time around because it seems many wild birds are dying in the various local outbreaks around the world. Although wild birds may be infected by various avian influenza viruses, they typically do not die from it as often as domesticated birds do. The fact that many are dying and also spreading the viruses through migration means that surveillance will be key to keep track of what’s happening in both wild and domesticated birds. 

The risk to humans remains low and the people who are at most risk are those who handle poultry and work in livestock environments. “If you see a bird that seems to be sick—it can’t stand up, looks off balance, or isn’t aware of its surroundings—we recommend first calling your local animal control officer or a wildlife rehabilitator for assistance,” says Maureen Murray, one of the study authors who is a clinical associate professor at Cummings School, in a press release. “But if you must handle it yourself, we recommend wearing at minimum a three-ply face mask, or a more protective mask if available, such as an N95. Gloves are also a good idea, but if they’re not available, wash your hands really, really well afterward.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe takes State Department role

The State Department announced Friday that former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe would serve as special representative for global partnerships, a position that focuses on forging ties with the private sector on foreign policy priorities.  

“Special Representative McAuliffe brings a strong background in public-private partnerships and cross-sector engagement,” the State Department said in an announcement. “She has served on numerous non-profit and public boards and led several anti-hunger programs and initiatives in her previous role as First Lady of Virginia.” 

“Special Representative McAuliffe will draw on her experience working in both the public and non-profit sectors to advance top foreign policy priorities,” the announcement said.  

McAuliffe served as first lady of the Commonwealth of Virginia when her husband, Terry McAuliffe (D), was governor from 2014 to 2018. Last year, Terry McAuliffe ran and lost the gubernatorial race in Virginia to now-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). 

The State Department highlighted Dorothy McAuliffe’s experience leading Virginia’s Council on Bridging the Nutritional Divide and her advocacy for school meal programs as first lady.  

The department also noted that she has served on the boards of FoodCorps, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution, in addition to being an adviser to Share Our Strength and the No Kid Hungry Campaign.   

McAuliffe will lead a team tasked with finding ways to collaborate with nonprofits, academia, and the private sector on issues like climate change, global migration, anti-corruption initiatives and supply chains, according to the State Department.  

There had separately been talk of Terry McAuliffe potentially joining the White House following his election loss last year, but it’s unclear where those conversations currently stand.  

Source: TEST FEED1

Majority of US teens prefer in-person learning: survey

Most teens prefer attending classes in-person rather than hybrid or online models more than two years after the coronavirus pandemic altered the way students learn, according to a new survey.  

The Pew Research survey, which was conducted from April 14 to May 4, found that 80 percent of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 attended classes entirely in person in the last month. Around 8 percent said they attended hybrid classes and another 11 percent said their courses were completely virtual.  

In views of how students prefer to learn, 65 percent would choose exclusively in-person instruction. This is compared to the 18 percent who favor a hybrid model and 9 percent who would rather learn online.  

Yet only slightly more than half of Black teenagers surveyed said they wanted to shift back to in-person learning at the end of the pandemic, while 70 percent of white teens said the same.  

The survey also asked students to assess their school’s handling of both online and hybrid learning structures. About a third of students said they were not at all satisfied with their school’s efforts, but the remainder felt their school handled the disruption very or somewhat well.  

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. 

There is a worry among students and parents that the pandemic negatively affected educational achievement. Only half of the parents surveyed said they were not worried their child’s academic outcomes were disrupted.  

Meanwhile, a growing body of research shows the pandemic has taken a serious toll on students’ mental health, and recent data from the Education Department shows an uptick in students needing mental health services. The data shows that more than two-thirds of public schools reported an increase in students’ mental health visits.  

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Source: TEST FEED1

Congress should shield patients from deceptive policies that increase their medication costs

Even before the pandemic upended life as we know it, patients were struggling to afford many of their medications. Now, as Americans feel the direct effects of inflation at the gas pump, grocery store and at home, copay assistance for expensive medications has become even more critical. Despite the challenging economic circumstances facing the average American, health plans and industry middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) increasingly turn their backs on patients by essentially refusing the use of copay assistance. Blocking copay assistance from counting toward a patient’s deductible leaves many of the country’s most vulnerable patients with an impossible choice to either shell out more money for their medicine or forgo treatment altogether.     

While some states have demonstrated leadership to protect patients from these deceptive and profit-seeking health insurance policies, Congress should seize the present opportunity to pass legislation that would require health plans to count the value of copay assistance toward patient out-of-pocket costs.

Over the past decade, insurance companies have sharply raised deductible amounts and coinsurance to shift the cost of prescription drugs to patients. These costs can add up quickly for individuals who are living with a chronic condition and require regular medication to manage their health. In fact, patients with a deductible have seen their out-of-pocket costs for brand medicines increase by 50 percent since 2014.

At the same time, insurance companies and PBMs are more frequently refusing to count the value of copay assistance toward patient deductibles and out-of-pocket cost responsibilities. These policies — often referred to as a copay accumulator adjustment program or other innocuous titles — increase costs for patients, who are more likely to abandon a prescription or treatment that delivers sticker shock.

Unfortunately, data shows the vast majority of patients will choose to abandon their medication when costs reach $250 or more. And most patients who are exposed to these policies, namely chronic disease patients, require medications like infusions or injections, which do not have cheaper generic equivalents.

The process by which insurers and PBMs use copay accumulators is notoriously opaque. Even the patients themselves are often unaware that they are subject to an accumulator policy until their copay assistance runs out mid-year, at which point they learn that none of the value was applied to their deductible. Essentially, victims of copay accumulator programs must pay twice for the same medication, further lining the pockets of the health insurance industry. Research shows at least one health insurance plan in 35 states around the country utilizes a copay accumulator policy. 

To date, more than a dozen states have passed policies to protect patients from copay accumulator policies. This May, the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. issued a decision in a case between the pharmaceutical industry and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will help to protect patient access to copay assistance programs. But access alone does not address the underlying issue that copay accumulators present to patients. Absent federal action, patients in states without policies prohibiting copay accumulators remain vulnerable to harm.

In 2021, U.S. Representatives Donald McEachin (D-Va.) and Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) introduced H.R. 5801, the Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act, which would require health insurers to count the value of copay assistance towards patients’ annual deductible or cost-sharing cap. To date, 37 members of Congress have signed on to cosponsor the legislation, and over 130 national and state-level advocacy organizations representing patients across a variety of disease conditions support H.R. 5801.

Amid a constant debate on prescription drug costs, Congress should recognize the vital role that copay assistance plays for patients and prevent insurers from taking advantage of the most vulnerable people in our health care system. The solution is right in front of us. We urge Congress to pass H.R. 5801 immediately to protect Americans.

Brian Nyquist is the executive director of the Infusion Access Foundation (IAF), a non-profit advocacy group working to ensure patients have access to provider-administered therapy for any and all complex illnesses.

Source: TEST FEED1

More than 45K have signed up to sponsor Ukrainian refugees in US: report

More than 45,000 Americans have applied to sponsor Ukrainian refugees since the U.S. launched its Uniting for Ukraine program in late April, according to a new CBS News report.

6,500 Ukrainians already have arrived under the program and 27,000 have been selected and approved to travel to the U.S., according to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) obtained by the news organization.

DHS confirmed the report in a response to The Hill.

This week marks 100 days since Russia invaded Ukraine. It’s unclear how many casualties the war has claimed.

The Biden administration announced in April that the U.S. was planning to welcome 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression.

It ultimately could become the largest official private sponsorship program for refugees in the U.S. in decades, according to CBS News.

Under the program, sponsors have to undergo background checks and financially commit to supporting the Ukrainian refugees they welcome. Ukrainians approved under the Uniting for Ukraine program will not enter the U.S. with standard refugee status, which offers a path to permanent residency, and instead can stay only up to two years.

“I think this is a great case study for what is possible when the United States government gives the option for individuals and community groups to step forward and directly resettle refugees,” Matthew La Corte, an immigration policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, told CBS News.

The U.S. is on track to reach half of the 100,000 Ukrainian refugees Biden vowed to welcome within the next three months, DHS estimates.

According to the agency, the Uniting for Ukraine program has allowed the Biden administration to bypass the traditional refugee system by bringing in American volunteers and groups to directly finance the resettlement of displaced Ukrainians.

“This will build on lessons learned from the U.S. government’s efforts over the past year to stand up tailored private sponsorship initiatives to enable Americans to play a leading role in welcoming newly arrived Afghans and Ukrainians,” an unnamed State Department spokesperson told CBS News.

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden administration planning to sell armed drones to Ukraine: report

The Biden administration is reportedly planning to sell armed drones that can carry Hellfire missiles to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The U.S. is looking to sell four MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones made by General Atomics, sources told the outlet. The drones can be armed with Hellfire missiles.

The administration plans to notify Congress of the sale in the coming days and make a public announcement afterward.

A State Department spokesperson didn’t directly dispute the report but told The Hill “as a matter of policy, we do not confirm or publicly comment on proposed defense transfers until they have been formally notified to Congress.”

The spokesperson added that “as the conflict is changing and Ukraine’s defense needs change so too has our support for Ukraine’s defense.”    

“We continue to closely consult with our Ukrainian partners to ensure U.S. military assistance is adapting as needed to deliver the critical capabilities for today’s fight, such as this week’s announcement of plans transfer to Multiple Launch Rocket Systems,” they added.

The Pentagon didn’t comment on the report when reached by The Hill.

The Gray Eagle is larger than the drones that Ukraine has been using to fend off Russia’s invasion so far. The 28-foot unnamed aircraft can last over 27 hours and hold up to four Hellfire missiles, according to the Army’s acquisition website.

The report comes as the administration signals that it’s willing to send Ukraine more advanced weaponry while not directly engaging in conflict with Russia.

The White House on Wednesday announced that it would send Ukraine four M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems as part of a $700 million weapons package. The administration stressed, however, that the systems wouldn’t be used to target Russian territory.

Source: TEST FEED1