States should protect caregivers’ Medicaid funds from union skims
Robert and Patricia Haynes live in Mich. and provide full-time care for their adult children, Kevin and Melissa, who suffer from severe cases of cerebral palsy. Until 2014, they were forced to give a portion of their Medicaid reimbursements to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a scheme propagated by unions such as SEIU and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) that is commonly known as to as “dues skimming.” Yet, while a numbe
Read MoreRoe demise shows conservative Supreme Court wants to move ‘very far and very fast’
It was clear a Supreme Court with six conservative justices was going to move to the right. It just wasn’t clear how far it would go or how fast. On Friday, the picture came into focus as the high court’s supermajority issued a landmark decision erasing the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade. A day earlier, the court enshrined a right to carry a handgun in a ruling striking down New York’s concealed carry permit law. Earlier in the week, it issued another ruling expanding religious liberty.
Read MoreMaxine Waters on SCOTUS abortion ruling: 'The hell with the Supreme Court'
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) declared “the hell with the Supreme Court” after its justices ruled on Friday to eliminate federal-level abortion protections, overturning a 50-year precedent. “This turnout here?” asked Waters, who stood near fencing that was installed in front of the high court. “You ain't seen nothing yet. Women are going to control their bodies no matter how they try and stop [us]. The hell with the Supreme Court. We will defy them.” “Women will be in control of their bodies, and if
Read MoreAbortion is banned or severely restricted in these states
The Supreme Court issued the biggest decision of its term on Friday when it overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. The decision came more than a month after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicated that the high court planned to overturn the 1973 landmark decision. Opponents of abortion rights celebrated while those in favor of access to the procedure despaired over what a post-Roe future will look like. With the decision on how to regulate abortion left to the states, a patchwork of laws is emerging as some states move t
Read MoreUS, four others launch initiative aimed at supporting priorities of the Pacific islands
The United States and four other countries on Friday announced an initiative aimed at supporting the priorities of the Pacific Islands region. The initiative, called the Partners in the Pacific Blue, is comprised of five countries: the U.S., Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, all of which sent representatives to meet alongside other nations on Thursday and Friday. Goals of the initiative include engaging more regularly with Pacific governments, encouraging and facilitating “great engagement with the Pacific by any other partner that shares the Pacific
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