Tue, December 17, 2024

by: USA Today

Elon Musk and SpaceX face federal reviews over security, NYT reports

The New York Times reported that Musk and SpaceX had violated federal reporting protocols by not fully reporting his contacts with foreign leaders.

by: CNN

Trump formally clinches Electoral College victory

Over 530 presidential electors will meet in all 50 states and DC to cast their votes for president and vice president. After the meetings, the official votes will be sent to Congress to count on January 6,

by: The Australian Financial Review

A decade of deficits and a modest $5.5b election war chest

The budget is not estimated to return to surplus for at least a decade, and cumulative deficits over the next four years will be almost $22 billion larger than forecast in May.

by: The Age

Review finds entrenched union issues on government construction sites

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Builders will be contractually required to report and stamp out criminal behaviour on government worksites as part of a plan to tackle entrenched cultural issues with unions. A new alliance ...

by: The Daily Mirror

'Government betrays WASPI women by rejecting recommendation to cough up cash'

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and PM Keir Starmer turned their backs on 3.5 million women by rejecting ombudsman's recommendation to pay them compensation

by: The Australian Financial Review

Labor lifts company takeover fees and bolsters phoenixing crackdown

Jim Chalmers' midyear budget update has increased fees for company takeovers and provided funding to boost penalties for dodgy behaviour.

by: The New York Times

The Trump Factor Further Shakes Up Canada's Politics

The president-elect's threat to impose major tariffs on Canadian goods and other pointed comments have tapped into a treacherous moment in domestic politics.

by: Sky

Nigel Farage meets Elon Musk and JD Vance at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort

The Reform UK leader also reveals he met vice president-elect JD Vance on Monday. The meeting with Musk comes amid reports the tech tycoon is considering donating £78m to Mr Farage's party.

by: Jewish Insider

Elon Musk praises Tucker Carlson interview with Jeffrey Sachs featuring antisemitic conspiracy theories

In the interview, Sachs blames 'the Israel lobby' for American foreign policy, and defends ousted Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad

by: Daily Express

Pensioners blast Labour government over latest winter fuel payment snub

EXCLUSIVE: They say Keir Starmer's party is 'devoid of Christmas cheer' amid concerns that ministers have changed their attitude towards the elderly

by: The Globe and Mail

The country isn't bankrupt. But the Trudeau government is completely spent

Canada has hit the point of intellectual bankruptcy from which a government, having run out of higher purpose, is merely chasing after survival

by: Modern Healthcare

Telehealth and doctors win, PBMs lose as government funding deal nears

The last-minute agreement to keep government funded until March likely also includes hospital-at-home provisions and more.

by: NJ.com

N.J. needs to 'calm down' about drones, Gov. Murphy says. Sightings are down.

Murphy also said drone sighting reports in the state were "down meaningfully" of late — to just 12 on Saturday night and one on Sunday night. That's a drop from 49 last Sunday. Murphy did note there was "bad weather" this weekend, with rainy, foggy conditions that could have affecting sightings.

by: The New York Times

Elon Musk Met With Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago

The British politician shared an image on social media that showed him at Donald Trump's Florida resort with the tech billionaire.

by: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada electors cast votes for Trump, Vance in 2024 election

Nevada's Republican electors — two of whom were labeled 'fake electors' based on actions after the 2020 election — legitimately cast electoral votes for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice

by: MSN

Big gaps remain between Israel and Hamas in Gaza deal talks

Despite optimistic public statements, a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal is not imminent, three Israeli officials tell Axios. Why it matters: The U.S., Israel and the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are trying to reach a deal before President-elect Trump's ...

by: MSN

Nelson Mandela Bay council scraps punitive water tariffs - after two floods and a petition

The impact of the tariffs was harsh, and was unnecessarily prolonged by the [metro] government, costing families dearly at a time of a cost-of-living crisis," said Van der Westhuyzen, from the DA. "This outcome proves that when the people of Nelson ...

by: MSN

India's Foreign Policy Is Failing, Both At Home And Abroad

Syria is the latest in a series of Indian foreign policy disasters. But can the government's clear lack of vision on that front explain the flagrant haplessness of the Indian state on the global stage?

by: briefly

Papa Penny Claims Government Is Destroying Jacob Zuma's Legacy Because of Jealousy, Mzansi Laughs

Papa Penny claimed government are destroying everything Jacob Zuma put together during his presidency because of jealousy, but South Africans found it laughable.

by: MSN

Justin Trudeau Political Crisis: Canada's Prime Minister Faces Calls To Resign As Government In Chaos Over Trump's Tariff Threats

President-elect Donald Trump's election win in November has shaken up politics in the United States and clearly impacted other countries, including neighboring Canada. Trump's threat to place a massive tariff on goods from Canada has complicated an already shaky political situation for the country's prime minister,

by: MSN

The Future of Syria's Kurds

As Syrians celebrate the end of the tyrannical regime of Bashar al-Assad, the war-weary Syrian state faces a combustible set of challenges to its political, security, and territorial governance. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),

by: MSN

New Orleans wants to end federal oversight of its police. Critics aren't convinced

The city of New Orleans and the U.S. Justice Department are pushing to end more than a decade of police oversight that was ordered in response to a long history of mistreatment of African Americans and notorious corruption,

by: MSN

Trump Eyes Ukraine Peace Talks, Says Kyiv May Need To Cede Land For Resolution

President-elect Donald Trump expressed intentions to resolve the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East quickly during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. Trump warned Hamas to release Israeli hostages before his inauguration,

by: MSN

Kendall faces MP criticism and calls to reconsider Waspi compensation decision

Liz Kendall has faced calls from Labour MPs to reconsider the Government's decision not to award financial compensation to women affected by state pension age reforms. Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth) told the Work and Pensions Secretary that he was "appalled" by the rejection of an independent ombudsman's suggestion to provide financial redress.

by: Slate

The Supreme Court Has the Chance to Take Up a "DEFCON 1 Legal Scandal"

A federal appeals court panel has referred to the arrangement as a " dodgy side hustle " and an "utterly bonkers" violation of the right to a fair trial. Other federal judges have called it a " DEFCON 1 legal scandal ."

by: ABC

Ocasio-Cortez loses bid to be top Democrat on House Oversight Committee

Va., fended off a challenge from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to become the House Oversight Committee's top-ranked Democrat.

by: The New York Times

For Years, U.S. Collected Tips About Austin Tice's Disappearance in Syria

Nongovernmental workers and journalists have scoured prisons for clues about his fate in the absence of an official American presence in the country.

by: MSN

'Election-interfering fiction': Trump sues pollster and newspaper over Kamala Harris report that showed 'false' poll lead before voting started

Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register over reporting done ahead of the 2024 election on one of Selzer's "false" polls, the suit says. The post 'Election-interfering fiction': Trump sues pollster and newspaper over Kamala Harris report that showed 'false' poll lead before voting started first appeared on Law & Crime.

by: MSN

Syria is in big trouble. Watch out, Christians and Muslims

HTS ruling over Syria will prove to be as devastating for the Syrian people as the Taliban retaking Afghanistan.

by: MSN

Harris campaign head admits talking to NYT and Washington Post is pointless: 'Those readers are already with us'

Harris campaign head admits talking to NYT and Washington Post is pointless: 'Those readers are already with us' - Alternative media, such as podcasts and streams, became a popular venue for the candi

by: MSN

Mike Johnson's dealmaking with Democrats stirs anger among Republicans as negotiators inch closer to government funding plan

House Speaker Mike Johnson's late-December dealmaking with Democrats is stirring intense anger across his GOP conference, just days before a government spending deadline and weeks before the pivotal vote the Louisiana Republican needs to win to keep his gavel.

by: MSN

TikTok's long-shot strategy to escape US ban is down to SCOTUS and Trump

TikTok is making two emergency appeals to save its social media app from a countrywide ban — one before the Supreme Court and the other to President-elect Donald Trump. Neither is guaranteed to work.

by: MSN

America's future depends on a thriving free press, and it's time we take it back

Many people vilify journalism as the enemy. Regardless of political affiliations, we pledge allegiance to one shared country, and the future of that country is linked to the future of a free press. So what are we to do in this pivotal moment?

by: Reuters

Morning Bid: Bonds agitated as Fed meets, G7 politics rumble

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan As the Fed meets for the last time this year, there's little doubt in futures markets that it will cut another quarter point off its policy rate.

by: The Financial Times

Poland auctions butter reserve as soaring prices spread to politics

Government's strategic reserves agency to sell 1,000 tonnes in frozen 25kg blocks of unsalted milk-based spread

by: MSN

House Republicans accuse Liz Cheney of Jan. 6 witness tampering and seek FBI investigation

by: MSN

Archivist says Equal Rights Amendment can't be certified as Democrats push Biden to recognize it

In a rare joint statement, the archivist and deputy archivist of the United States said Tuesday that the 1970s-era Equal Rights Amendment cannot be certified without further action by Congress or the courts,

by: MSN

The public doesn't trust these government agencies at all: Sen. Rick Scott

Fla., weighs in on the drone debacle, whether the Department of Defense is still using drones from Chinese-owned DJI, extending Trump's tax cuts and RFK Jr.'s plans for the HHS.

by: MSN

Trump sues Des Moines Register and Iowa pollster, claiming election interference

Trump's lawsuit claims a poll by Ann Selzer for the Des Moines Register that incorrectly found he was behind in Iowa amounted to consumer fraud.

by: Los Angeles Times

News Analysis: Trump offers murky worldview ahead of second term, mixing dire warnings with rosy promises

President-elect Donald Trump casts himself as a strongman fixer of major problems, but has begun to walk back certain campaign promises.

by: MSN

Netanyahu says Israeli troops will occupy a buffer zone inside Syria for the foreseeable future

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday Israeli forces will stay in a buffer zone on the Syrian border, and specifically on the summit of Mount Hermon, "until another arrangement is found that will ensure Israel's security.

by: MSN

HS2 to cost Welsh passengers time and cash - Plaid

Building London's new HS2 rail station will "rob" Welsh passengers of time and money, an MP says.

by: Philadelphia Inquirer

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker launches a new website to show the city's progress on her campaign promises

The website, called Philly Stat 360, shows the city's progress on more than 30 indicators that fall under categories including: Safer, Cleaner, Greener, and Economic Opportunity.

by: The Independent

Justin Trudeau and the downsides of being the handsome poster boy for liberal 'goodness'

In just under 10 years, the prime minister of Canada has gone from the darling of the global liberal pack to a political pariah with an approval rating of less than 30 per cent. Here, Guy Walters look

by: MSN

Gaza War Ceasefire Talks Progress, Hamas 'Positive and Optimistic'

Long-running Gaza ceasefire talks are progressing, according to both Israeli and Hamas officials who have expressed fresh optimism around the possible end to the war in the Palestinian enclave. A Hamas spokesperson told Newsweek that progress on the talks was "positive and optimistic.

by: MSN

Government has broken the law on sewage - watchdog

The OEP has ruled that it allowed excessive sewage into England's rivers and seas.

by: MSN

Judge in Trump's hush money case won't toss guilty verdict

(The Center Square) - The New York judge overseeing President-elect Donald Trump's hush money case said Monday he won't toss Trump's conviction. Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump's motion to dismiss the indictment on grounds of presidential immunity ...

by: The Age

The achievements of Tim Pallas are stained by rivers of red ink

When the state government should have been showing prudence, it was embarking on projects which it did not have the means to support.

Telehealth and doctors win, PBMs lose as government funding deal nears

The last-minute agreement to keep government funded until March likely also includes hospital-at-home provisions and more.

The article from Modern Healthcare discusses the inclusion of several healthcare-related provisions in a $1.7 trillion government spending bill. Key points include the extension of telehealth flexibilities that were initially implemented during the public health emergency, allowing for continued virtual care options. This includes waiving geographic restrictions and expanding the types of providers who can offer telehealth services. Additionally, the bill addresses physician payment adjustments, with a 2% cut in Medicare payments to doctors set to take effect in 2023, although there's mention of potential delays or modifications to this cut. The legislation also aims to reform pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) by increasing transparency and potentially altering how they negotiate drug prices, which could impact drug costs for patients. These measures reflect ongoing efforts to adapt healthcare delivery and payment systems in response to both immediate needs and long-term policy goals.

Read the Full Modern Healthcare Article at:
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/politics-policy/telehealth-flexibilities-doctor-pay-pbms-government-spending-bill