All posts tagged: national news

Trump’s Higher Education Crackdown: Visa Revocations, DEI Bans, Lawsuits and Funding Cuts | National News

Trump’s Higher Education Crackdown: Visa Revocations, DEI Bans, Lawsuits and Funding Cuts | National News

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump wasted no time targeting higher education reform in his second term, kicking off a fight that often seemed personal. Education in recent years has been the battleground for culture war disputes from immigration to transgender rights along with political posturing on issues like student loan forgiveness, admissions practices and free speech on campus. Republicans have long been skeptical of higher education and accuse academics of indoctrinating youth with progressive ideologies, and Trump claimed that college campuses have been “infested with radicalism like never before.” Trump’s efforts revolve around curbing what he calls a “woke” agenda, with many of his steps aimed at reversing diversity, equity and inclusion policies that he says unfairly benefit some students over others. As president, Trump has leveraged the power of the federal government to threaten funding and restrict foreign student status, demanding an unprecedented role in university admissions, curriculum and operations. In many cases, he has used accusations of antisemitism or the credo of law and order as wedges to force broader scrutiny of higher education administrators …

Are Your Taxes Too High? Most Say Yes | U.S. News Decision Points

Are Your Taxes Too High? Most Say Yes | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

It’s tax season. And you’re not happy about it. If a new survey from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center is correct, then about 60% of you say the feeling that some wealthy people and corporations don’t pay their fair share bothers you “a lot.” At the other end of the spectrum, 12% say the same about the feeling some poor people don’t pay their fair share. The proportion of Americans who say they pay more than they should, given what they get from the government, has risen to 60%. That’s up from 56% in 2023, 49% in 2021, and 51% in 2019. Sign Up for U.S. News Decision Points Your trusted source for breaking down the latest news from Washington and beyond, delivered weekdays. By clicking “Sign Up”, you will receive the latest updates, including emails, from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors, and you agree to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. (I’m not sure what was going on in 2021, but Pew’s numbers show that was a …

Tracking the 2026 U.S. Measles Outbreaks | Health News

Tracking the 2026 U.S. Measles Outbreaks | Health News

Published by Sam Flores

Measles infections in the U.S. this year are on pace to easily eclipse 2025, when the country reported the most annual cases in over three decades. U.S. News is tracking the outbreak, which includes about 1,670 cases and 17 new outbreaks. Over 40 jurisdictions have reported measles infections to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year. They are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The outbreak in South Carolina is responsible for the vast majority of this year’s total with more than 600 cases. An outbreak in Utah that started last summer is also ongoing, with 378 infections reported so far this year. The various outbreaks put the country at risk of losing its measles elimination status this year. Measles has been considered …

Consumer Confidence Rose Slightly in March, But Faith in the Future Falls | National News

Consumer Confidence Rose Slightly in March, But Faith in the Future Falls | National News

Published by Sam Flores

Consumer confidence edged up in March, despite the rising cost of gasoline and other goods from the war in Iran, the Conference Board said on Tuesday. The March reading of the organization’s consumer confidence index rose to 91.8 from 91, with the present situation index that is a measure of consumers’ current assessment of the economy increased 4.6 points to 123.3 (1985=100). The expectations index, a forward-looking measure, dropped by 1.7 points to 70.9. “Consumer confidence ticked up again in March, as a modest improvement in consumers’ views of current conditions outweighed a slight downshift in expectations for the future,” Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at the business group, wrote in an analysis. “Three of five components of the Index firmed in March, and overall confidence improved modestly for a second month. Nonetheless, the Index has been on a general downward trend since 2021.” Consumers under 35 and those 55 and over continued to moderate their optimism, while those 55-plus were the most pessimistic. By income, confidence over the past six months continued to dip …

Consumer Sentiment Takes a Hit From the Iran War | National News

Consumer Sentiment Takes a Hit From the Iran War | National News

Published by Sam Flores

A falling stock market and rising gasoline prices arising from the war against Iran sent consumer sentiment back to its lowest level since December, the University of Michigan said on Friday. The university’s consumer sentiment index dropped back to 53.3 from 55.5 in the final estimate for the month. The expectations index, a measure of future sentiment about the economy, fell to 51.7 from 56.6, a monthly drop of 8.7%. Sentiment fell across age groups and political affiliations. “Consumers with middle and higher incomes and stock wealth, buffeted by both escalating gas prices and volatile financial markets in the wake of the Iran conflict, exhibited particularly large drops in sentiment,” Joanne Hsu, surveys director, wrote in an analysis. “Overall, the short-run economic outlook plunged 14%, and year-ahead expected personal finances sank 10%, while declines in long-run expectations were more subdued. These patterns suggest that, at this time, consumers may not expect recent negative developments to persist far into the future.” Inflation expectations rose as prices for many necessities, such as electricity and food, continue to …

When ICE Sweeps a Community, Public Health Pays a Price | Health News

When ICE Sweeps a Community, Public Health Pays a Price | Health News

Published by Sam Flores

The Trump administration announced on Feb. 12, 2026, that it is ending Operation Metro Surge, its deployment of more than 3,000 federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding metro area. Federal officials say some agents will remain in the area and have vowed that similar immigration sweeps are coming soon to other U.S. cities. Even before the Trump administration’s recent expansion of immigration enforcement, research has long shown that intensive immigration enforcement operations affect people’s use of healthcare, ability to access resources to stay healthy, and their mental health and social relationships. Notably, these findings all come from before the Trump administration’s most recent expansion of immigration enforcement. It is fair to assume that the impacts of these current operations will be even greater. To some extent – particularly in Minneapolis, where mutual aid networks are especially strong – community response can mitigate some of these impacts. One of us (Nicole), as a resident of Minneapolis, witnessed both the unfolding crisis and a powerful community-driven public health response. But these public …

There Aren’t Enough Geriatricians – Here’s How Older Adults Can Still Get The Right Care | National News

There Aren’t Enough Geriatricians – Here’s How Older Adults Can Still Get The Right Care | National News

Published by Sam Flores

More than 70 million baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – are alive today. In 2026, the oldest of them are turning 80. With longer lives often comes more complicated health needs: multiple chronic conditions, long lists of medications, balance problems that can increase the risk of falls, and changes in memory. Many older adults also begin relying more on spouses, children or other family members to help manage medical decisions. Ideally, health care in later life should go beyond just treating individual diseases and medical conditions. It should aim to help older people maintain health, independence and optimal quality of life for as long as possible. Doctors and nurse practitioners trained in geriatrics specialize in doing exactly that. As a geriatrician for nearly four decades, I’ve seen how the right care for older people can prevent falls, reduce risk of medication side effects and help patients make medical decisions that reflect their goals and wishes. The problem? There just aren’t enough of us. Finding a health care provider with expertise in …

Trump Asks America to ‘Just Hold On’ | U.S. News Decision Points

Trump Asks America to ‘Just Hold On’ | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

The first State of the Union address of President Donald Trump’s second term is now in the books. I have covered these supernovas of political rhetoric since 1998, so let me tell you what I saw in a speech that stretched all over the policy landscape over the course of nearly two hours. The Surprise SOTU Forgive me for starting with the stagecraft rather than the substance. But this was the surprise State of the Union – every few minutes, the showman-turned-president sprang a theatrical moment on his audiences in the chamber and watching at home. Not quite 15 minutes into his remarks, Trump made good on his promise to have the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team at the event. The athletes, each wearing a smile and sporting a shiny gold medal, walked down the aisles of the press area of the gallery above the floor of the House of Representatives. While that had been telegraphed, what happened next had not: Trump announced that he was awarding the team’s goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, the Presidential Medal …

Calling the Shots: Tracking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Moves on Vaccines | Healthiest Communities Health News

Calling the Shots: Tracking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Moves on Vaccines | Healthiest Communities Health News

Published by Sam Flores

It was one of President Donald Trump’s more audacious picks for his Cabinet: anti-vaccine activist and alternative health advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to helm the nation’s health department. Kennedy, however, won over the senators needed to confirm him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, promising not to remove government website statements pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism and to keep current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems intact. Ahead of being tapped by Trump for the role, he said he wouldn’t take vaccines away from those who wanted them while stressing a desire for individual choice. Since his confirmation, Kennedy has toed the line between backing vaccination as a preventive public health tool and making statements or overseeing developments that threaten to undermine that tool. His moves have played out against the backdrop of an explosion in vaccine-preventable measles cases in West Texas and an intense flu season that resulted in high rates of hospitalization, along with bird flu outbreaks that have raised the specter of another pandemic. Here’s …