Proposed cuts to SNAP target families of more than six people

May 26, 2017
The White House budget proposal would cut SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as food stamps, by $193 billion over 10 years. Right now a family of six gets about $900 a month in food aid. Under Trump’s proposal, that would be the cap, even for households with more people. Many families that receive […]

This cancer patient is devoting his life to making drugs more affordable

May 17, 2017
David Mitchell's advocacy group aims to bring down prescription prices by harnessing the power of patient stories.
Advocate David Mitchell says drugs are so expensive that some people are losing their homes or using college savings. Above, chemotherapy drugs.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

5 percent of patients drive 50 percent of health care spending. A new bill aims to change that.

May 16, 2017
Republicans and Democrats don’t quite see eye to eye when it comes to repealing Obamacare. But when the Senate Finance Committee meets today, there’s likely to be common ground on how to improve care for the 3.5 million sickest and most expensive Medicare patients: a new bipartisan bill that targets new treatments for the people […]

Midwest flooding underscores a need for flood insurance reform

May 4, 2017
Floodwaters have displaced hundreds of people and lead to several deaths in the Midwest. Now the damage assessment starts. The National Flood Insurance Program helps homeowners buy affordable flood insurance, but it’s $25 billion in debt. Congress has a chance to reform it before it’s up for reauthorization in September, and those reforms could include […]

How do you pay for pre-existing conditions? The GOP plans to charge more

May 4, 2017
Republicans are trying for a different health insurance model.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announces a cancelled vote on the American Health Care Act, the GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, in March.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Critics say GOP measure allows employers to skirt overtime pay

May 3, 2017
Republicans in the House of Representatives have just passed a bill that would allow employers to give workers paid time off instead of the time and a half normally paid as overtime. The legislation, called the “Working Families Flexibility Act,” is being touted by the GOP as way to provide more options for workers. Opponents […]

Entrenched stumbling blocks loom over next budget negotiations

May 1, 2017
Congressional negotiators have reached a $1 trillion deal to fund the government through September. If approved by both chambers before Friday, the deal would avoid a government shutdown. But short-term budgets and stopgap measures are inefficient and wasteful tools for running a government. Beyond the dissent over what gets funded and what’s on the chopping […]

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What Democrats and Republicans stand to gain from Congress' new $1 trillion spending bill

May 1, 2017
Some of Trump's key proposals, like his call for a U.S.-Mexico border, will not receive funding.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Weekly Wrap: What Trump's tax plan tells us

Apr 28, 2017
Nela Richardson from Redfin and Sudeep Reddy of Politico join us to discuss the week’s business and economic news. This week, they talk about President Trump’s tax plan. There are still a lot of questions surrounding it, but it aims to cut the corporate tax rate to 15 percent and would benefit the wealthy and corporations the […]
President Trump's tax plan is up for discussion.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

What happens when government breaks the rules

Apr 28, 2017
How do the three branches of government run when things aren't going according to plan?
NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins have twice lobbied Congress for criminal justice reform.
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