Politics

And this one lands directly on the insurance industry, for now. The president cut payments to insurers that go toward subsidies for low-income people who buy policies on the health care exchanges. Those so-called cost-sharing reductions were worth billions to the insurance industry. So what will it do now? 

Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, passed a penny-per-ounce tax on soda late last year. The driving force was raising revenue in a state with deep budget woes. But legal challenges delayed the tax going into effect, and a strong campaign from the beverage industry has soured public opinion on the measure. It was repealed […]

In a tweet today, President Trump today took credit for the run-up in the stock market since the election. Then the president went on to say that “if Congress gives us the massive tax cuts (and reform) I am asking for, those numbers will grow by leaps and bounds.” Is there any evidence that the […]

The fourth round of NAFTA negotiation talks begin today in Arlington, Virginia. President Trump reiterated threats to pull out of the deal in an interview with Forbes Magazine published Tuesday just as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on his way to D.C. to meet with him. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned Trump against […]

In the midst of NAFTA negotiations, a schism has grown between President Trump and the business sector. Tom Donohue, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce — called the Trump administration’s negotiating tactics on the trade deal an existential threat to it. Donohue’s comments come as negotiations to […]

The Environmental Protection Agency has started the process to repeal the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era measure to reduce emissions from power plants. In his announcement, Scott Pruitt characterized the repeal as an end to a “war on coal.” But in the real world of energy markets, not a whole lot is expected to change. […]

For the time being at least, Congress is not going to repeal Obamacare. But President Trump knows there’s a lot he can do on his own. There are reports that he’s going to issue an executive order this week, making it easier for insurers to sidestep ACA regulations and sell more bare bones, cheaper plans […]