Transcript

10.2.25 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of Today's Washington Post. It is Thursday,
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October the second of twenty twenty five, and your reader
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is Alice Finger. With the reminder that RADIOI is for
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those blind or with other difficulties in holding of reading
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printed material. So I will start with today's headlines at
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the very top left, going about two thirds of the
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way across the paper, Pentagon Planning polygraphs in DA's to
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Stop Leaks by Alex Horton, Tara Copp and Ellen Nakamara Nakashima.
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And to the right of that, in big capital, strong
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bold letters, administration flexes its power doing shutdown, blaming democrats,
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its warns of layoffs, white house blocks, blue straight infrastructure
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products projects by Jacob Bogaje, Riley Began, Hannah Naddiston Nunn
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and Olivia George. Right underneath the polygraph one, there is
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a picture on the front page entitled scores killed in Philippines.
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Earthquake six point nine magnitude Trembla in the Central Philippines
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killed at least sixty nine people, authority said, with casualty
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numbers expected to rise above. A victim's body is recovered
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Wednesday in the city of Bogo, and you see people
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in orange and yellow hard hats. They are carrying out
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one body and the others are standing respectfully there to
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respect the remains of the dead. And then there are
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two cases. They look like little cases that one takes
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on the plane within the animal in it, but rubble
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around it. Below that Trump fires most members of Humanities Council,
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and to the right of that, d C Police still
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teeming up with federal agents. Well, the fires most members
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of the Humanities Council. Sorry, it's about Janey Kingsbury, Kelsey
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Abeles and Travis m Andrews. The DC Police teaming up
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of federal agents, some leaders alarmed as patrols continued despite
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end of Trump emergency by Emma Uber and Tao Armas.
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And then at the very bottom of the front page,
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on the left side, cook can remain on fed board
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for now. Justice is rule, justin juvenile and Andrew Ackerman
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wrote that article. And then a beloved, beloved, well known person,
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Jane Goodall, has died. She was born in nineteen thirty
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four and died last day before yesterday or yesterday. A
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friend to chimpanzees, she revolutionized primatology. Her work has been
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described as among the Western world's great scientific achievements. And
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there's a picture of her playing with her chimpanzee balsati
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at this used Sweet Waters Chimpanzee sanctuary near Nanyud, north
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of Nairobi in nineteen ninety seven. And this is by
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Emma Brown. I hope I have time to read that article.
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She was an amazing person at first article. Trump administration
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seeks to exert control over government shutdown. Officials canceled projects
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in democratic states, posted partisan messages on government websites, and
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warned that federal layoffs will begin soon. There is a
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picture of a very dark room. The shutdown began at
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twelve o one am yesterday after Congress deadlocked over how
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to exert spending. And this looks like it might be
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in the Capitol building with statues, but it's dark and
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a huge gold framed picture on the wall. By Jacob Bogage,
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Riley Began, Hannah Nattison, and Olivia George. The Trump administration
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began to exert its power over the government shutdown Wednesday,
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blaming Democrats for imminent layoffs of federal workers, tying up
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infrastructure projects in blue states, and posting partisan messages on
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government websites that deflected blame for the stoppage in crucial
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federal services. Most federal government functions were halted after funding
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ran out and government deadlocked over how to extend spending laws.
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Vice President J. D. Band said that officials were going
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to have to lay some people off during a prolonged
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shutdown to prioritize funding for essential services, though the size
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of the federal workforce is unrelated to the country's financial health.
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During elapse in funding, Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a
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Republican bill that would have extended federal resources for seven weeks.
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Republicans in the Chamber blocked a Democratic bill they would
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have done the same while also extending subsidies for health
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insurance coverage. The GOP bill failed again on a Wednesday vote.
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Congress will be off Thursday for Yam Kapoul, the Jewish
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day of atonement. The two sides and the White House
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have dug in. Donald Trump and Republicans have barreled us
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into a shutdown because they refused to protect Americans' healthcare.
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Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schima, Democrat of New York,
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set on the floor of the Chamber vance speaking from
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the White House Press Briefing Room shot back that Democrats
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were holding government services hostage to achieve unrelated policy goals,
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which he falsely said mostly centered on providing health care
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to undocumented immigrants who are ineligible for federal benefits. But
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he and GOP lawmakers did indicate that they'd be willing
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to talk about extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to
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expire at year's end if the government was funded fix
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America's problems. Let's work together to solve them. But let's
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reopen the government before we have our negotiation about health
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care policy, Vance said on Wednesday. The lapse in financing
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means that government functions such as small business loan services,
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national park operations, and job training for veterans will stop
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until lawmakers approve more money. Federal work vital to national
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security will continue, though employees, including many service members and
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law enforcement offices, will go unpaid. Vance said that Trump
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administration will fire federal workers to do a little triage
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to make sure the most critical and most essential services
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are provided in actuality. In a shutdown. The President and
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White House Budget Office determine which federal activities continue based
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on national security, and if parts of the govern have
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money leftover from other funding sources. In a call with
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host Republicans, White House Budget Director Russell Vought said that
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new federal layoffs will begin within a few days, according
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to three people on the call, speaking on the condition
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of anonymity to discuss the private conversation, Vod also cautioned
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lawmakers that the anti hunger program for women, infants, and children,
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known as WICK, will run out of money next week.
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Trump had indicated Tuesday that he would leverage the shutdown
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to inflict pain on programs and workers that Democrats prioritize.
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On Wednesday, VOT said the administration will use the shutdown
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to block funding from infrastructure projects in states run by Democrats.
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The administration announced it will withhold roughly eighteen billion dollars
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in federal fronts from two major New York transportation projects,
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the Second Avenue Subway and the Hudson Tunnel to New Jersey,
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until they can be further reviewed for alleged discriminatory practices.
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The move appeared to designed to precious shuma. The Transportation
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Department said the pause came because the staff reviewing the
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projects had been furloughed. Bodd also announced the cancelation of
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an eight billion dollar project in green energy projects in
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states with Democratic senators. Democrats sharply criticized those moves. Cruelty
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is the point when it comes to the Republican Party hosts.
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Minority Leader Hakim Jeffreys, Democrat of New York told reporters
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there were some signs, however, faint that lawmakers were trying
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to break the deadlock. A group of nearly twenty senators
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from both parties discussed possible options to env the shutdown
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in an informal meeting on the Senate floor mid morning.
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Those senators are trying to find a good faith way
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to move forward to get the ACA tax credit that
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we want and also some of the appropriations that they're
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asking for, said Senator Reuben Galigo, Democrat of Arizona, who
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was part of the conversation. But we have a trust
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issue obviously with the House and what they're going to do.
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The shutdown is the first since January twenty nineteen, and
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the fourth of Trump's two terms. This time, White House
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officials have signaled plans to use the agency closings as
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a way to vastly reshape the federal government and consolidate
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power under the presidency. Federal workers began trickling into their
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offices Wednesday morning, many awaiting instructions as to what they
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were supposed to be doing. Some had been deemed accepted
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and told to keep working, some were only showing up
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to collect their things before going on furlough, and some
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weren't clear on their status. According to interviews with more
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than three dozen employees dotted throughout the government. At the
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State Department, some former employees who lost their jobs in
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July layoffs were mistakenly sent shutdown messages delivered to their
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personal email accounts, telling them that they were furloughed or
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that they were required to report to the office as
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an essential worker. You must report to work on your
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next regularly scheduled work day. One such message, sent to
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a former staffer and obtained by The Washington Post. We
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appreciate your understanding in this matter. There was some confusion
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among workers Wednesday, as they showed up at offices and
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prepared to stay away or work unpaid until the standoff
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is resolved. One Federal Aviation Administration staff, speaking on the
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condition of anonymnity for feav Reprazo, said he was told
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only that his agency remained funded through Friday to facilitate
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and ortally shut down, but he said he had no
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idea what might happen after that. He arrived in the
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office Wednesday morning to close out everything he was working on,
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he said, and conferred with bewildered colleagues. I was just
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in the cafeteria to get coffee and its equal parts,
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we are what are we doing here? And when do
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we find out if we're being furloughed, fired or laid off,
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the FAA employee said. He added that everyone is expecting
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to get laid off, in line with warnings from the administration.
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We're all just waiting. We're all so demoralized. Some agencies
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pushed partisan messaging about the shutdown, as they had as
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the deadline neared Tuesday. Ethics experts warned that such moves
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might violate the Hatch Act, which barrows most civil service
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employees in the executive branch from engaging in political advocacy
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or activity. The Justice Department and the Department of Housing
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and Urban Development updated their websites to say that Democrats
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had forced the closure, as did the US Forest Service.
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The radical left Democrats shut down the government. The Forest
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Service site announced this government website will be updated periodically
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during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump
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has made it clear he wants to keep the government
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open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the
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American people in the district. Officials worried that the city's
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already battered economy is poised to take another hit. The
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Tourism Marketing Organization has relaunched its DC is Open campaign,
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trying to amplify the message that despite the shutdown, the
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nation's capital remains open to visitors. D C Destination d C,
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which debuted the campaign during an October twenty thirteen shutdown,
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has compiled an online list of open museums, music venues,
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and other attractions plus and pac faq. All free Smithsonian museums,
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including the National Zoo, remain open through at least Monday
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because of leftover funding from previous years. The shutdown was
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the accumulation of a struggle between the White House and
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to Congress that has built all year. Trump has claimed
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sweeping power over government spending, disrupting congressional negotiation of a
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funding for the physical year that began Wednesday. Trump has
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tried the block spending already written into law, angering Democrats
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and some Republicans who say he's usurping authority that the
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legislative branch has under the Constitution. The Government Accountability Office,
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an independent arm of Congress, has ruled several times this
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year that Trump is illegally holding back funds, a maneuver
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known as impoundment. The tension dates to Trump's first term,
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when his refusal to release congressionally approved security assistance funding
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for Ukraine helped spark a House impeachment. Though he was
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acquitted in the Senate, Trump and bought a leading buosta
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of the executive's impounterment power have been bolder in Trump's
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second term, challenging Congress with what's known or what are
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known as pocket recisions, which block agencies from spending money
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at the end of the physical year, even if law
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makers reauthorize the funds. Some of those moves have been
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subject to litigation. When issuing instructions for how to prepare
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for and emerge from the shutdown, omb has told agencies
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to rely on Trump's budget, an aspirational document that does
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not carry the force of law, rather than funding laws
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already in force. In a shutdown, the White House has
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broad latitude to determine which federal offices remain open and
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which are sidelined. The IRS, for example, is generally considered
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non essential during shutdowns. The Trump administration opt to keep
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it open, running on money from President Joe Biden and
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Democrats twenty twenty two Inflation Reduction Act, which included tens
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of billions of dollars to revamp IRS, technology, and taxpayer services,
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spending what Republicans had sought to counsel. Trump's military deployments
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to major American cities are expected to continue, as will
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his immigration crack down and deportations. The military and law
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enforcement are generally considered essential. Besides that, both the Pentagon
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and Department of Homeland Security received additional money in Trump's
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One Big, Beautiful Bill, which could provide even more flexibility.
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Most big social benefit programs, which drive the vast majority
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of federal spending, will remain open during the shutdown. Social Security, Medicare,
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and Medicaid are funded through separate tax receipts rather than
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annual appropriations. Mail delivery will also continue. The US Postal
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Service is generally funded through the sale of postage, but
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broad swaths of the federal government will close. Most of
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the Labor Department, including the Veteran's Employment and Training Service
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and Bureau of Labour Statistics, which collects and publishes data
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about the US economy, will shut up. National parks with
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accessible areas, including roads, trails, and open air memorials, will
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generally remain open, while anything with the door or a
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gate that can be secured will close, including buildings and
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parking lots. According to an internal National Park Service message
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to staff reviewed by the Post, that means such as
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the interior of the Washington Monument or museums at Harpers
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Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia will probably close,
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while major parks such as Yellowstone in Wyoming or Zion
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in Utah will still largely be accessible. Parks can use
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income from fees collected from visitors to maintain minimum services
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such as trash collection, campground operations, and restroom cleanup at
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sites that remain open. According to the message sent to
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staff from National Park Service Acting Director Jessica Browen. Perenne.
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Interior Department and National Park Service officials did not return
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a request for comment, and Perenne practically all federal research
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activities will stop, along with certain public health work at
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the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease
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Control and Prevention. Most activities at the Environmental Protection Agency,
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including environmental inspections, will cease, so will visit the access
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to the National Zoo in Washington when its existing funding
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runs out. Employees will continue to care for the animals
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hosted there. Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs in DA's non
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disclosure agreements to staunch leaks. Thousands of uniformed and civilian
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officials would be required to sign non disclosure agreements and
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take lie detective tests as defend Secretary Pete Hegseth ramps
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up war on leakers. And there is a picture. It's
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very dark pictures, but light sort of focused on large
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ribbons and medals pend on the soldiers on the shoulders
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of these military leaders. I mean one is like three
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inches about three inch square, and the others two and
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a half two and a half inch square of multi
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colored ribbons signifying where they have served, and then below
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them two medals of where they have also served showing rank.
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This is about Alex Horton, terror cop and E. Nakashima.
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The Pentagon plans to impose strict non disclosure agreements and
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random polygraph testing for scores of people in its headquarters,
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including many top officials. According to two people familiar with
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the proposal and documents obtained by the Washington Post, escalating
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's war on leakers and internal descent,
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all military service members, civilian employees, and contract workers within
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the Office of the Defense Secretary and the Joint Staff,
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estimated to be more than five thousand personnel, would be
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required to sign a non disclosure agreement that prohibits the
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release of non public information without approval or through a
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defined process, According to a draft membo from Deputy Defense
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Secretary Steve Feinberg, a separate document, also from Feinberg would
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establish a program to randomly polygraph those officials. The documents
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do not prescribe a limit on who would be subjected
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to these agreements and tests, suggesting it could include anyone
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from four star generals to administrative assistance. The efforts are
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part of a widest strategy by the Trump administration and
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the Pentagon to paradute officials deemed insufficiently loyal or who
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provide information to reporters. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined
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to answer questions about the new planned directives, saying in
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an email that the Post reporting is untrue and irresponsible.
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Former officials and national security lawyers pointed to already existing
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restrictions and penalties for unauthorized release of information, indicating these
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new measures were meant to further frighten and deter personnel.
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This seems to be far more who are directed at
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ensuring loyalty to DoD the Department of Defense and the
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Trump administration leadership, rather than countering any foreign espionage, said
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Mark Zaid, a lawyer who has represented multiple whistle blowers
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and government officials targeted by the Trump administration. Zaida added
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there are reasons why individuals were not required to take
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polygraphs before, and I would question why now the polygraph
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and an overbroad DNA is being required, other than to
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intimidate the workforce and ensure tighter control. The Pentagon wrinkled
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the White House earlier this year, after it had begun
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using polygraphs to search for people leaking information to the
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news media. A political appointee and heg Seth adviser Patrick Weaver,
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complained to White House officials this spring with concerns that
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he and members of his team could soon be ordered
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to submit to a polygraph test. The White House intervened
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to temporarily end the practice. The Pentagons proposed DNA that
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is not DNA because that is do not revive proposed
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inn DA prohibits personnel from providing any information that is
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not public without approval or through a defund process, which
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aligns with language The Defense Department is currently requiring reporters
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to sign to maintain their Pentagon Press credentials. It is
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one of many policies being rolled out by hag Seth,
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including new limits on the military's independent service Inspectors General
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and equal Opportunity offices that may ultimately reduce the number
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of avenues service members or defense personnel have to point
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out potential problems in the Pentagon without going through their
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chain of command. The protection of sensitive information is paramount
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to our national security, the safety of our war fighters,
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and the preservation of critical decision space for our senior leaders,
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Finberg wrote in the NDA policy memo. Failure to comply,
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he said, could result in punishment, including through the military's
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justice system, for service members who do not sign it.
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Federal law makes it a crime for personnel to disclose
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classified information to unauthorized individuals. Federal regulations further bar personnel
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from disclosing sensitive but unclassified information, which can result in
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administrative or political or criminal punishment. The unsigned and undated
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document is still in the deliberation stage and has not
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yet been approved, said one of the officials, who, like others,
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spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive
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nature of the documents. Another document outlines the establishment of
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a random polygraph program I detected test every few years,
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a standard procedure in the intelligence community as a requirement
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to retain a security clearance, and the FBI has begun
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using them to identify the source of information leaks to
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the media, but the use of random polygraphs that the
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Pentagon would be new. According to find Berg's directive and
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former senior officials, staff in the Office of the Secretary
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of Defense and the Joint Staff who have access to
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classified information are currently not required to submit to random
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polygraph testing. Feinberg wrote, under the proposed policy, those staff
26:55
would now face randomized polygraph testing and regular security the
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evaluation interviews. There may be some goodness in doing this,
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said a former senior defense official who held the clearance
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and who liked several others interviewed, spoke on the condition
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of an anonymity because of the matter of sensitivity, but
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the former official said it is apparent that the real
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concern is not about foreign intelligence. It's about tamping down
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people who they think are leaking to the press. Those
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are pucker factor scare tactics. The overriding theme here is
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to try and cause as much fear in the workplace
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as possible. The former official also noted the redundancy of
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the proposed non disclosure agreement. If you have contacts with
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the press, you're supposed to disclose them. If you have
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a speaking engagement, you're supposed to have your remarks cleared,
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regardless of whether the event is classified or unclassify. If
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you read into intelligence programs, you're already covered by the
28:06
non disclosure obligation. The official said there were new use
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of polygraphs in NDA's commas. Hegseth is pushing for extraordinary
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restrictions on reporters at the Pentagon that would further shield
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his decisions from public scrutiny. Heg Seth's administration has held
28:26
very few press engagements in the main Pentagon Briefing Room
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only six since January. Two of those times occurred directly
28:35
after the high profile B two bomba strikes in Iran
28:38
this June. Previous administrations conducted regular weekly press briefings between
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the Defense Secretary spokesman and reporters to answer questions on
28:49
military operations. Heg Seth has engaged with reporters on some
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of his trips, although his office has limited what press
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traveled with him, and those engagements have dwindled over the
29:02
past few months. Chairman of the Joint Stefs of chaff Staff,
29:06
General Dan Kine, has yet to independently brief the media
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or take reports on reporters on trips as his predecessors did.
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Hagsheth's staff, under his orders, have kicked many news organizations
29:21
out of the desks they had inside the building and
29:25
issued guidance to the military services to cut down on
29:28
their press engagements. More recently, the Pentagon has issued a
29:33
requirement that reporters covering the military sign an agreement not
29:38
to solicit or gather any information, even unclassified, that hasn't
29:43
been expressly authorized for release, the penalty for which could
29:47
be press credential revocation. Reporters have until later this month
29:54
to agree to those reterms. The Defense Department has isolated
29:59
itself further by canceling long standing engagements at think tank
30:04
events and forums where experts mingle with military leaders to
30:08
discuss national security priorities. The Pentagon said in July that
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pulling out of events and public talks was an attempt
30:18
to ensure the Department of Defense is not lending its
30:22
name and credibility to organizations, forums, and events that run
30:27
counter to the values of this administration. White House fire
30:34
as much of the National Council on the Humanities fired.
30:39
Council members said the terminations were abrupt. An agency website
30:44
listed only four Trump appointees remaining on the board, which
30:49
advises the National Endowment for the Humanities, by Janey Kingsbury,
30:55
Kelsey Abeles, and Travis m Andrews. The White House on
31:01
Wednesday abruptly fired a large share of the council members
31:05
advising the National Endowment for the Humanities, retaining only four
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appointees of President Donald Trump, according to terminated members reached
31:15
by The Washington Post and an updated list on the
31:19
agency's website. On behalf of President Donald Trump, I am
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writing to inform you that your position as a member
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of the National Council on the Humanities is determinated effective immediately,
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read an e mail sent to Council members Wednesday morning,
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according to a copy review by The Post, thank you
31:43
for your service. The letter was signed by Mary Sprawls
31:48
of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. A White House
31:53
spokesperson told the Post in an email that the President
31:57
is hoping to place members on the board who align
32:01
more closely with his vision. The National Council on Humanities,
32:06
a board of twenty six scholars and humanities leaders appointed
32:11
by the President to six year terms, advises the Council
32:15
of the NYH on grant making, policy and funding decisions.
32:21
Members are not salaried, but receive some compensation for travel
32:25
and time spent in meetings. Before the government shutdown began Wednesday,
32:32
the members were scheduled to attend a special meeting next
32:35
week to submit nominations for the National Humanities Medal, considered
32:40
three sole source grant applications, and review statute proposals for
32:47
Trump's National Garden of American Heroes. According to a copy
32:51
of the meeting notice reviewed by the Post, by Law,
32:56
the Council meetings require a quorum of fourteen, and new
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members must be confirmed by the Senate. By late Wednesday morning,
33:06
the council's website had been updated to show only four members,
33:10
Russell A. Berman, Kegan F. Hallanon, William English, and Matthew Rose.
33:19
Some of the members whose names were removed from the
33:23
website had been appointed by Trump. Claire McCaffrey Griffin, a
33:28
retired teacher brought on by the Trump during his first administration,
33:33
said she was surprised but how terse the email was.
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While noting she doesn't know what went on behind the scenes,
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she says she's disappointed that the White House did not
33:43
appear to take a more nuanced approach in making decisions,
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adding I think I've been a pretty prudent steward of
33:53
taxpayer dollars. Griffin said she was really looking forward to
34:00
slaying a role and bringing some of the President's vision
34:04
to life, pointing as an example to the National Garden
34:08
of American Heroes, something that I wholeheartedly supported. She called
34:15
the four still listed council members fought ful and outstanding
34:19
scholars with whom she usually agreed. Among other Trump employtees
34:25
who were apparently fired, Marjorie Fisher could not immediately be
34:29
reached for carment, and Kathy Hicks or Brick declined a comment.
34:35
One member who was fired noted that the board now
34:38
consists only of white men. I am not totally shocked,
34:43
said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity
34:47
to discuss a personal matter. But at a time where
34:51
we are about to celebrate the country's two hundred and
34:53
fiftieth birthday, we now have a council that does not
34:57
reflect all Americans. The statute establishing the council says the
35:03
President shall give due regard to equitable representation of women, minorities,
35:11
and individuals with disabilities when selecting members. The NEEH did
35:17
not immediately respond to her request for comment. Karen A. Stowe,
35:23
head of the community college group Achieving the Dream and
35:27
a member of the council since twenty twenty two, learned
35:31
of the news while speaking to a Post reporter. She
35:34
said that as of early Wednesday afternoon, she had not
35:38
yet received a notice of her apparent firing. This is just, frankly,
35:44
very disappointing all of us, no matter who appointed us.
35:48
We're proud to serve on the council and We're doing
35:50
our best under both administrations to honor the work of
35:54
the Council and the direction of the administrations, she said,
35:59
adding I never looked at my colleagues on the Council
36:02
as Trump or Obama or Biden appointees state. The former
36:09
president of Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania, said she's
36:14
seen the direct benefits of the council's work in the
36:17
community in the college's community, as concerned about what this
36:21
move means for investments in the humanities moving forward. The
36:27
Council benefits from multiple perspectives, she said, describing respectful conversations
36:34
that reflected a diversity of opinions. She said the council
36:38
had met twice since Trump returned to office. I just
36:43
fear that there will not be that kind of discourse anymore.
36:47
There will be one perspective, she said. The NEEH was
36:53
founded in nineteen sixty five alongside the National Endowment for
36:57
the Arts to support human initiatives across the country. While
37:03
its budget is relative, heiny relative to other federal agencies,
37:07
state and judicial jurisdictional humanity councils describe the funding it
37:14
provides as crucial. Trump is proposed eliminating the two endowment agencies,
37:21
though Congress has so far declined to do so. In April,
37:25
the NEH cut staff a law with at least twelve
37:30
hundred grants, stripping millions of dollars of previously approved funding
37:35
from state humanities councils, museums, historic sites, archives, and cultural groups.
37:42
Federal courts have so far pushed back on key elements
37:46
of the administration's attempts to overhaul the agencies. Judges in
37:51
July and August issued injunctions as lawsuits against the any
37:55
h's mass cancelation of previously approved grants for seeds, according
38:01
September rule that the NEA's policy on evaluating grants for
38:06
gender ideology violated the First Amendment. In April, EH acting
38:13
chair Michael McDonald's told members of the National Council that
38:17
some EH and NEA funds would be directed to the
38:22
President's proposed National Garden of American Heroes, as well as
38:28
next year's celebrations for the two hundred and fiftieth anniversaries
38:31
of the country's founding. The agency has since made fewer grants,
38:37
in some cases large awards to projects alliance with the
38:40
semi Quincentennial or the administration's cultural agenda. Last month, it
38:47
awarded ten point four million dollars, its largest grant ever,
38:52
to Tikwa, a think tank and education center that describes
38:57
its mission as advancing Jewish excellence in Western civilization through
39:02
education and ideas. Health Care is key for Democrats and
39:12
shut down fight. Here's what to know. Democrats were seeking
39:17
to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans falsely claimed Democrats
39:23
wanted to give undocumented immigrants full health benefits, but Nihaimashi,
39:31
Bart Shannanan, and Marianna Alfaro. The federal government shut down
39:37
early Wednesday following an acrimonious deadlock in Congress over spending,
39:42
in which Democrats have sought to put a spotlight on
39:45
health care subsidies and who is eligible to receive coverage.
39:50
Senate Democrats rejected a Republican led proposal they would have
39:54
extended funding at current levels until November twenty first, voting
39:59
nearly along party lines. The shutdown is the first since
40:03
January twenty nineteen, when President Donald Trump was previously in office.
40:09
Democrats had said they could not support a GOP led
40:12
funding extension until Republicans agreed to certain concessions on health
40:17
care policy, primarily the continuation of pandemic era Affordable Care
40:23
Act subsidies that were set to expire by the end
40:27
of the year. Republicans countered those demands by falsely claiming
40:32
that Democrats were trying to force the government to provide
40:35
full health care benefits to undocumented immigrants. Trumps sweeping tax
40:41
and immigration bill, which was passed in July, rolled back
40:45
significant portions of the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare,
40:51
and Democrats had called for at least some of the
40:54
cuts to President Barack Obama's signature law to be reversed.
40:59
Here's what to know. What do Democrats say they want
41:04
in the shutdown House and Senate Democrats argue that Trump's
41:09
One Big, Beautiful Bill will increase health care costs for Americans,
41:14
and they said they would use what leverage they have
41:17
in the upper Chamber to try to secure changes to
41:20
provide relief for those affected. In a Monday meeting Monday
41:26
with Trump, Senator Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of
41:31
New York and House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffreys, Democrat of
41:34
New York raised some key request, including the extension of
41:39
subsidies for those with insurance through the ACA marketplace that
41:44
had been in place since the pandemic. They asked for
41:48
those requests to be included in the funding bill and
41:51
a guarantee from the White House not to unilaterally cut
41:55
health care funding later. Republicans, meanwhile, have said they are
42:02
willing to negotiate on the ACAS subsidy extension only when
42:07
the government is open again. Moderates have pushed for the extension,
42:12
but the more conservative members have voted to blocket, leaving
42:16
the parties split on the matter. The impact of not
42:21
extending the tax credits will probably be felt widely. With
42:26
the exploration of enhanced tax credits ACA marketplace, consumers, out
42:32
of pocket premiums will increase more than seventy five percent
42:36
on average, an analysis for health policy group KFF found Separately,
42:43
KFF found that Ensures media proposed premium increase for twenty
42:49
twenty six to be about eighteen percent, more than double
42:53
last year's medium proposed increase of seven percent without an
42:59
extension of the ACAS subsidies. The non partisan Congressional Office
43:04
Budget Office estimates that about four million people could lose
43:09
insurance coverage over the next decade. What do Republicans say
43:14
about health care for undocumented immigrants. Republican leaders have falsely
43:19
repeated the claim that Democratic lawmakers are trying to force
43:22
the government to offer full health care benefits to undocumented immigrants.
43:28
The Democrats want illegal aliens, many of them violent criminals,
43:33
to receive free health care, Trump said last week in
43:37
a post on truth Social He added, we cannot let
43:40
this happen. Vice President JD. Vance echoed that, saying on
43:46
x on September twenty fifth, that Democrats are about to
43:50
shut down the government because they demand we fund health
43:53
care for illegal aliens. An ex post from the Senate
43:57
Republicans account showed in his illustration of a ransom note
44:01
with a list of purported Democrat demands, including give illegal
44:07
aliens free healthcare. Are undocumented immigrants eligible for federally funded healthcare.
44:16
Undocumented immigrants, as well as many legal immigrants, are already
44:21
ineligible for most federal benefits. According to healthcare dot gov,
44:27
US citizens, US nationals, and lawfully present immigrants are eligible
44:34
for coverage through the health insurance marketplace. The website states
44:40
undocumented immigrants can't get marketplace health coverage. They may apply
44:46
for coverage on behalf of documented individuals on Tuesdays, Schuma
44:52
accused Republicans applying to the public by repeating their claim
44:56
that undocumented immigrants have access to federally funded healthcare. Republicans
45:03
know perfectly well that undocumented immigrants are already prohibited from
45:08
getting insurance of ACA, Medicare or Medicaid, she Mat told
45:14
reporters at the Capitol, adding they know perfectly well not
45:18
a single sentence or clause or comma that we're pushing
45:21
in air bill does that. But they're lying because they
45:25
know they're screwed. Republicans and the White House, however, have
45:30
taken up issue with Emergency Medicaid, a federal program that
45:34
reimburses hospitals nationwide for emergency care provided to uninsured people
45:40
who don't qualify for Medicaid because of their immigration status,
45:44
but that program does not provide coverage for individuals. Under
45:49
the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, emergency rooms are
45:54
obligated to treat everyone, including undocumented immigrants. If an undocked
46:00
documented immigrant is unable to pay an emergency room bill,
46:03
hospitals are left with the debt. An emergency Medicaid covers
46:08
that expense for hospitals. On Wednesday, Vance made clear that
46:13
Republicans want to change that. If you're an American citizen
46:19
and you've been to a hospital in the last few years,
46:21
you probably notice that wait times are especially large, and
46:25
very often somebody who's there in the emergency room waiting
46:29
is an illegal aliens. Why do those people get health
46:35
care benefits at hospitals paid for by American citizens, Vance
46:40
told reporters at the White House. However, according to KFF,
46:45
emergency Medicaid spending represented less than one percent of overall
46:50
Medicaid spending between physical years twenty seventeen and twenty twenty three.
46:56
As KFF experts explained in an analysis, if the old
47:00
emergency Medicaid, hospitals or state governments would be left with
47:03
the cost of emergency care. Republicans have also taken issue
47:08
with some state budgets funding healthcare for all immigrants, regardless
47:13
of their legal status. Fourteen states plus DC offer state
47:18
funded coverage for all children regardless of status, and seven states,
47:23
including California, Illinois, New York, Oregon plus DC, have expanded
47:29
state funded coverage to some income eligible adults regardless of
47:34
their immigration status. Three of these states, however, began scaling
47:39
back their coverage of immigrants because of budget constraints. Why
47:45
do Republicans say Democrats want one point five trillion in spending?
47:51
Last month, Democrats presented their own government funding extension plan
47:56
ahead of the shutdown deadline. In a statement and the plan,
48:00
Schima said the legislation would address the healthcare crisis that
48:05
President Trump and Republican lawmakers have single handedly created by
48:10
reversing the catastrophic health care cuts that would kick mediums
48:15
off their coverage and permanently extend the premium ACA tax credits.
48:22
Their proposed plans sought to make the ACA subsidies permanent
48:26
and reverse the one trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts in
48:30
Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. The proposal to make ACA
48:35
subsidies permanent would increase the deficit by almost three hundred
48:39
and fifty billion dollars in the next decade and increase
48:43
the number of people ensured by three point eight million.
48:46
A Congressional Budget Office analysis concluded Republicans attacked the Democrats
48:52
over their proposal, which also included language to increase oversight
48:57
of administration spending authorized by home and return millions of
49:01
dollars to public broadcasting, describing it as a one point
49:06
five trillion ransom note to taxpayers. They also cast the
49:12
shutdown as a deliberate ploy by the Democrats. Mary Levitt,
49:17
executive vice president for health policy at KFF, noted in
49:21
a Wednesday post on x that Democrats are pushing to
49:26
reverse Medicaid and ACA cuts, contrary to Republican talking points,
49:33
that would not in any way expand healthcare eligibility for
49:38
undocumented immigrants. He said, my last article journalists shoved by
49:46
federal agents outside New York Immigration court. Video shows masked
49:53
agents pushing two journalists to the ground, the latest confrontation
49:57
between immigration officials and those documenting their actions. And there
50:02
is a picture of Dean Moses, a photographer for AM
50:06
New York, being physically removed from an elevator. Masked men
50:12
with masks around their face and hats, black hats on
50:18
and he has on a black and white striped shirt
50:22
with sort of red dots in it, and you see
50:27
him being moved. This is by Rihanna Tucker. Masked federal
50:35
agents pushed two journalists to the ground in a hallway
50:38
outside of New York Immigration Court Tuesday morning, resulting in
50:42
one journalist receiving treatment by emergency medical personnel. The confrontation
50:48
unfolded outside twenty six Federal Plaza in Noah, Lower Manhattan.
50:53
According to video and witnesses. In the video, a masked
50:57
agent grabbed am New yorkjournalist Dean Moses from an elevator
51:02
while shirting at him to get aid. Olga Fedorova, a
51:06
freelance photojournalist, was also pushed by a second agent, knocking
51:11
her and another photo journalist, ivorl Ebol with the Turkish
51:16
news organization an Adoulu agency, to the ground. Ebol hid
51:22
his head on the floor and was seen clutching at
51:25
his head and torso. Video then appears to cut to
51:29
him being treated by emergency medical personnel, placed in a
51:33
neck brace and wheeled out on a stretcher. The Washington
51:37
Post was unable to independently confirm the extent of the
51:41
injuries or whether other journalists were also involved. Tricia McLaughlin,
51:46
a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, defended the
51:50
agent's actions. In a building that houses the Immigration Court
51:54
and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office office were
52:00
swarmed by agitators and members of the press, which obstructed operations.
52:05
McLoughlin said officers repeatedly told the crowd of agitators and
52:10
journalists to get back, move and get out of the elevator.
52:14
Rioters and sanctuary politicians who encourage individuals to interfere with
52:18
arrest are actively creating hostile environments that put officers, detainees,
52:23
and the public in harm's way, McLoughlin said in his
52:27
statement to the Post, adding that the ICE building in
52:31
New York had previously been the target of threats. Moses
52:36
Illobol and Federovra did not respond to a request for comment.
52:42
The clash is the latest confrontation as President Donald Trump
52:45
continues his aggressive crackdown on immigration. Journalists, demonstrators, and elected
52:51
officials seeking to document or protest immigration proceedings have at
52:56
times been arrested, denied access, or faced violent removals by
53:01
federal agents. A federal judge in September bared federal agents
53:05
with DHS and Los Angeles police from using crowd control
53:10
weapons against journalists, determining in the ruling that members of
53:14
law enforcement had retaliated against journalists covering the June and
53:18
July protest against immigration raids in the city. Tuesday's incident
53:24
also comes only days after an Ice agent at the
53:27
same Manhattan building was seen on video pushing a woman
53:31
to the ground and shouting adios Spanish for goodba. That
53:37
agent was initially relieved of his duties, but later returned
53:40
to work. CBS News reported. Pe n America, a nonprofit
53:47
group that advocates for the rights of journalists, criticized the
53:50
move as another attack by federal law enforcement on the
53:53
freedom of the press. This violent assault on journalists by
53:58
ice officers in US New York is another stark example
54:02
of federal law enforcement and immigration officials failing to respect
54:07
the essential watchdog role of an independent press, said Tim Richardson,
54:12
director of pe On America's Journalism and Disinformation program. Richardson added,
54:18
this latest incident is part of an alarming trend of
54:21
attacks on press freedom by the administration, putting journalists safety
54:27
and the public's right to information at serious risk. New
54:31
York Governor Kathy Hogel, Democrat, demanded an end to such
54:35
physical confrontations. This abuse of law abiding immigrants and the
54:41
reporters telling their stories must end, Hopel said in a
54:46
social media post. Had His minority leader Haqem Jeffreys, Democrat
54:51
of New York, said that federal agents involved in Tuesday's
54:54
incidents must be held accountable. This is just the late
55:00
outrage and a string of documented violence against law abiding
55:04
people exercising their rights. Jeffrey said in his statement, Americans
55:11
cannot and should not tolerate unaccountable massed secret police. These
55:16
agents need to be identified by DHS and held accountable
55:21
to the fullest extent of the law. Well ilied. Here's
55:25
the last article. Walmart to remove food dyes from its
55:30
great Value of our private labels. The nation's largest grosser
55:35
will exercise certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and fat substitutes from
55:43
its store brands as consumers shift to cleaner options. By
55:49
Shannon nam Zambadi, Walmart will stop using synthetic dyes and
55:55
certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and fat substitutes its private label offerings,
56:02
adding the world's largest retailer to the growing contingent of
56:05
brands moving to banish food additives amid questions about their
56:10
health risks. The announcement Wednesday come as consumers consumers are
56:16
pressing for healthier options, and as state and federal officials
56:20
cracked down on the use of petroleum based diyes in cereals, condiments,
56:24
and a variety of other foods. Northern Human Services Secretary
56:29
Robert F. Kennedy Junior, who has likened such additives to
56:34
poisonous compounds, said in April that the administration has reached
56:39
an understanding with the food industry to phase out several
56:43
colorings over the next few years. General Mills, Craft Hines,
56:48
and other food makers have since issued statements to that effect.
56:53
Walmart said it will exercise nearly thirty additives from its
56:58
private label food portfolio by January twenty twenty seven, including
57:03
its Great Value, Freshness Guaranteed Better Goods and market side brands,
57:10
but the retailer has also seen more consumers migrate to
57:14
products that are plant based or made with oat, dairy, gluten,
57:18
and similar ingredients in recent years since. Scott Morris, senior
57:23
president of Private brand's Food, Consumables and Manufacturing at Walmart,
57:28
what choppers have been most emphatic debout is a desire
57:31
for simpler ingredient list, he said. The truth of the
57:35
matter is, if you're young with a young family, ingredients
57:38
matter more than alva they ever have. If you're a boomer,
57:43
what you put in your body means more than it
57:45
ever has as well, and with that I am going
57:49
to stop reading Today's Washington Post for Thursday, the second
57:54
of October of twenty twenty five. Have a good day, day, drive,
58:01
stay cool, and I'll be back on Thursday. I mean
58:05
on Saturday. Bye.