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Federal funding cuts have claimed their latest victim. On Friday, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced that it will wind down operations in light of a fatal federal funding shortfall. The Trump administration asked for the targeted cuts in a rescissions request coupled with a major pullback in spending on foreign aid earlier this year. Congress ultimately complied and in July voted to slash $1.1 billion in federal funding from the CPB. The Republican-led measure was split along party lines, with no Democrats voting in its favor. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private nonprofit, was authorized by Congress in 1967 to manage funding for public media in the U.S. as part of President Lyndon Johnsons sweeping domestic policy agenda. Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country, CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said. We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people. The organization funds the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio, and 1,500 local TV and radio stations. Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, two icons of American public television, were made possible with funding through the CPB. While PBS and NPR rely less heavily on government funds, federal money is crucial to member stations in rural areas. Those outlets face an existential threat from the cutsthe latest death knell for local news in the U.S.
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Ford is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles over concerns that problems with the power brake assist system could lead to a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the safety notice, noting that the issue could extend stopping distances for a vehicle in motion. The affected vehicles are 2025 versions of Fords Lincoln Navigator SUV, F-150 and Ranger trucks, and Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger SUVs. According to the NHTSA, the vehicles might also experience malfunctions in the electronic brake booster (EBB) module when using the advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, which could similarly interfere with the power brake assist system and cause an accident. For affected vehicles, the EBB issue can be resolved with an over-the-air software update or at a dealership for free. The new recall is the latest in a spate of recent recalls for the automaker. In July, Ford recalled almost 700,000 vehicles over a fuel leak problem that could cause a fire under the hood. That recall, which impacted some Bronco Sport and Ford Escape models, was the result of a yearlong investigation into ongoing problems with the vehicles fuel injectors. Just prior to that, an even wider recall was issued over worries about the low-pressure fuel pump on more than 850,000 Ford vehicles. Car recalls are on the rise broadly, but Fords issues stand out. The manufacturer tops the list for the most vehicle recalls in the U.S., though the companys leadership hopes to nip future issues in the bud by holding new vehicles for an extra phase of quality checks. What were going to see long term is fewer recalls and lower warranty costs because of this new process, Ford CEO Jim Farley said in an earnings call last year.
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If a new experiment pans out, Medicaid and Medicare could begin covering the costly weight-loss drugs that price out many Americans who might want to try them. After killing a Biden-era plan with the same goal, the Trump administration is working on a five-year pilot program that would allow state Medicaid programs and Medicares prescription plan to opt into covering drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro for weight management, The Washington Post reports. During its final months, the Biden administration proposed expanding Medicaid and Medicare coverage for popular weight-loss drugs, extending it to roughly 7.5 million people enrolled in those programs. In April, the Trump administration tossed that plana move that was somewhat expected, given Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s vocal opposition to the weight-loss drugs that have taken America by storm. Now, something very similar appears to be back on the table. Differences of opinion Kennedys view is at odds with other members of the Trump administration, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz, a former surgeon best known as a daytime television personality prior to joining the federal government, has long boosted weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Ill respect you no matter what your weight might be, but for those who want to lose a few pounds, Ozempic and other semaglutide medications can be a big help, Oz said in a social media post in 2023. We need to make it as easy as possible for people to meet their health goals, period. Oz has been paid to promote the drugs in the past. In 2019, Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk sponsored a nine-minute-long infomercial on Ozs daytime talk show praising the benefits of using Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes. On the other side of the coin, Kennedy at HHS is staunchly opposed to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and has made misleading claims about the class of drugs in the past. Theyre counting on selling it to Americans because were so stupid and so addicted to drugs, Kennedy said in an interview he shared on Instagram last year. Kennedy, a prominent figure in anti-vaccine circles before joining the Trump administration, has a long track record of elevating health conspiracy theories, even while promoting other commonsense ideas around health and wellness. Kennedy, who opposes the use of many prescription medications, believes that the prominence of processed foods in the American diet is a root cause of many of the countrys health woes. What is the status now? While Medicaid and Medicare dont evenly cover GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss, 13 state Medicaid programs do offer coverage to treat obesity. For people on Medicaid and Medicare, coverage is much more widely available when GLP-1 drugs are prescribed for Type 2 diabetes. The Washington Post reports that the trial program is slated to start in April 2026 for Medicaid and in January 2027 for Medicare. The program is connected to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which experiments with new ways to lower costs and deliver coverage for people enrolled in those subsidized insurance programs. According to documents viewed by The Post, the program has yet to be finalized. Whether it goes into effect or not, the experimental plan to extend coverage shows that the anti-Ozempic faction of the Trump administration might find itself overruled when it comes to the weight-loss drug.
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