Social Policy

Politics 16 hours ago

Feds try to eliminate housing for the deaf -- at complex built for hearing-impaired

Arizona is defying a federal order to eliminate apartments for deaf seniors at a housing complex built specifically -- for the deaf.

Politics 16 hours ago

What to Cut? Federal gov’t takes on more duties, as states take on less

CSX trains run over 21,000 miles of track in 23 eastern states -- part of a private, profitable company that delivers goods at competitive prices. It was born during the Reagan administration, put together from the rusty remnants of Conrail, a government-run freight rail that, at its worst, was losing a million dollars a day.

Politics 16 hours ago

What to Cut? Gov’t finds wasteful spending hard to shake

In the realm of government excesses, it's hard to top a series of grants recently awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities that have drawn the scrutiny of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

Politics 16 hours ago

IRS releases preliminary report on ObamaCare inquiries

The IRS on Saturday reported handling more than 330,000 requests from ObamaCare exchanges to calculate whether Americans are eligible for federal tax credits when purchasing insurance through the program.

Politics 16 hours ago

ObamaCare ‘Glitch’ Watch: Reporter seeking coverage ends up at vacant building

The launch of the ObamaCare exchanges is still off to a rocky start. Error messages continued to pop up on the main healthcare.gov site on Tuesday. And one Tennessee reporter has detailed her daylong, and ultimately unsuccessful, saga in trying to sign up for health care via the new insurance exchanges.

Politics 16 hours ago

ObamaCare's scope, rocky intro signals problems for Tuesday's start

Administration officials say ObamaCare is ready for its close-up, with enrollment in the newly created insurance “exchanges” set to start on Tuesday.

Politics 16 hours ago

ObamaCare online sign-up delayed for small firms

Small businesses seeking to buy health insurance under President Obama's health care law will have to wait a couple of months before they can complete the process online, administration officials said Thursday in the latest delay of the high-stakes rollout.

Politics 16 hours ago

Drumline: ObamaCare ads to co-opt high school marching bands next

The Oregon agency behind Obamacare-promoting, taxpayer-funded ads that have garnered national attention for their hipster and trippy vibes defended the spots Wednesday.

Politics 16 hours ago

Former President George H.W. Bush witness at Maine same-sex wedding

Former President George H.W. Bush was an official witness at the same-sex wedding of two longtime friends, his spokesman said.

Politics 16 hours ago

Premiums, plan choices unveiled for health overhaul plans

With new health insurance markets launching next week, the Obama administration is unveiling premiums and plan choices for 36 states where the federal government is taking the lead to cover uninsured residents.

Politics 16 hours ago

Theater owners brace for new rules on accommodating blind, deaf

Movie-house owners -- as well as disability advocates -- are anxiously awaiting the release of an Obama administration proposal that would require theaters to install expensive technology so deaf and blind patrons can enjoy their films.

Politics 16 hours ago

Poverty stuck at 15 percent -- record 46.5 million

The nation's poverty rate remained stuck at 15 percent last year despite America's slowly reviving economy, a discouraging lack of improvement for the record 46.5 million poor and an unwelcome benchmark for President Barack Obama's recovery plans.

Politics 16 hours ago

Government failed to reduce ‘food insecurity’ despite spending billions more

Despite a $6 billion increase in food assistance spending, there was no reduction in the number of American households that are "food insecure," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Politics 16 hours ago

'Cadillac' tax on generous health plans draws union, employer ire

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is so angry over the so called "Cadillac" tax, which proposes a 40 percent levy on generous health plans, it is breaking from the AFL-CIO, which it accused of supporting the measure.

Politics 16 hours ago

Congress looking into VA bonuses amid agency problems

A Republican-led House committee is looking into the Department of Veterans Affairs awarding roughly $573,000 in bonuses as the agency continues to try to fix a list of problems -- highlighted by a backlog of hundreds of thousands of veterans’ claims.

Politics 16 hours ago

Obama honors shooting victims, urges Americans to help stop gun violence

President Obama paid tribute Sunday to the 12 civilians killed last week in the Washington Navy Yard shootings and urged Americans to help take guns “out of the hands of criminal and dangerous people.”

Politics 16 hours ago

'Red line' just one of roughly 500 Obama promises that have come and gone

President Obama vowing that Syria would “cross a red line” by using chemical weapons is far from the only marker he’s laid down or promise he’s tried to keep since running for president in 2008.

Politics 16 hours ago

Obama administration reportedly readies proposed expansion of background checks

Advisers to President Barack Obama reportedly are finalizing a proposal to expand background checks on gun buyers without congressional approval.

Politics 16 hours ago

Medicare bought meds for dead people

Call it drugs for the departed: Medicare's prescription program kept paying for costly medications even after patients were dead.

Politics 16 hours ago

Feds spend $2 million to get elderly to join choirs

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has spent more than $2 million to promote how joining a community choir can be beneficial to older adults.

Politics 16 hours ago

Obama: Campus sexual assault an affront to humanity

Amid a new focus on violence against women, President Barack Obama kicked off a star-powered campaign Friday against campus sexual assault particularly targeted at encouraging men to take a stand.

Politics 16 hours ago

After senator’s investigation, ‘no welfare for weed’ bill passes House

The House has passed a “no welfare for weed” bill, meaning welfare recipients may soon be barred from using their benefits to purchase marijuana.

Politics 16 hours ago

Cuts to food stamps will only hit 4 states

Cuts to the nation's food stamp program enacted this year are only affecting four states, far from the sweeping overhaul that Republicans had pushed, an Associated Press review has found.

Politics 16 hours ago

White House reportedly assures Hill lawmakers about executive action this year on immigration reform

The White House this week assured anxious Hispanic lawmakers on Capitol Hill that President Obama will use executive action before the holiday season closes to reform U.S. immigration law, after breaking his pledge to make changes by the end of summer.

Politics 16 hours ago

Obama's delay on immigration action brings storm of criticism from Hispanics, liberal supporters

Immigration-reform advocates expressed their objections Saturday to President Obama’s delaying executive action to fix U.S. immigration policy, including cries of bitter disappointment and accusations that the president has caved to election-year politics.

Politics 16 hours ago

Census figures show more than one-third of Americans receiving welfare benefits

Fifty years after the “war on poverty” was first waged, there are signs a new offensive is needed.

Politics 16 hours ago

Feds creating database to track hate speech on Twitter

The federal government is spending nearly $1 million to create an online database that will track “misinformation” and hate speech on Twitter.

Politics 16 hours ago

Administration closing shelters for illegal immigrants at military bases

The government said Monday it will soon close three emergency shelters it established at U.S. military bases to temporarily house children caught crossing the Mexican border alone. It said fewer children were being caught and other shelters will be adequate.

Politics 16 hours ago

Government spending $200,000 to study ‘gender bias’ on Wikipedia

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is spending over $200,000 to find out why Wikipedia is sexist.

Politics 16 hours ago

Obama to sign orders protecting gay employees

President Barack Obama plans to sign executive orders Monday prohibiting discrimination against gay and transgender workers in the federal government and its contracting agencies, without a new exemption that was requested by some religious organizations.

Politics 16 hours ago

Feds spent $430,608 to get mothers to dance with their daughters

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) spent nearly $500,000 to study how getting mothers to dance with their daughters can fight obesity.