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☆ Veteran who admitted faking disability to obtain more than $660,000 in benefits gets prison time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Fabiana Chaparro | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A US military veteran who admitted he faked being unable to walk for more than 20 years while claiming several hundred thousand dollars in disability benefits has been sentenced to prison time. Stultz had pleaded guilty to making false statements by faking the impairment that prevented him from walking to obtain veteran’s disability benefits, according to the US attorney’s office. In addition to his prison sentence, Stultz was ordered to pay $662,871.77 in restitution, which is the total amount he is said to have gained from veteran’s disability benefits. “The defendant lied to the VA for 20 years to obtain disability benefits he was not entitled to. According to court documents, Stultz has been in regular counseling since March 2020 along with physical therapy for several physical ailments.

Persons: Christopher Stultz, Stultz, ” Jane Young, “, ” Prosecutors, ”, Dorothy Graham Organizations: CNN, US Navy, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Prosecutors, ”, Disorders, ” CNN Locations: Antrim , New Hampshire, New Hampshire, “, Boston

☆ Veteran Collected Benefits After Lying About Purple Heart, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Claire Fahy | More About Claire Fahy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A woman in upstate New York was arrested on Wednesday and charged with fraudulently claiming to be a Purple Heart recipient, federal prosecutors said. The woman, Sharon Toney-Finch, 43, of Newburgh, N.Y., defrauded military charities and the Department of Veterans Affairs by lying about having received the Purple Heart, a military award given to those wounded or killed in action, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. Ms. Toney-Finch claimed that she had survived a terrorist attack on her convoy in Iraq while serving a tour in March 2010, the statement said. She also claimed to have been wounded in a mortar attack the preceding February. In March 2016, Ms. Toney-Finch began collecting disability benefits from the department after lying about getting injured during her military service, federal prosecutors said.

Persons: Sharon Toney, Finch, Damian Williams, Ms, Toney Organizations: Department of Veterans Affairs, Southern, of Locations: New York, Newburgh, N.Y, U.S, of New York, Iraq

☆ Senators blast Biden administration’s staffing plans for veterans’ healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Curt Devine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The top two senators on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs called the Biden administration’s plan to reduce veterans’ health care staffing a “mess” that could undercut the timing and quality of care. Their letter, obtained by CNN, called VA’s apparent “zero growth” policy a “drastic” and “shortsighted” decision. Though the VA told the committee that critical staff and some others would be exempt, Tester and Moran wrote that has not been the case. The VA has long been plagued by delays in health care. A decade ago, the Obama administration’s then-VA secretary, Eric Shinseki, resigned following revelations of sometimes deadly delays for veterans waiting for care at VA facilities.

Persons: Biden, Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, Sen, Jon Tester, Jerry Moran, Moran, “, …, Shereef Elnahal, Dr, Jason Crow, Helen H, Richardson, ” Elnahal, ”, Terrence Hayes, ” Hayes, McDonough, Joe Biden, Obama administration’s, Eric Shinseki Organizations: CNN, Veterans ’ Affairs, Veterans Affairs, Montana Democrat, Kansas Republican, VA, Health, U.S . Department of Veterans Affairs, Wheeling, Denver Post, PACT Locations: Montana, Kansas, ”, VA, Wheeling St, Aurora , Colorado

☆ Transgender Veterans Sue V.A. Over Gender-Affirming Surgeries
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Aishvarya Kavi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Why It MattersThe Department of Veterans Affairs offers the majority of medical procedures known as gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, prosthetics and hair removal. But veterans must seek surgeries outside of V.A. The National Center for Transgender Equality estimates there are more than 134,000 transgender veterans. survey of transgender and gender-nonconforming veterans conducted in 2022 and 2023, 78 percent of 6,600 respondents said they wanted gender-affirming surgeries. An exception is made when revising or treating complications from surgeries that were done outside the V.A.

Persons: Josie Caballero, Ms, Caballero Organizations: Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Transgender Locations: V.A

☆ Ketamine Therapy Offers Hope for This Emergency Worker - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brandon Kapelow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Emergency workers and researchers use the term “critical incident” to describe a traumatic event. I’ve been compelled to explore mental health issues — and their potential solutions — ever since. Research has found that throughout a career, an emergency worker may experience over 180 critical incidents. While observing emergency workers in this documentary, I was amazed by their ability to work so calmly through crises and transition quickly in and out of their home lives. I wrote previously that the American West has some of the nation’s worst outcomes for behavioral health issues such as substance abuse and suicide.

Persons: I’ve, psychotherapies Organizations: Research, American Foundation for Suicide, Department of Veterans Affairs Locations: American, Wyoming, psychedelics

First-time homebuyer no down payment programsIt's possible to get a mortgage with no down payment. VA mortgage borrowers enjoy the ability to put no money down and interest rates that are typically lower than conventional mortgage rates. Other low down payment mortgage optionsIf you don't qualify for VA or USDA no down payment home loans, there are other strategies you can use to reduce the down payment you're required to pay. Preparing for the application processTo ensure you qualify for a no down payment mortgage, work on getting your credit score in a good place. Forgoing a down payment may mean paying a higher interest rate and higher monthly payment on your mortgage.

Persons: you'll, Here's who's, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Organizations: US Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of Agriculture, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Housing Finance Agency, USDA, Chevron Locations: homebuyers

☆ Millions of veterans are about to get expanded healthcare access
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Specific military, naval, and air service veterans who served in active duty after October 1981 were eligible before recent expansions. AdvertisementBiden has also expressed support for expanding federal healthcare access for veterans. "We expanded resources to end veterans' homelessness, end veterans' poverty, end the silent scourge of suicide, which is taking more veterans than war is." Trump, the GOP frontrunner, has not announced any new plans for veteran healthcare access as part of his campaign. Are you a veteran who will be impacted by expanded healthcare access?

Persons: —, US Department of Veterans Affairs —, Orange, Shereef Elnahal, Elnahal, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Service, —, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Business, Affordable, PACT, Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicare, Biden Administration, Arlington National Cemetery, KFF, Kaiser Family Foundation, Democratic, GOP Locations: Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Republican Demands and Divisions Drive Impasse Toward a Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The spending showdown that has brought the government to the brink of a partial shutdown this week is being fueled by Republicans in Congress, who, after failing in their efforts to slash federal funding, are still insisting on right-wing policy dictates. House Republicans loaded up their spending bills with hundreds of partisan policy mandates, a vast majority of which had no chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate or being signed by President Biden. Republicans also are still seeking to cut federal programs aimed at providing nutrition assistance for low-income families as well as for women and infants. Complicating the picture for Speaker Mike Johnson, who met at the White House on Tuesday with President Biden and the other top congressional leaders, Republicans themselves have been divided over what to push for in spending talks. Ultraconservative lawmakers who rarely support spending legislation have been the loudest voices in favor of cuts and hard-line policy provisions, but more mainstream and politically endangered Republicans have refused to back them.

Persons: Biden, Mike Johnson Organizations: Republicans, Democratic, of Veterans Affairs, White

☆ A Century Later, 17 Wrongly Executed Black Soldiers Are Honored at Gravesites
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Michael Levenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

More than a century ago, 110 Black soldiers were convicted of murder, mutiny and other crimes at three military trials held at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Nineteen were hanged, including 13 on a single day, Dec. 11, 1917, in the largest mass execution of American soldiers by the Army. The soldiers’ families spent decades fighting to show that the men had been betrayed by the military. In November, they won a measure of justice when the Army secretary, Christine E. Wormuth, overturned the convictions and acknowledged that the soldiers “were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials.”On Thursday, several descendants of the soldiers gathered at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery as the Department of Veterans Affairs dedicated new headstones for 17 of the executed servicemen.

Persons: Fort Sam Houston, Christine E, “ Organizations: Fort, Army, Fort Sam, National Cemetery, Department of Veterans Affairs Locations: Fort Sam, San Antonio

☆ Nearly 153,000 people will be notified that their student loan debt is canceled
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katie Lobosco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington CNN —Nearly 153,000 student loan borrowers currently enrolled in a new repayment plan launched by the Biden administration are expected to get an email Wednesday notifying them that their remaining federal student loan debt will be canceled, totaling about $1.2 billion. Biden’s plans to provide student debt relief were dealt a significant blow when the Supreme Court rejected his signature student loan forgiveness program last year. Nearly $138 billion of federal student loan debt has been canceled for almost 3.9 million borrowers since Biden took office. Most of the federal student loan debt cancellations that have taken place under Biden have come through programs that existed before he took office. The PSLF program cancels outstanding federal student loan debt for public-sector workers who have made 120 qualifying monthly student loan payments, or about 10 years’ worth of payments.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Biden’s, “, ” Biden, he’s, Trump, Betsy DeVos, CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, Department of Education, SAVE, of Education, Office, PSLF, Corinthian Colleges, Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department, Education, Social Security Locations: Culver City , California

☆ Renters facing eviction have a higher risk of death, and mortality surged during Covid-19 pandemic, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The general population also experienced excess mortality during this time, but the risk started higher for renters and rose exponentially for those threatened with eviction. From January 2020 through August 2021, the risk of death for renters facing eviction was 2.6 times greater than it was in the general population, the study found. During the baseline period of 2010 to 2016, the mortality rate was 1.4 times higher for renters facing eviction than it was for the general population. Another study from December explored the risk between rising rent costs and mortality risk. Eviction filings were down 45% during the first two years of the pandemic, according to the new study.

Persons: ”, Nick Graetz, it’s, It’s, Jack Tsai, ” Graetz, Katie Derrick, Jesse Tree, Derrick, Tsai, moratoriums –, Jesse, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Steven Furr, we’re, Furr, what’s, ” Tsai Organizations: CNN, Census, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs ’, Homelessness, ”, CNN Health, American Academy of Family Physicians, “ Locations: Princeton, United States, Boise , Idaho, Jesse Tree, Idaho, Alabama

☆ Biden has forgiven $136 billion in student debt. More relief is on the way
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesIt's never been a better time to get rid of your student debt. Paul Morigi | Getty ImagesThe Biden administration has tried to reverse the trend of borrowers being excluded from the relief on technicalities. Some 790,000 public servants have gotten their debt erased as a result, amounting to more than $56 billion in relief. Total and Permanent Disability DischargeThe Biden administration has also forgiven the student debt of more than 510,000 disabled borrowers. Borrower defenseAnother 1.3 million borrowers have walked away from their debt over the past few years thanks to the Borrower Defense Loan Discharge.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Joe Biden's, James Clyburn, he's, George W, Bush, Paul Morigi, Biden, Kantrowitz Organizations: Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, AFP, Getty, Supreme, CNBC, U.S . Department of Education, Public, Consumer Financial, Studentaid.gov, of Education, Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Education Department Locations: Maryland

☆ More cancers linked to tainted water at Camp Lejeune, sweeping new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Drinking water at Camp Lejeune was heavily contaminated with a number of cancer-causing industrial chemicals, including trichloroethylene or TCE, vinyl chloride and benzene, from 1953 to 1985. “I’m well aware that there are many legal issues surrounding Camp Lejeune. Courtesy Michael PartainPartain and a veteran, Jerry Ensminger, 71, have spent years working to get the government to recognize and compensate sick veterans who served at Camp Lejeune. A link between male breast cancer and the chemical contamination at Camp Lejeune has been suspected for years. “This is yet more evidence that the water at Camp Lejeune affected our health,” Partain said.

Persons: Camp Lejeune, they’ve, “, ”, Michael Partain, Aaron Bernstein, ATSDR, ” Bernstein, ” Partain, ” Michael Partain, Jerry Ensminger, Michael Partain Partain, Ensminger’s, Janey, Partain, ’, aren’t, Lejeune, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Bernstein Organizations: CNN — Military, Lejeune, Marines, Navy, US Centers for Disease Control, Research, Camp Lejeune, Agency, Toxic Substances, CDC, Department of Justice, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Camp Pendleton, CNN, CNN Health, Camp Locations: North Carolina, California, Camp, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, United States

A group of transgender veterans filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to force the Department of Veteran Affairs to begin providing and paying for gender-affirming surgeries. A spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs said it does not comment on ongoing litigation. But he pointed to 2021 statements from Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, who said the VA was beginning a years long rulemaking process that would result in providing gender-affirming surgeries. McDonough said the VA would use the time to “develop capacity to meet the surgical needs” of transgender veterans. Natalie Kastner, a 39-year-old disabled veteran from Texas, said she went to the VA in 2022 seeking surgery.

Persons: Rebekka Eshler, Denis McDonough, McDonough, “, ” Eshler, Natalie Kastner, ” Organizations: Department of Veteran Affairs, Transgender American Veterans Association, United States, Appeals, Federal Circuit, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veteran Locations: Washington, Texas

☆ Native American communities have the highest suicide rates, yet interventions are scarce
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Cheryl Platzman Weinstock | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He spent more than a week in an inpatient mental health unit, but once home, he was offered sparse mental health resources. Despite decades of research into suicide prevention, suicide rates among Indigenous people have remained stubbornly high, especially among Indigenous people ages 10 to 24, according to the CDC. Experts say that’s because the national strategy for suicide prevention isn’t culturally relevant or sensitive to Native American communities’ unique values. Several tribal communities are attempting to implement a similar system in their communities, said Cwik. Pamela End of Horn, a social worker and national suicide prevention consultant at IHS, said the Department of Veterans Affairs “has a suicide coordinator in every medical center across the U.S., plus case managers, and they have an entire office dedicated to suicide prevention.

Persons: Amanda MorningStar, “, ”, MorningStar, Ben, Ben MorningStar, Mary Cwik, ” Cwik, Joseph P, Gros, Stephen O’Connor, Teresa Brockie, Brockie, Fort Belknap, It’s, Cwik, Pamela, Department of Veterans Affairs “, Robert Coberly, Coberly, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Ben MorningStar Organizations: Health, Blackfeet, Centers for Disease Control, Montana Budget, Policy, . Montana, CDC, Indian Health Service, IHS, Center, Indigenous Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard University, Division of Services, Intervention, National Institute of Mental Health, ”, NIMH, National Institutes of Health, Mental Health Services Administration, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, American Public Health Association, Department of Veterans Affairs, Oglala Lakota, Rural Behavioral Health Institute, CNN, CNN Health, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: Heart Butte , Montana, United States, Heart Butte, Baltimore, Montana, Fort, Aaniiih, Fort Peck, Peck, Arizona, U.S, South Dakota, Tulalip, Washington

☆ Alan Garber is Harvard's interim president after Claudine Gay's resignation. Here's what we know about him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewFollowing Harvard President Claudine Gay's resignation Tuesday, the prestigious university announced its current provost will take on the role of interim president as the search begins for a new leader. Alan M. Garber, an economist and physician, has served as Harvard's provost and professor of economics, public policy, and healthcare policy for over 12 years. AdvertisementSince joining Harvard's faculty in 2011, Garber has been involved in Jewish clubs and events on campus, including Harvard Chabad and Hillel. Garber's interim stint as Harvard President comes after weeks of controversy surrounding the school's now-former president, Claudine Gay. "It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president," Gay wrote in her resignation letter.

Persons: —, Claudine Gay's, Alan M, Garber, Alan Garber, Anne Yahanda, Brigham, Harvard Chabad, Hillel, I've, we've, Claudine Gay, Gay, Elizabeth Magill, Sally Kornbluth, Magill, Elise Stefanik, Bill Ackman Organizations: Service, Gay, Business, Harvard, Stanford, Boston's Harvard, Women's, Harvard Gazette, Hamas, Harvard Crimson, University, Harvard Corporation, Harvard Medical School, Harvard's, of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, of Public Health, Stanford University, Department of Veterans Affairs, Health, System, Center for Health, Center for Primary Care, Research, of Pennsylvania, MIT, New York, Corporation Locations: Illinois, Chan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force is expanding its study of whether service members who worked with nuclear missiles have had unusually high rates of cancer after a preliminary review determined that a deeper examination is needed. In response, medical teams went out to each nuclear missile base to conduct thousands of tests of the air, water, soil and surface areas inside and around each of its three nuclear missile bases; Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. For years the missileers were told in multiple Air Force reviews that there was not cause for concern. While the Air Force review is looking at a broader set of cancers, the number of self-reported NHL cases is striking because the community of missile launch officers is very small.

Persons: We’ve, Keith Beam, missileers, ”, Tory Woodard, ” Woodard, “, Barry Little, We’re Organizations: WASHINGTON, Air Force, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base, Warren Air Force Base, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S . Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, DOD, Veterans Affairs, The Air Force, Torchlight, NHL, National Cancer Institute, Torchlight Initiative, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, 341st Missile Locations: Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Iraq, Afghanistan

VA loan borrowers were given the option to put their mortgages in forbearance, meaning they could temporarily pause their mortgage payments. So on November 17, the VA announced a stopgap for distressed VA borrowers. Advertisement"This is good news for VA borrowers, especially those who may be struggling with their mortgage payments," says Christy Bunce, president of New American Funding. How to take advantage of the Refund Modification programDuring the pause, the VA is also offering its Refund Modification program. The VA says that borrowers struggling to make mortgage payments should visit the VA Housing Assistance website or call 877-827-3702 for help.

Persons: servicers, —, who's, it's, Christy Bunce, Bunce Organizations: Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, NPR, Veterans, New Locations: forbearance

☆ 15 cities where U.S. homebuyers make the largest down payments—the top 5 are in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Homebuyers put down an average of 13.8% of the home price in 2023, according to a Realtor.com analysis of the 150 largest real estate markets for the quarter ending in September. Here's a look at the 15 most expensive real estate markets, based on the median cost for a typical down payment on a home. In Killeen, Texas, median down payment is only $2,182. This includes Fayetteville, North Carolina; Shreveport, Louisiana; and El Paso, Texas, where median down payments are $5,000 or less. U.S. Department of Agriculture loans also require no down payment, which might lead to low down payments in relatively rural areas.

Persons: Homebuyers, That's, Freddie Mac, Warren Buffett Organizations: PMI, Santa, Thousand Oaks, Seattle, Boston, Cambridge, Fort, Stamford -, U.S . Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S . Department Locations: California, U.S, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara , California, Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley , California, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara , California, Angeles, Long, Anaheim , California, Santa Rosa, Petaluma , California, Oxnard, Ventura , California, Tacoma, Bellevue , Washington, Diego, Chula Vista, Carlsbad , California, Newton , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Fort Collins , Colorado, Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom , California, Naples, Marco Island, Florida, York, Newark, Jersey City , New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro , Oregon, Washington, Bridgeport, Stamford, Stamford - Norwalk , Connecticut, U.S . California, Killeen , Texas, Killeen, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Shreveport , Louisiana, El Paso , Texas

☆ Where are the 12 US gov't funding bills to avert shutdown?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But first, the House and Senate would have to agree upon the overall dollar amount of spending for the 12 bills combined. The Senate passed its version as part of a three-bill package on Nov. 1 with strong bipartisan support. DEFENSEOne of the largest of the 12 bills funds the Department of Defense - the Army, Navy, Air Force and the CIA. The Senate's version passed out of committee on July 27. The Senate's version passed out of committee on July 27.

Persons: Jon Cherry, shutdowns, Joe Biden, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Moira Warburton, Aurora Ellis Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Republican, Senate, of Veterans Affairs, Army, Navy, Air Force, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Housing, Urban, House Republicans, Amtrak, Department of Defense, CIA, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, of, of Indian Affairs, Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, The, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of State, Agency for International Development, Peace Corps, Congress, Capitol Police, of Congress, Office, Treasury, of Columbia, Federal Trade Commission, COMMERCE, of Commerce, U.S . Census, U.S . Patent, Department of Justice, Republicans, HUMAN, of Education, Department of Health, Human Services, Department of Labor, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, New York, U.S, Washington

☆ GOP lawmakers call for VA to slash reliance on China for medical supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —A pair of Republicans leading powerful House committees are calling for the Department of Veterans Affairs to speed up efforts to decrease the agency’s reliance on China for medical supplies, CNN has learned. The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare a dangerous vulnerability in America’s medical supply chains that resulted in shortages of masks, respirators and other life-saving gear. “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the national security and public health risks of failing to guarantee adequate medical supplies. As the biggest buyer of medical supplies among federal agencies, it has considerable influence. Congress has attempted to take steps to boost the resilience of the nation’s medical supply chain by easing dependence on goods from less friendly nations like China.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Mike Bost, Denis McDonough, Bost, Gallagher, “, ” Terrence Hayes, Joe Biden, Health Richard Stone, ” Bost, McDonough, Democratic Sen, Tom Carper, Republican Sen, Thom Tillis, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Department of Veterans Affairs, CNN, Veterans ’, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Department of Veteran Affairs, Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health, Human Services, Republicans, Health, World Trade Organization, Congress, Democratic, Republican Locations: New York, China, United States, America, Covid, Mexico, Malaysia

☆ Biden administration has forgiven $127 billion in student debt. What to know about the relief options
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on new efforts to cancel student loan debt at the White House on Oct. 4, 2023. watch nowThe Biden administration has evaluated millions of borrowers' loan accounts to see if they should have had their debt cleared. Paul Morigi | Getty ImagesThe Biden administration has tried to reverse the trend of borrowers being excluded from the relief on technicalities. Total and Permanent Disability dischargeThe Biden administration has also forgiven the student debt of more than 500,000 disabled borrowers. The $11.7 billion in aid was delivered under the Total and Permanent Disability discharge.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Dietsch, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, Biden, George W, Bush, Paul Morigi Organizations: White, Getty, Public, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Studentaid.gov, U.S . Department of Education, Social Security Administration, The Department of Veterans Affairs

☆ Writing ‘Maid’ Pulled Stephanie Land Out of Poverty. She’s Fine Now, Right?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Ron Lieber | More About Ron Lieber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Land got married in 2019 to a veteran who is eligible to receive disability payments through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but two late student-loan payments had left him ineligible for a V.A. They tried to move from Missoula, Mont., to Raleigh, N.C., in early 2020 and were seeking a mortgage of about $350,000. But her book deal and its promise of future payments weren’t enough for her to qualify for one. But if the show doesn’t get made at all, no more money generally comes your way — and production hadn’t started yet when Ms. Land was trying to buy a home. Like many nonfiction authors, Ms. Land turned to speaking.

Persons: Land, ”, Land’s, hadn’t Organizations: U.S . Department of Veterans Affairs, Netflix Locations: Missoula, Mont, Raleigh, N.C

☆ After Shooting, Maine Senators in the Spotlight on Guns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | More About Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, coupled with a conservative Democratic congressman’s reversal on an assault weapons ban, has turned the spotlight on the state’s two senators, Susan Collins, a moderate Republican, and Angus King, a Democrat-leaning independent, both of whom are skeptical about banning military-style rifles. Representative Jared Golden, among the most conservative Democrats in the House, rushed back to his Lewiston district on Thursday, as a gunman who killed 18 people in his hometown remained at large. He then stunned constituents in his traditionally pro-gun district by declaring that it was time for him “to take responsibility” for his “failure” to back a ban on assault weapons, “like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing.”Mr. Golden’s reversal is likely to put pressure on Maine’s senators, both of whom boast of occupying the political center and have used that position to forge significant bipartisan compromises in the past, including gun safety legislation passed last year after the murder of children in Uvalde, Texas. Ms. Collins, in particular, has taken heat from Democrats who say her professions of moderation have faltered at crucial times. Mr. King, who is standing for re-election in 2024, joined Republicans — including Ms. Collins — on Wednesday to back an amendment to a spending bill that would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from automatically sending veterans’ personal information to the federal firearms background check system if they are deemed mentally unfit to manage their benefits.

Persons: Susan Collins, Angus King, Jared Golden, “, ”, ” Mr, Collins, . King, Collins — Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Democrat, Republicans —, Department of Veterans Affairs Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Lewiston, Uvalde , Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The COVID-19 treatments millions of Americans have taken for free from the federal government will enter the private market next week with a hefty price tag. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is setting the price for a five-day treatment of Paxlovid at $1,390, but Americans can still access the pills at no cost -- for now. The less commonly used COVID-19 treatment Lagevrio, manufactured by Merck, also will hit the market next week. People on private insurance may start to notice copays for the treatments once their pharmacy or doctor's office runs out of the COVID-19 treatments they received from the government. Full-year revenue for Paxlovid and Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, is expected to be approximately $12.5 billion.

Persons: “ Pfizer, Paxlovid, coronavirus, Pfizer's, “, Tom Murphy Organizations: WASHINGTON, Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Merck, Health, Human Services, The Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, Indian Health Service, U.S, Associated Press, and Drug Administration, Paxlovid Locations: U.S, Indianapolis

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