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Former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden take part in the CNN presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. Austin Steele/CNN Trump and Biden were debating each other for the first time since 2020. Austin Steele/CNN Biden's campaign won a coin toss before the debate to choose which side he would stand on. Austin Steele/CNN Biden addresses Trump directly during the debate. Austin Steele/CNN Biden answers an early question.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump ., Biden, Trump, “, ” Trump, he’d, it’s, ” Biden, Biden’s, Hunter, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Roe, ”, Tristen Rouse, Joe, – Biden flailed, Austin Steele, We’d, Herbert Hoover, David, “ I’ve, Beau, Daniels, Trump “, Wade, “ It’s, Israel, –, Donald Trump, Will Lanzoni, Jill Biden, Adam Rose, CNN US Sen, Marco Rubio, CNN Trump, CNN Biden, CNN Tapper, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, CNN MJ Lee, Mandel Ngan, Megan Varner, Reuters Kennedy, Burk Stringfellow, Vladimir Putin, Putin, we’ve, I’m, Hillary Clinton –, South Carolina Republican Sen, Tim Scott, – Biden, freefall ”, Tapper – Organizations: CNN, Biden, Trump, Democratic, ABC, ”, Atlantic, Capitol, Capitol Hill, US Supreme Court, CNN US, House, CNN Biden's, CNN Biden, Atlanta, White House, Getty, Reuters, NATO, Ukraine, Western Europe, South Carolina Republican, Blacks, Trump – Locations: Atlanta, Washington ,, America, Iraq, United States, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Georgia, CNN's, AFP, Afghanistan, Russian, Ukraine, Iran, Wisconsin , Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South, freefall, Covid

☆ Fact checking the CNN presidential debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +69 min

CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off during CNN’s presidential debate in Atlanta Thursday night. From CNN’s Daniel DaleFormer President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. From CNN’s Daniel Dale and Ella NilsenFormer President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden take part in the CNN presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. From CNN’s Alicia WallaceFormer President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. Kpler found that China imported about 511,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude in December 2020, Trump’s last full month in office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump “, “, ” Trump, ”, Trump, ” John Kelly, servicemembers, Kelly, Jim Sciutto, Daniel Dale, Kaanita Iyer, Roe, Wade, That’s, Wade ”, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Trump’s, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Will Lanzoni, ” Biden, corpsman —, Hamid Karzai, CNN’s Haley Britzky, didn’t, Priscilla Alvarez, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul –, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Daniel Dale FACT, European Union won’t, Ella Nilsen, Jill Biden, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Adam Rose, CNN US Sen, Marco Rubio, CNN Trump, Austin Steele, CNN Biden, Tristen Rouse, CNN Tapper, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, CNN MJ Lee, Mandel Ngan, Megan Varner, Reuters Kennedy, Burk Stringfellow, Iran “, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, Tami Luhby Trump, CNN’s KFILE, weren’t, Hillary Clinton, affirmatively, it’s, what’s, –, Alicia Wallace, Obama, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, you’re, Biden’s, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s, Viktor Shokin, Shokin, CNN’s Marshall Cohen, “ It’s, Rick Muskat, CNN.So, Morgan, Katie Lobosco, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Jack Smith, Smith, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, I’ve, there’s, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Gary Engelhardt, Jason Richwine, ” Richwine, Tami Luhby, Confederate, Robert E, Lee, marchthat, “ I’m, Elle Reeve, Ralph Northam, Jen Christensen, ” Trump’s, Ronald Reagan’s, Barack Obama, George W, ‘, ’ ” Trump, CNN’s Jen Christensen, Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, …, Alexandra Pelosi, Aaron Bennett, Cherry, Christopher Miller, Miller, Charis Kubrin, CNN’s Catherine Shoichet, ” Kubrin’s, Graham Ousey, College of William & Mary, Erwan, George Washington, Marshall Cohen, ” Howard Gleckman, Gleckman, Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman “, Howard Gleckman, ” Gleckman Organizations: CNN, Trump, Homeland Security, SSRS, Marquette Law School, NBC, Gallup, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, Atlanta, US Navy, Border Patrol, Border Patrol Council, National Guard, Minneapolis Former, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, EU, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, CNN US, Biden, House, CNN Biden's, CNN Biden, White House, Getty, Reuters, State, Medicare, Black, of Labor Statistics, Republican, Burisma Holdings, International Monetary Fund, Republicans, House Republicans, US International Trade Commission, US Customs, Deer Stags, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Justice Department, DOJ, DC, federal, Department, Democrat, Americas, Crisis, Social Security, Social, General Internal Medicine, “, Syracuse University, Center for Immigration Studies, Electoral, White, Nazi, US Centers for Disease Control, Former Virginia Gov, United, China Former, China, Hamas, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congressional, Capitol, Colorado Supreme Court, US Food, Guttmacher Institute, California Democrat, Capitol Police Board, Senate, District of Columbia National Guard, College of William &, NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, Urban, Brookings Tax, Urban Institute, ”, Tax, Center Locations: Atlanta, France, Afghanistan, Kabul, Jordan, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Yakushima Island, Japan, Minneapolis, Portland, Minnesota , Minneapolis, St, EU, Georgia, CNN's, Washington ,, AFP, Lebanon, Israel, what’s, Paris, China, India, Russia, United States, Ukrainian, Ukraine, lockstep, American, Manhattan, New York , Georgia, Florida, Washington, New York, York’s, Mexico, Kpler, Malaysia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville , Virginia, White, Virginia, Northam, East, “, New York City, Saudi, al Qaeda, Texas, Colorado, California, Trump, Irvine, Germany, Berkeley

☆ Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho for now
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. The court dismissed an appeal brought by Idaho officials, meaning a lower court ruling that allows doctors in the state to perform abortions in emergency situations remains in effect for now. The legislation, known as the Defense of Life Act, went into effect in 2022 when the Supreme Court rolled back Roe. The Supreme Court in January allowed Idaho to enforce the provisions while agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case. The emergency room dispute is one of two abortion cases the Supreme Court considered this term, both of which arose in the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Alito, Biden, Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Donald Trump, Roe, Wade, Lynn Winmill Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conservative, Liberal, Defense, Labor, U.S, Circuit, Supreme, Food Locations: Washington , DC, Idaho, U.S, San Francisco

☆ Drug prices have risen almost 40% over the last decade, according to a new tracker
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Justine Fisher | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The average American spends $16.26 out of pocket per prescription, according to the data. "Rising costs or rising prices are a big part of it, but it's really that with the combination of increased friction. On average, Americans pay 2 to 3 times more for prescription drugs than consumers in other developed countries, according to the White House. The Biden administration has taken several measures to lower out-of-pocket drug expenses. On Wednesday, the White House announced it would lower prices on 64 prescription drugs for some Medicare beneficiaries as a result of inflation penalties on drugmakers.

Persons: Tori Marsh, GoodRx, Marsh, Joe Biden, Biden, Scott Wagner, — CNBC's Annika Kim Constantino Organizations: House, White House Locations: U.S

☆ Biden administration to lower costs for 64 drugs through inflation penalties on drugmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Wednesday said it will impose inflation penalties on 64 prescription drugs for the third quarter of this year, lowering costs for certain older Americans enrolled in Medicare. President Joe Biden has made lowering U.S. drug prices a key pillar of his health-care agenda and reelection platform for 2024. It is separate from another provision under the law that allows Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices with manufacturers. On average, Americans pay two to three times more than patients in other developed nations for prescription drugs, according to the Biden administration. More than 750,000 Medicare patients use the drugs each year, according to the release.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: National Institutes of Health, Medicare Locations: Bethesda , Maryland

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, FedEx, Tesla, Caterpillar, Shopify, Disney & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Wednesday: Stifel initiates Tesla at buy Stifel said it's bullish on Tesla for the long term. JPMorgan upgrades FedEx to overweight from neutral JPMorgan upgraded the shipping giant following earnings on Tuesday. Jefferies reiterates Alphabet as buy Jefferies said its survey checks show Alphabet is top of mind for consumers when it comes to AI. Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi raised its price target on Nvidia to $150 per share from $126. Morgan Stanley downgrades Accenture to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said shares of the IT company are "no longer" attractive.

Persons: Tesla, Stifel, it's, Piper Sandler, Piper, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Mark Clouse, Carrie Anderson, Rebecca Gardy, Wolfe, HOOD, Warnick, Shopify, Rosenblatt, Nike's, Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, GOOGL, Stephens, Wells, BTIG, Northrop, Rivian, Piper Sandler downgrades Aptiv Organizations: JPMorgan, FedEx, Campbell, Barclays, Nu Holdings, BMO, Steel, Nippon, US Steel, X, Digital Realty, Citi, U.S, Caterpillar, Apple, Apple Intelligence, Android, UBS, Nike, Nvidia, Davidson, Home, Bank of America, " Bank of America, shipper, UPS, Cruises, Northrop Grumman, VW, JV, Accenture Locations: 1Q24, Mexico, Brazil, China, Houston, U.S, Rivian

☆ Bloomberg: Supreme Court appears to side with Biden admin in abortion case, according to draft briefly posted on website
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The release was a stunning development at the Supreme Court, which usually safeguards the release of its opinions. The abortion case was considered among the most significant of the current term that is winding down ahead of the July 4 holiday. A Supreme Court spokeswoman confirmed that a “document” was “inadvertently and briefly uploaded” to the court’s website. The decision came days after the Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort by anti-abortion groups to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In January, the Supreme Court agreed to decide the case and allowed the law to take effect while it did so.

Persons: Roe, Wade –, Biden, ”, “, Patricia McCabe, Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, wouldn’t, Steve Vladeck, Case, Reagan, Elizabeth Prelogar, Prelogar, Amy Coney Barrett, Joshua Turner, Weeks Organizations: CNN, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, Supreme, Politico, US, Justice, University of Texas School of Law, of Justice, White, Justice Department, Idaho, Labor, Biden, Republican Locations: Idaho

☆ Opinion | Patients Stunned by Their Medical Bills
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How Much Could It Cost?,” by Danielle Ofri (Opinion guest essay, June 18):As a retired cardiologist, I have been railing against facility fees for years. These are significant fees (sometimes thousands of dollars) added to your doctor’s typical charges when they are employed by a hospital system, as many are these days. The rationale from the hospital or health care system, as Dr. Ofri stated, is nonsense; it is simply a way to make more money. It works like this: You see your private cardiologist in their office and have a stress test and get charged $500. The doctor usually has no idea this additional fee is being added, and the hospital system pockets the money.

Persons: Ray, Danielle Ofri, Ofri, Michael Marek Aspen Locations: Colo

☆ The fertility crisis is here and it will permanently alter the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In the 1960s, there were six people of working age for every retired person, according to the World Economic Forum. “What you’re seeing is increased spending on programs like Medicare and Social Security as the baby boomers are aging into those programs. And then of course, fewer workers relative to the number of people who are receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits,” said Dahl. Social Security payments still provide about 90% of income for more than a quarter of older adults in the United States, according to Social Security Agency surveys. But without intervention, the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by the mid-2030s, meaning that only a portion of retirees’ expected benefits will be paid out.

Persons: it’s, Louis, Simona Paravani, ”, Elon Musk, Kimberly, Clark, Mark Schneider, he’s, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Molly Dahl, Dahl, Eric Schmidt, ” Schmidt, Goldman Sachs, Stefano Scarpetta, Li Qiang, Juliana Liu, Joyce Jiang, Li, China’s, Xi Jinping, Biden, Max Prosecutors, haven’t, Max, Read Organizations: London CNN, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Economic, Federal Reserve Bank of St, BlackRock, Disease Control, Congressional Budget Office, CBO, Social Security, Social, Social Security Agency, Google, Summit, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, OECD, ” Companies, West Chinese, CNN, EV, Prosecutors, Boeing, Max, US Justice Department, Alaska Air, Justice Department, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Chad, Niger, Somalia, Samoa, Tonga, Tajikistan, United States, London, China, Beijing, Dalian, Canada, Beijing’s “

Citi analyst Andrew Kaplowitz upgraded his rating for the heating and ventilation company to buy from neutral. The analyst accompanied the move by upping his price target to $74 from $65, implying that shares of Carrier Global could rally 17% going forward. The financial institution raised its price target for Nvidia to $150 from $135. Analyst Erin Wright stood by her overweight rating on the health insurance stock, reiterating her $595 price target. Wright set a price target of $374, which is 23% higher than the insurance company's Friday closing price of $355.48.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kaplowitz, CARR, Kaplowitz, — Lisa Kailai Han, Jefferies, Blayne Curtis, kingmaker, Curtis, Lisa Kailai Han, Morgan Stanley, UnitedHealth, Morgan Stanley's, Erin Wright, Wright, Bernstein, Stephen Reitman, Ferrari, Reitman, Ferrari's, Sanjeet Aujla, Aujla, BUD, Christopher Danely, Danely, James Schneider, Schneider, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Monday, Citi, Micron Technology, IBM, Carrier Global, Carrier, Nvidia, Humana, Ferrari, UBS, Anheuser, Busch InBev It's, Busch InBev, Micron, Citi Citi, Dow Jones Industrial, Dow Locations: China, UnitedHealth, U.S, Friday's

☆ Why inflation is still upending retirement plans even as price growth slows
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lower Social Security COLA forecast for 2025Unlike most other sources of retirement income, Social Security benefits are automatically adjusted for inflation each year. As current retirees continue to feel the pinch of higher costs, slowing inflation points to a lower Social Security cost-of-living adjustment next year. The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment may be 3% in 2025, estimates Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare analyst. In contrast, beneficiaries saw a 3.2% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment this year — resulting in an average retirement benefit increase of just over $50 per month. That followed record high Social Security cost-of-living adjustments of 8.7% in 2023 and 5.9% in 2022.

Persons: Caroline Feeney, Feeney, they're, Mary Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Istock, Getty, Prudential's, Prudential, Social Security, Security, Urban, Clerical Workers, CPI

☆ Trump previews debate attacks against Biden's economy days before candidates face off
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday gave a brief glimpse of the ammunition he is loading up against President Joe Biden's handling of the economy ahead of the first presidential debate next week. On inflation specifically, Trump foreshadowed a tactic he said he might use at the upcoming debate against Biden on June 27. Maybe I should save it for the debate," Trump said moments before taking out a miniature box of Tic Tac candies and holding a regular sized box next to it. But I will end the Biden inflation nightmare." But something like Trump's Tic Tac stunt will not be permitted at the Thursday debate where props and pre-written notes are prohibited.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Trump, Biden, gesturing, Harris, Sarafina Chitika Organizations: U.S, Republican, Saturday, Freedom Coalition, Biden, Federal Reserve, Social, Social Security Locations: Racine , Wisconsin, U.S

☆ A peak boomer who lives on $1,100 monthly from Social Security struggles to afford food: 'I have to survive, I have no choice.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAngela Babin lives in a mobile home in Houma, Louisiana — about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. She lives on her Social Security income, which she first started receiving in 2008 after she had to retire early for medical reasons. AdvertisementEven with the Social Security check and some SNAP food benefits, Babin said it's difficult to afford groceries. Like the millions of other older Americans living on a fixed Social Security income, Babin said it's difficult to get by. Are you living paycheck to paycheck or on Social Security?

Persons: —, Angela Babin, haven't, Ida, she's, Babin, hasn't Organizations: Service, Business, Social, Social Security, Security, Survey, Women, SNAP Locations: Houma , Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana

☆ What to Do if You’re Overpaying for Prescriptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Reed Abelson | Rebecca Robbins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

If you’ve ever had trouble getting a prescription drug, chances are you’ve run into a pharmacy benefit manager. These companies, known as P.B.M.s, play a crucial but often hidden role in deciding which drugs you can get and how much you will personally have to pay. They are middlemen in the maddeningly complex American health care system, working on behalf of your employer or government insurance programs like Medicare, which cover most of the costs of prescription drugs. is to save money on your medications. But The New York Times found that the three biggest P.B.M.s are often making you pay more than you should.

Persons: you’ve Organizations: New York Times

And what everyone sort of expected to happen seems to be roughly what’s happening, which is that the populist right has consolidated a lot of support. So that’s sort of three-dimensional chess of one sort. That gets at the definition of populism, right? michelle cottleYeah, so but that kind of then lends itself to a backlash when you feel like things aren’t going right. carlos lozadaWell, I mean —ross douthatI think that’s all sincere.

Persons: lydia polgreen Ross, carlos lozada, lydia polgreen, michelle cottle, carlos lozada That’s, lydia polgreen That’s, Lydia Polgreen, michelle cottle I’m Michelle Cottle, ross douthat I’m Ross Douthat, carlos lozada I’m Carlos Lozada, We’ve, Ross, michelle cottle Woo, — ross douthat, lydia polgreen —, I’m, ross, — michelle cottle, ross douthat —, ross douthat, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Silvio Berlusconi, Giorgia, Meloni, Brexit, It’s, populists, ”, Lozada, it’s, don’t, we’ll, that’s, we’ve, JD Vance, He’s, — carlos lozada, polgreen, Trumpist, who’s, Vance, we’re, Trump, — michelle cottle Woo, carlos lozada —, —, decries, — ross, won’t, carlos lozada Well, carlos lozada Don’t, Don’t, it’s — michelle cottle, I’ve, Trumpism, Donald Trump, michelle cottle Huey Long, Carlos, William Jennings Bryan, Michelle, Huey Long, George Wallace, Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan, Bernie Sanders, you’ve, Charles Coughlin, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Biden, unquote, nobody’s, he’s, JD Vance don’t, Robert Penn, Warren, Long, lydia polgreen Wow, ross douthat — Carlos Lozada, George Packer, lydia polgreen Go, carlos lozada Oh, that’s — carlos lozada —, lydia polgreen We’ll, carlos lozada It’s, lydia polgreen It’s Organizations: “ New York, Trump, Tories, National Health Service, Republican, Social Security, Republican Party, Chamber of Commerce, “ Times, Aspen Ideas, Nebraska Democrat, Tea Party, Occupy, Belt, Star Locations: “, Europe, France, United States, Italy, United Kingdom, South, British, Ohio, Middletown , Ohio, America, Sun Valley, Middletown, Louisiana, Alabama, China, Connecticut, Belt America, Florida , Texas, California, American, Texas, Mexico, Arizona

☆ I left the US for Australia. Here are the differences I've spotted in the culture and job market.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementIn Australia, I've benefited from financial support from my parents and partner. I don't pay rent or utilities except for WiFi. AdvertisementI also think that this culture has allowed me to feel less pressure to go out and I've performed better academically. I don't think my job outcome would have been as good if I were in the US. My parents plan on coming back to Australia when they retire, so I am very much looking forward to that.

Persons: —, Aolin Xu, I've, I, they're, Australia doesn't, Ernst & Young Organizations: Service, Business, University of New, UNSW, Australian, US, Ernst & Locations: Australia, Washington, Canada, America, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Bali, Malaysia, EY

☆ The US job market is fiercely competitive and student debt is a huge problem. I'm glad I left for Australia.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

My parents, who still live in the US, always talked about how much we could save if I went to university in Australia. AdvertisementIn Australia, I've benefited from financial support from my parents and partner. I don't pay rent or utilities except for WiFi. I don't think my job outcome would have been as good if I were in the US. My parents plan on coming back to Australia when they retire, so I am very much looking forward to that.

☆ The Opaque Industry Secretly Inflating Prices for Prescription Drugs
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Rebecca Robbins | Reed Abelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And they are driving up drug costs for millions of people, employers and the government. The three largest pharmacy benefit managers, or P.B.M.s, act as middlemen overseeing prescriptions for more than 200 million Americans. They are owned by huge health care conglomerates — CVS Health, Cigna and UnitedHealth Group — and are hired by employers and governments. The job of the P.B.M.s is to reduce drug costs. Most Americans get their health insurance through a government program like Medicare or through an employer, which pay for two different types of insurance for each person.

Organizations: CVS, New York Times

☆ Overpaying for Medicine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Reed Abelson | Rebecca Robbins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But there’s another reason: middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers, or P.B.M.s. But in their quest for higher profits, they are quietly driving up prescription drug costs. Your pharmacy benefit manager is often invisible to you unless you’re having trouble filling a prescription. (You probably rely on one of the big three: CVS Health’s Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts or UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx.) Today, we published a story about these companies, how they affect drug spending and how they amassed so much control with so little transparency.

Persons: you’re Organizations: Cigna’s

☆ U.S. Debt on Pace to Top $56 Trillion Over Next 10 Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States is on a pace to add trillions of dollars to its national debt over the next decade, borrowing money more quickly than previously expected, at a time when big legislative fights loom over taxes and spending. The Congressional Budget Office said on Tuesday that the U.S. national debt is poised to top $56 trillion by 2034, as rising spending and interest expenses outpace tax revenues. The budget deficit in 2024 is projected to be $1.9 trillion, up from a forecast earlier this year of $1.6 trillion. The United States will also again have to deal with a statutory cap on how much it can borrow. Congress agreed last year to suspend the debt limit and allow the federal government to keep borrowing until next January.

Organizations: Congressional, U.S, Social Security, America Locations: States, United States

Many forms of help are tied to the federal poverty line, which is calculated using a formula that has largely not been updated since the 1960s. The poverty line is calculated in an outdated wayThe current federal poverty line for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC, is $15,060 a year for one person, $20,440 for a family of two, and $31,200 for a family of four. Courtesy of Melissa HeddenMuch of the resistance to changing the federal poverty line could stem from the government's desire not to inflate the number of people in poverty overnight. AdvertisementRep. Kevin Mullin, a Democrat from California, has introduced legislation — called the Poverty Line Act— that would modernize the federal poverty line, taking into account actual costs of goods and how prices differ across regions. Do you make above the poverty line but not enough to meet your daily needs?

Persons: —, Jason Hopkins, Hopkins, he's, He's, doesn't, ALICE —, Nyx, Beth Jarosz, Kyle Ross, ALICE, Mollie Orshansky, Jarosz, Stephanie Hoopes, United For ALICE, they've, Melinda Binkley, Ryan Arbuckle, Louis, Oleg Parubin, Parubin, Melissa Hedden, Melissa, Ross, Biden, Kevin Mullin, Mullin, Michael Tubbs, Tubbs Organizations: Service, Business, America, Center for American Progress, Bureau of Labor Statistics, of Health, Human Services, Assistance, Women, Children, United For, SNAP, Bills, Senate Locations: Illinois, Washington, DC, Stillwater , Minnesota, St, Manhattan, Airbnbs, North Carolina, California, Stockon , California, Illinois —

☆ An unexpected generational realignment is scrambling the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A truism of American politics is that older voters prefer the Republican and younger voters prefer the Democrat. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney lost the election, but he did better than Democrat Barack Obama among voters 45 and older. Older voters are gravitating to Biden, and younger voters are taking a look at Trump. But older voters have gone in the opposite direction, and instead of favoring Trump, are nearly split in the Marist poll. Despite the shift of older voters in the direction of Biden (and younger voters away from him), I was surprised to see older voters still have reservations about Biden’s age.

Persons: Democrat Joe Biden, Republican Donald Trump, —, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Republican Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, haven’t, George H.W, Bush, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, Republican George W, gravitating, Biden, “ Joe isn’t, ”, Jill Biden, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Eric Bradner, Bradner, Linda Van, “, I’d, Ronald Brownstein Organizations: CNN, Democrat, Republican, Electoral, Voters, Trump, Marist, Quinnipiac University, New York Times, Siena College Locations: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, ”

☆ A boomer who lives on Social Security worries she won't get hired because she can't afford a car: 'I don't even have $1 in my wallet.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They both live off her $1,625 monthly Social Security income, according to documents reviewed by BI. He's also 57 and not old enough to receive Social Security, which typically kicks in at 62. And, while over half of older adult households rely on Social Security, the fund could run out by 2030. Hambrick "doesn't care" what she does next because it's difficult to get hired as an older adult. AdvertisementAre you an older adult living paycheck to paycheck or on Social Security?

Persons: —, she's, Hambrick, hasn't, He's, ALICEs, — Hambrick, She's, There's Organizations: Service, Business, Social Security, BI, Income, Alliance for Lifetime, Survey, Social, Boeing, Medicaid Locations: Tulsa , Oklahoma

☆ Neither Biden nor Trump is seriously addressing the safety net crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“They’re both promising not to tackle the debt,” Ryan said, coming back to the issue that has animated his political career. Trump wants to extend all of the tax cuts, which could further explode the debt without corresponding spending cuts. When Trump and Republicans enacted the current tax structure, they made individual tax cuts temporary and most of the corporate tax cuts permanent. Biden has proposed additional taxes on those making more than $400,000 to address Medicare’s solvency, among other ideas, but does not have a detailed Social Security plan. The dirty little secret in all of this is, Medicare and Social Security are going insolvent on their own.

Persons: Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, he’ll, Trump, ”, Ryan, Republican –, “, ” Ryan, Sen, Mitt Romney, “ They’re, Joe Biden, Biden, Barack Obama, CNN’s Tami Luhby, What’s, won’t, Alan Greenspan, Obama, Republican Sen, Alan Simpson, Erskine Bowles Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, Fox News, Social Security, Democrats, Affordable, Biden, Republicans, Democratic, American, Treasury, Medicare, Fox, Federal, White House, National Commission Locations: Wisconsin, Trump, Luhby

☆ Supreme Court rejects challenge to abortion pill mifepristone
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( John Fritze | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

As those bans helped propel the demand for medication abortion, mifepristone became a logical target for the anti-abortion movement. None of those lower court rulings went into effect because the Supreme Court intervened last year and ordered that the status quo around mifepristone remain in place until the justices reviewed the case. The Supreme Court heard arguments in March. Both the FDA and several medical groups, including the American Medical Association, told the Supreme Court that mifepristone is safe. The mifepristone appeal was one of two abortion cases the high court was considering this month.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Brett Kavanaugh, “, ” Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, ”, Clarence Thomas, mifepristone, Donald Trump, Matthew Kacsmaryk, —, –, Kacsmaryk, Biden, Steve Vladeck, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Food, Legislative, Trump, FDA, US, American Medical Association, Alliance for Hippocratic, University of Texas School of Law, Jackson, Health Organization, Biden Locations: Texas, mifepristone, Amarillo , Texas, Dobbs v, Idaho

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