After GOP rebuffs, Edwards to issue emergency Medicaid deals

Gov. John Bel Edwards intends to sidestep lawmakers to enact $15.4 billion in Medicaid managed-care deals using an emergency contracting process, after House Republicans voted twice to block deals to provide services to 1.5 million people. The Democratic governor started the process Monday evening for entering into 23-month emergency contracts that will keep five managed-care companies overseeing services for 90 percent of Louisiana's Medicaid patients.

Ahlquist announces plan to cut opioid deaths in half in 4 years if elected governor

Working as an emergency room doctor for more than 18 years, Tommy Ahlquist says he saw first-hand the "devastating effects" of opioid overdoses and deaths. But traveling around the state this year while campaigning for governor , Ahlquist said his conversations with police, first responders and health care professionals were "very eye-opening for me."

Tyson Foods: New facility in Tennessee to create 1,500 jobs

Tyson Foods Inc. plans to build a new chicken production complex in Tennessee, a $300 million project that is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs when the facility begins operations in late 2019, the company said Monday. The new plant in Humboldt will produce pre-packaged trays of fresh chicken for retail grocery stores nationwide, the Springdale, Arkansas-based company said in a statement and a news conference.

Tax plan bad for Connecticut, for the debt, and for the middle-class

Connecticut's U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy must do more than stand united with fellow Democrats in seeking to block a tax reform bill that would be bad for Connecticut and for many middle-income taxpayers, while exploding the national debt. They and their fellow members of the loyal opposition must offer alternative tax relief ideas that are more fiscally responsible.

Congressman: Welcome change at top of consumer protection bureau

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Illinois, says the watchdog agency, created by the Dodd-Frank Financial Regulatory Reform Bill, has overstepped its mission under its current director, Richard Cordray. "The intention of those who pushed this in through the Dodd-Frank legislation was to make it a completely unaccountable bureau," Hultgren said.

Trump urged to sell $50 million in lethal weapons to Ukraine

National security officials are urging President Trump to approve the sale of nearly $50 million worth of U.S. weapons to Ukraine, which has confronted what it sees as military aggression from Russia and pro-Russian separatists for years. Congressional and State Department officials said Monday the weapons proposal had gained traction in the National Security Council.

Senate Finance Committee Modifies Executive Compensation Provisions…

On November 14, 2017, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch released a new modified mark of the Senate version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that modifies provisions related to Internal Revenue Code Sections 409A and 162 . The Chairman's modification adds a transition rule for the elimination of employer deductions for payments over $1 million to certain executives under Code Section 162 .

Dems choose Mt. Lebanon man to run for Murphy’s vacant Congressional seat

Conor Lamb, Democratic nominee for the special election in the 18th Congressional District, greets well-wishers after the second round of balloting Nov. 19 at Washington High School. Conor Lamb, Democratic nominee for the special election in the 18th Congressional District, greets well-wishers after the second round of balloting Nov. 19 at Washington High School.

WH: Trump not stumping for Moore due to ‘discomfort’ with bid new

President Donald Trump isn't campaigning for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore because of "discomfort" with the sexual misconduct allegations made by several women but isn't calling on the controversial judge to drop out of the race because the state's voters should decide, the White House says. Ultimately, Trump doesn't know who to believe following decades-old allegations made one month before the Dec. 12 election, according to his aides.

Attention, fence-sitting Republican senators: Here’s what’s at stake in the tax vote

Jared Bernstein, a former chief economist to Vice President Joe Biden, is a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and author of 'The Reconnection Agenda: Reuniting Growth and Prosperity'. In a song about the plight of the leftists in the Spanish Civil War against General Francisco Franco, the great musical satirist Tom Lehrer sang : "Though he may have won all the battles, we had all the good songs."

House Veterans committee chairman takes oversight on the road

The last stop for Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe before heading home for Thanksgiving was Little Rock, where the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs promised quick action on legislation increasing veterans' private-sector health care options. Despite concerns about cost, privatization and the influence of outside parties - such as the conservative Koch political network - Roe said Monday that the committee has come to a consensus on the Veterans Choice program and will likely advance legislation after the weeklong holiday break.

Trump wants to end welfare as Bill Clinton knows it

Overhauling welfare was one of the defining goals of Bill Clinton's presidency, starting with a campaign promise to "end welfare as we know it," continuing with a bitter policy fight and producing change that remains hotly debated 20 years later. Now, President Donald Trump wants to put his stamp on the welfare system, apparently in favor of a more restrictive policy.

Trump mocks Jeff Flake and says his career is ‘toast’

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AP News in Brief at 9:04 p.m. EST

Two of President Donald Trump's leading economic advisers sent mixed signals Sunday on the fate of a health care provision in the Senate version of a $1.5 trillion measure to overhaul business and personal income taxes that is expected to be voted on after Thanksgiving. The provision to repeal a requirement that everyone in the U.S. have insurance has emerged as a major sticking point for Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has said that issue should be dealt with separately from the push by Trump and fellow Republicans to overhaul the tax code.