Bipartisan health care plan would reduce deficit, experts say

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking member, and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, meet before the start of a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, the morning after they reached a deal to resume federal payments to health insurers that President Donald Trump had halted. A bill that would fund health care payments that have been called "bailouts" by President Donald Trump would drive down the deficit, according to congressional budget experts.

Trump denounces dossier funding

President Donald Trump latched onto revelations tying Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign to a dossier of unsubstantiated allegations about his ties to Russia, saying Wednesday that it was a "disgrace" that Democrats had helped pay for research that produced the document. "They're embarrassed by it, but I think it's a disgrace," Trump told reporters, a day after news reports revealed that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, for several months last year, helped fund research that ultimately ended up in the dossier.

Report: DNC and Clinton Campaign Funded the Trump/Russia ‘Steele Dossier’

The Washington Post reported that a law firm representing the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign retained research firm Fusion GPS to investigate Trump. The Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign partially funded the investigation that produced the controversial " Steele Dossier ," according to a 24 October 2017 report by the Washington Post citing "people familiar with the matter."

Clinton campaign, DNC paid for research that led to Russia dossier

The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous dossier containing allegations about Donald Trump's connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said. Marc Elias, a lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Fusion GPS, a Washington, D.C., firm, to conduct the research.

Flake folds to Trump in the face of a debased base

These were the plagues Sen. Jeff Flake cursed in his floor speech Tuesday night, announcing he would not seek a second term in the U.S. Senate. Flake is correct to condemn these growing problems and to accuse President Trump of trampling on decency, civility, stability, and the separation of powers.

More Rauner, Democrat showdowns on tap in fall session

In this July 26, 2017 file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol, Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Springfield, Ill. Still struggling with budget problems and faced with new demands for cash, the Illinois General Assembly returns Tuesday for the first week of its fall session.

‘Let us do our job’: Anger erupts over EPA’s apparent muzzling of scientists

Protesters gather Monday outside a meeting where a report on the Narragansett Bay, which included a focus on climate change, was to be released in Providence, R.I. The Environmental Protection Agency prohibited three scientists from speaking at the event. The Trump administration's decision to prevent government scientists from presenting climate change-related research at a conference in Rhode Island on Monday gave the event a suddenly high profile, with protesters outside, media inside and angry lawmakers and academics criticizing the move.

Dispelling Myths and Misinformation on the Road to an AIDS-Free Generation

When Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill to modernize California's outdated HIV laws, the national movement to end criminal prosecutions based on a person's HIV-positive status achieved a great milestone. The enactment of Senate Bill 239, sponsored by state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Todd Gloria, moves California to the forefront in eliminating the stigma that arises for people living with HIV from these types of prosecutions.

EPA cancels appearance of scientists at Rhode Island event

The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled the appearance of three scientists at an event on Monday in Rhode Island about a report, which deals in part with climate change. The New York Times reports EPA spokesman John Konkus confirmed on Sunday that agency scientists would not be speaking at the event in Providence.

Maine puts question of Obamacare subsidies directly to state voters

Maine voters will decide in November whether to expand their Medicaid rolls under Obamacare, offering a major test of the public's appetite for government-funded insurance as Congress decides whether to rein in or build on the 2010 law that swelled the federal footprint in health care. The Maine Legislature has tried five times to grab federal dollars that let states extend the insurance program for the poor to more able-bodied adults.

EPA cancels talk on climate change by agency scientists

The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled the speaking appearance of three agency scientists who were scheduled to discuss climate change at a conference Monday in Rhode Island, according to the agency and several people involved. John Konkus, an EPA spokesman and a former Trump campaign operative in Florida, confirmed that agency scientists would not speak at the State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed program in Providence, Rhode Island.

Despite Washington, Connecticut health exchange soldiers on

It's still business as usual for Connecticut's health insurance marketplace, despite failed congressional efforts to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law and President Donald Trump's proposal to stop federal payments to insurers. Access Health CT is continuing to gear up for this year's shortened open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 22. As part of its stepped-up outreach campaign, Access Health CT is making it clear they're open for business.