Trump Administration Freezes Payments Required By The Affordable Care Act

The Trump administration said Saturday that it is temporarily halting billions of dollars of payments designed to help insurers meet the Affordable Care Act requirement that they provide coverage regardless of whether a person is healthy or sick. The administration said it was withholding $10.4 billion in the so-called "risk adjustment" payments, citing a district court ruling from earlier this year in New Mexico.

Senator gauges federal programs’ work with small businesses

A U.S. senator from Idaho held an oversight hearing in Anchorage to receive feedback from Alaska business leaders on Small Business Administration programs. The Alaska Journal of Commerce reports Republican Sen. Jim Risch, chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, aimed for the hearing last week to gather insight into how and if the programs are helping businesses navigate the federal contracting system.

The Debt Clock Keeps Spinning

In 1989, a New York businessman who was worried about chronic federal budget deficits erected the National Debt Clock in midtown Manhattan to keep a running tally of how much the U.S. government owes. The total had reached $2.7 trillion, and Seymour Durst wanted "to call attention to the soaring debt and each family's share of it."

New tax form is indeed smaller, but filing is no simpler

The Trump administration may deliver on its promise to reduce a commonly used tax form to postcard size, but it does not shrink the workload for many Americans filling out their taxes. A draft copy of the new 1040 income tax form given to The Associated Press by a staffer on the Ways & Means Committee shows that the form will be reduced from two full pages to a double-sided half page.

Joe Biden had plenty to say about President Trump during a stop at an Ohio barber shop

Former Vice President Joe Biden stopped by a Cincinnati barber shop Friday , but he wasn't there to get a haircut. The outspoken Democrat shook hands, cracked jokes and talked about President Donald Trump the way a future presidential candidate might, even though he continued to play coy about whether he'll run in 2020.

Court confirmation process likely to follow Gorsuch playbook Source: AP

The Republican game plan for selecting the next member of the Supreme Court was ready to go even before longtime Justice Anthony Kennedy made his retirement announcement this week. Kennedy's news that he'll leave the court next month immediately activated a network of White House aides, congressional allies and outside advocates, all set for their second Supreme Court confirmation fight in two years.

Court confirmation process likely to follow Gorsuch playbook

The Republican game plan for selecting the next member of the Supreme Court was ready to go even before longtime Justice Anthony Kennedy made his retirement announcement this week. Kennedy's news that he'll leave the court next month immediately activated a network of White House aides, congressional allies and outside advocates, all set for their second Supreme Court confirmation fight in two years.

Democrats’ Anti-Wall Street Wing Just Won a Major Victory

New York voters denied longtime House Democratic Caucus chairman Joe Crowley an 11th term, instead backing 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic socialist and former organizer for Senator Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign. "It's time we acknowledge that not all Democrats are the same," Ocasio-Cortez said in her viral campaign announcement video.

Ponzi Fraudster SentencedA California man was recently sentenced to a …

In July 2008, special agents from the FBI Sacramento Field Office executed a search warrant at the residence of a suspect and interviewed other individuals in connection with a mortgage fraud investigation. In addition to finding evidence for their own case, investigators uncovered ties to what appeared to be a separate mortgage fraud scheme, and FBI Sacramento opened another case, working in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Trump’s GSE plan: Familiar solution, familiar problems

Since not long after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were seized by the government a decade ago, policymakers have been circling the same idea for how to revamp the housing finance system. Broadly speaking, that plan would privatize the two government-sponsored enterprises while providing an explicit federal backstop for the mortgage market.

How to prepare to buy a home

The housing market seems to be heating up nationally and even in our small town. With that being the case, I would like to share a few tips and try to offer a better understanding of the home buying and mortgage process for both seasoned and 1st time home-buyers alike from someone's perspective who has sat on both sides of the desk as a loan officer and consumer.

SEC charges insurance agent with $1.27 million Ponzi scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged James Hocker, a Bellefonte, Penn., insurance agent, with engaging in a Ponzi scheme that targeted unsophisticated retail investors. After selling insurance policies, according to the SEC's complaint, Mr. Hocker encouraged his clients to invest with him by promising guaranteed returns of between 10% and 30% from investments he would make on their behalf.

Why Yesterday’s SCOTUS Decision May Impact Franchisor Royalties

Yesterday, in South Dakota vs. WayFair, Inc., et al., the United States Supreme Court overturned long-standing precedents that required an out-of-state Seller to have a physical presence in a state to collect sales tax from consumers in that state. The South Dakota law being challenged by giant online retailers, Wayfair, Inc., Overstock.com, Inc., and Newegg, Inc. none of which had a physical presence in South Dakota requires out-of-state retailers to collect and remit sales tax "as if they had a physical presence in the state."

Scaramucci: Lewandowski should apologize for mocking girl with Down syndrome

Anthony Scaramucci The Hill's 12:30 Report - Sponsored by Delta Air Lines - Trump to meet House GOP as backlash to 'zero tolerance' policy grows The Memo: Child separation crisis risks 'Katrina moment' for Trump Trump digs in amid uproar on zero tolerance policy MORE Corey R. Lewandowski Lewandowski says 'womp womp' at story of young girl being separated from mother at border If Congress takes no action, the Social Security trust fund will become depleted in 2034 Five things to know about the lawsuit against the Trump Foundation MORE to apologize after mocking a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was reportedly separated from her mother after crossing the border illegally.

Health care is about to get way easier for small businesses and self-employed Americans

Lamar Alexander, a Republican, represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and serves as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Today, if you're a self-employed plumber or a farmer or a waitress at a small restaurant, you likely don't have access to the same kind of lower-cost health insurance, tax breaks and patient protections that employees of bigger companies, such as IBM or Microsoft, enjoy.