Nov 22, 2017

2.3 million have signed up for ACA coverage

ACA sign-ups lag behind last year's pace. Photo: Andrew Harnik / AP

Roughly 2.3 million people have signed up for Affordable Care Act coverage through HealthCare.gov, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said today.

Between the lines: We're halfway through the six-week open enrollment window. Halfway through the last open enrollment window, which was twice as long, more than 4 million people had signed up for coverage.

The bottom line: It's hard to draw an apples-to-apples comparison because of differences in deadlines and the overall length of the enrollment period, but enrollment does seem likely to drop this year, in part due to the Trump administration's decision to eliminate almost all promotion and outreach.

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Jennifer A. Kingson
3 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Cities brace for Election Day chaos

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Worst-case scenarios for Election Day: Illegal militias show up fully armed at polling places. People are intimidated from voting. Extremist groups launch violent protests that last for days.

Why it matters: Mayors are playing down the threats — projecting a "we've got this" tone of reassurance — but some law enforcement officials and people who monitor extremists are telling them to be prepared for anything.

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Miriam Kramer, author of Space
14 mins ago - Science

The next environmental crisis could be in space

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

An unexpected frontier is facing calls for new environmental regulations and cleanup: outer space.

Why it matters: Space junk clutters up orbits and poses an urgent threat to weather, security, communications and other satellites. Long-term, you can’t live or work in space if trash is literally slamming into you.

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Margaret Talev
43 mins ago - Health

Axios-Ipsos poll: Trump's sickness makes him harder to trust

Data: Axios/Ipsos poll; Note: ±3.3% margin of error; Chart: Axios Visuals

Large shares of women, seniors and independents now say they're less likely to trust President Trump for accurate information about COVID-19 since he caught it himself, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

The big picture: Week 28 of our national survey has most Americans rejecting ideas that Trump has floated around hydroxychloriquine as a virus treatment, how herd immunity works or any imminent availability of a vaccine.

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