Mar 10, 2017 - Health

Obamacare replacement would hammer CDC budget

John Hart/ Wisconsin State Journal via AP

The AP reports that the GOP's plan to repeal and replace Obamacare would also cut away another key provision of the law: $1 billion granted each year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund public health programs.

  • Removing the fund would cut 12% of the CDC's core budget.
  • The money is used to fund vaccination programs, upgrade state labs that monitor infectious diseases, and support public health campaigns — plus, it provides all of the funds for the CDC's lead poisoning prevention program.
  • "The elimination of the fund would be devastating to state and local health departments," said the chief of government affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
  • Republicans say tough luck: Rep. Andy Harris blamed local public health officials for "not lobbying their legislatures adequately" for the funding they need.

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Sara Fischer, author of Media Trends
3 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Election influence operations target journalists

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Foreign and domestic actors looking to influence the 2020 election are trying to trick real reporters into amplifying fake storylines. This tactic differs from 2016, when bad actors used fake accounts and bots to amplify disinformation to the population directly.

Why it matters: The new strategy, reminiscent of spy operations during the Cold War, is much harder for big tech platforms to police and prevent.

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 33,081,725 — Total deaths: 997,777 — Total recoveries: 22,926,896 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 7,115,338 — Total deaths: 204,758 — Total recoveries: 2,766,280 — Total tests: 101,298,794 — Map.
  3. States: 3 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week
  4. Health: The long-term pain of the mental health pandemic
  5. World: India the second country after U.S. to hit 6 million cases
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Rebecca Falconer
5 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Democrats demand Trump release his tax returns after NYT report

Compilation images of House Nancy Pelosi and President Trump. Photo: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Democrats called on President Trump to disclose his tax returns following a New York Times report alleging he paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in 10 of the past 15 years.

Details: Trump said the report was "total fake news," that he's unable to release the returns as they're "under audit" by the IRS, "which does not treat me well." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement the report "provides further evidence of the clear need" for a House lawsuit to access the tax returns and "ensure the presidential audit program is functioning effectively, without improper influence."

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