Money
Some Panic, Other Shrug at Prospect of Losing Obamacare: 80% Are Somewhat or Very Satisfied with Coverage According to Commonwealth Fund Survey
The 20 million Americans who have gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act don't yet know exactly how the presidency of Donald Trump will change their lives. Right now, one older couple who just retired pays $57 per month for their insurance plan; without the subsidy they receive through the health law, the cost will shoot up to $2,000 a month. "They called me in tears afraid. They would not be hired back at their old jobs and are in poor health." more »
States Aggressively Court Foreign Companies: International Firms Invested $353 Billion in the US economy in 2015
Many states and regions are looking for foreign investors as a way to boost economic growth. At the same time, there is increasing interest among overseas firms in investing in the relatively stable US economy, said Brad McDearman, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who has extensively studied states and cities that have attracted investment by foreign companies. more »
Return of House Flipping Eases Affordable Housing Crunch in Some States
The renovated homes are helping to bring downtrodden neighborhoods back to life, while making homeownership possible for some first-time and low-income buyers. "This flipping activity could be seen as a social good if it's bringing houses up to standards and putting them back on the market," said Steven Swidler, an Auburn University professor who has studied flipping. "In other areas it could be putting it beyond the price points for affordable housing for some people. It’s all about location, location, location." more »
Hearings: Child Marriage, Holocaust Art, Social Security and Bills Introduced: Child Safety & Family Violence, SNAP, Zika Virus Response & Preparedness
Senate Hearings to examine S.2763, to provide the victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by the Nazis, S.3155, to amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title, S.3270, to prevent elder abuse and exploitation and improve the justice system's response to victims in elder abuse and exploitation cases, and the nominations of Lucy Haeran Koh, of California, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, and Florence Y. Pan, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia. more »