Aid

Ocasio-Cortez says Israel can fund its own defense and she will oppose any new US aid amid human rights concernsUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a US representative, said on Wednesday that she will oppose any future US military aid to Israel, including for defensive systems.In a statement on social media, Ocasio-Cortez said that Israel was fully capable of funding “Iron Dome and other defensive systems”, and that “consistent with my voting record to date, I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and US law”. Continue reading...

Hackney leaseholders feel council made the problem worse by leaving £850,000 debt uncollected for eight yearsLeaseholders in east London have said they are “trapped in unsellable homes” because of an £850,000 debt owed by the building’s developer to Hackney council, who have let it go unpaid for eight years.The 17 leaseholders, who live in a block of flats in Upper Clapton, have appealed to the council for help but their pleas, including requests for a meeting, have been ignored. Continue reading...

• Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving 21,000 low-income and uninsured patients, has operated at a loss for two years and anticipates worsening conditions due to new Medicaid work rules under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. • Nebraska becomes the first state to enforce work requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees, risking coverage loss and threatening clinic viability, as stated by CEO Brad Meyer. • The policy darkens the outlook for government-backed clinics nationwide by reducing patient access to care amid rising operational costs.

• A new report warns that hundreds of hospitals serving 6.6 million Americans in 44 states and Washington, D.C., face serious threats from potential Medicaid cuts. • The cuts could force hospitals to reduce services or close, severely impacting healthcare access for lower-income and underserved communities. • Medicaid remains a critical funding source for these facilities, highlighting the broad national implications for public health infrastructure.

• CMS announced the Accelerating State Pediatric Innovation Readiness and Effectiveness Model (ASPIRE), a 10-year voluntary program for up to five states. • ASPIRE targets Medicaid and CHIP enrollees up to age 21 with complex medical and behavioral needs through early identification, care coordination, and quality accountability. • A Notice of Funding Opportunity will be released later this year to solicit state participation.

• Last August, the Trump administration ordered states to reverify immigration status of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees, but findings from five states show few immigrants without legal status improperly receiving benefits. • States paid Deloitte and other firms millions to comply with the law aimed at cutting Medicaid rolls, with federal officials mandating reverification of enrollee immigration data. • The reviews highlight limited evidence of widespread ineligibility, raising questions about the policy's effectiveness and costs to update systems amid ongoing crackdowns.

• Amazon MGM Studios halted production on the new 'Tomb Raider' streaming series after Sophie Turner sustained an injury. • The studio stated, 'As a precaution, production has briefly paused to allow her time to recover. We look forward to resuming production as soon as possible.' • ABC News sought comment from Turner's representative amid the production stoppage.