States

• Medicare heeft de aanmeldingen van hospice- en thuiszorginstellingen al gepauzeerd terwijl mogelijke fraude wordt onderzocht. • JD Vance heeft gedreigd de federale financiering voor overheidszorgverzekeringsprogramma's "uit te schakelen" in staten die weigeren mee te werken aan de aanpak van vermoedelijke fraude door de regering-Trump. • Staten die niet "serieus worden」 over fraude zouden Medicaid- en Medicare-financiering verliezen, kondigde de vicepresident van de VS woensdag aan, wat leidde tot nieuwe beschuldigingen dat Trump-functionarissen ongefundeerde beweringen gebruiken om politieke rivalen te straffen.

Als het huidige wankele staakt-het-vuren tussen de VS en Iran eindigt, is de kans groter dat de Emiraten een doelwit worden van Teheran

• Saoedi-Arabië uitte een "felwaardige veroordeling" van de gecoördineerde drone-aanvallen op de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten, Qatar en Koeweit op 11 mei, en bestempelde de aanvallen als een gevaarlijke escalatie die de regionale veiligheid bedreigt. • Het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken van Bahrein noemde de aanval op Koeweit een "flagrante schending van het internationaal recht" en benadrukte de dreiging voor de regionale stabiliteit die door de vijandige drone-aanvallen wordt gevormd. • De aanvallen duiden op een gevaarlijke uitbreiding van het conflict in het Midden-Oosten, waarbij meerdere leden van de Gulf Cooperation Council gelijktijdig zijn getroffen, wat zorgen baart over de kwetsbaarheid van de maritieme handel en de olie-infrastructuur.

• At least six US states—California, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona, Texas, and New Jersey—are tracking nine residents who disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship amid a deadly hantavirus outbreak overseas. • Health officials report no symptoms among the monitored Americans, including two each in Texas, New Jersey, and Georgia, and one each in California, Virginia, and Arizona; 30 people total left the ship late last month before the outbreak was confirmed. • State spokespeople like California's Brian Micek and Georgia's Nancy Nydam Shirek emphasize coordination with CDC and low public risk, with self-monitoring via daily temperature checks in Texas.

• A federal court reinstated deportation proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian activist detained amid U.S.-Iran tensions. • The decision reverses a prior halt, citing national security risks linked to Mahdawi's alleged ties to groups opposing U.S. policy in the Middle East. • This ruling underscores heightened immigration enforcement in geopolitically charged cases, affecting humanitarian considerations for activists.

• Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won West Bengal for the first time in its 46-year history, securing 207 out of 294 seats in recent state elections on May 8, 2026. • The BJP retained control of Assam and, with coalition partners, the federal territory of Puducherry, now governing 21 of India's 28 states and 72% of its 1.4 billion population. • Al Jazeera described the West Bengal victory as the Hindu nationalist party's most consequential win since Modi took power in 2014, driven by anti-incumbency against Mamata Banerjee and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

• The BJP and its coalition allies have expanded their territorial control to 21 of India's 28 states, representing unprecedented political consolidation and establishing the party in a more dominant national position than at any point since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014. • From the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, India's political map is now overwhelmingly controlled by the BJP, with only Jharkhand remaining as a lone opposition-governed state in major regions, reflecting near-total electoral saturation. • Political analysts describe this expansion as more than electoral success—it constitutes political saturation, raising fundamental questions about whether India is moving toward an opposition-diminished political order.

Four women and nine children expected to return to Australia on Thursday with all apart from a mother and her child expected to go to VictoriaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAuthorities in two Australian states are preparing to resettle children returning from squalid detention camps and life under Islamic State rule, as at least some of their mothers face possible criminal charges.Four women and nine children are expected to return to Australia on Thursday, with all of them apart from a mother and her child bound for Melbourne. Continue reading...

• The Bharatiya Janata Party expanded its electoral dominance across India's political map, strengthening its presence in large parts of the country and leaving only a handful of states under opposition rule following the 2026 assembly election results. • The BJP's continued electoral momentum, coupled with strong performances in states like Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, reinforces the party's structural dominance ahead of upcoming state elections. • Growing cracks emerged within the opposition INDIA bloc following the elections, with significant disagreements over issues like women's reservation-linked legislation undermining coalition unity and strategy.

• Vote counting starts at 8 AM on May 4, 2026, across Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal following high-stakes assembly elections in April. • Key contests include DMK's MK Stalin defending power in Tamil Nadu, BJP eyeing a hat-trick in Assam under Himanta Biswa Sarma against Congress's Gaurav Gogoi, and Trinamool Congress vs BJP in West Bengal's 294 seats. • Results are make-or-break for national players like BJP, Congress, DMK, TMC, and Left, with implications for delimitation debates and Dravidian politics dominance.

DoJ announces changes including ‘loophole’ that allows people to buy guns at shows without background checkThe US justice department has rolled back several significant restrictions on guns, including reinstating the so-called “gun show loophole”, which allowed people at such events to buy firearms without a background check.The changes, announced by the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, amount to a shift in firearm policy advocated by supporters of the second amendment, who are prominent in Donald Trump’s supporter base. Continue reading...

• Backers introduced over three dozen bills in statehouses to expand raw milk access, despite public health warnings and at least five outbreaks in the past year. • Current E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm has sickened nine people, half children under 5, with one developing lifelong kidney complications. • Public health officials warn unpasteurized milk harbors risky germs, alarming experts as more states legalize sales.

Redrawn map could flip up to five seats to Republicans as Trump’s party seeks to keep control of CongressThe US supreme court formally reinstated on Monday a redrawn Texas electoral map that was designed to add more Republicans to the US House of Representatives, as Donald Trump’s party seeks to keep control of Congress in the November congressional elections.The move by the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, formalizes an interim decision it made in December to revive the map of US House districts in Texas. Continue reading...

Footage posted online shows police telling people they were being removed due to suspicion they would interrupt ceremonyWestern Australian police say they proactively blocked 15 members of “issue motivated groups” from attending Anzac Day commemorations, following disruptions that marred earlier ceremonies in the eastern states.One man was arrested at the Sydney dawn service at Martin Place, where there was a small but noisy interjection of booing during the Indigenous acknowledgment of country. Booing also marred ceremonies in Melbourne and Perth. Continue reading...

• As of April 25, 2026, Medicaid/CHIP enrollment exceeds pre-pandemic levels in 32 states, totaling 68 million Medicaid and 7.2 million CHIP enrollees nationwide. • The unwinding process disenrolled 25.2 million since September 2024, yet 69% of renewals—56.4 million—were approved in reporting states. • Elevated enrollment supports ongoing public health efforts but strains budgets amid procedural disenrollments in states like Florida and Texas.

• The Trump administration will require all 50 states to explain their plans to revalidate Medicaid providers as part of a national escalation of anti-fraud efforts, announced by Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday. • This marks a significant expansion from previous anti-fraud initiatives that have largely focused on specific states rather than a nationwide mandate. • The move aims to strengthen program integrity and reduce fraudulent claims across the Medicaid system.

Government sources in multiple states say they are worried about the breadth of the changes and possible costsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe states are increasingly on edge about Labor’s efforts to cut NDIS spending in next month’s budget, with officials asking the health minister, Mark Butler, to explain planned savings before a major speech this week.It comes as the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, flagged on Monday morning that cuts to the NDIS will be “easily the most important part of the savings package that we will present on budget night”. Continue reading...

About 26 million people are under tornado watches from Wisconsin to Oklahoma, according to one reportA stretch of the midwestern states is at risk of severe weather, forecasters warned on Friday, as tornadoes battered towns across the central US region, leaving behind debris and destroyed property.According to the National Weather Service, severe thunderstorms may be seen in north-west Oklahoma through western Missouri during Friday afternoon and evening. Continue reading...

Petition started by workers gained more than 7,300 signatures after CEO said flags would be removedA San Francisco-based coffee chain that sparked backlash with a policy to remove Pride flags from their stores has reversed its decision over a week later.“I made a mistake and I am sincerely sorry,” said Mahesh Sadarangani, the chief executive of Philz Coffee, in a statement on Friday. “The Pride flag is a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world, and that is not something I want to take away from anyone who walks into a Philz.” Continue reading...

• Samsung launched its Galaxy Watch blood pressure feature for U.S. consumers, enabling wrist-based hypertension tracking without cuffs. • FDA-cleared technology uses optical sensors calibrated via user input, integrated into latest watch models. • Matters for 116 million U.S. adults with high blood pressure, improving remote monitoring and chronic disease management.

Experts say any short-term financial benefit will be outweighed by long-term health costs related to obesityFaced with high demand for GLP-1 drugs, some American cities and states that previously covered the cost of the weight-loss medication for low-income residents and public employees have now started to restrict or eliminate coverage.The pullback stems from the dramatic increase in public spending on drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy in recent years. Continue reading...

• The COVID-19 variant BA.3.2, nicknamed 'Cicada,' has spread to half the US states and at least 23 countries worldwide. • Health monitors track its emergence amid ongoing circulation of respiratory pathogens. • While specific severity data is pending, it adds to concerns over variant evolution and vaccine effectiveness.

• Influenza cases are peaking for a second time this season, with at least 41 states reporting high or very high flu activity. • This surge coincides with ongoing respiratory illness pressures documented by health authorities. • Increased hospitalizations strain healthcare systems, particularly affecting unvaccinated children and adults.

• An Iranian diplomatic delegation has arrived in Pakistan to begin ceasefire talks with US representatives, signaling potential de-escalation efforts amid the ongoing conflict that began February 28, 2026. • The negotiations come as both sides seek to resolve tensions triggered by the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the largest global oil supply disruption since the 1970s energy crisis. • US Vice President JD Vance has warned Iran not to "play" the US during planned negotiations, indicating the administration's determination to achieve concrete results from the talks.

Whatever outcome of ceasefire talks, the region will have to live with a continuing threat from the regime in TehranMiddle East crisis – live updatesGulf nations will seek to add security partners as they rebuild battered economies after the US and Israel’s war on Iran and deal with an emboldened Tehran.The Gulf will have to live with a continuing threat from the regime in Tehran and its remaining missile arsenal. American bases on their soil turned them into targets for Iran, as it retaliated against a joint attack by the US and Israel. Continue reading...

Markwayne Mullin visits Asheville to survey Hurricane Helene recovery in first big trip since Kristi Noem’s ousterMarkwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, used a visit to Asheville, North Carolina to call for a fundamental shift in the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), arguing that states and local governments – not the federal agency – should lead disaster response.“We shouldn’t look at Fema as being a first responder, but look at Fema as supporting the first responders you already have,” Mullin told reporters at a roundtable discussion. Continue reading...

Tennessee leads way but experts say offender registry could provide a false sense of security – and identify victimsWhen Amanda Martin started dating Christopher Cendroski, whose family has described him as “big-hearted”, she had no idea he had been arrested for domestic assault. Had she known, she said she never would become involved with him.A few months into their relationship, which began in 2011, Cendroski started beating Martin, and in May 2012, he nearly choked her to death, she said. Police arrested Cendroski and helped both Martin and her children get to a shelter. Continue reading...

• The U.S. has initiated measures to secure Venezuela's gold reserves as American geopolitical influence in the region intensifies. • The effort reflects Washington's strategy to expand economic leverage and control over Venezuelan assets during the nation's ongoing political and economic crisis. • The move signals escalating U.S. intervention in Venezuela's internal affairs with significant implications for regional power dynamics.