Author: Press Room

The Trump administration on Friday rejected a Biden plan that would have required Medicare and Medicaid to cover obesity drugs and expanded access for millions of people.Under the law that established Medicare’s Part D drug benefits, the program was forbidden from paying for drugs for “weight loss.” But the Biden administration’s proposal last November had attempted to sidestep that ban by arguing that the drugs would be allowed to treat the disease of obesity and its related conditions.Expanding coverage of the drugs would have cost the federal government billions of dollars. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the federal expense would…

His order claimed that the Smithsonian, in particular, had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and that it promotes “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”The executive order presents a test for Mr. Bunch, who was not told of it in advance. Though he has not commented publicly, he last week sent an email to Smithsonian employees indicating an intention to persevere, saying that “we remain committed to telling the multifaceted stories of this country’s extraordinary heritage.”Mr. Bunch won praise for creating and leading the African American museum. But in an indication…

For years, the singer and songwriter has avoided the spotlight. But she is breaking her silence to look back on her self-titled debut and its powerful hit “Fast Car.”

Jerome Dewald sat with his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap in front of an appellate panel of New York State judges, ready to argue for a reversal of a lower court’s decision in his dispute with a former employer.The court had allowed Mr. Dewald, who is not a lawyer and was representing himself, to accompany his argument with a prerecorded video presentation.As the video began to play, it showed a man seemingly younger than Mr. Dewald’s 74 years wearing a blue collared shirt and a beige sweater and standing in front of what appeared to be…

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that he expects President Donald Trump’s tariffs to raise inflation and lower growth, and indicated that the central bank won’t move on interest rates until it gets a clearer picture on the ultimate impacts.In a speech delivered before business journalists in Arlington, Virginia, Powell said the Fed faces a “highly uncertain outlook” because of the new reciprocal levies the president announced Wednesday.Though he said the economy currently looks strong, he stressed the threat that tariffs pose and indicated that the Fed will be focused on keeping inflation in check.”Our obligation is to keep…

Wayne Gretzky began to follow Alex Ovechkin on Friday night amid his trek to surpassing The Great One as the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer – the trip was almost done in one day.Needing three goals to surpass Gretzky, Ovechkin scored twice to tie, and tried his darnedest to get a hat trick.Nonetheless, Gretzky had been the solo leader for over 31 years. But now he has company, and soon enough, he will be looking up for the first time in a while. FILE: Canadian retired professional hockey player Wayne Gretzky arrives for the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn…

The Trump administration on Friday said it accidentally told some Ukrainians refugees they needed to leave the U.S. immediately because their legal status was being revoked, telling CBS News the message was sent by mistake.Some Ukrainians who had entered the U.S. under the Biden administration following Russia’s invasion of their homeland received emails this week telling them that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would be terminating their legal protections, according to advocates and a notice obtained by CBS News.”DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole,” the April 3 notice said, referring to the temporary legal status…

Former President Barack Obama urged universities to resist attacks from the federal government that violate their academic freedom in a campus speech on Thursday.He also said schools and students should engage in self-reflection about speech environments on their campuses.“If you are a university, you may have to figure out, are we in fact doing things right?,” he said during a conversation at Hamilton College in upstate New York. “Have we in fact violated our own values, our own code, violated the law in some fashion?”“If not, and you’re just being intimidated, well, you should be able to say, that’s why…

Kelowna city councillors are being urged by the mayor to avoid speaking to the media ahead of meetings. In a letter sent to council recently, Tom Dyas stated, “As per our code of conduct, the mayor is the spokesperson for the city.”The letter also says, “If speaking to the media, councillors must state it’s their personal opinion, and should avoid talking with the media before the motion is brought to council.”The mayor’s letter was sent after Coun. Ron Cannan issued a notice of motion to create a ‘Buy Canadian’ policy last month.Cannan was scheduled to do an interview about the…

Britain’s Prince Andrew sent Chinese President Xi Jinping a letter on his birthday every year as part of a “communication channel” to support the British royal’s platform for entrepreneurs, according to court documents.The documents came to light on Friday following a legal challenge brought by Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo, who was described as a “close confidant” of Andrew and was banned from Britain on the grounds he was a suspected Chinese spy.Yang, who has said “the widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is entirely untrue”, is appealing against the rejection of his challenge to the decision to ban him…