Connect with us

Northeast

Shutdown freezes health projects for seniors as HUD chief blasts ‘left’s healthcare hypocrisy’

Published

on

Shutdown freezes health projects for seniors as HUD chief blasts ‘left’s healthcare hypocrisy’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

FIRST ON FOX: The government shutdown has put financing for healthcare projects on ice across the country, affecting an estimated 12,800 beds at sites serving vulnerable senior citizens, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

Advertisement

“This shutdown is a case study in the left’s healthcare hypocrisy,” HUD chief Scott Turner told Fox Digital Friday. “While they fight for free healthcare for illegal aliens, they are delaying HUD’s financing for critical care facilities for America’s seniors. It’s time to stop playing politics and get these projects moving again.” 

The government shutdown began Oct. 1, when Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement. There is no end in sight, with President Donald Trump urging Republicans to hit the “nuclear option” and end the filibuster as Democrats continue voting against reopening the government. 

At the heart of the shutdown is a debate on healthcare. Trump and Republicans have pinned shutdown blame on Democrats for working to include healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants in the package. Democrats have denied the claims and instead argue the government is shut down due to Republicans failing to negotiate healthcare demands. 

TRUMP RETURNS TO DC AS DIM OUTLOOK LINGERS, NO END IN SIGHT FOR SHUTDOWN

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner told Fox News Digital, “This shutdown is a case study in the left’s healthcare hypocrisy.”  (Fox News )

Advertisement

Amid a Capitol Hill debate on healthcare policy, senior citizens nationwide are feeling the real-life effects of the shutdown, according to data provided to Fox Digital by HUD. 

HUD found that the shutdown has resulted in a handful of health projects backed by HUD or the Federal Housing Administration being halted across 32 states, affecting roughly 12,800 beds at health centers that overwhelmingly serve senior citizens on Medicare. 

HUD provided Fox News Digital with a breakdown of states most affected by the shutdown as it relates to healthcare resources, finding health projects in Nevada, Maryland and Georgia have most notably been affected. The projects overwhelmingly serve elderly individuals who require round-the-clock healthcare and other Medicare recipients, according to HUD. 

In Henderson County, Nevada, for example, a short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing home that supports 266 beds for Medicare patients is affected by the shutdown because its FHA-insured financing has stalled, delaying improvements and refinancing savings for the facility, according to HUD. 

A short-term rehabilitation and long-term care facility in Glen Burnie, Maryland, is also affected by the shutdown because FHA is halted from processing an application that would provide lower-cost capital for the facility, delaying renovations and updates, Fox Digital learned. 

Advertisement

SHUTDOWN THREATENS RURAL HOSPITALS, VETERANS’ CARE AS DEMOCRATS BLOCK GOP PLAN, EMMER WARNS

The government shutdown has affected healthcare centers nationwide that serve the elderly and other Medicare recipients, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  (Getty Images)

Another Maryland facility providing care to Medicare patients in need of intensive rehabilitation or skilled nursing is also unable to complete refinancing or site improvements needed to maintain compliance due to the shutdown, according to HUD. 

Two FHA health projects in Georgia have stalled 237 skilled nursing facility beds, according to HUD, representing $47.4 million in insured financing. The projects were on the verge of closing and would have benefited from refinanced high-interest private debt, Fox Digital learned, but they are on ice until the government reopens. 

SHUTDOWN IGNITES STRATEGIST DEBATE: WILL TRUMP AND GOP PAY THE POLITICAL PRICE IN 2026? 

Advertisement

Additionally, according to HUD, all endorsements of FHA-supported reverse mortgage loans have been put on hold, leaving many seniors unable to access funds against their mortgage for day-to-day or healthcare expenses. The backlog for such reverse mortgages grows by about 60 transactions each business day as the shutdown persists, Fox Digital learned. 

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have accused Republicans of failing to negotiate healthcare policy, with Republicans responding that Democrats are holding the American people “hostage” by not passing a “clean continuing resolution” to reopen the government. 

A sign that says “The U.S. Capitol Visiting Center is closed due to a lapse in appropriations” is displayed at the entrance of the Capitol Visiting Center during the U.S. government shutdown.  (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“The government is shut down for one reason and one reason only: Donald Trump and the Republicans would rather kick 15 million people off health insurance and raise premiums by thousands and thousands of dollars a year on tens of millions of Americans rather than sit down and work with Democrats on fixing healthcare,” Schumer said earlier in October. 

Trump and his administration have railed against Democrats for the shutdown, calling for five “reasonable” Democrats to come forward and vote to reopen the government as federal food assistance funds run dry, air traffic controllers miss their first full paycheck and hundreds of thousands of employees remain furloughed. 

Advertisement

Only 52 Republicans and three Democrats or Democrat-aligned lawmakers have voted to reopen the government, meaning five additional Democrats are needed in order to end the shutdown. 

“We are happy to talk about any policy issues,” Vice President JD Vance said from the White House Thursday after meeting with aviation leaders rocked by the shutdown ahead of the holiday travel season. “We’re happy to talk about health care policy. We’re happy to talk about tax policy. We’re happy to talk about regulatory policy, but not at the point of a gun.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“You do not get to take the American people’s government hostage and then demand that we give you everything you want in order to pay our air traffic controllers,” he continued. “It’s a ridiculous set of demands. Let’s reopen the government, and then let’s sit down and talk about how to compromise on policy for the American people.” 

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement

Boston, MA

FIFA releases Boston World Cup 2026 national teams and schedule for matches at Gillette Stadium – The Boston Globe

Published

on

FIFA releases Boston World Cup 2026 national teams and schedule for matches at Gillette Stadium – The Boston Globe


Saturday, June 13, 9 p.m.: Haiti vs. Scotland, Group C.

Tuesday, June 16, 6 p.m.: Norway vs. whoever emerges from the qualifying playoff tourney between Iraq, Bolivia, and Suriname, Group I.

Friday, June 19, 6 p.m.: Scotland vs. Morocco, Group C.

Tuesday, June 23, 4 p.m.: No. 5 England vs. Ghana, Group L.

Advertisement

Friday, June 26, 3 p.m.: Norway vs. No. 3 France, Group I.

The June 26 matchup will feature arguably the two top strikers in the world, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Kylian Mbappe.

For a Round of 32 game Monday, June 29, the winner of Group E will play one of the third-place finishers from Groups A, B, C, D, or F. Should the US national team perform below expectations in a Group D it is favored by most to win, there is a chance it could play at Boston Stadium in that June 29 match.

A July 9 quarterfinal match will be played at 4 pm.

While Brazil is one of the teams that will not be playing at Gillette, local organizers are still pleased with how everything shook out, both from a high-caliber soccer perspective and seeing a robust group of international fans visit greater Boston and pump dollars into its economy.

Advertisement

“We got two highlight matches, which is amazing,” said Brian Bilello, Boston 26 board chair and president of the Revolution. “We’ve got France-Norway, where you wind up with two of the top five players in the world in Mbappe and Haaland playing against each other, that match is going to be a pretty special one.

“And the other top Pot 1 team is England, which is always a popular team and that should be a fun match against Ghana.”

For fifth-ranked Brazil not to play in Boston will come as a disappointment to many, especially in Framingham with its large Brazilian population. But Bilello, without elaborating, fueled widely available rumors that Brazil will play France in a friendly at Gillette on March 28.

“We know our Brazilian fans are going to be somewhat disappointed but hopefully we have a way of making them happy this spring with something else,” said Bilello.

Besides Brazil, the final draw eliminated these teams from visiting Boston: Group I’s Senegal, and Croatia and Panama from Group L.

Advertisement
Tyler Adams (4) and the USMNT were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the Round of 16 by the Netherlands.Dan Mullan/Getty

There are 16 host cities, 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.

Martha Sheridan, a Boston 26 honorary board member and president/CEO of Meet Boston, said she was “generally very pleased” with the draw results.

“We’re getting folks from Norway and England and France, who tend to travel well for their matches,” said Sheridan. “And I also love the fact that we have Morocco and Haiti, which from a local perspective is just lovely. The community can have some pride in their teams because we do have a considerably high Haitian (in Boston) and Moroccan population (in East Boston and Revere).”

With approximately 32,000 hotel rooms available in Boston, Sheridan does not expect any challenges in accommodating visitors.

One unknown is if fans from Haiti will be allowed to visit. Haiti is on a list of countries that the Trump administration has banned its citizens from traveling to the United States for terrorism and national security concerns.

Advertisement

“My hope is that the federal government is wanting to have a very successful World Cup here in the US, so maybe they will look differently at those bans in light of the fact that Haiti does have a team coming here,” said Sheridan.

FIFA spent Friday night and into Saturday morning figuring out the final pieces of the logistical puzzle of placing the 48 teams in those venues, balancing travel, time zones, recovery, and preparation factors.

The Revolution’s training center near Gillette will be used by national teams in the days before each match.

Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., will be paired with one team playing in Foxborough as a base camp for the duration of its tournament survival. Other Boston area locations may yet be announced. (FIFA controls the process.)

With Scotland and Norway each playing two matches in Boston, chances increase they will want to set up a base camp in the area.

Advertisement

“Now that we know who’s coming, the excitement is just going to continue to build,” said Sheridan. “It will be here before we know it and we cannot wait to welcome the world to Boston.”


Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com.





Source link

Continue Reading

Pittsburg, PA

Steelers mailbag: Will Pittsburgh trade for Kyler Murray?

Published

on

Steelers mailbag: Will Pittsburgh trade for Kyler Murray?


It’s already Week 14, and I have to say, that is so depressing. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Christmas. It’s the best time of year. I spend way too much money on decor for my home, and I love it. But man, when the season is almost over, it always feels like it’s too soon.

Maybe I also dread this time of year a lot as of late because the Steelers are always in the midst of a collapse, as they are right now. They are 6-6, have lost five of their last seven, and are heading to Baltimore to face the Ravens. Ahead of that, though, let’s dive into this week’s mailbag.

Q: Can we start over? – ChippedHam

A: If by this you mean rebuild, I’d welcome it with open arms. Trade Cam Heyward for a Day Three pick. Trade T.J. Watt for a Day Two pick (no, you aren’t getting anything better than that. Certainly not a first-round pick). Trade Highsmith in a package to move up in the draft for a quarterback. Trade Mike Tomlin to the Giants or Titans. Hire Klint Kubiak. Draft one of the top quarterbacks and definitely start a new era in Pittsburgh.

Advertisement

Q: If you had the #1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft would you select a QB? If so who would it be? If not a QB, who would you select? Who You Got:

  • #11 BYU vs #4 Texas Tech
  • #3 Georgia vs #9 Alabama
  • #2 Indiana vs #1 Ohio State
  • Duke vs #17 Virginia – Pittsblitz56

A: Fernando Mendoza is the easy choice. He’s the best quarterback in the Nation. If it can’t be a quarterback, Rueben Bain to put opposite of Herbig after all of the trades I would make. I’ll actually do a piece to show my “Trade Everyone Draft.”

Conference Championship Picks: Texas Tech, Georgia, Indiana, Virginia

Q: Please, please, please, tell me the Steelers won’t go after Kyler Murray. I’ve lived in AZ (huge Pitt fan), my whole life. K1 is too short, too fragile, and not a good QB, 6.5 years have shown this. Please make me be able to sleep at night…lol Muchodiablo

A: I’d like to say no, but it wouldn’t shock me if they went after him. I’m not a Kyler guy, either. At this point, this is just who he is. For every great game he has, he’ll have three mediocre performances where it looks as if he’s never seen a football. Hard pass from me. Draft a guy and start over.

Q: With a backup LT, can Aaron handle any more hits like he did the past few weeks? Are the Steelers ready to shut him down after the next big hit and just see what they have Rudy? And are you confident the 2026 draft is the year to draft the next Terry/Benjamin or Pickett?Polamolicules_Dude

Advertisement

A: Andrus Peat actually played solid against the Bills, and the Ravens’ pass rush isn’t great. There’s nothing to see with Rudolph. We know what he is – he’s a backup quarterback. If they wanted to see what they had, they should start Will Howard (they won’t). I’m far from a college football quarterback expert, but Fernando Mendoza looks like he’ll be very good on Sundays. Dante Moore looks good. Ty Simpson could fit what Arthur Smith wants to do and could be something. It’s a fine trio of guys, just completely different from who many expected to be the cream of the crop.

Q: All of your concerns are valid. But just to play devil’s advocate…. the realist in me thinks that next year is where we fully embrace the rebuild. If we were flirting with a top 5 selection this year, maybe there’s a shot at getting your next franchise QB, but the class ain’t looking great. The point is, we won’t be drafting high enough to get our franchise QB this year, so let’s load up on talent to surround that guy with when he gets here in a year or two.

If they take that approach, I’m probably ok with a bridge year of Murray. Probably wouldn’t move the needle overall, but he’s elusive enough that he’d make our offense a degree or two more exciting to watch. Defenses would just have to play a little more honest to respect his escapability… and if we’re gonna suck next year anyway, why not make the offense a modicum more exciting to watch? At least the drives may see the chains move a few times before ending in a turnover as opposed to 750 3&outs per game.

I’m not saying I WANT it… I’m just saying that’s probably a mild upgrade over recent approaches… signing another QB in their late 30s who doesn’t have their legs anymore.ThePen_IsMightier

A: I just really don’t want to sit through another mediocre season, man. Of course, when training camp rolls around, I’ll be excited and let myself believe it could be different, but deep down, I’ll know it won’t be. The class is fine, in terms of QBs, and the Steelers can trade up. That’s how the Bills got Josh Allen, and it’s how the Chiefs got Patrick Mahomes. Gotta rip the band-aid off and start over. I’d be incredibly excited for a rebuild.

Advertisement

Q: Fender or Gibson? The Rolling Stones or the Beetles? Or is it Beiber or Rodrigo, cough… (sorry, I just vomited in my mouth) Dodge, Ford, or the brand for losers? Scotch or Bourbon?Les Norton

A: I don’t know who Fender or Gibson are. I think both the Rolling Stones and Beetles stink (I’m 26, to be fair. Both far precede me). If I had to pick a truck, I’d probably pick a Tacoma, but I did get a Bronco for a rental once for the Combine, and I didn’t want to take it back. Plus, I owned a Malibu for a while, and it was a pain, so probably Ford. I’m very basic when it comes to drinks. I like Jameson, so I guess I’m splitting the difference with an Irish Whiskey.

Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Connecticut

Military veterans among 43 graduates from Connecticut Fire Academy

Published

on

Military veterans among 43 graduates from Connecticut Fire Academy


BLOOMFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — Surrounded by family, friends and other first responders, 43 Connecticut Fire Academy graduates were honored as they made the transition into their new careers as firefighters Friday in Bloomfield. 

Each of the graduates, part of Class 76, will be heading to 18 municipal fire departments, including Danbury, East Hartford, Greenwich, Mansfield, Meriden, Middletown and more.

Six of the recruits are part of Hero to Hero, a program that helps members of the military transition into careers as first responders.

Across the nation, fire and police departments are struggling to fill vacancies. Every year, 200,000 service members from all branches of the U.S. military leave active duty. 

Advertisement

Hero to Hero seeks to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

“As my time in the Navy was coming to a close, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Casey Berryman said. “I had no family in the fire service or EMS or anything like that. I was kind of lost. But then I found Hero to Hero.”

Hero to Hero selects participants, gets them into the academy, and into a fire service job. Founded by Chris Shea, a North Haven firefighter and former Navy SEAL, and his wife Anita, Hero to Hero has helped more than 110 veterans all over the country since its inception in 2020.

“Getting out, there can be a lot of uncertainties,” Shea said. “One of the biggest things we do is mentor them.”

 The program also makes sure tuition, insurance, and salaries for the recruits are covered.

Advertisement

“A lot of veterans do struggle,” Liam Chrzanowski, a Marine who will go to work in Westport after graduation, said. “For people who don’t have Hero to Hero it’s pretty difficult. You go through so many interviews with so many departments. This helps you bypass a lot of stuff.”



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending