How America has changed

Theo Moudakis

Health

Brian Allen - Donald Trump just unveiled “The Great Healthcare Plan” giving families $2,000 a year to buy their own health insurance.  But the average family premium is $26,000/year. That “plan” covers about 28 days of insurance… and leaves families uninsured for 337 days.

Study Finds-  The average American feels fully healthy only 16 days each month; the other half involves fatigue, body aches, or outright illness, with winter being the worst season for feeling unwell.

Axios - Concern about the FDA is widespread, but analysts and investors are divided over how much the agency's current problems are going to factor into the sector's future...

The FDA last year lost more than 900 scientists and health experts, along with over 500 regulators, investigators and compliance workers, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and DOGE radically reshaped the federal workforce, a ProPublica analysis found...

NPR - Yesterday, Trump announced an outline for new health care legislation, which he has dubbed the "Great Healthcare Plan." The White House issued a fact sheet outlining a framework the administration is asking Congress to develop, with four pillars: drug price reforms, health insurance reforms, price transparency for health costs, and fraud protections and safeguards. 

One thing that jumped out to NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin about the fact sheet is that the policies are not new, but like a compilation of the greatest hits of Republican health policy ideas. The proposal doesn’t mention repealing Obamacare, but, given the sparse details provided, it seems to want to let people use federal dollars to buy plans that don’t offer comprehensive coverage. The president’s plan could potentially weaken Healthcare.gov because its plans can be expensive but offer essential benefits and don’t discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.

The Guardian -   The Trump administration’s dismantling of federal agencies has hit cancer research hard. It has led to budgets being slashed, grants canceled or delayed, while clinical trials – often the final hope for children with terminal illness – have been suspended or closed. Laboratories have imposed a hiring freeze on researchers and postponed orders for new equipment, and world-class scientists are seeking jobs in the private sector or abroad.

Trump loses bid to get sensitive information on California voters

The Guardian -   The justice department is not entitled to sensitive information on California voters, a federal judge ruled on Thursday, writing that the administration’s efforts to obtain the information on voters in the state is a threat to democracy. The Trump administration has filed similar lawsuits in nearly half of US states.

Last summer, the justice department asked California for a list of all voters, including their dates of birth and the last four digits of their social security number, claiming the information was needed to ensure the state was keeping ineligible voters off its rolls. California’s secretary of state offered to let the justice department inspect a redacted version of the voter registration list, but refused to turn over all of the requested information. The justice department responded by filing a lawsuit against the state and went on to file similar litigation in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

Money

The Kobeissi Letter -  The top 10% of US earners now reflect a record 49% of all consumer spending.

This percentage has risen +13 points over the last 30 years, marking a dramatic shift in spending power. At the same time, the bottom 80% of earners represent just ~37% of total consumer expenditures, down -11 percentage points since 1995. This means the top 10% account for a record 33% of US GDP, as personal consumer expenditures account for 68% of total economic output. Meanwhile, the bottom 80% account for just 25% of the US economy.

Polls

NATIONAL POLL by CNN/SSRS Pres. Trump Approve: 39% [+2] Disapprove: 61% [-2] —— Trump's net approval on key issues Venezuela: -16 Immigration: -16 (was +3 in Mar) Economy: -21 Foreign affairs: -21 Tariffs: -25 (new low) Healthcare: -27 (new low)

IAPolls2022: Most Electable Democratic Candidate (asked of Dems)

• Gavin Newsom 31%
• Kamala Harris 16%
• Mark Kelly 6%/

Greenland

People -   A Greenland official broke down in tears after a White House meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, failed to tame President Donald Trump’s threats against the self-governing territory.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt sat down at the White House with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday in an attempt to ease tension between the nations as the United States ramps up rhetoric about acquiring Greenland by force.

“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen, 61, told reporters afterward, according to Politico. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the Kingdom.”

Housing

Daily Mail, UK -   Foreclosures — when a bank or lender takes back a home after missed mortgage payments — rose 14 percent from a year earlier.  In total, 367,460 US properties faced foreclosure filings in 2025, meaning they were in some stage of being taken over by a lender, according to ATTOM's data.

Experts warn even more homes may be seized in 2026. 'If the job market weakens, and it may very well, then we could unfortunately down the road see the increase in the foreclosure rate significantly accelerate,' said economist Michael Szanto. 

Indeed, the outlook for the housing market — and the wider economy — is increasingly bleak. In total, the US added only around 584,000 jobs in 2025, making it the weakest year for job growth outside a recession since 2003. 

As foreclosures rise, neighborhoods are flooded with discounted, bank-owned homes, dragging down nearby property values. For homeowners, that often means losing equity simply because of where they live.

A surge in foreclosure filings are a symptom of deeper financial problems: homeowners squeezed by higher taxes and interest costs are falling behind, as they fail to pay other debts, such as credit cards and car loans, as well. 

That dynamic is reviving fears of a downturn reminiscent of 2008.

Your president

Word

Liz Cheney - I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.

Age of Congress

NBC News - Of the two dozen members of the Silent Generation now serving in Congress, more than half (13) have decided to run again in 2026, according to an NBC News review.

 

In total, this Congress is the third-oldest in U.S. history, with an average age of 58.9 years at the start of this session one year ago. The median age in the U.S. is 39.1.

 

Among Congress’ 24 Silent Generation members (defined as those born from 1928 to 1945, from the start of the Great Depression to the end of World War II), the average age is 83.8. Most are Democrats. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, (92) is the oldest, and Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., (80) is the youngest.

 

By the end of this year, the average age will be nearly 85. Ten members will be that age or older, and three will be at or knocking on 90’s door.

 

The Silent Generation’s ranks have dwindled from 39 members in 2021 to 24 in 2025, as Gen X and millennial politicians replace older lawmakers. Still, with at least 13 of them indicating plans to run for re-election, it creates the possibility of this generation’s holding on to seats into the next decade and reigniting a debate about how long is too long to serve in office.

 

Some Silent Generation members in Congress, though, told NBC News they still love what they do and that their seniority and experience helps them effectively deliver results for their constituents.

 

“You got to like the job, and you got to have enough time to spend with your family, and you got to have your health, and if you’ve got your health and you’re doing what you want to do, why not?” said 82-year-old Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is running for another six-year term this year. 

 

"My work is not finished, and I don't know if it will ever be finished," said 87-year-old Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee.   Read more

Guns

The Hill -   A nearly 100-year-old federal ban on mailing handguns through the U.S. Postal Service is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced, according to an opinion released Thursday by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

 

The 15-page opinion concluded that a 1927 law, which made it illegal to use the Postal Service to mail concealable firearms, such as pistols and revolvers, infringes on the Second Amendment.

Even Trumpies struck by declining support for immigration policies

Axios - President Trump's team recently reviewed private GOP polling that showed support for his immigration policies falling. The results, reflected in public surveys, bolstered internal concern about the administration's confrontational enforcement tactics....

• Now, as the chaotic scenes from Minnesota play out around the clock on TV and social media, Axios has learned that some Trump advisers quietly are talking about "recalibrating" the White House's approach — though it's unclear what changes Trump would embrace, if any.

The worries in part of Trump's brain trust are the first signs of internal second-guessing his controversial ICE enforcement tactics.

• The private polling suggested a rupturing of the coalition of independent, moderate and minority voters who were key parts of Trump's victory in 2024. Such voters will play a big role in determining whether Republicans keep their slim House majority in November's midterms....

A top Trump adviser told Axios: "I wouldn't say he's concerned about the policy. He wants deportations. He wants mass deportations. What he doesn't want is what people are seeing. He doesn't like the way it looks. It looks bad. So he's expressed some discomfort at that ... There's the right way to do this. And this doesn't look like the right way."

The internal GOP polling that alarmed some Trump insiders was completed at the end of December, days before an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.

60% of independent voters and 58% of undecided voters said Trump was "too focused" on deporting illegal immigrants, the poll viewed by Trump's team found... More

Meanwhile. . .

Blomberg - More than two dozen people, including college basketball players, were charged by federal prosecutors in a yearslong scheme to fix games in the US and China that generated millions in illegal bets. The case is the latest in a widening federal crackdown on sports betting manipulation, following charges involving NBA players and coaches, and a separate probe of Cleveland Guardians pitchers.

Sleeping Better

NPR - People who have a fear of not being able to sleep are experiencing a phenomenon called “sleep anxiety,” which, if it is left untreated, can prevent people from getting any shut-eye. One of the most effective ways to overcome this form of anxiety is through cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). But you don’t need the official program to benefit from CBT-I. Whether you're dealing with some sleep stress or simply struggling with an off-night from time to time, these CBT-I practices can help:

• Wake up at the same time every day, which can help your body know when it’s time to get sleepy.
• Pick a time to transition from daytime activities to nighttime activities in an effort to focus on winding down for bed earlier. 
• If stress comes before bedtime, put some dedicated “worry time” on your calendar during daylight hours. You could use that time to write out what’s bothering you so you can relax later.

Judge: Trump Cabinet secretaries conspired to violate Constitution

Washington Post -   A federal judge Thursday decried what he said were “breathtaking” constitutional violations by senior Trump administration officials and called the president an “authoritarian” who expects everyone in the executive branch to “toe the line absolutely.”

In remarks laced with outrage and disbelief, U.S. District Judge William Young said Donald Trump and top officials have a “fearful approach” to freedom of speech that would seek to “exclude from participation everyone who doesn’t agree with them.”

Young, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan, leveled the searing critique during a hearing in Boston to determine the appropriate remedies for the administration’s detentions of pro-Palestinian students last year. The judge had ruled in September that senior administration officials engaged in an illegal effort to arrest and deport noncitizen students based on their activism.

ICE

The Hill -   Democrats in both chambers are escalating their push to overhaul U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shooting of an unarmed woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. They’re doing so by vowing to oppose legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless it includes tougher rules governing the conduct of ICE officers.

Growth in electricity use and prices

Data: Grid Strategies; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Data: EIA; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Axios - A trio of factors have helped keep national average power prices in check over the last 15 years, but don't expect this to last much longer.  Even though electricity prices rose in dollar terms almost everywhere since 2010, inflation rose faster.

• That means power became cheaper in real terms in much of the country.

Three factors have been driving this trend, per Gramlich.

• Flat power demand, which is now rising and hiking prices.
• Cheap natural gas, whose costs are forecast to rise by next year.
• Falling renewable costs.

Not much unites the states when it comes to electricity, considering how arcane and regionally different electricity markets are.

• "Some states like Nevada, Texas, and Iowa seem to be experiencing the consumer savings that come with large-scale renewable energy deployment," Gramlich said when Axios shared the map for his insight.
• "Other states like California seem to be experiencing the effects of tens of billions of dollars of wildfire-related expenditures that get included in utility bills."

Trump regime

Independent, UK - Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been mocked online over a “depression meal” she suggested for Americans after the Trump administration turned the food pyramid upside down.

The Department of Agriculture recently released new dietary guidelines, suggesting Americans eat more protein, dairy and healthy fats and less whole grains. Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously said he was on a so-called carnivore diet, told Americans when rolling out the guidelines to “eat real food.”

In a TV appearance on Wednesday, Rollins suggested an affordable, albeit lackluster, meal Americans can make that sticks to the new guidelines.

“We've run over 1,000 simulations. It can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla and one other thing. And so, there is a way to do this that actually will save the average American consumer money,” Rollins told News Nation.

Polls

Independent, UK -   President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Gen Z has dropped a massive 42 points in the past year, new polling has found.

Trump won over more young voters in the 2024 election than in his two previous runs for president, helping him return to the White House. But nearly a year into Trump’s second presidency, Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are turning on him.

On Wednesday, CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten announced shocking results from new polling, which showed Trump’s net approval rating among Gen Z at negative 32 percentage points. That is a huge dip from his plus-10 net approval rating with young people in February 2025, shortly after the start of his second term.

Indpendent, UK -  More than half of U.S. citizens believe the presence of ICE agents in American cities is making them less safe, according to a new poll.

Fifty-one percent of people surveyed by SSRS on behalf of CNN said they considered the officers surging into Democrat-run cities like Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and Los Angeles as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants had had a negative impact.

Another 31 percent said they believed the opposite – that the agents were making a positive difference – and 18 percent said they had not noticed a difference either way.

You got to stick on weight loss drugs even after you've lost weight

NY Times -   Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy require a lifetime commitment. Stop taking them, and you’ll almost always gain back the weight you lost.

But many patients don’t want to hear that. Dr. Padmaja Akkireddy, an endocrinologist at Nebraska Medicine, estimated that more than half of her patients don’t want to stay on a weight-loss drug long term. And data shows that most Americans quit the drugs within a year of starting them.

Even Oprah Winfrey said that she stopped taking a weight-loss drug “cold turkey” for a year, then gained back 20 pounds. “I tried to beat the medication,” she told People magazine. It was then that she realized “It’s going to be a lifetime thing,” she told the magazine.

Many people have to stop taking the drugs because they can no longer afford them. Others grow tired of side effects like fatigue, nausea and constipation. Some just don’t want to rely on a drug forever.

Trump unveils health care affordability plan

The Hill -   President Trump unveiled a health care framework Thursday aimed at lowering drug prices and insurance premiums, as he seeks to address a major Republican political liability ahead of the midterm elections. The framework, which Trump dubbed “The Great Healthcare Plan,” calls for Congress to codify the White House’s voluntary agreements with drug companies to lower prices of certain products and make drugs available directly to patients.   

It also builds on Trump’s calls to send billions of dollars in subsidies directly to Americans rather than insurance companies. “I’m calling on Congress to pass this framework into law without delay,” Trump said in a video message. “Have to do it right now so that we can get immediate relief to the American people.” 

The White House in a fact sheet called the plan “comprehensive,” though it was delivered as a broad outline without key details on how to implement or pay for it. 

Teens on school phone bans

Data: Pew Research Center; Chart: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios

Politics

A panel in Los Angeles sided with Gov. Gavin Newsom in a decision that will help Democrats counter Republican gerrymandering in Texas. Republicans are expected to appeal.  Read more

Mortgage rates drop

Bloomberg - US mortgage rates slid last week to one of the lowest levels in years, sparking a flurry of purchase and refinancing activity that offers hope for a plodding housing market. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan. 9, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. That’s the lowest reading since September 2024 and one of the lowest since 2022. 

The figures from the industry group lend credence to Trump administration data out Tuesday showing the annualized pace of new-home sales in October was near the strongest since 2023. The numbers arguably illustrate some relief for a housing market that’s been battered by poor affordability in recent years.

Venezuela

NY Times - Republican Senate leaders are urging senators to block a resolution that would move toward requiring Trump to seek congressional approval for military action related to Venezuela.

47 Ways Trump Has Made Life Less Affordable in the Last Year

Fentanyl deaths drop

Shortlysts -  Fentanyl overdose deaths have declined significantly for the first time in over a decade. New CDC data shows approximately 73,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months ending August 2025, down 21% from 92,000 in the prior period.

Deaths peaked near 110,000 in 2022, dropped to around 80,000 in 2024, and have continued to fall. This represents the longest sustained decline in decades and the largest single-year drop on record. Most states experienced decreases, with only Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico, and North Dakota showing increases.

Despite the progress, overdose deaths remain well above pre-pandemic levels and continue claiming hundreds of lives daily.

Ukraine

Bloomberg - Trump faulted Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the main obstacle to an agreement to end the war Russia launched four years ago. The comments mark a shift from recent weeks, in which he’d expressed frustration with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Trump has oscillated between blaming Ukraine and Russia for failing to reach an accord. US and Ukrainian officials have said they’ve made significant progress on a 20-point plan to end the fighting, but Kyiv and Moscow remain at an impasse.

Artificial Intelligence

NPR -  The risks of using generative artificial intelligence to educate children and teens currently outweigh the benefits, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education. The study found that using AI in education can "undermine children's foundational development" and that "the damages it has already caused are daunting," though fixable. Here’s what the report discovered:

💻 AI can help students learn how to read and write. It has been found to be most effective when supplementing, rather than replacing, the efforts of a teacher. 
💻 Students increasingly offloading their own thinking onto the technology can lead to the kind of cognitive decline more commonly associated with aging brains.
💻 An issue with kids' overuse of AI is that the technology has been designed to reinforce users' beliefs, which can be a concern when it comes to developing social-emotional skills. 

Explore these recommendations to help harness the benefits of AI without exposing children to the risks that the technology currently poses.

Greenland

NPR - The U.S. seeking to acquire Greenland challenges the rules of international order, specifically the U.N. charter that says a member cannot use force against another country to seize territory, says Stewart Patrick, formerly of the George W. Bush State Department. Denmark has announced plans to build its military presence in Greenland, in what could be considered a pushback at allegations that it can’t defend the country, according to NPR’s Franco Ordoñez. Sweden and Germany also announced they would send military forces to the region, potentially conveying a message to the U.S. that Denmark is not alone.

The Hill - Senate Republicans are vowing to block any effort by President Trump to seize Greenland by military force, as Trump officials on Wednesday refused to back off their demands to control the island during a meeting with top diplomats at the White House.

Republican senators are flummoxed by Trump’s insistence that he’s willing to use military force to seize control of Greenland from Denmark, something they fear will destroy the NATO alliance and give Russia a bigger advantage in its war against Ukraine.

Two Republican senators — Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — plan to travel to Copenhagen on Friday to assure the Danish prime minister that there would be strong Republican opposition to any effort by Trump to use military force to seize Greenland.

“I’m going to remind them that we have coequal branches of government and I believe that there [is a] sufficient number of members, whether they speak up or not, that are concerned with this,” Tillis said of Trump’s threats.

“The actual execution of anything that would involve a taking of a sovereign territory that is part of a sovereign nation, I think would be met with pretty substantial opposition in Congress,” he said.