WASHINGTON
Dr. Oz confirmed as chief of Medicare, Medicaid
Former heart surgeon and TV pitchman Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed Thursday to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Oz became the agency’s administrator in a party line 53-45 vote.
The 64-year-old will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage.
WASHINGTON
Nevada, other states sue over order on elections
Democratic officials in 19 states — Nevada included — are suing over President Donald Trump’s attempt to reshape elections across the U.S., calling it an unconstitutional invasion of states’ authority to run their own elections.
The lawsuit is the fourth against the executive order issued a week ago. It seeks to block aspects of it, including new requirements that people provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a demand that all mail ballots be received by Election Day.
The lawsuit says forcing such changes on the states violates the broad authority the Constitution gives states to set their own election rules.
WASHINGTON
Possibility of ‘bad faith’ in migrant flights, judge says
A federal judge said Thursday that the Trump administration may have “acted in bad faith” by trying to rush Venezuelan migrants out of the country before a court could block their deportations to El Salvador.
U.S. District Judge James “Jeb” Boasberg in Washington pressed a Justice Department lawyer to explain the government’s actions in a court hearing to determine whether the administration ignored his orders to turn around planes that were carrying deportees to El Salvador.
The judge said he could issue a ruling as soon as next week on whether there are grounds to find anyone in contempt of court for defying the court order.
WASHINGTON
‘Non-fraternization’ rules for personnel in China
The U.S. government banned American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, The Associated Press has learned.
Four people with direct knowledge of the matter told the AP about the policy, which was put into effect by departing U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January shortly before he left China. The people would speak only on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a confidential new directive.
Though some U.S. agencies already had rules on such relationships, a blanket “non-fraternization” policy, as it is known, has been unheard of publicly since the Cold War. It’s not uncommon for American diplomats in other countries to date locals and even marry them.
WASHINGTON
Senator slams possibility of reducing Europe forces
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee criticized Pentagon “mid-level” leadership for what he said Thursday was a misguided plan to reduce the number of U.S. troops based in Europe. But the Defense Department has not made public any proposal to cut force levels there.
“There are some who believe now is the time to reduce drastically our military footprint in Europe,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said at a hearing with U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command military leadership. “I’m troubled at those deeply misguided and dangerous views held by some mid-level bureaucrats within the Defense Department.”
His criticism and questions about any potential reduction in U.S. support to NATO and Ukraine were a running theme throughout the hearing by both Republicans and Democrats.
The Pentagon hasn’t made any such plans public, but President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have made it clear they want NATO to do more to defend its own region.