Federal Budget

A flurry of economic news this week painted an unflattering picture of the U.S. economy. States are eying redistricting as a way to swing control of the U.S. House. New research underscores some of the problems with relying too much on body mass index.

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When Republicans passed their big domestic policy bill just over a week ago, they kept making the same argument about sweeping changes to Medicaid: that the measures, including new work requirements, would encourage able-bodied adults to earn their health care, ultimately creating a fairer system for everyone. Critics said the opposite: they have predicted that millions of working people who need health care will lose it. The truth will emerge in rural and often Republican-voting where cuts to Medicaid funding will be felt most deeply. Natalie Kitroeff spoke to a family doctor in one of those places, western North Carolina, about what she thinks will happen to her patients.

President Trump’s megabill cuts over $1 trillion in healthcare spending over the next decade, mainly from Medicaid. Experts project nearly 8.7 million fewer people covered by Medicaid, and hospitals face reduced payments and higher costs. WSJ’s Dominique Mosbergen reports on the bill’s historic cuts. Annie Minoff hosts.  Further Listening: - How Trump’s Megabill Squeaked Through the Senate  - Can the GOP Unite Around Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill'? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several months' worth of rain fell in Texas in just a few hours, leading to flash floods that killed at least two dozen people. With his "big, beautiful bill" now law, what's next on President Trump's agenda? And FICO will start considering Buy Now, Pay Later loans in credit scores.

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The Senate approved President Trump's megabill, which includes tax cuts and boosts border security and defense programs. Cuts to Medicaid in the bill are unpopular with some Senators and the general public. Also, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is planning to loosen or eliminate some gun regulations.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Carrie Fiebel, Gigi Douban, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.

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With a tiebreaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, the Senate has adopted President Trump’s giant domestic policy bill, which now heads back to the House for a final vote. The legislation is defined by the staggering amount of debt it will create: more than $3 trillion. Andrew Duehren, who covers tax policy, and Colby Smith, who covers the economy, talk about how Republicans have rewritten the rules to make that debt vanish, and why the world is less and less convinced that the United States can handle its debts.

The budget bill moves to the Senate, Trump confronts the President of South Africa, and two staffers at the Israeli embassy are gunned down in a targeted attack. Plus Colorado passes a bill that makes misgendering a discriminatory act despite pushback from parents. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Beam: Visit shopbeam.com/WIRE and use code WIRE to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. Chevron: Visit Chevron.com/America to discover more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s big beautiful bill takes a big step forward, the U.S. signs a historic deal with Panama regarding the canal, and a voter ID law heads to the Senate after passing the House. Developing stories you need to know just in time for your drive home. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Acorns: Join over 14 million all-time customers who have already saved and invested. Visit https://acorns.com/wire or download the Acorns app to get started. Identity Guard: Get a 30 day free trial AND 60% off when you go to https://IdentityGuard.com/wire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With some of President Trump's hefty tariffs in place, Americans will see the prices of some grocery items rise - we'll tell you which items might get hit first. Plus, Senate Republicans are pushing a spending bill that would make some of President Trump's signature policies permanent. We'll also look at a hockey great's goal record, finally matched last night after 26 years, plus, a look at what's ahead in college basketball finals.

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The House passes a bill codifying gay marriage, President Biden announces new climate change measures, and murder charges are dropped against a New York bodega worker after public backlash. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A bipartisan group of Senators agree on a gun control bill, the Summit of the Americas exposes waning U.S. influence, Democrats back away from President Biden, and a transgender-themed report by Fox News sparks controversy. Get the facts first on Morning Wire.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Washington’s hottest policy fight is over raising the minimum wage to $15. Emily Stewart explains the Democrats’ effort to get it through Congress, and Dylan Matthews explains whether it will cost the country jobs. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s taking so long? What’s happening with those $1,400 checks? Are the Democrats betraying the people who voted for them? Vox’s Li Zhou and Andrew Prokop explain. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The individual mandate started as a Republican idea to fix health care, but it was at the heart of a Democratic president’s signature measure. Now Congress is using the tax bill to kill the mandate. Why did Republicans turn on their own big idea, and what does it mean for the future of the Affordable Care Act? Guests: Margot Sanger-Katz, a health care reporter for The Times; Jonathan Gruber, a professor of economics at M.I.T. who advised Mitt Romney’s team on overhauling health care in Massachusetts, and the Obama administration in drafting the Affordable Care Act. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Republican lawmakers have reached a deal on their sweeping tax bill, and they are on track to send it to President Trump by Christmas. Why has such an unpopular plan moved so swiftly through Congress? And the Federal Communications Commission is expected to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules today. What would the modern internet look like without such regulation? Guests: Jim Tankersley, who has been covering the tax bill for The New York Times; Kevin Roose, who writes about the internet. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

On Thursday, the Republican tax bill seemed to have all the momentum it needed. But a vote was delayed after a report found the calculations were off by a trillion dollars. Also, the White House has a plan to replace the secretary of state with the head of the C.I.A., and the head of the C.I.A. with a sitting senator. Guests: Jim Tankersley, who covers taxes and the economy for The New York Times; Peter Baker, The Times’s chief White House correspondent. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

The House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, says the Republican tax plan would help the middle class. But that assumes that savings for the wealthy would trickle down the economic pyramid. Guest: Peter S. Goodman, an economics correspondent for The Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Senator Richard J. Durbin spent 16 years trying to pass immigration legislation in Congress. It failed under President George W. Bush. It failed under President Obama. Could the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program bring legislation under President Trump? We hear from Mr. Durbin, whom our colleague Yamiche Alcindor interviewed the day DACA was rescinded. Guest: Sheryl Gay Stolberg, who covers Congress for The Times and has a long history of writing about the Dream Act. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.