Good afternoon,
Throughout the country, everyone from astronomers to <a href="[link removed]">conspiracy theorists</a> donned their glasses and watched the eclipse yesterday to enjoy a once-in-a-generation celestial event.
Perhaps in an attempt to eclipse the memes and his various legal and political troubles, Donald Trump released a <a href="[link removed]">space oddity</a> of an ad. While no 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information, the same certainly <a href="[link removed]">cannot be said</a> of the former president.
<a href="[link removed]">The left</a> and <a href="[link removed]">the right</a> are throwing shade on Trump's state's rights abortion stance. Nearly two years after his conservative Supreme Court justices toppled <i>Roe v. Wade</i>'s 50-year precedent of protecting abortion rights, Arizona's Supreme Court ruled that abortions will be banned in <a href="[link removed]">almost all cases</a> and would punish doctors performing abortions with a two to five year prison sentence.
Speaking of criminal charges, Trump's hush-money case is due to begin next Monday. A New York appeals court judge <a href="[link removed]">rejected his attempt</a> to delay the case.
On the federal, a <a href="[link removed]">cohort</a> including former military officials, former members of Congress, and governors is joining <a href="[link removed]">special counsel Jack Smith</a> in urging the Supreme Court to reject Trump's immunity claims in his January 6 case. The justices will hear oral arguments on April 25.
One piece of news that managed to cast its own shadow: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) <a href="[link removed]">Dear Colleague</a> priorities letter ominously omitted the Farm Bill. The current 2018 Farm Bill was extended until September 30 of this year - but <a href="[link removed]">requires a comprehensive update</a> to help farmers and rural residents meet the challenges presented by the current age.
Here's what else you need to know this week...
WILL THE JOB MARKET KEEP LOOKING UP IF THE ACP WINDS DOWN?
With an <a href="[link removed]">addition of 303,000 jobs</a> in March, the U.S. economy continues to exceed expectations for its strength and resilience. The Biden administration has overseen consistent job growth in its 39 months of navigating the post-pandemic landscape - helping to open opportunities for Americans' security and well-being. <a href="[link removed]">In a statement</a>, OCP argues that, now that Congress has passed 2024 funding bills, it's time for lawmakers to turn their attention to other critical programs necessary for families' financial success. The <a href="[link removed]">Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)</a> will run out of funding at the end of April. The ACP provides $30 to help <a href="[link removed]">23 million households</a> across the nation - and $75 to help 320,000 households on Tribal lands - access the internet. It's a crucial program in rural and Tribal regions, where high-speed internet services is often more expensive - if it's <a href="[link removed]">even available at all</a>. Continued funding for the ACP is critical to maintain rural America's economic viability. Rural regions have <a href="[link removed]">grown in population</a> in the last couple of years, in part fueled by the pandemic and migration away from urban centers. But reversing population loss trends relies in no small part on residents' <a href="[link removed]">ability to use the internet</a> - for work, small business growth, education, <a href="[link removed]">health care</a>, and precision agriculture.
ONE COUNTRY IN THE NEWS
Today, OCP board member and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy joined a panel on <a href="[link removed]">The Future of Rural Health Care</a> with Punchbowl News to discuss the importance of health care access in rural communities.
ICYMI OCP board member and Iowa State Representative J.D. Scholten <a href="[link removed]">authored an op-ed in <i>The Hill</i></a>issuing a rebuttal to"White Rural Rage" - and how a history of deprioritizing rural investment has put rural Americans at a disadvantage.
LOOKING AHEAD
Tomorrow, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on"Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Telehealth Services." On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing to examine bolstering chronic care through Medicare Physician Payment.
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