Category Archives: Fiscal Freedom

John L. Junkins

Junkins is recognized for attracting and nurturing top-tier research talent in Texas through theHagler Institute for Advanced Studyat Texas A&M. In addition to his work in the Hagler Institute, Junkins is a distinguished professor of aerospace engineering, Regents Professor, and holder of the Royce E. Wisenbaker Chair in the College of Engineering, and served as interim president at Texas A&M from January to June 2021. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineers and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Each year the Hagler Institute selects top national and international scholars to pursue advanced study at Texas A&M for up to a year. The programs goal is to provide a stellar environment for research and scholarship, with the Hagler Fellows having the freedom to pursue their own research interests and collaborations. Each fellow is a member of the National Academies or has equivalent recognition in their field. Many of these researchers go on to join the faculty of A&M full-time and become a vital part of the Texas A&M research community.

TAMEST is proud to present Dr. Junkins with the Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award for his unique vision and dedication to bringing more researchers and innovators to Texas, said TAMEST Board President David E. Daniel. Since 2010, 88 top-tier researchers have come to Texas A&M as Hagler Institute Fellows, and thanks to Dr. Junkins, many have stayed here and joined TAMEST after the fellowship has concluded.

TAMEST will officially present the award to Junkins at the opening reception of the 2022 TAMEST Annual Conference: Forward Texas Imperatives for Health. The conference will be held at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. Junkins will give a special presentation on the vision and history of the Hagler Institute during the conference lunch session on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award was established in 2013 byTAMEST to recognize individuals andorganizations who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in furtheringTAMESTs mission to bring together the states brightest minds in medicine, engineering, science and technology to foster collaboration and to advance research, innovation and business in Texas.

The award was named after TAMEST Honorary Chair Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, who received the inaugural award for her vision and commitment to advancing scientific research, technology innovationand educational achievement. Hutchison served as a U.S. senator from Texas in 19932013.

I am so pleased Dr. Junkins and the Hagler Institute are being recognized with this award, said Hutchison. Dr. Junkins has been instrumental in the success of TAMEST from the very beginning, not to mention his vision and leadership in increasing engineering research and science investment for Texas A&M University. This is a wonderful and well-deserved recognition.

Junkins is the seventh recipient of this award. Past recipients include: The Office of the President at The University of Texas at Austin (2020); Exxon Mobil Corporation (2017); Larry Faulkner and Kenneth Jastrow (2016); Peter ODonnell Jr. (2014); the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison (2013).

About the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study:The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study was established in December 2010 by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents to build on the growing academic reputation of Texas A&M and to provide a framework to attract top scholars from throughout the nation and abroad for appointments of up to a year. The selection of Hagler Fellows initiates with faculty nominations of National Academies and Nobel Prize-caliber scholars who align with existing strengths and ambitions of the University.

About TAMEST: TAMEST was co-founded in 2004 by the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison and Nobel Laureates Michael S. Brown, M.D., and Richard E. Smalley, Ph.D. With more than 330members, 10 Nobel Laureates and 16member institutions, TAMEST is composed of the Texas-based members of the three National Academies (National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences) and other honorific organizations. We bring together the states brightest minds in medicine, engineering, science and technology to foster collaboration, and to advance research, innovation and business in Texas. TAMESTs unique interdisciplinary model has become an effective recruitment tool for top research and development centers across Texas. Since our founding, more than 250 TAMEST members have been inducted into the National Academies or relocated to Texas.

About Research at Texas A&M University: As one of the worlds leading research institutions, Texas A&M is at the forefront in making significant contributions to scholarship and discovery, including science and technology. Research conducted at Texas A&M generated annual expenditures of more than $1.131 billion in fiscal year 2020. Texas A&M ranked in the top 25 of the most recent National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development survey based on expenditures of more than $952 million in fiscal year 2019. Texas A&Ms research creates new knowledge that provides basic, fundamental and applied contributions resulting in economic benefits to the state, nation and world. research.tamu.edu

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Texas A&M University's John L. Junkins To Receive Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award - Texas A&M University Today

The Spanish philosopher and sociologist Csar Rendueles has decided to attack a concept that usually arouses sympathy: equal opportunities.

So much so that Rendueles has dedicated a book to criticize that idea, which in his opinion tends to preserve or even increase social inequality.

The problem with equal opportunities is that it is a reformulation of the meritocracy, which is always a way to justify the privileges of elites, Explains Rendueles, who defines himself on the left, in an interview with BBC Mundo.

What follows is a synthesis of the dialogue with this professor from the Complutense University of Madrid, whose most recent book is Against equal opportunities: An egalitarian pamphlet and who participates in the Hay Festival Arequipa 2021.

In his book, he emphasizes that equality is one of the bases of our life in common. How is that?

We know that the lack of equality is the cause of an enormous amount of social problems. It is something that we sensed but that in the last two decades scientific research has demonstrated with great precision.

The most unequal societies not those in which there is more poverty in general have less life expectancy, more mental illnesses, crime, drug abuse problems, school violence

We do not really know how it happens, how inequality gets under the skin in our bones and makes our life together worse, but we are certain that it is so.

How old is the concept of social equality?

Social equality has been the general pattern of human societies for most of the time that Homo sapiens has been on Earth.

Social equality to varying degrees, but at levels that today would seem practically revolutionary to us, has dominated hunter-gatherer societies until the Neolithic Revolution.

It is at that moment, some 10,000 years ago, when inequality begins to gradually increase. And it has not stopped growing.

The stratospheric levels of economic inequality that we know today are unparalleled throughout history.

. ImagesAccording to Rendueles, inequality began to gradually increase after the Neolithic Revolution.

And where does the idea of competition, of winners and losers among us come from?

Meritocracy, the idea that those who have privileges have them because they deserve it and that this is the fruit of a healthy competition that has placed everyone in their place, is the ideal that the upper classes have spread for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.

The novelty of our time is that this meritocratic ideology is no longer exclusive to small elite social groups, but has spread to the entire population.

In those societies in which there has been a greater growth of the market and of inequality, the more people believe in meritocracy. Its funny: an ideological compensation mechanism, if you want to say so.

From a logic of liberal capitalism they will say that it is through the greatest individual effort or capacity that collective progress is achieved, and therefore it is not wrong for someone to want to be successful and as a consequence of that earn more than others. That responds?

That in that statement, which seems like common sense, there are actually two mixed statements that have nothing to do with each other.

The first is that effort is important. I completely agree and also the effort of those who have certain scarce talents must be promoted. But that if you like is a defense of horizontal social mobility.

Another completely different thing is that it is necessary to award certain economic benefits and greater prestige to certain occupations compared to others. That implies a cartoonish view of the most talented people.

It is as if we think that doctors or engineers are some kind of spoiled children who must be permanently bribed to fulfill their obligation.

The reality is that people tend to fulfill their obligations when they feel that their work is valued, important, and makes sense. And that happens with all occupations, not just the most prestigious ones.

During the pandemic, we have seen that the social assessment of what is considered important is often wrong.

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We give prestige or money to occupations that are socially very unimportant or even negative, such as financial speculation. On the other hand, occupations vital to the functioning of society are undervalued or underpaid.

Hospital cleanliness was more important than advertising, for example.

We also saw that people with low-prestige and low-paid occupations take these jobs very seriously, even risking their lives.

Carriers, supermarket cashiers or hospital cleaners risk their lives.

Various liberals also argue that egalitarianism tends to equalize downwards, that leveling economic differences removes stimulus from the search for individual improvement. It is not like this?

Sometimes it is, of course. That is one of the preventions that Marx himself had against certain forms of socialism. There is a very nice paragraph from Marx in which he warns of this downward equalization of talents.

But the truth is that the competition also does that very often: it wastes an enormous amount of talent.

Sometimes I think that the worst thing about inequality is not so much the disgusting luxuries we provide a small elite, but the amount of effort that is wasted below.

It is something that we see very well in the field of sports: we want there to be competition, but we know how enormously harmful extreme competition is, when all sports efforts are designed as if they were a funnel to generate a small elite of super athletes. This process prevents the sport from being enjoyed by millions of people.

The philosopher Rendueles compares the distribution of opportunities with the funnel syndrome that is generated in sports, with extreme competition that can be harmful.

Why have you decided to focus your criticism on the concept of equal opportunities?

Because equal opportunities is a slogan that sounds good. Who will be against? In fact, it is an essential model in many competitive processes, such as when we have to select for a scholarship or a position in the administration.

But when it is disseminated as the only model of social equality, it hides a trap: it means giving up real equality.

Because what equal opportunities offers us is the promise that everyone will receive what they deserve based on their merits. In the first place, we know that it is false, that both the educational system and the current job market reproduce and widen inequalities.

Second, the deep egalitarianism associated with democratic traditions is not giving everyone what they deserve, but giving everyone what they need to develop as a person.

Deep democratic egalitarianism is not a kind of doping control before social competition. On the contrary, it consists of limiting the most harmful effects of that competition.

The problem with equal opportunities is that it is a reformulation of the meritocracy, which is always a way of justifying the privileges of the elites.

You speak of a real equality. But the concept of equal opportunities arises from the premise that humans are naturally unequal and therefore it is necessary to adjust the starting point so that there is fair competition. Whats wrong with that?

There is nothing wrong where we believe there should be competition to regulate our common life.

The question is if we want competition to dominate our social life, turn our societies into a kind of football match in which there can only be winners and losers, from education or culture to the workplace.

. Of course we are not the same at birth. This is precisely why we need constant political intervention to generate equality, not as a starting point but as an arrival point .

I had a secondary school Greek teacher who didnt let anyone fail. Not because he gave away the pass but because he repeated the exams as many times as necessary until you managed to pass. No one was left behind, with educational gaps. Not everyone got the same grade, but everyone ended up knowing what they had to know.

What if we decide that only in some areas of our social life there should be winners and losers? That, for example, in the field of housing there should not be them and we should all have decent housing. Or that in the field of food there should not be people who eat with obscene luxuries and people who have nothing to eat.

Of course we are not the same at birth. This is precisely why we need constant political intervention to generate equality, not as a starting point but as an arrival point.

Latin America is considered the most unequal region in the world, where the richest 10% concentrate a greater portion of income than in other regions. What example should I follow to alleviate these differences?

We know reasonably well how to reduce these extreme differences, because it is something that has already happened.

After the Second World War, in many countries there were brutal reductions in social inequalities in a very short period of time and also without generating large social fractures.

One of the basic elements of these processes is a profound transformation of taxes: basically forcing large companies to start paying taxes. The same with great fortunes.

. Latin America is considered the most unequal region in the world.

During the 1950s, tax rates of over 90% were generalized in many Western countries not in the Soviet Union, not only in countries ruled by the left for the highest incomes.

That means that from a certain level of income, which today would be approximately US $ 300,000, of each additional dollar the State would keep 90 cents.

Without this fiscal transformation, educational programs, public health and housing programs cannot be financed.

And for that to happen, we also need to regain economic sovereignty: those tax rates cannot be imposed if companies and large fortunes can betray the country where they were based and flee to tax havens.

Arguably, the right has often sacrificed equality in the name of economic freedom, but also the left often neglects freedom in pursuit of equality. Is it possible to achieve a perfect balance between the two?

Of course, it is not possible to find a perfect balance between equality and freedom. They are concepts in tension. But it is also true that they have such a complex relationship that they tend to get confused.

Freedom, if certain minimum levels of equality are not met, is pure fiction. But at the same time equality without freedom is the rule of mediocrity, of homogeneity. Who would want to live in such a society?

I tend to think that equality is a much more transversal value politically than we sometimes believe.

There have been times when both the left and the right shared certain values of equality that today seem almost revolutionary. Nobody claimed to be against equality. And in part I think that is still valid.

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We do not know very well how inequality gets into our bones and makes our life together worse, but we are certain that it - Central Valley Business...

The impact of Brexit on the UK economy will be worse than that caused by the pandemic, according to the chairman of the UK fiscal watchdog.

Richard Hughes said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had assumed leaving the EU would reduce our long run GDP by around 4%, adding in comments to the BBC: We think that the effect of the pandemic will reduce that (GDP) output by a further 2%.

Gross domestic product, or GDP, is a measure of the size of the economy.

In the long term it is the case that Brexit has a bigger impact than the pandemic, Mr Hughes told the broadcaster hours after the OBR responded to Rishi Sunaks latest Budget by saying it expected inflation to reach 4.4% while warning it could hit the highest rate seen in the UK for three decades.

Asked on Thursday whether a 4% long-term reduction to GDP was a price worth paying for Brexit, Downing Street said the Budget had shown the agility, flexibility and freedom that the European Union divorce had afforded the Government.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman told reporters: I think this is a Budget settlement that sets out the agility, flexibility and freedom that has been provided by Brexit, and how valuable that is in a global 21st century economy.

There were a number of approaches and announcements linked to that yesterday, things like APD (air passenger duty) and alcohol tax, which we wouldnt have been able to do if we remained in the European Union.

Our view is that having that ability to act unilaterally in this area is hugely beneficial.

It came as Downing Street vowed to retaliate against France if Paris goes ahead with a disappointing and disproportionate threat to impose sanctions in an escalation of a row over fishing boats.

The French Government dramatically warned it will block British vessels from some ports next week if the post-Brexit dispute over fishing licences is not resolved.

Paris even went as far as suggesting it could restrict energy supplies to the Channel Islands if no deal is reached with the UK as relations since the EU departure further soured.

No 10 said the threats do not seem to be compatible with international law and vowed an appropriate and calibrated response if Paris does not back down.

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Brexits impact on economy worse than pandemic OBR - The Independent

A Princeton professor who wrote a publication against same-sex marriage will do a presentation on freedom of expression at the meeting. University will discuss its proposed $361.2 million carryover budget for next year.

Tim Murphy

The Board of Governors will meet in the Majestic Palm Room of the Student Union.

The Board of Governors a group of 17 members who preside over all the states public universities will meet on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 to discuss finances, John Kellys reappointment, and new STEM programs.

Board members meet throughout the year, and each time they do so at a different public university in the state of Florida.

Princeton law professor Robert George will give a presentation to the Board of Governors about freedom of expression on university campuses.

George is a co-author of publications such as What is Marriage? Man and Woman: a Defense, which argues against same-sex marriage; it argues that that marriage should lead to procreation and should be monogamous. He also co-authored Embryo: a Defense of Human Life, which argues that, from conception, a fetus is a human being and should not be used in stem cell research.

The state required its universities to submit a budget plan which the board will review on Nov. 4. FAUs plan lists their 2021-2022 carryforward budget at $361 million, the money coming from student tuition as well as state funding. The carryforward budget is money left over from the previous fiscal year. FAUs total operating budget for 2020-2021 was nearly $900 million.

The university is budgeting at least $5.6 million in funds for MRI machines; $1 million for starting up a clinical practice, details not specified; $7.3 million for unspecified faculty research; $1.8 million for furniture, IT supplies, and other research services for the College of Medicine; nearly $2.6 million for real estate advisory services, which aid in making decisions about property use; $1 million for undergraduate scholarships; alongside many other projects and monetary needs listed in the plan. There are few additional details in this document regarding the projects described above.

In September, the FAU Board of Trustees, the institutions governing body, unanimously approved the reappointment of university President John Kelly for a one-year contract. On Nov. 4, the BOG will vote on Kellys reappointment as well as those of FAMU President Larry Robinson and University of West Florida President Martha Saunders.

The Board of Trustees votes on university plans, but the BOG ultimately has the final say.

Larry Burns, the former General Motors Corporate vice president of research and development and planning, will be presenting for the BOG after a keynote presentation from Florida International Universitys Board of Trustees chair to the Board on post-pandemic planning. Burns is a professional speaker and has given over 500 presentations.

FAU is proposing new academic programs, such as a new Ph.D. program for neuroscience. The Board of Trustees has already approved these programs, but the BOG will make the final decision. If they approve, the university plans to start the program in spring 2022.

Gillian Manning is the editor-in-chief for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, tweet her @gillianmanning_ or email [emailprotected]

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The Florida Board of Governors will be on campus this week - University Press

After now-Governor-electGlenn Youngkinshocked the political world with his victory over Virginia Gov.Terry McAuliffe last night, all arrows point to a monster 2022 election cycle for Republicans. Democrats are absolutely crushed by the loss in Virginia.

In Florida, the special election to replace the late-Rep.Alcee Hastings(D) will be between RepublicanJason Marinerand the winner of the Democratic primary race, either Broward CommissionerDale Holnessor BusinesswomanSheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

Holness and Cheriflus -McCormick are deadlocked and headed to a recount. Holness told The Floridian that he was confident that the bulk of uncounted Absentee Ballots still not counted would go his way. So far, he has been right.

The first batch from the 900 or so Holness claims have not been counted came in and barely swung the lead back to him.READ MORE

Esteban Bovowins the mayors race in Hialeah.READ MORE

Rick Scott-The biggest part of Bidens Build Back Better plan is huge tax breaks for the rich in liberal, high-tax states. Its clear the most important thing to build back better for Democrats is their donors bank accounts.

Marco Rubio-While Joe Biden focuses on apologizing to the world for climate change Putin is assembling troops on the border with Ukraine

Debbie Wasserman Schultz-As a delegation, there are few values we want to foster and protect more in our public university system than the freedom to speak out against laws that infringe on our fundamental rights as citizens.

Sabatini Meets With Trump in Palm Beach by The Floridians Javier ManjarresConservative State Rep.Anthony Sabatinihas made the cutSabatini met with former PresidentDonald Trumpin Palm Beach, Florida.

CD 20 Democratic Primary Likely Going to Recount by The Floridians Javier ManjarresAfter months of campaigning to win the Democratic primary Special Election in Floridas 20thcongressional district, the predominantly Black American voting constituency overwhelmingly rejected Progressive State Rep.Omari Hardy, but not another Progressive firebrand,Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

Bovo Wins Hialeah Mayoral Election by The Floridians Daniel Molina

Taddeo Continues to Gain Support in Gubernatorial run by The Floridians Daniel Molina

Jason Mariner Wins Republican Primary Race in Floridas 20th District by The Floridians Javier ManjarresIt was over before it began. BusinessmanJason MarinercrushedGreg Musselwhitein the Republican primary race in Floridas 2oth congressional district. Mariner will now face the winner of the Democratic primary race, which could go to an automatic recount.

Pro-Life Movement Suffers Critical Loses This Week by The Floridians Jim McCoolAfter the passage of Texas new and controversial abortion law, pro-Choice Americans have been up in arms alongside the Biden Administration, taking the issue as far as the U.S. Supreme Court.Now, with more abortion legislative updates coming out across the country, it has been a very bad week for pro-life advocates.

Mast Says Illegal Immigrants Just Have to Break the law to Live American Dream by The Floridians Jim McCoolUS Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL)has reminded Americans of the Border Crisis and of the whopping$450,000the Biden administration is thinking about gifting illegal immigrants for foreign nationals that have crossed the U.S. southern border illegally.Although many immigrants work hard to achieve the American Dream, Rep. Mast claims all you have to do is break the law in order to get paid.

Trump Mocks Sleepy Joe Biden For Snoozing At Climate Summit by The Floridians Mona Salama

DeSantis Grills Biden Over $450K Payout to Illegal Immigrants by The Floridians Daniel MolinaSince reports surfaced last month that the Biden administration would be paying$450,000toimmigrants that were separated from their families at the border, Republicans have expressed their disappointment at the administrations decision to do so. In response, Florida GovernorRon DeSantis (R), a staunch critic ofPresident Biden, called it a slap in the face to every hard-working American.

Sleepy Joe Biden Appears To Fall Asleep During UN Climate Summit by The Floridians Mona SalamaPresident Biden appeared to get a few little shut-eye Monday during the opening sessions at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, before an aide snapped him back into reality.

DeSantis Staffer Calls Out Frieds Mandate Double Standard by The Floridians Jim McCoolCommissioner of Agriculture and gubernatorial hopeful,Nikki Fried (D), has through and through supported vaccine mandates.Now, Gov. Ron DeSantiss Press SecretaryChristina Pushawhas once again called out Fried on her mandate double standard.

Like Obama, Biden Apologizes to World for America by The Floridians Javier ManjarresWhile he didnt submissively bow to a foreign dignitary like former PresidentBarack Obamaonce did, PresidentJoe Bidendid apologize to world leaders at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland for the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord who were attending

Manchin To House Progressives: Stop Holding Infrastructure Bill Hostageby The Floridians Mona SalamaSen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) threw a wrench at President Bidens $1.75 trillion tax and social welfare spending framework, warning House progressive that theirtactics in holding the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill hostagewill not push him to support the reconciliation bill.

Biden Enters First Carbon-Based Trade Agreement, Grills Trump by The Floridians Jim McCoolWith his international meetings wrapping up, it is no secret thatPresident Joe Biden (D)plans to enact trade and foreign policy that is vastly different from the previous administration.News broke today that the Biden Administration plans to enter the first carbon-based trade agreement.

U.S. Alarmed At Chinas Stunning Pace of Military Advancesby The Floridians Mona SalamaIn the wake of Chinas testing its hypersonic missile and months of tensions of simmering tensions with Taiwan,Pentagon officials are sounding the alarm they now see as foresee trouble over the stunning pace Beijing is moving with its rapid military expansion.

Florida Democrat Guillermo Smith Appears to Root for COVID Deaths? by The Floridians Javier ManjarresWith the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for Disease Control (CDC),andother state and local health agencies announcing that Florida has the lowest COVID rate in the nation, Gov.Ron DeSantisappeared to take a victory lap over the announced statistics, a move that flipped out Progressive Democrats like Rep.Carlos Guillermo Smith.

Roger Stones Halloween Trick-or-Treat Message for Anna Paulina Luna by The Floridians Javier Manjarres

Biden Administration Considering Paying Migrant Families $450K Each In Compensation by The Floridians Mona Salama

Donalds Demands Democrats Apologize to Energy Corporations by The Floridians Jim McCoolWith rules and regulations being passed in masses by the Democrat0c-controlled House of Representatives and approved by the Biden Administration,US Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL)has formally demanded Democrats apologize to major energy companies.

DeSantis Sets Dates for Special Session to Address Vaccine Mandates by The Floridians Javier ManjarresGovernorRon DeSantison Friday signed a proclamation announcing the dates of the special legislative session to address the banning of COVID vaccine mandates, particularly the vaccine mandate PresidentJoe Bidenis forcing on American workers.

Sabatini Calls Ban on Vaccine Mandates FAKE Billby The Floridians Jim McCoolAlthoughGov. DeSantis (R-FL)called a special session to resolve vaccine-related issues, the Republican-controlled legislature is not doing enough forState Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-32),who is calling the latest anti-mandatelegislationa FAKE bill!

DeSantis to Investigate Broward School Board Member Taking Kids to Gay Bar by The Floridians Javier ManjarresThe DeSantis administration has dispatched an investigator to look into whether they will file a possible complaint against the Broward County School Board and school board member Sarah Leonardi, and school teachers who took a group of elementary school teachers to a gay bar inWilton Manors, Florida.

Fried: Floridians Were Jailed Under Marijuana Crime Bills Crist Supported by The Floridians Daniel MolinaFlorida Agriculture CommissionerNikki Fried (D)and Florida Rep.Charlie Crist (D)are both vying to unseat Florida GovernorRon DeSantis (R), andboth have made calls for the Governors Florida Surgeon General nominee,Dr. Joe Ladapo, to be withdrawn after a controversial meeting with Florida state SenatorTina Polsky (D).Commissioner Fried directed verbal jabs at Rep. Crist, responding to a recent interview the former Governor of Florida took part in regarding marijuana decriminalization. In response, Fried argued that Floridians were jailed under the marijuana crime bills you fought for.

Sprowls: Legislature Must Provide Freedom for Floridians by The Floridians Javier ManjarresThis week, Florida GovernorRon DeSantis (R)sued the Biden Administration over PresidentJoe Bidens (D)vaccine mandate regarding contractors and executive branch employees who work with the federal government to get vaccinated. As a result, the Florida Legislature is scheduled to meet in a Special Session to discuss vaccine mandates. House SpeakerChris Sprowls (R), in speaking at the Future of Florida Forum, did not directly address vaccine mandates, but he did note that the Legislature is entrusted with providing Floridians the freedom thatll make Floridians lives better.

Military Veterans Poised to Make Big Impact in 2022 by The Floridians Javier ManjarresAfter it was reported that the 117thCongress would have theleastamount of military veterans walking its halls since World War II, a new crop of Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans have decided to put on their political boots on the ground and run for the U.S. Congress in the 2022 midterm election.

Steube: Democrats Dont Support Veterans Choice in Healthcareby The Floridians Daniel Molina

Florida Legislator Says DeSantis Wants Police to die of COVID by The Floridians Javier ManjarresA Democratic Florida state legislator says that GovernorRon DeSantiss recent call for a special legislative session to address the vaccine mandates the Biden Administration was nothing more than a ploy to get more police officers to contract and die from COVID.

Stephanie Murphy Introduces Bipartisan No Clearance for Domestic Terrorists Actby The Floridians Jim McCoolAs we prepare for another election season in just over a year,US Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL)is now adding to her bipartisan record by working on the No Clearance for Domestic Terrorists Act alongsideUS Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).

Breast Cancer in Florida Politics by The Floridians Javier ManjarresWhen prominent elected officials or politicians, or even spouses of a politician, like Floridas First LadyCasey DeSantis,arediagnosedwith breast cancer, people in politics begin to listen.

Rubio, Scott Champion Taiwan After Bidens Remarks by The Floridians Daniel Molina

DeSantis: Nobody Should Lose Their Jobs Over Vaccine Mandates by The Floridians Daniel MolinaLast week, PresidentJoe Biden (D)stirred political tension after making public comments regarding Taiwan.

Polsky Asks Ladapo to Leave Office for not Wearing Mask by The Floridians Daniel MoliinaSurgeon GeneralJoe Ladapois currently meeting with Senators ahead of the session that will determine whether or not he will serve as Floridas Surgeon General. However, over the weekend, the controversial political figure was asked by state SenatorTina Polsky (D)to leave her office after he was asked to wear a mask, and he didnt. In turn, the Florida lawmaker detailed her experience during the meeting, criticizing the Health official for not complying with wearing a mask and for calling her unreasonable.

Anthony Sabatini Endorsed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by The Floridians Jim McCool

Record-Breaking 1.7 Million Migrants Apprehensions At Border in 2021 Fiscal Year, Soaring To Highest Level Ever by The Floridians Mona Salama

House Votes To Hold Bannon In Contempt Of Congress by The Floridians Mona Salama

Condoleeza Rices Rebuke of Critical Race Theory Supports DeSantis Views by The Floridians Javier Manjarres

Scott: Mayorkas Completely Abdicated His Duty As DHS Boss and Should Resign TODAYby The Floridians Mona Salama

Anthony Sabatini Endorsed by Madison Cawthorn by The Floridians Jim McCool

Ron DeSantis Calls Special Session to Address Federal Vaccine Mandates by The Floridians Javier Manjarres

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS AVERTED: Bidens State Department Promotes International Pronouns Dayby The Floridians Javier Manjarres

President Donald Trump Launches New Media Company to Rival Liberal Media Consortiumby The Floridians Javier ManjarresWhen former PresidentDonald Trumpwas permanently banned from all social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, there was speculation that he would launch his very own social media platform or company to counter the ban.

Trump Announces The Launch Of Truth Social A Rival Platform To Liberal Media Consortiumby The Floridians Mona Salama

Manchin Reported To Consider Dropping Democratic Party, But He Says Rumors Are Bullshitby The Floridians Mona SalamaSen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)is thinking about dropping the Democratic Party, apparently a Plan B if he is unable to get his way in negotiations with President Biden and his fellow Democrat colleagues on themassive tax-and-spendingsocial bill, according to a report but the moderate senator quickly shot down the rumors, calling it Bullshit.

Senate Republicans Block Progressive Freedom to Vote Act by The Floridians Jim McCoolElections have become one of the most polarizing issues in American politics, now U.S. Senate candidateUS Rep. Val Demings (D-FL)is pressing Senators to vote in favor of the Freedom to Vote Act, which is the senate version of the House For The People Act.

Rep. Murphy Says House Will Vote on Criminal Contempt Against Bannon by The Floridians Javier ManjarresDemocratic Rep.Stephanie Murphy, who is thefigureheadof the January 6thHouse Select Committee on the Capitol Riot, appeared on CNNs Cuomo Prime Time where she asserted that a floor vote to holdSteve Bannonin criminal contempt for ignoring the committees subpoena to present himself before Congress will occur this week.

The JUICE is juiced by Javier Manjarres, Daniel Molina, and Jim McCool

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JUICE Florida Politics Juicy Read 11.3.2021 Democrats CrushedTight Race to Replace Alcee HastingsMore - The Floridian

Austin Wu| Press-Citizen opinion writer

Picture this scene: a new Democratic administration has just been elected, and has announced a desire to expand the countrys passenger rail infrastructure, which has been in alternating modes of stagnation and decay for the past 50 or so years.

Local rail fans, environmentalistsand transportation advocates are elated to hear that the administration is willing to chip in federal funds to include Iowa in this expansion of sustainable intercity transportation starting with a passenger rail line from Iowa City to Chicago.

The year is 2010.

More than a decade later, a nearly identical scene played out as Amtrak unveiled new plans for a Chicago-Iowa City line as part of its pitch for President Joe Bidens infrastructure plans. Just as in 2010, there was excitement over what might come to Iowa if this plan were to pan out by 2035, which is as far as Amtraks vision extends.

Although the past years (and the current limbo status of the infrastructure bill) have given reason to be cynical about the prospects of any forward movement on the topic, Amtraks plan for expanding passenger rail in Iowa over the next 15 years should be seen as a minimum benchmark, not a visionary look towardthe future. For further context, it is worthwhile looking to the past, when passenger rail coverage in Iowa did not look so sparse, to see how much we have lost.

Construction on the first railroad in Iowa, between Davenport and Walcott, began in 1853, less than a decade after statehood was granted in 1846. In 1855, Iowa Citys first passenger rail depot was completed, and passenger rail service would remain available to residents until 1970. By 1890, all of Iowas county seats and major towns were linked by rail, and the states central location meant a multitude of transcontinental lines passed through, fueling industry and commerce.

In addition to railroad hubs such as Des Moines and my hometown of Cedar Rapids, numerous small towns were served by major railroads and electrified commuter interurbans including one between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, which I have written about at length.

Previously: If reviving a rail line from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City is too costly, it's because we've sold out to cars

Iowas railroad system today, almost entirely dedicated to freight service, is less than 40% of its peak size in 1914, when more than 10,000 miles of track covered the state. The Iowa Department of Transportationcites a variety of reasons for the decline of railroads, particularly from the 1960s onwards, including the bankruptcy of the Chicago, Rock Islandand Pacific Railroad (also known as the Rock Island Line, which once passed through Iowa City), deregulation of the railroad industry, the increased prominence of highways and air travel, and financial issues plaguing the railroads resulting in the decay of infrastructure.

One by one, the interurbans were dismantled as well, to the point where there have been no commuter rail services in Iowa for well over 60 years.

The Iowa DOTs previously mentioned narrative of this decline happening due to the advent of highways and air travel ignores crucial context as to how these shifts took place not by the hands of divine providence or the inevitable forces of markets, but deliberate decisions by governments to subsidize the construction and maintenance of highways and airports while not offering similar support to railroads, until the entire system was on the verge of collapse in the late 1960s.

In itsrail plan, the Iowa DOT nominally envisions a passenger rail networkfar in excess of the two Amtrak lines passing by happenstance through the south of the state addingan expansion of the Iowa City-Chicago line to Des Moines and Omaha, another line to the north connecting Sioux City, Waterlooand Dubuque to Chicago, a central line connecting Minneapolis/St. Paul to Ames, Des Moinesand Kansas City, along with commuter rail services in Des Moines and between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

While still in the shadow of the halcyon days of the early 20th century, the full implementation of this vision would be a tremendous upgrade to Iowas intercity transportation infrastructure. Nevertheless, these notions have remained only as conceptual mirages for decades.

More: Opinion: 'Green space' is a hazy term that can hold Iowa City back

The Federal Rail Administrations Midwest Regional Rail Plan, releasedlast month, reveals the secondary role Iowa has played in efforts to revive the regions once-strong passenger rail network. The only main part of this plan including Iowa the line between Chicago and Omaha is at the lowest tier of service, with speeds only up to 90 mph, no mention of frequent service, and minimum on-time performance of only 85%. Furthermore, the FRA notes that Iowa has withdrawn from regional rail planning groups for political reasons, and has been reluctant to commit funding in order to implement plans, unlike our neighbors Illinois, Wisconsinand Missouri even as Iowa posted a $1.2 billion budget surplus this past fiscal year.

The lore says that the first discussions of railroads in Iowa began as early as 1844, when Iowa City was still the territorial capital. By New Years Day 1856,the first railroad to Iowa City, originating in Davenport, was completed. Today, we areapproaching 12 years since funding was secured for the revived Iowa City-Chicago line, with no new passenger trains in immediate sight. Even with great advances in technology, 3 million more people, and thousands of miles of pre-existing track, the Iowa of the 21st century seems to lack the vision and willpower of Iowans from centuries before in imagining the possibility of building rail infrastructure, rather than simply managing stagnation and decline.

My fixation with trains is not merely nostalgia. What we as a society have replaced trains with primarily cars and Interstate highways have now beenshown to have deleterious impacts on equity, health and safety, and the environment. The highways that have carved up our cities did so at the expense of poor and minority neighborhoods, as was the case with Des Moines Center Street and Cedar Rapids Little Mexico. The comparatively narrow railroad tracks had no such impact.

Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, with cars contributing the most. Amtrak notes that intercity passenger rail in the United States is 34% more energy-efficient than air travel, 46% more efficient than a car, and 53% more efficient than travel by truck. Furthermore, the fatality rateper distance traveled is nearly 17 times lower by train compared to cars.

Not everyone has the resources, physical abilityor desire to drive everywhere, and the freedom of movement legally allowed to residents of our country does not meanmuch if the tools to move around, like decent intercity transportation, do not exist. While a train from Iowa City to Chicago would be a welcome addition to Iowas transportation infrastructure, it should be the absolute minimum Iowans should be asking for, not a cause for celebrationitself.

Until it is no longer the case that my great-grandfather would have had an easier time moving around Iowa without a car than myself, Iowans should be asking public officials why the state has been so recalcitrant in rebuilding its transportation infrastructure, at the expense of our environment, economyand overall well-being.

Austin Wu grew up in Cedar Rapids and is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. In his spare time he has taken interest in local history and urban design, and through this column seeks to imagine a better tangible future in eastern Iowa by taking inspiration from principles of the past. It will appear in the Press-Citizen twice monthly. Follow him on Twitter,@theaustinwu.

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Opinion: Iowans should all be rallying for return of rail routes we were promised - Iowa City Press-Citizen

Now that the B.C. NDP has a majority under John Horgan, it's decided to put up a barrier to those who want to file freedom-of-information requests.

In the legislature on October 18, Minister of Citizens' Services Lisa Beare introduced a bill to allow the government to impose fees on those filing freedom-of-information requests.

A new $25 tariff per request is possible due to Bill 22's amendment to section 75 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to allow a "prescribed application fee".

Journalists Rob Shaw and Bob Mackin are among those who've condemned Bill 22 over social media.

UVic's new Wayne Crookes professor of environmental and climate journalism, Sean Holman, tweeted that Alberta is the only other province that charges a $25 fee to ask for government information.

Meanwhile, B.C.'s information and privacy commissioner, Michael McEvoy, raised concerns to the Vancouver Sun about how Bill 22 would allow public bodies to send British Columbians' personal information outside of the country.

In addition, Bill 22 would ensure that section 5 of the Offence Act does not apply to the legislation.

That section of the Offence Act states: "A person who contravenes an enactment by doing an act that it forbids, or omitting to do an act that it requires to be done, commits an offence against the enactment."

It could mean that anyone who simply omits to fulfill a request won't be guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

In its place, Bill 22 declares that an offence occurs if a person wilfully makes a false statement to or misleads or attempts to mislead or obstructs the commissioner, an adjudicator, or anyone acting under their direction.

In addition, Bill 22 states: "A person who wilfully conceals, destroys or alters any record to avoid complying with a request for access to the record commits an offence."

"The changes we're proposing will strengthen government accountability and transparency by enabling us to be more responsive to the needs of people by adding more public bodies and charging new offences for destroying records to evade FOI," Beare said in a speech to the legislature.

The Freedom of Information and Privacy Association has described Bill 22 as a backward step that shows "disregard" for the legislature, its legislation, and British Columbians.

A legacy of transparency scandals, from fast ferries, to triple delete, to wood chippers at the Legislature, show the costs of secrecy and the importance of getting theselegislativeamendmentsright," FIPA president Mike Larsen said in a news release.

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act applies to a long list of public bodies, including provincial Crown corporations, municipal governments, school boards, and health authorities.

According to a Ministry of Citizens' Services report, there were 7,622 general FOI requests and 4,633 personal FOI requests in 2018-19.

If there were the same number of requests in the first year after Bill 22 became law, FOI submissions would generate $306,375 in revenue for the provincial government.

The 12,255 requests in 2018-19 were a significant increase over the 10,471 requests received in the previous fiscal year.

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B.C. NDP government aims to impose fees for making freedom-of-information requests - The Georgia Straight

This addition will be the eighth wreath provided to all participating locations with corresponding service flag for use on National Wreaths Across America Day.

Published: Oct. 19, 2021 at 1:02 PM EDT|Updated: 9 hours ago

COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) announces the addition of the United States Space Force to the set of ceremonial wreaths that are provided to all participating locations nationwide to be used on National Wreaths Across America Day this year scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. This is the eighth ceremonial wreath with corresponding service flag to be provided by the organization to all registered, participating locations. The ceremonial wreaths represent each branch of the service, and POW/MIA, and are encouraged to be on display as part of each National Wreaths Across America Day ceremony held.

The U.S. Space Force, which was established December 20, 2019, with the enactment of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, is the first new military service since the Army Air Forces were reorganized as the U.S. Air Force in 1947. The U.S. Space Force organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force.

"The U.S. Space Force traces its roots to the beginning of the Cold War, with the first Army Air Forces space programs starting in 1945, and the first major employment of space forces culminated in the Gulf War, where they proved so critical to the U.S.-led coalition," said Joe Reagan, U.S. Army Veteran and Director of Military & Veteran Outreach, Wreaths Across America. "As an organization whose mission is to Remember the fallen, Honor those that serve and Teach the next generation the value of freedom, it is imperative that we recognize all those who have stepped up to serve as Guardians and continue to protect those Freedoms all Americans enjoy."

Since in founding as a 501c3 in 2007, WAA has provided seven live, handmade balsam veterans' wreaths each with a corresponding service branch flag, including a POW/MIA flag to each registered participating location to use in that year's National Wreaths Across America Day ceremony. Moving forward, eight wreaths will be provided along with the U.S. Space Force delta service flag. Each participating location is coordinated by local volunteers who are encouraged to host a ceremony using these wreaths as part of their National Wreaths Across America Day ceremony and invite veterans, current servicemembers and their families to participate.

This year,more than 2,700 participating locations are registered to take part inNational Wreaths Across America Day Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 each one will receive the now eight ceremonial wreaths for this event.

For more information on how to volunteer locally or find a participating location near you, please visit http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

About Wreaths Across AmericaWreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission Remember, Honor, Teach is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 statesand beyond.

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SOURCE Wreaths Across America

The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc.

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Wreaths Across America to Add Ceremonial Wreath Representing the United States Space Force - WVIR

Senate Democratic leaders are hoping to end the long-time prohibition on federal funds to support abortion services, setting up a fight with Republicans and a key member of their own party over fiscal year 2022 spending.

The head of the Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled a $220.8 billion Labor-HHS-Education funding bill that nixes the Hyde and Weldon amendments, which keep people on programs like Medicaid from accessing abortion services via safety net programs.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Senate appropriations panel responsible for health funding, said in a statement that funding bills for too long have interfered with millions of peoples ability to exercise their constitutional right to abortion.

Most Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) support maintaining the Hyde Amendment, making any hopes of passage of this proposed spending bill unlikely.

The bill would increase the Labor-HHS-Education budget by $46.7 billion over fiscal 2021 levels. The legislation would provide $47.9 billion to the National Institutes of Health, a $5 billion increase over 2021. Nearly half that increase would go to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, President Joe Bidens proposed new biomedical research agency, Alex Ruoff reports.

House Floor: The House is scheduled to consider several health-related bills under expedited procedure, including:

Lawmakers to Speak at Medicare Advantage Summit: Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) are scheduled to speak tomorrow at the Medicare Advantage Summit hosted by the Better Medicare Alliance advocacy group.

Vaccine Mix-and-Match Poised to Get FDA Clearance: The Food and Drug Administration is poised to clear the use of a Covid-19 booster from a different manufacturer than the one that supplied a patients original inoculation, according to people familiar with the matter. The FDA is still considering the scope of the measure, including whether to allow the widespread mixing and matching of vaccines or whether to narrow the parameters of use, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity before any announcement. Read more from Josh Wingrove.

Schools Begin to Lift Mask Mandates as Spread Slows: Some U.S. schools are starting to lift mask mandates as the latest Covid-19 wave fades, and case trends suggest others may soon follow. At least a half dozen school districts across the U.S. have recently lifted their mandates, the first such swing away from the face coverings, according to Burbio, which tracks the developments and runs a dashboard on schools. As of Oct. 15, 78% of the 500 largest districts still required masks, it found. Jonathan Levin has more.

Courts Clash Over Vaccine Religious Exemptions: Conflicting court decisions over coronavirus vaccine mandates for health-care workers in Maine and New York could lead the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its stance on what freedom of religion means for employees. A federal judge in Maine let the state move forward without offering employees any exemptions, while a district judge in New York extended an order that temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the rules for workers with religious exemptions.

Vaccine mandates from employers and governments have been challenged in federal courts almost 40 times this year, but so far, they have largely passed legal muster. The battleground now is the question of how broad are the exemptions going to be, said Brian Abramson, who teaches vaccine law at Florida International University College of Law. Read more from Allie Reed.

More Headlines:

DOJ Asks SCOTUS to Ease Texas Abortion Ban: The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to lift Texass ban on abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy, setting up a new high court showdown over the most restrictive ban thats currently in force in the U.S. In papers filed yesterday, acting U.S. Solicitor General Brian Fletcher pressed justices to intervene on an emergency basis to block the law. Fletcher also asked for a definitive ruling, a move that would raise the stakes in what already is a watershed fight.

DOJ said the Texas law violates Supreme Court precedents protecting abortion rights and unconstitutionally seeks to skirt judicial review with a novel mechanism that places enforcement in the hands of private parties. The fundamental question presented in this case is whether states may nullify disfavored constitutional rights by purporting to disclaim their own enforcement authority and delegating enforcement of unconstitutional laws to private bounty hunters, Fletcher told the justices. Greg Stohr has more.

White House Unveils Sweeping PFAS Plan: The White House EPA announced plans, ongoing efforts, and research eight agencies have undertaken to reduce PFAS in the nations air, water, land, and food. They include the EPAs Roadmap, a three-year strategy describing specific regulations with deadlines for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that the Environmental Protection Agency will issue and research it will do to understand where additional controls might be necessary. Read more from Pat Rizzuto.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Zachary Sherwood at zsherwood@bgov.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com; Michaela Ross at mross@bgov.com

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HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Democrats Target Ban on Abortions Funds | Bloomberg Government - Bloomberg Government

Connecting Latino caregivers to resources

A southern California program tried to overcome barriers between Latino caregivers and resources they need for support. Is it working?

Scott Norris, Natalia Rodrguez Medina and Maryann Batlle, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Can tax credits for family caregivers provide more financial stability in households where the caregiver has sacrificed other impact to support a loved one in need? Let's take a closer look at a key element of proposals considered as part of President Joe Biden's social spending proposal currently under debate in Congress.

Family caregivers make up the vast majority of care providers in the United States, and in many cases, they receive no compensation for the work.

In fact, many spend thousands of dollars each year to care for their loved ones. A recent AARP study found that 78% of family caregivers are paying for care-related expenses out-of-pocket, at an average of $7,240 per year.

That's on top of income or other benefits that family caregivers may be losing if they're taking time away from work to care for an aging parent or family member with a disability.

Theresa Robertson, of Elkridge, Maryland, works from home at a small company she started a job that, critically, gives her enough freedom to care for her husband, Emanuel.

At 63, Emanuel Robertson has suffered a series of strokes and kidney failure, has been hospitalized countless times, and is experiencing mild vascular dementia.

Theresa Robertson needs to be at home toadminister his medication, check his blood pressure, take him to doctor's appointments and make sure he gets to dialysis.

Emanuel Robertson's care also takes money. Theresa, 58, estimates that the family spends$4,000 per year on caregiving expenses.

The Robertsons have spent their retirement savings. Theresa, who manages a team of virtual assistants remotely from her home, is missing out on all the benefits that a more traditional job would bring, includinghealth insurance and a retirement plan.

Right now, she's debating whether to get a job at night so that she can access better insurance for Emanuel Robertson, who needs a kidney transplant, and for herself.

It is incredibly difficult, Theresa Robertson said of the financial burden. It is a sacrifice.

Abill being considered in Congress recognizes the intense financial pressures on family caregivers. Called the Credit for Caring Act, the bill would offer tax credits of up to $5,000 to people like Robertson.

It's an acknowledgment of the fact that family caregivers provide hundreds of billions of dollars in unpaid care each year, sometimes leaving their jobs like Robertson has and losing out on healthcare, retirement savings and other benefits, according to the AARP.

The burden falls disproportionately on women, who make up 61% of family caregivers, and people of color, especially Hispanic and Black family caregivers, who report higher levels of financial strain.

Some family caregivers receive compensationthrough a patchwork of state Medicaid programs. But most states, including Maryland, do not pay spouses to care for their husbands or wives.

"Part of me feels like why should someone compensate me to take care of my husband? I love my husband, so there's nothing I wouldn't do to make sure he's safe," Theresa Robertson said.

"On the other hand, it's crushing."

Caregiver advocates say the tax credit could make a major difference for struggling families. But the financial situation for family caregivers is so dire that $5,000 won't be enough to cover the immense need for help.

"In my mind, it's not a bad idea, but it doesn't move the needle," said CharlotteDodge, the senior advocacy manager for Caring Across Generations. "It's not the kind of investment or support for family caregivers that I think we at Caring Across Generations would like to really prioritize."

What might make a bigger difference, Dodge said, is the Biden administration's proposal to spend $400 billion to bolster in-home caregiving services (though that number may be whittled down as Congress haggles over a massive spending proposal).

That plan could make professional, in-home care much more accessible, removing the burden from family members who care for their loved ones out of necessity.Hundreds of thousands of Americans are on state waiting lists for home- and community-based service waivers through Medicaid.

"Any massive investment in home- and community-based services could relieve the care burden by allowing more family caregivers to stay in the workforce," Dodge said.

Robertson said family caregivers would welcome "any help at all."

"Families are making (financial decisions) every day, all day long," she said. "What they can and can't do, what they can and can't afford. It's a matter of life and death, and they have to do it all by themselves."

Some programs already exist to compensate family caregivers, but they vary widely by state.

A few states allow spouses to serve as at-home caregivers and be paid throughMedicaid. But most states don't, or have strict limitations on which family members can get paid to care for a loved one.

It can feel arbitrary to family caregivers trying to navigate the system, experts said.

"On the whole, it's not a great system, and there are a lot of barriers and challenges for family caregivers," Dodge said.

A few innovative programs have tried to fill the gap, including the Veterans Health Administration's Caregiver Support Program.

The two-tiered program offers basic resources to anyone caring for a veteranand a more comprehensive set of support services for veterans and caregivers who meet a set of eligibility requirements.

The higher level of services includes a monthly stipend for family caregivers, which can vary depending on the veteran's needs, medical services for the caregiver, counseling and mental health services, respite care and travel expenses.

It is considered "the gold standard" for family caregiver support services, Dodge said.

"The support services that that program offers Ithink is definitely more robust than any other family caregiver program that I'm aware of," she said.

The program launched in 2011 to support veterans who came home from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious injuries that would require long-term care, saidDr. Colleen Richardson, the executive director of the VHA Caregiver Support Program.

"Men and women were surviving injuries they wouldn't have otherwise survived in other wars," Richardson said. "Spouses are giving up entire careers to care for these veterans. How do we help them?"

That's how the caregiver program was born, though for years it was limited to veterans who were seriously injured on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

The program has been celebrated for its innovative approach to supporting family caregivers, but its extensive services have come with a rising price tag as more veterans and their caregivers become eligible for the program.

The VHA at first vastly underestimated the need for these caregiver support services.

A 2014 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that about 15,600 caregivers had been approved for the support program more than three times the VHA's original estimate of 4,000 caregivers approved by Sept. 2014.

The costs of the program also grew with the number of caregivers. The GAO estimated the services would cost more than $263 million in the 2014 fiscal year, up from $225 million the previous year,and keep increasing.

Since then, the program has continued to expand. In 2020, the program began to include veterans who served prior to 1975. It is set to expand once again, to include veterans from all eras,in 2022.

The cost of the program is expected to balloon with the expansions.The Department of Veterans Affairs estimated the caregiver support program would cost nearly $1.2 billion in the 2021 fiscal year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

When lawmakers balked at the up-front costs of the proposed expansions in 2018, then-VA-Secretary David Shulkin argued that the program could ultimately save the government billions by reducing medical costs for veterans.

The program expansions have come with other obstacles, as well. The VA was two years behind when it implemented an IT system that would support the 2020 expansion.

The VA's Office of Inspector General estimated earlier this year thatabout 55,000 veterans would be eligible for family caregiver services by 2024.

Just tenmonths into the first expansion of the VA caregivers program, though, more than103,000 applications have come flooding in, Richardson said.

The VA is also planning listening sessions to assess how current caregivers feel about the program.

"I don't doubt we'll get some pretty honest feedback," Richardson said. "If we're not getting it right, ... I want to hear from them and see what we can do better."

Madeleine O'Neill has coveredthe Maryland State House and state issuesfor the USA TODAY Network. Email questions or story ideas to project editor Michael Kilian at mkilian@gannett.com

This and related stories on the Biden administration's caregiving plansare produced through the New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations and universities dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about successful responses to social problems. The group, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, has been producing stories on potential solutions to the challenges facing caregivers of older adults.

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Biden plan: How tax credits might be the solution for family caregivers - Detroit Free Press