A recent offensive by the Al Shabab Islamist insurgency in Somalia has prompted some State Department officials to propose closing the U.S. embassy in the nation’s capitol, Mogadishu, and withdrawing most American personnel as a precaution.
(“Trump Team Divided Over the Future of US Counter-Terrorism in Somalia,” New York Times, April 10, 2025)
As the Republican controlled Congress debates proposed $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid funding, working class adults who live in rural parts of the country may be the most vulnerable to reductions in their health coverage. In recent years, Medicaid expansion has increased coverage for many rural Americans at a faster pace than those who live in urban areas. Nine states including Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana North Carolina and Virginia have triggers to automatically end Medicaid expansion coverage if the federal government reduces its funding.
(“The Most Likely Medicaid Cuts Would Hit Rural Areas the Hardest,” Stateline, March 12, 2025)
Today there are more than 30,000 small, older and unused dams across America that block river tributaries. However new initiatives to remove them are aimed at restoring natural flows, reviving habitat for aquatic life, and reopening thousands of river miles to migratory fish necessary for reproduction.
(“How Tearing Down Small Dams is Helping Restore Northeast Rivers,” Yale Environment 360, Feb. 4, 2025)
