Ali Swenson
@aliswenson.bsky.social
National political reporter at The Associated Press Signal: aswenson.99
Trump picks Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House aide, to lead the Food and Drug Administration apnews.com/article/fda-...
Trump picks Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House aide, to lead the Food and Drug Administration
President Donald Trump has picked Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Overton is a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and a trusted figure in the admini...
apnews.com
Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment tees up a legal debate and a contempt vote apnews.com/article/fauc...
Fauci's decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment tees up a legal debate and a contempt vote
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment before Congress will be put to the test this week.
apnews.com
Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment and declines to testify in Republican-led COVID-19 Senate hearing apnews.com/article/fauc...
Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment and declines to testify in Republican-led COVID-19 Senate hearing
Dr. Anthony Fauci has invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
apnews.com
Affordable Care Act premiums are likely to see another double-digit hike next year, per early rate filings: apnews.com/article/affo...
Obamacare premiums surged this year. A new analysis shows it's likely to happen again in 2027
A new analysis of early rate filings shows that Affordable Care Act insurers are proposing another year of double-digit premium increases.
apnews.com
A woman who previously dated Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday. Platner denied the allegation, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign. apnews.com/article/grah...
Posted in late June, first reported on now by AP: A 50-state breakdown of steep Affordable Care Act enrollment declines between February 2025 and February 2026. apnews.com/article/affo...
Obamacare rolls shrank dramatically in many states over the past year, new federal data shows
New federal data reveals the first 50-state look at a steep drop in Affordable Care Act enrollment after enhanced subsidies expired in January.
apnews.com
GLP-1 weight loss drugs just got a lot cheaper for many older Americans through a temporary Medicare program: apnews.com/article/glp1...
Medicare is now covering some GLP-1 weight loss drugs for $50. Here’s what to know
The federal government has launched a new program to make GLP-1 weight loss drugs more affordable for older Americans.
apnews.com
New: The Trump administration is freezing funding for New York’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which investigates and prosecutes health fraud. The administration says the unit's metrics aren't measuring up. State officials disagree and vow to fight it. apnews.com/article/medi...
Trump administration suspends funding for New York's Medicaid fraud unit
The Trump administration has frozen federal funding for New York's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Health and Human Services inspector general Thomas March Bell on Tuesday accused the state agency of not...
apnews.com
New: Democrats in 25 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its recent guidance on new Medicaid work requirements, arguing the strict rules will prevent eligible Americans from accessing the care they need. apnews.com/article/medi...
Half of states sue Trump administration over its strict interpretation of Medicaid work rules
Democrats in 25 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its interpretation of new Medicaid work requirements.
apnews.com
Only about half of Americans can afford their healthcare and have access to quality care, according to a new poll. “I’m terrified that I’ll start a plan of treatment but won’t be able to afford to keep up with it,” one respondent told me. apnews.com/article/heal...
How many Americans can afford high-quality healthcare? A new poll finds the number has fallen
New data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index shows that only about half of U.S. adults could afford their healthcare and had access to quality care last year.
apnews.com
One of Nevada's most outspoken promoters of election falsehoods has won the Republican nomination for secretary of state. He wants to eliminate electronic voting machines, end the state’s universal mail ballots and require paper ballots, counted by hand. apnews.com/article/neva...
Promoter of election conspiracy theories wins GOP primary for Nevada secretary of state
Former state lawmaker Jim Marchant has won the Republican nomination for Nevada secretary of state. His primary victory on Monday brings one of the state’s most outspoken promoters of election conspir...
apnews.com
How do you prove you're too sick to work 80 hours a month? The question is worrying patients like cancer survivor DeAnna Brandon, whose Medicaid coverage could ultimately depend on her ability to do just that. New from me: apnews.com/article/medi...
Too sick to work, but can they prove it? New Medicaid rule worries patients
Blood cancer survivor DeAnna Brandon worries about new Medicaid work requirements affecting her health coverage.
apnews.com
Zach Lahn's upset in the Iowa GOP primary for governor revealed cracks in Trump’s coalition in the deep-red state. It also marked a potential breakthrough moment for the MAHA movement. New: apnews.com/article/lahn...
Lahn's win in GOP primary for Iowa governor is a setback for Trump that could signal MAHA strength
Businessman Zach Lahn's win in Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary over President Donald Trump's pick is a rare electoral setback for Trump.
apnews.com
Hundreds of youths in Kenya are protesting the establishment of an Ebola quarantine center in the country where the U.S. plans to fly American citizens who are exposed to the virus abroad. apnews.com/article/ebol...
Hundreds of youths protest outside Kenya's Ebola quarantine center for US citizens
Hundreds of youths in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki have demonstrated against an Ebola quarantine center at Laikipia Air Base.
apnews.com
The Minneapolis immigration crackdown ended months ago. For these little kids, trauma remains apnews.com/article/immi...
The Minneapolis immigration crackdown ended months ago. For these little kids, trauma remains
A therapy dog named Sage is helping children at Valley View Elementary outside Minneapolis cope with trauma from the immigration crackdown.
apnews.com
HHS is now using AI to police how states and other recipients of federal health dollars are auditing their programs. The official in charge says he's been in touch with other federal agencies in hopes they follow his lead. apnews.com/article/hhs-...
The Trump administration expands its use of AI in the hunt for healthcare fraud
The Department of Health and Human Services is boosting its use of artificial intelligence to monitor audits from federal grant recipients.
apnews.com
Dr. Oz and his deputy administrator Stephanie Carlton are currently sharing their strategic plan for CMS in a Bipartisan Policy Center forum. Among other things, it cements how the agency is embracing artificial intelligence: "AI first for ourselves and our customers."
Tillis... Cassidy... Massie. More. The YOLO caucus is in session. apnews.com/article/cong...
The GOP's YOLO caucus is small but growing. That may spell trouble for Trump's congressional agenda
A small but growing group of Republican lawmakers is showing independence from President Donald Trump. This includes Sen.
apnews.com
ICYMI: Nationwide enrollment in the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace could plummet by nearly 5 million people this year, according to a new KFF analysis. apnews.com/article/affo...
Affordable Care Act enrollment projected to plunge by 5 million as costs spike, analysis shows
Nationwide enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace could drop by nearly 5 million people this year.
apnews.com
President Donald Trump on Monday announced more than 600 generic medications are being added to the government’s discounted-drug website TrumpRx: apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump touts a major TrumpRx expansion, adding more than 600 generic drugs
President Donald Trump has announced an expansion of his discounted-drug website, TrumpRx. Trump said Monday his administration is adding more than 600 generic medications to the website that has been...
apnews.com
When the week began, several senior positions at HHS were already sitting empty. Then Makary resigned as head of the FDA, leaving another major health agency with only an acting commissioner and widening a leadership gap that has plagued the department. apnews.com/article/maka...
FDA chief's resignation widens a leadership gap at the nation's health department
Dr. Marty Makary's resignation from his post atop the Food and Drug Administration is widening a leadership gap that already existed at the U.S.
apnews.com
The Trump administration said Wednesday it is expanding its sweeping fraud-busting initiative in federal health programs with a nationwide six-month freeze on any new Medicare enrollments by hospice and home health agencies. apnews.com/article/medi...
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies
The Trump administration is expanding its fraud-busting initiative in federal health programs. On Wednesday, it announced a nationwide six-month freeze on new Medicare enrollments by hospice and home ...
apnews.com
The head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, is resigning after a rocky tenure that drew months of complaints from health industry executives, anti-abortion activists and other allies of President Donald Trump. apnews.com/article/fda-...
Trump FDA chief is leaving after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion groups
Marty Makary is resigning as President Donald Trump's Food and Drug Administration head. The surgeon and health researcher's tenure had drawn complaints from health industry executives, anti-abortion ...
apnews.com
BREAKING: The Supreme Court temporarily extends access to a widely used abortion pill for at least three days.
Supreme Court temporarily extends women's access to a widely used abortion pill
The Supreme Court is leaving women’s access to a widely used abortion pill untouched until at least Thursday, while the justices consider whether to allow restrictions on the drug, mifepristone, to take effect.
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Meet Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump’s new surgeon general nominee apnews.com/article/trum...
Meet Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump's new surgeon general nominee
President Donald Trump has chosen Dr. Nicole Saphier as his third pick for U.S. surgeon general. Saphier is a radiologist and ex-Fox News Channel contributor who's been a vocal advocate for vaccinatio...
apnews.com
Nebraska on Friday will become the first state to enforce new Medicaid work requirements. Advocates worry that key details remain unresolved and some eligible enrollees will lose coverage. apnews.com/article/medi...
Nebraska is becoming the first state to implement a Medicaid work requirement signed by Trump
Many people applying for Medicaid in Nebraska will soon have to prove that they're working, volunteering or in school. On Friday, the state is launching the requirement.
apnews.com
Happening shortly: Trump is set to unveil a deal with Regeneron to lower drug prices. apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump will unveil a deal with Regeneron to lower drug prices
President Donald Trump is set to announce a deal with Regeneron to lower drug costs as part of the White House's effort to lower drug prices.
apnews.com
Great to join Apple News Today to discuss my latest reporting on a Republican senator, physician, and political candidate facing a difficult balancing act while questioning Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Listen to the episode: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
The U.S. and Iran are seizing tankers in a dangerous standoff
Podcast Episode · Apple News Today · April 23 · 17m
podcasts.apple.com
During a week of hearings, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. deflected blame for measles outbreaks and declining vaccination rates, offered political spin on Medicaid cuts, and promoted the Trump administration's work on health care affordability. apnews.com/article/rfk-...
Vaccines, budget cuts and affordability: Takeaways from RFK Jr’s gauntlet of congressional hearings
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has concluded a marathon of budget hearings with federal lawmakers.
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Bill Cassidy’s roles as a lawmaker, a doctor and a political candidate will collide on Wednesday as he questions Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two high-stakes Senate hearings. apnews.com/article/bill...
Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display
Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a tough situation as he prepares to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two Senate hearings.
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