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Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Make America Healthy Again': Trump admin revives baby boom agenda and is helping women get pregnant
The Trump administration has turned its focus to provide birth control to low-income women and is ramping up efforts to help aspiring mothers get pregnant. And for this, it intends to use funds from a decades-old federal program, reports NYT. This marks a major shift in policy that will appease both religious conservatives and adherents of its Make America Healthy Again agenda. A post on government website last week mentioned that the Trump administration would offer a $1.5 million grant to start an " infertility training center ." Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Finance Data Science Leadership Cybersecurity Product Management others Healthcare Digital Marketing Technology Data Science MBA Data Analytics CXO PGDM Public Policy healthcare Design Thinking Degree Management Others Artificial Intelligence MCA Project Management Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Fintech & Blockchain India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta SEPO - IIMC CFO India Starts on undefined Get Details What would these centres do? These "infertility training centers" would promote "holistic" approaches to combating infertility, such as menstrual cycle education classes that women also take to try to prevent pregnancy without using birth control. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Undo ALSO READ: Stimulus payments worth $300 to $1,700 to hit bank accounts of Americans in days. Check eligibility and key dates The announcement hints at a clear sign that the Trump administration plans to take a new approach with the federal family planning program known as Title X. The Title X Family Planning Program is a federal grant program created to provide comprehensive and confidential family planning services and preventive health services. It points toward combating infertility, a goal that President Donald Trump has made part of his agenda. Live Events Trump admin's stance on infertility The announcement on the little-noticed government website last week also sheds light that the administration has signalled an early shift in their stance on infertility, leaning toward an alternative approach favored by conservative and religious groups that remain skeptical of in vitro fertilization (IVF). A formal White House report on infertility was submitted to the president in May—months after Trump issued an executive order to reduce IVF costs—but it has yet to be made public. Traditionally, the Title X program has focused on providing contraception. However, it also covers a range of other services, including pregnancy testing, screening for sexually transmitted infections, and limited infertility care. Still, most patients who visit Title X clinics seek birth control or STI-related services, according to experts and grant administrators. Advocates who provide contraception to low-income women said they were surprised and concerned when they noticed the announcement on the government website. ALSO READ: Trump signs landmark 'Genius Act': What are stablecoins? How new crypto law could transform your digital wallet? 'Huge alarm', say experts "This is a huge alarm," said Angie Fellers LeMire, the co-founder of Community Centered Reproductive Health, an organization dedicated to increasing access to contraception in low-income and rural communities. "It changes the focus of the program." Fellers LeMire said she worried that putting a greater spotlight on infertility in Title X clinics would mean less money for birth control for women seeking to avoid pregnancy. Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, pushed back strongly on that idea, emphasizing that Title X would "continue to deliver on this mission of ensuring access to a broad range of family planning and preventive health services." "President Trump campaigned on Making America Healthy Again and addressing fertility concerns for Americans looking to start families," Desai said. "Infertility services are part of the acceptable and effective family planning methods included in statute, and the grant announcement shows a commitment to broadening Title X services to best meet the health needs of women and families." ALSO READ: Did Chris Martin regret after exposing Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief's apparent 'affair' on Coldplay kiss cam? Videos emerge It is not yet clear whether the creation of an infertility training center would divert funds from existing federally funded programs. Infertility became part of Trump's political agenda in early 2024 and Trump has called for a 'baby boom' amid mounting concerns about the falling US birth rate. Many in the Trump administration have been eager to combat infertility, which now affects roughly 1 in 6 women of reproductive age. But that goal is complicated by dueling interests within Trump's base. Many Christian conservatives who oppose abortion also oppose IVF because they are uncomfortable with the loss of embryos, which are routinely discarded if they fail to develop.
New York Times
19-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Under Trump, a New Focus for a Birth Control Program: Helping Women Get Pregnant
The Trump administration intends to use funds from a decades-old federal program that provides birth control to low-income women to ramp up efforts to help aspiring mothers get pregnant, signaling a shift in policy that will appease both religious conservatives and adherents of its Make America Healthy Again agenda. The first sign of the change appeared on a little-noticed government website last week, in a post offering a $1.5 million grant to start an 'infertility training center.' The center would promote 'holistic' approaches to combating infertility, such as menstrual cycle education classes that women also take to try to prevent pregnancy without using birth control. The announcement of the training center is the clearest sign yet that the administration plans to take a new approach with the federal family planning program known as Title X, and point it more toward combating infertility, a goal that President Trump has made part of his agenda. The announcement is also an early indication that the administration is backing an alternative approach to infertility — one supported by conservative and religious policy groups that are skeptical of in vitro fertilization, even after Mr. Trump promised as a candidate last year to make I.V.F. free. A formal White House report on infertility was delivered to the president in May, several months after Mr. Trump pledged in an executive order to lower the cost of I.V.F., but has not yet been released to the public. While Title X has historically focused primarily on providing contraception, the program already offers a wide range of services beyond birth control, including testing for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy tests, as well as basic infertility care. But the vast majority of patients who come to Title X clinics are looking for birth control or S.T.D.-related services, several experts and grant administrators said. Advocates who provide contraception to low-income women said they were surprised and concerned when they noticed the announcement on the government website. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon leaders decry, challenge new Head Start immigration restrictions
Kindergarteners at Durham Elementary School in Tigard eat a free lunch on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Oregon leaders decried a new rule from the federal government barring youth without permanent legal status about to enter Kindergarten from enrolling in the federal Head Start program. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon's Head Start programs are in flux after the federal government reversed a decades-long rule that allowed children 5 and younger, regardless of immigration status, to participate in the national early childhood care program that enrolls more than 12,000 Oregon children. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced changes to the Head Start program earlier this month as part of a broader shift in eligibility for benefits that he said had 'diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration.' The rule undoes historical exemptions that allow immigrant families without permanent legal status access to some community-based benefits such as substance abuse programs, certain health care clinics and Title X family planning programs. The human services department estimates these changes will affect 115,000 children and families nationwide, according to a recent analysis. Oregon-specific numbers aren't available because the state's Head Start program doesn't collect information on immigration status. Nancy Perin, executive director of the Wilsonville-based Oregon Head Start Association, said the group is waiting to hear how the regulations will affect different Head Start programs, such as those tied to nonprofits, universities or public schools. Perin's understanding of the National Head Start Act is that it guarantees children enrolled in the program can remain in it until they start kindergarten. One Oregon facility estimated about a third of the children who attend would be kicked out of the program should immigration status restrictions be implemented, Perin said. 'What does that mean now? What do we do about those kiddos?' she said. 'We're just kind of in a flux.' The new federal rules also spurred a multi-state coalition of Head Start providers that includes Oregon to update an April lawsuit it filed against the Health and Human Services Department over the closure of offices and restrictions against using funds for diversity, equity and inclusion. The group argues the most recent directive lacks clarity and guidance around implementation, with their amended complaint calling the new regulation 'yet another step in defendants' attempt to hobble the Head Start program in defiance of Congress.' 'It's going to affect generations to come, not just today's kids, not just tomorrow's 5-year-olds, but there are people right now who are considering having them who are not going to have access to these supports,' said Candice Williams, executive director of the statewide Head Start nonprofit Family Forward Oregon, which is among the lawsuit's plaintiffs. 'That's going to limit their ability to even engage in becoming parents.' The department is challenging an interpretation of exemptions on immigration restrictions for certain benefits provided by the federal government, such as child care, some health care clinics, and preschool that dates to the 1990s. In a July 10 statement, the National Head Start Association said families haven't been required to document their immigration status to enroll in the program in its six-decade history. Oregon's child care shortage has been an issue lawmakers have tried to address for years. A 2023 report for Oregon's Early Learning Division found that most Oregon counties are child care deserts. Of the more than 260,000 Oregon children aged 5 and younger, 63% had all their available parents out working jobs, according to the D.C-based nonprofit First Five Years Fund. A lack of care can lead to parents losing their jobs to take care of their kids, ultimately rippling into the economy by lowering the amount of time they have to work. In the federal lawsuit, Family Forward Oregon says that a child care provider it employs has been forced to take unpaid days off of work and was instructed they would receive reduced wages 'due to funding concerns.' Another of the group's staff members informed them she would not attend a lobbying day in Washington, D.C., because of her family's mixed immigration status, Williams said. 'We're seeing our employees not be able to do their jobs,' Williams said. 'We're seeing the Oregon families who participate in our leadership development not be able to show up for fear of retribution and retaliation.' In a Friday statement, the two chairs of Oregon's Legislative Child Care Caucus acknowledged fears those cuts and changes to Head Start eligibility have caused for families, child care providers and workers. The Oregon Legislature concluded this year's legislative session with a budget that slashed $45 million in early childhood learning programs, a factor that the lawmakers said was 'causing stress in communities across Oregon.' Reps. Hòa Nguyễn, D-Portland, and Jules Walters, D-West Linn, the caucus chairs, said they would continue working to protect access to child care and investing state money in the system. 'Oregon's future depends on the well-being of our youngest learners, and the people who nurture and teach them,' they said. 'We are dedicated to advancing policies that reflect those values.' 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USA Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Who is Deja Foxx? Arizona Democratic primary challenger rejects 'influencer' tag
Activist and social media personality Deja Foxx has fallen short in her bid for the Democratic nomination to to replace Rep. Raúl Grijalva, the once Democratic stalwart of Southern Arizona who died from lung cancer in March. The 25-year-old was one of three major candidates in the Democratic primary July 15, which Adelita Grijalva, former Pima County Supervisor and daughter of the late representative, led Tuesday night. Grijalva led Foxx by 18,929 as of 11:30 p.m. ET, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's office. The Associated Press estimates that about 65% of the ballots cast have been counted and has called the race for Grijalva. Adelita Grijalva gets Dem. nom: Daughter of late Arizona congressman wins primary in bid to fill his House seat The winner of Tuesday's primary will be the favorite to head to Washington from southern Arizona, as a Democrat has held the seat since it was created following the 2000 census. Here's what you need to know about Deja Foxx. Who is Deja Foxx? Foxx was raised in Tucson by her single mother and experienced homelessness in childhood due to her mother's struggle with substance abuse, according to her campaign website. Foxx first rose to viral prominence in 2017, when she directly challenged then-Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake at a town hall for his stance on birth control and abortion. "I'm wondering, as a Planned Parenthood patient and someone who relies on Title X, who you are clearly not, why it's your right to take away my right to choose Planned Parenthood and to choose no-copay birth control, to access that," Foxx said. "If you can explain that to me, I would appreciate it." Flake announced his retirement later that year. Foxx worked for Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign and hosted the Hotties for Harris party at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to Politico. Foxx part of young Democratic wave Foxx is one of a wave of young Democratic candidates who say they aim to remake the party that lost the White House last November. David Hogg, activist and former co-vice chair of the Democratic Party, and his political group, Leaders We Deserve, have endorsed Foxx in the primary. The two Democratic Senators from Arizona endorsed Grijalva - a move Foxx described to the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, as "putting their thumb on the scale in my race" – along with left-wing independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and progressive Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Foxx's stances lean to the left of the Democratic coalition, with her website stating, "housing is a human right" and calling for a $17 an hour federal minimum wage. Her previous work within the Democratic party is a contrast to Democratic Socialists of America-aligned challengers, such as Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh. Foxx told the Republic that voters would be able to decide whether the political experience of Grijalva or her lived experience of relying on government programs would matter more on primary day. "She's never relied on Medicaid, or food stamps, or Section 8 housing: The things that Donald Trump has in his crosshairs,' Foxx said. 'That's a depth that I think most politicians lack … They don't know what it's like for people in D.C. to debate the things that you live on, that you need just to get by.' Foxx rejects "influencer" label Foxx told the Republic earlier this month that she rejects the label of influencer. 'I think that people label me an influencer in an attempt to belittle the work that I do,' she said. "My first video that ever went viral, and the subsequent drumbeat of viral videos I've had, have had everything to do with my advocacy work on the ground." She told the newspaper that she believes it is reductive to label her as simply being an online personality. "Every save is something that has inspired someone enough that they want to come back to it … And every like is an endorsement that we are doing something different," Foxx said.
Axios
10-07-2025
- Health
- Axios
HHS restricts undocumented immigrants' access to federal benefits
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday said his department is immediately restricting undocumented immigrants' access to Head Start, community health centers and other federal benefits, as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration. The big picture: Undocumented immigrants are already prevented from accessing most federal benefits. But HHS is taking the additional step of rescinding a 1998 notice that defined certain publicly-funded programs like free preschool and accessible health clinics in a way that allowed undocumented immigrants to use them. Where it stands: Head Start, federally funded health centers, mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs and block grants, the Title X family planning program and nine others programs will now be considered federal benefits. Additional programs could be added to the list, HHS says. Zoom out: The change follows a February executive order from President Trump directing federal agencies to tighten restrictions on undocumented people's access to taxpayer-funded benefits. Undocumented immigrants paid $55.8 billion in federal taxes in 2023, according to the American Immigration Council. What they're saying:"This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future," Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association, said in a statement. "The Head Start Act has never required documentation of immigration status as a condition for enrollment over the last 60 years," she said. "Attempts to impose such a requirement threaten to create fear and confusion among all families who are focused on raising healthy children, ready to succeed in school and life." Context: Congress in 1996 passed a welfare reform law that stipulated that undocumented immigrants aren't eligible for federal public benefits, with a narrow set of exceptions. The law defines federal public benefits as retirement, welfare, health, disability, housing assistance, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefits and similar benefits where federal assistance is provided to an individual, household or family. It also includes grants, contracts, loans and licenses provided by a federal agency or with federal funds. HHS is now saying that the Clinton administration "impermissibly" allowed exemptions to the law, including for benefits that are targeted to communities in general, rather than requiring individual eligibility. The policy change won't alter funding levels for the programs but it "ensures that public resources are no longer used to incentivize illegal immigration," per an HHS news release. For Head Start, the change is expected to free up about $347 million annually, but will cost an estimated $21 million a year in time spent by individuals seeking to use the benefits and those who have to review program eligibility. The changes are effective immediately, though HHS is accepting public comment for 30 days, per the notice.
