What's Happening

Politics

A Bill So Big, It Comes With Baggage

What's going on: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made a “prayer request” this week to rally enough GOP support to pass a budget plan key to President Donald Trump’s agenda. Someone heard it — though the answer didn’t come without party drama, Trump phone calls, and a razor-thin 217-215 vote, almost entirely along party lines. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican to break ranks, underscoring just how fragile GOP unity is. With a razor-thin majority, a few lawmakers can make or break any vote. Dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by Trump, the measure caps tax cuts at $4.5 trillion, slashes $2 trillion in spending over the next decade, and greenlights $300 billion for border security and defense. It also raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.

What it means: For years, Republicans have feuded over spending and still can’t entirely agree — even with full control of Congress and the White House. The debate now centers on which programs to cut to offset major tax breaks favoring wealthy Americans. Some Republicans in swing-seat districts raised concerns over the bill’s potential cuts to Medicaid and food stamps — it directs the committee overseeing Medicaid and Medicare to reduce spending by $880 billion. Some insist safety-net programs won’t take the hit, but with a revenue gap that big, something has to give. Now, Senate Republicans must pass the bill before unlocking reconciliation, which lets them bypass a filibuster. With Trump’s backing, the Senate faces pressure to fall in line — despite approving its own version last week.

Related: Pay-to-Stay: Trump's $5M 'Gold Card' Residency Plan (WSJ Gift Link)

Abortion

Texas's Abortion Ban Has Made Pregnancy More Dangerous 

What's going on: After Texas banned abortion in 2021, pregnancy got riskier. A first-of-its-kind ProPublica analysis found the rate of sepsis climbed more than 50% among women hospitalized for second-trimester pregnancy loss. At the same time, maternal deaths in Texas hospitals increased, even as national rates declined. Sepsis — which is caused by infection and is one of the leading causes of death in hospitals nationwide — was most common in patients who arrived at the hospital with a fetus that seemed to still have a heartbeat. Dozens of maternal health experts say the analysis directly links the state’s abortion ban to life-threatening delays in care. That’s because, for many of these patients, the necessary treatment was to evacuate the uterus (aka initiate an abortion) — a procedure that, under Texas law, can carry a prison sentence of up to 99 years.

What it means: Doctors warned this could happen, and now there’s data to back them up. Experts say similar spikes in sepsis and maternal death may be occurring in other states with abortion bans. Although many bans, including Texas’s, allow “exceptions” for medical emergencies, the vague language has left doctors unsure when they can legally intervene. Even the Republican senator who wrote one of Texas's abortion laws recently admitted the wording needs clarification and said he's working on new language to ensure doctors aren’t afraid to act if a pregnant person’s life is on the line.

Related: The Maker of the Abortion Pill Is Joining This Important Legal Battle (NYT Gift Link)

Work

Your Boss Might Already Be Tracking You 

What's going on: In the wake of Elon Musk’s “what did you do last week” email, corporate America has started wondering what would happen if it pulled the same move. The general consensus is that it would result in a long HR meeting — with one Yale professor calling it “nanomanaging.” But in reality, plenty of companies are already spying on their employees to track productivity (and it’s totally legal). While they might not know if you’re sneaking a peek at LinkedIn jobs on company time, managers can use data analysis tools to get intel on emails, chats, and calendar appointments, according to The Wall Street Journal. Some tools even let them track project progress without sending a passive-aggressive Slack. Habitual procrastinators beware.

What it means: While these tactics definitely give Big Brother, don’t expect bosses to ditch them any time soon. Executives say it allows for more precise and efficient feedback. The proof is also in the corporate pudding: Since 2023, US productivity is on the rise, partly thanks to workplace spyware. Experts agree that managers tracking productivity has its value, but the wrong approach can backfire. Take Musk’s self-reporting tactic for federal workers — who’s actually going to rat themselves out? And while some employees might be ready to hand in their resignation if they ever got a message like his, one worker said he’d be “trapped between keeping my livelihood and maintaining my dignity” as job prospects are currently slim. 

Related: Federal Tech Workers Are Quitting Their Jobs Over Helping DOGE (AP)