President Trump is set to meet with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House, as the US GOP leaders push for the passage of a tax bill that could see 8.6 million people lose health coverage.
A Divided Congress Faces a Major Test in the Tax Bill
President Trump urged House Republicans to back his massive tax and immigration bill, which has roughly $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, with a large portion coming from changes to ‘Medicaid’.
The bill’s fate hangs in the balance as the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 8.6 million people could lose health coverage. A new CBO analysis also finds that the poorest 10% of Americans would lose resources, while the top 10% would see a bump in their income.
South Africa’s President Meets with Trump at the White House
In an attempt to reset relations between the two countries, Cyril Ramaphosa, South African President, is set to meet Trump at the White House. Earlier this year, the Trump administration cut aid to South Africa and expelled its ambassador. The U.S. administration has repeatedly slammed Pretoria for what it falsely claims is the systematic persecution of white Afrikaner farmers.
Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African politician who served as the Deputy President of South Africa from 2014 to 2018.
He took office as the sixth President of South Africa on February 15, 2018.
Prior to his presidency, Ramaphosa was a key figure in the fight against apartheid and played a crucial role in negotiating the country's transition to democracy.
He has also been involved in various business ventures, including mining and agriculture.
Ramaphosa, a skilled negotiator who worked alongside ‘Nelson Mandela‘ to end apartheid, may appeal to Trump’s transactional side and U.S. efforts to counter China in Africa. However, South Africans are watching closely to see whether Ramaphosa is treated with the same dismissiveness that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President, faced during his Oval Office visit earlier this year.
Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as President from 1994 to 1999.
Born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa, he studied law at the University of Fort Hare.
Mandela co-founded the African National Congress Youth League and led the fight against apartheid.
He was imprisoned for 27 years but continued advocating for equality.
Released in 1990, he became President after the country's first multiracial elections.
Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts to bring peace and reconciliation to South Africa.
Government Efficiency Cuts
A new NPR analysis has found that the Department of Government Efficiency has targeted contracts and spending based on policy disagreements, rather than solely on waste, fraud, or abuse. The analysis found that DOGE has tried to reach out to places that are not government agencies, like the private nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice and the independent Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
These agencies have said no to DOGE’s requests. There have been over a dozen lawsuits filed related to DOGE efforts at these small organizations that say it’s not legal. Many of the agencies were created by Congress, with nearly all of them having funding and functions spelled out by law, in some cases explicitly limiting the president’s power.
The Great Battery Race Heats Up
Lithium-ion batteries were invented in the U.S., but years ago, China began leading the way in their mass production as part of its push for electric vehicles. Now, a competition is emerging to determine which country will dominate the future of EV batteries.
China, officially known as the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state located in East Asia.
With a population of over 1.4 billion people, it is the world's most populous country.
The capital city is Beijing, and the official language is Mandarin Chinese.
China has a rich history dating back to the Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE) and has been a major player in global trade and politics for centuries.
Its economy is the second-largest in the world, driven by industries such as manufacturing, technology, and e-commerce.
Chinese automakers are announcing newer, better batteries, including in vehicles promising 5-minute ‘flash charge’ times. U.S. companies have not announced anything like this, focusing instead on cutting costs. China is planning to install 4,000 fast charging stations, none of which will be in the U.S., where Chinese EVs face the risks of heavy tariffs and tech restrictions.
Sleep Health: What You Eat Before Bed Matters
Sleep researchers share with Life Kit the impact of diet, caffeine, and alcohol on sleep health. Foods like almonds, salmon, and brown rice that are rich in tryptophan can help you sleep better at night. Avoiding processed foods and swapping out coffee for herbal teas before bedtime can also improve sleep quality.
Book Promotion Shifts to Social Media
The future of promoting books is shifting as writers lean into social media as some authors promote taking a break from writing book blurbs, commonly seen on the backs of book jackets. A Chicago auction house will be selling items that were on ‘Abraham Lincoln’s’ body the night he was assassinated, his earliest known handwriting and other relics from his life.
Actor George Wendt, 76, who played Norm Peterson on the TV sitcom Cheers, died peacefully in his sleep at home yesterday.
