Politics and views in the United States.

NC Sen. Tillis wants Republicans to bolster Medicaid, after cuts earlier this month. The economy blooms under President Donald Trump, though red flags loom and a new report examines state budget transparency.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

I believe the president does not want to harm qualified beneficiaries of Medicaid.

This bill will in its current form.

There's a way to fix it.

North Carolina Republican Tom Tillis says his party will pay in next year's midterm elections for cutting Medicaid earlier this month.

The one big beautiful bill creates national work requirements for the program and cuts $1 trillion from its budget.

Tillis and others say they favor weeding waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicaid, but he's joining critics of how the budget law's language would end health coverage for close to 12 million people.

Since the mega bill raises the federal deficit, it's slated to also trigger a multi-billion dollar cut in Medicare funding in two years.

Laura Allpaw with the Michigan Health and Hospital Association says that will put all of America's hospitals and medical centers at risk.

Over the 10 years this act is designed to be in place, Michigan hospitals are lined up to lose more than $6 billion.

And that's all of our hospitals across the state.

The US economy seems to be rebounding in spite of President Donald Trump's rapidly changing trade and tariff policies.

The president says import taxes on goods from Canada, the second largest US trading partner, will rise to 35 percent.

The White House says dozens of other nations will also now face tariffs as high as 50 percent after Trump signs an executive order raising the levies on most countries.

But federal figures from the last three months show the GDP grew 3 percent in the second quarter.

Kevin Hassett is with the National Economic Council.

There's blockbuster growth, way above expectation, and there's also a real, real, almost collapse in inflation.

It went down by about a percent and a half, all the way down to 2.1 percent, which is the Fed's target.

Other economists say both prices and employment are showing trade policy impacts below the headline numbers.

The most recent monthly report showed increasing inflation, and the Federal Reserve says it's leaving interest rates unchanged.

There's also a legal cloud over the tariffs Trump started announcing on Liberation Day in April.

The president claimed the power to impose the levies under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which is normally used for sanctioning enemies or freezing their assets.

A federal appeals court heard oral arguments and seemed skeptical, but Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate argued Trump has the authority.

IEPA has been one of the most powerful tools any president can use to protect our national security, our foreign policy, and our economy.

According to global nonprofit think tank, the Conference Board, previous presidents have used the law less than five times a year since 1990.

Trump declared eight national emergencies under it in the first 100 days of his second term.

A new report from a watchdog group finds states can improve fiscal transparency.

The financial transparency score from nonpartisan think tank Truth in Accounting examined states' budget disclosures, including what independent auditors have to say, the accuracy of spending details, and the accessibility of information.

Sheila Weinberg with Truth in Accounting says it's important information for voters.

Citizens need to know how well, financially, their governments are doing.

Are they putting the citizens in risk of paying higher taxes?

are receiving less services and benefits.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.