#state-policy

#state-policy

President Trump just signed an executive order attempting to block states from regulating AI an unprecedented step that would strip states of the ability to protect their residents at a moment of extraordinary technological volatility. This move is overwhelmingly unpopular ( polling has found that Americans oppose AI moratoriums by a 3-1 margin), and certain to be litigated in the courts.

"It's a horrible mess. With these new restricted eligibility criteria from the [FDA], getting a COVID vaccine has now become a chaotic, constantly shifting scavenger hunt that depends on what state you're in," Dr. Oni Blackstock, a primary care physician and executive director of Health Justice, a racial and health equity consultancy, told HuffPost via email. Some states, like New York, have granted residents permission to get their shot, no matter if they meet the FDA's eligibility requirements or not.

"A lot of this infrastructure, billions of dollars of it, is being built just for a few customers and a few facilities and these happen to be the wealthiest companies in the world," said Ari Peskoe, who directs the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard University. "I think some of the fundamental assumptions behind all this just kind of breaks down."

The tax and spending bill cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, leading to potential decreases in payments to hospitals and nursing facilities in at least 29 states.