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Poll: Most are satisfied with their health insurance, but a quarter report denials or delays

admin - Latest News - December 14, 2025
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An overwhelming majority of U.S. adults are satisfied with their health insurance coverage overall, including most older Americans and those on Medicare and Medicaid, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey



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Dec. 14, 2025, 9:30 AM ESTBy Angela YangThe year 2025 has been filled with cultural absurdities. Toothy plush dolls became one of the hottest and most elusive collectibles. A fiery feud between two rappers boiled over at the Super Bowl. And a viral cheating scandal between a boss and his employee became the biggest meme of the year.Here’s a full look at NBC News’ list of the biggest cultural moments of 2025.WinterThe TikTok ban that never actually happened After months of anticipation for the day U.S. users would lose access to TikTok, a nationwide ban of the app — which was supposed to take effect in January — puttered out as neither President Joe Biden nor President Donald Trump expressed interest in enforcing the new law. U.S. users anxiously rushed to join other platforms, including the Chinese-owned RedNote, in protest, but Trump repeatedly delayed the ban until he finally struck a deal in September to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to Americans.He’s not like us: Kendrick Lamar didn’t hold back this year.Gregory Shamus / Getty ImagesKendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show turns heads Fresh off of winning five Grammy Awards for his Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” Lamar rapper headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in a performance that averaged 133.5 million views (the most-watched Super Bowl halftime ever recorded). Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, narrated the show, which featured a cameo from Serena Williams and appearances from SZA and DJ Mustard. Lamar’s Super Bowl rendition of “Not Like Us,” performed to a loudly singing crowd, escalated Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group for its promotion of the song. But in October, a federal judge dismissed Drake’s defamation suit against the record label, marking the legal culmination of a prolific feud between the two that spanned much of 2024 and part of 2025.SpringLabubu craze takes the world by storm A toothy plush doll that many have described as creepy, or even slightly ugly, ignited the biggest collectible craze of the year. Labubus, which come in blind boxes sold by Pop Mart, were so quickly sold out that a lucrative market for resold Labubus — and even fakes, known as Lafufus — thrived this year. A life-size Labubu sold for more than $170,000 in China, and Labubu heists have even gotten local police involved in California.Labubus were a viral sensation and fashion must-have accessory this year.Edward Berthelot / Getty ImagesCelebs (briefly) go to space Katy Perry and “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King were among a handful of public figures sent to space in a brief but high-profile flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket and capsule. Also part of the all-female crew were: Lauren Sánchez, a former journalist who married Jeff Bezos this year; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist; Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist; and Kerianne Flynn, a movie producer. The female-only spaceflight was the first since 1963, when Valentina Tereshkova of the former Soviet Union became the first woman in space. The flight led to some viral moments, including a meme of Perry holding up a daisy and singing “What a Wonderful World.”SummerThe explosion of ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ Saja Boys and HUNTR/X, two fictional groups from the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” became global superstars this year. The movie, which was produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Netflix, has spawned a massive global fan base, with many fans even dressing up as the group members for Halloween this year. The songs “Your Idol” and “Golden” topped the music charts for months and received several Grammy and Golden Globes nominations. “KPop Demon Hunters,” which Netflix has said is its most-watched movie of all time, was also recently named one of the 35 films eligible for the animated feature film category at the 98th Academy Awards.Sydney Sweeney becomes cultural flash point An ad for the clothing brand American Eagle became one of the biggest controversies of the year after it touted actor Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” in a denim-focused fall campaign. Many online accused the brand of promoting eugenics via perceived racial undertones in the ad’s messaging, while others on the right lauded the campaign as a blow to “wokeness.” The ad even drew the attention of Trump, who called it “the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there.” It became one of several instances when Sweeney became a lightning rod for online discourse. In an interview with People magazine published earlier this month, Sweeney, 28, addressed the ad, saying ““I’m against hate and divisiveness. In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.”Sydney Sweeney recently addressed the viral American Eagle ad and its subsequent backlash, telling People magazine that she’s “against hate.”XNY / Star Max / GC Images / Getty ImagesParasocial relationships officially go too farFans have long formed parasocial relationships with celebrities and fictional characters. But this year’s online discourse became so toxic that two of the biggest shows of the year — “Love Island USA” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” — issued anti-bullying PSAs to their fandoms. Still, internet sleuths continued to harass “Love Island USA” contestants for their on-screen behavior, and many turned their grievances with “TSITP” characters into vitriol for the actors who portray them.Kiss cam cheating scandal shocks the internet It was a viral moment now memorialized in memes, think pieces and Halloween costumes. At a Coldplay concert in July, a married CEO was spotted embracing his chief people officer. When the kiss cam landed on them, the pair immediately hid their faces — prompting lead singer Chris Martin to speculate that they were having an affair. The scandal, which became an overnight sensation, led both the CEO, Andy Byron, and the HR chief, Kristin Cabot, to resign from the data company Astronomer.Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, called out a couple who hid their faces after being caught on a kiss camera during a show in July.TikTokFallTaylor Swift enters her fiancée/showgirl era Swift released “The Life of a Showgirl,” her 12th studio album, in October. The 14-time Grammy winner reunited with Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback for the album, which featured a dozen tracks. There are several playful, upbeat songs on the album, as well as some lyrics that appear to refer to Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Kelce this year also gave Swift a fairy-tale ending to their love story with a garden proposal (and a massive diamond ring) that made Swifties collectively freak out. Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension stokes free speech concernsABC shocked viewers by taking “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air after Kimmel stoked conservative fury and public criticism from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr for his jokes following the death of right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk. It was a move that sparked renewed free speech debates, with protesters gathering outside Disney’s studios and celebrities threatening to break ties. Within a week, Kimmel returned to the air to thunderous audience support. In his first episode back, he criticized Trump while also trying to smooth tensions around his comments about conservatives’ reaction to Kirk’s killing.6-7 becomes part of the lingoGen Alpha’s lingo has entered the zeitgeist (again). This time, it’s two numbers — six and seven — that have become inescapable in either browsing the internet or talking to younger people. The phrase is often said accompanied by a double hand gesture that looks like a person is weighing two options. The lingo, like many things Gen Alpha says, comes from the internet. As Today.com noted in its explainer this year, six seven “doesn’t mean anything, which means that it can mean everything.” Teachers have started banning the slang in their classrooms, and In-N-Out Burger reportedly removed the number “67” from its ticket order system amid the viral trend.
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Oct. 10, 2025, 12:36 PM EDTBy Scott Wong and Sahil KapurWASHINGTON — The government shutdown is entering its 10th day, with both Republicans and Democrats dug in and refusing to give any ground to their political foes.But the coming days and weeks will bring some key pressure points that could potentially end the partisan impasse.Until now, the impacts of the shutdown have been fairly muted, with Smithsonian museums shuttered and some government services interrupted. But Friday, hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers will get their first paycheck since the shutdown began, reflecting zero pay for October. On Wednesday, service members will see the same.With air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents not getting paid, staffing shortages will likely grow worse, exacerbating flight delays and cancellations that have already frustrated travelers.On top of that, Democrats’ focus on health care in the shutdown fight is starting to resonate with the public, as millions of Americans on Obamacare begin to receive notices that their insurance premiums are about to go up substantially.We’d like to hear from you about how you’re experiencing the government shutdown, whether you’re a federal employee who can’t work right now or someone who is feeling the effects of shuttered services in your everyday life. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.Missed paychecks It’s one thing when Americans can’t access national park facilities and museums. It’s another thing when millions of American families from around the country start missing paychecks and can’t pay their bills.Friday marks the first time when civilian federal workers will miss getting some pay because of the shutdown that began Oct. 1. While they will receive a partial paycheck for work performed from Sept. 21-30, they will not receive any pay for the opening days of October.That includes Capitol Police officers, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Federal Emergency Management Agency workers. After some confusion created by the White House, congressional leaders in both parties said this week that federal workers will receive back pay once the shutdown ends. But that still doesn’t help families right now who have to pay their rents or mortgages and put food on the table. Once they miss getting paid, workers are likely to amp up the pressure on lawmakers and the president, who for days has been threatening mass firings of federal employees.“That tells you everything you need to know about them. We don’t share the same values,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a key member of the Democratic Caucus. “I mean, they want to punish workers.”Asked about the threat of layoffs Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told NBC News’ “Top Story” that “there is too much inefficiency in the federal government.”“There are programs that probably should be eliminated, but we want federal employees to be protected,” he said.Speaker Johnson addresses military pay, layoffs during government shutdown11:20The two sides could feel an even greater sense of urgency Oct. 15, when the 1.3 million active duty service members will miss their first full paycheck of the shutdown. Lawmakers in both parties — especially those who represent military-heavy districts — are already feeling the heat.A bill authored by Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., would ensure that troops are paid during the shutdown, and has almost 150 co-sponsors, including more than 100 Republicans. But Johnson has argued that such a bill isn’t needed because the stopgap bill the House passed Sept. 19 includes funding for troops. During a call-in show on C-SPAN on Thursday, a woman identified as Samantha from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, made a personal plea to Johnson, telling the speaker that if her active duty husband doesn’t get paid on the 15th, “my kids could die” because her family won’t be able to afford their medication.Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown and workers missing paychecks, but he predicted that paying the troops “probably will happen.”Johnson on Friday again insisted that the House will not vote on a standalone measure to pay the military. “The Republican Party stands for paying the troops,” he said. “The Democrats are the ones that are demonstrating over and over and over, now eight times, that they don’t want troops to be paid.”Air traffic controller shortagesTravelers this week got a glimpse of how air traffic controller and TSA employee shortages could wreak havoc on the nation’s airports.Airports from Washington and Miami to Denver and Las Vegas were snarled by flight delays as officials said they were dealing with a slight uptick in the number of air traffic controllers calling in sick. The Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area operated for several hours Monday with no air traffic controllers because of staffing issues.As federal airport workers miss pay for the first time in the shutdown Friday, the number of them calling in sick could increase. Delays could get worse in the coming days, further straining the nation’s air system, the economy and the patience of already frustrated travelers.#embed-20251002-shutdown-milestones iframe {width: 1px;min-width: 100%}Trump officials are paying close attention to the staffing issues. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday threatened to fire “problem children” air traffic controllers if they don’t show up for work without a good reason.But lawmakers said widespread flight delays and cancellations could force Trump and the Republicans to the negotiating table that they’ve avoided during the shutdown fight. Air traffic controller shortages and the travel interruptions they caused helped end the 34-day shutdown during Trump’s first term — the longest in the nation’s history.”Of any of the factors that led President Trump in 2019 [to say] we got to solve this, it was the air traffic control issue,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said. Reagan National Airport in his home state experienced staffing shortages and delays this week; it’s one of three major airports in the area that members of Congress use to commute between Washington and home.Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he’s been watching television coverage of the flight delays and long lines at airports this week. He believes Trump has been watching the same compelling visuals, and could be motivated to do a deal if things get worse. “Here’s a guy who watches TV nonstop … the visuals. People doing video of those long lines,” Blumenthal explained. “It’s a black eye for the country. … It should get them to the table.”Rising health care premiumsThe central demand by Democrats in the standoff is to extend expiring tax credits under Obamacare that have helped make premiums more affordable for families. And while the money technically expires Dec. 31, voters are starting to feel the sticker shock.This month, insurers are sending out notices of sharp premium hikes ahead of open enrollment beginning Nov. 1, now a little more than three weeks away.Democrats are betting that pressure will soften the GOP resistance to extending that money as part of a bill to reopen the government.“It’s been important to raise the issue with both our colleagues and with the American public, and also to point out the urgency of the issue,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the author of a bill to permanently extend the Obamacare money, told NBC News.“A number of people thought, well, it doesn’t expire until the end of December, so it’s not an issue. And didn’t realize that insurance companies are setting rates right now. … It’s one more thing on top of the cost of food and electricity and rent and child care and all the other expenses that people are incurring,” Shaheen continued.Johnson, however, maintained that the health care funding issue can be “discussed and deliberated and contemplated and debated in October and November,” after the government reopens. But he faces a divided conference and hasn’t made any promises to hold a vote on the matter. “I support the speaker,” conservative Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. Moderate Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he backed the speaker’s strategy, as well.”A short, clean CR was always good in the past and should be good now,” Bacon told NBC News. “Most of the GOP are willing to negotiate on the tax credits as part of the appropriations process.” But far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is publicly bashing Johnson and her party for not having a plan to address the looming premium hikes that she says will harm her own family members. “When it comes to the point where families are spending anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 a month and looking at hikes coming on their insurance premiums,” Greene said, “I think that’s unforgivable.”Scott WongScott Wong is a senior congressional reporter for NBC News. Sahil KapurSahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.Kyle Stewart, Melanie Zanona and Ryan Nobles contributed.
November 13, 2025
Nov. 13, 2025, 5:00 AM ESTBy Gary GrumbachALEXANDRIA, Va. — When acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan walks into federal court here in Virginia on Thursday morning, it will be Halligan — not the criminal defendants she hopes to prosecute — at the center of the court’s attention.Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both frequent targets of President Donald Trump, filed separate motions in their respective cases, arguing that Halligan is unlawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney and therefore the indictments against them should be thrown out. In a rare joint hearing, attorneys for Comey and James will argue this together before U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, who is traveling up from the District of South Carolina.Currie is hearing this joint oral argument session, not a judge from the Eastern District of Virginia, to avoid any potential intradistrict conflict of interest.Halligan, who was part of Trump’s legal team in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case but has no prior prosecutorial experience, was sworn in to the job as interim U.S. attorney in one of the nation’s busiest federal court districts on Sept. 22. That’s three days after Erik Siebert, the U.S. attorney who had been serving in the role since Jan. 21, resigned after being pressured to indict Comey and James.The indictments against Comey and James came after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey, James and another of the president’s adversaries, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Comey and James both pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” the president wrote in a Sept. 20 Truth Social post. “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”According to federal statute, individuals may only serve for 120 days after being appointed U.S. attorney, unless confirmed by the U.S. Senate before then. The Senate had not confirmed him, but district judges of the Eastern District of Virginia exercised their own independent appointment authority to legally retain Siebert as an interim U.S. attorney beyond the 120-day limit.It is that 120-day limit that James and Comey’s attorneys argue should not start back at zero with the appointment of Halligan.“If the Attorney General could make back-to-back sequential appointments of interim U.S. Attorneys, the 120-day period would be rendered meaningless, and the Attorney General could indefinitely evade the alternate procedures that Congress mandated,” Comey’s attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wrote in a motion to dismiss the indictment against his client.Comey was charged in late September with making a false statement to Congress during a September 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Asked by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, about testimony he gave in 2017 asserting that he did not authorize the leak of information to the media about an FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation, Comey said, “I stand by the testimony.”Trump first clashed with Comey during his first term over the then-FBI director’s handling of the federal investigation Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia. Comey was fired in May 2017 and has been an outspoken critic of Trump since then.The Justice Department laid out in court papers that it believes the indictment of Comey — signed only by Halligan and unsealed days before the five-year statute of limitations expired — should survive this challenge to Halligan’s appointment regardless of what Currie decides, because of U.S. Code 3288, the statute that governs this very issue.“Whenever an indictment or information charging a felony is dismissed for any reason after the period prescribed by the applicable statute of limitations has expired, a new indictment may be returned in the appropriate jurisdiction within six calendar months of the date of the dismissal of the indictment or information,” the statute reads in part.This six-month grace period, legal experts tell NBC News, may be the DOJ’s key to a continued prosecution of the former FBI director. The bank fraud charge that James, who sued Trump and his businesses for fraud in 2022, is facing is well within the 10-year statute of limitations.Bondi has taken steps in recent weeks to shore up Halligan’s position.On Oct. 31, Bondi issued a formal order retroactively appointing Halligan to the position of “special attorney” within the Department of Justice as of Sept. 22 — three days before Comey was indicted — and wrote, “Should a court conclude that Ms. Halligan’s authority as Special Attorney is limited to particular matters, I hereby delegate to Ms. Halligan authority as Special Attorney to conduct and supervise the prosecutions” of Comey and James.”Halligan is also facing several Bar Association complaints in Florida and Virginia, filed by the left-leaning watchdog group Campaign for Accountability.“Ms. Halligan’s actions appear to constitute an abuse of power and serve to undermine the integrity of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and erode public confidence in the legal profession and the fair administration of justice,” the complaint says.Several other U.S. attorneys appointed by Trump are also facing legal challenges to their appointments.In late September, a federal judge in Nevada ruled that acting U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah should be disqualified from serving in that role due to violating the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.In August, a federal judge in New Jersey ruled that Alina Habba was “not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” due to the 120-day interim appointment expiration, and that her actions since July as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey may be declared void.Gary GrumbachGary Grumbach is an NBC News legal affairs reporter, based in Washington, D.C.
November 21, 2025
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