Americans are signing up for Obamacare in record numbers
More than 15 million people have signed up for health insurance plans offered on the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace, a 33% increase compared with the same time last year, according to preliminary data released by the Biden administration Wednesday.
Federal health officials project that more than 19 million people will enroll in 2024 coverage by the end of the current enrollment period next month. That total would include those who gain coverage through state marketplaces, continuing the record-setting pace.
“It means more Americans have the peace of mind of knowing that going to the doctor won’t empty their bank account,” Xavier Becerra, the health and human services secretary, said in a statement.
Despite a recent warning from former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, that he was “seriously looking at alternatives” to the Affordable Care Act, the latest surge in marketplace enrollment is a testament to the law’s enduring power.
Legislation passed earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic increased federal subsidies for people buying plans, lowering the costs for many Americans. The Biden administration also lengthened the sign-up period and increased advertising for the program and funding for socalled navigators who help people enroll.
Vin Diesel accused of sexual battery by former assistant
“Fast and Furious” star Vin Diesel has been accused by his former assistant of sexual battery while working for him in 2010.
Astra Jonasson filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Thursday alleging that Mr. Diesel forced himself onto her in a hotel suite in Atlanta. The lawsuit alleges she tried to escape from the room after being forced into Diesel’s bed, but the actor moved toward her then groped her breasts and kissed her chest.
Mr. Diesel attempted to pull down her underwear, causing her to scream as she ran toward the nearby bathroom. He eventually forced her to touch him, the suit says.
The lawsuit said Ms. Jonasson closed her eyes in fear of angering Mr. Diesel any further and wished the assault would end.
Ms. Jonasson was fired hours later by Mr. Diesel’s sister Samantha Vincent, who also is the president of his One Race Productions.
Khashoggi’s widow is granted political asylum in U.S.
Jamal Khashoggi’s widow, who went into hiding after The Washington Post columnist was murdered in 2018 by a Saudi assassination squad, has been granted political asylum in the United States.
“I couldn’t really believe it,” Hanan Elatr said after reading the letter informing her of the decision. “I said, ‘Is this real?’ I couldn’t digest it.” She said the decision “shows there is one victim who is still alive.”
The decision this month validates Ms. Elatr’s assertions that her life would be in danger were she to return to her native Egypt or the United Arab Emirates, where she lived for 26 years until Jamal Khashoggi was killed.
It also may be one of the final acts in the long-running Khashoggi case, which at one time seemed to threaten U.S.-Saudi relations. Those tensions were dismissed during the Trump administration and papered over with the Biden administration’s decision last year to reconcile with Saudi Arabia and grant sovereign immunity to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who the CIA concluded ordered Khashoggi’s killing.