One Rural Doctor on the Cuts to Medicaid
The Daily
07/14/25
•31m
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When Republicans passed their big domestic policy bill just over a week ago, they kept making the same argument about sweeping changes to Medicaid: that the measures, including new work requirements, would encourage able-bodied adults to earn their health care, ultimately creating a fairer system for everyone. Critics said the opposite: they have predicted that millions of working people who need health care will lose it.
The truth will emerge in rural and often Republican-voting areas where cuts to Medicaid funding will be felt most deeply. Natalie Kitroeff spoke to a family doctor in one of those places, western North Carolina, about what she thinks will happen to her patients.
Guest: Shannon Dowler, a family physician and health advocate in western North Carolina.
Background reading:
- In North Carolina, President Trump’s domestic policy law jeopardizes plans to reopen one rural county’s hospital — and health coverage for hundreds of thousands of state residents.
- The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted that the Senate’s version of Trump’s bill would mean that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Photo: Kaoly Gutierrez for The New York Times
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The best-selling author and motivational podcast host Mel Robbins is known for her blunt advice and viral wisdom, from The 5-Second Rule to countless proverbs on relationships, confidence and everyday stuck-ness. Her most recent book, “The Let Them Theory,” has given her readers a fresh perspective for navigating disappointment, rejection and uncertainty in life.
On this week’s “Modern Love,” Robbins shares fives tips for letting go of control, and explains how these transformed her marriage and her relationship with her kids. She also reads a Modern Love essay, "You Have to Let Go to Move On,” about a woman who finally learns that real love doesn’t come from holding on tighter.
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Did the Texas Floods Have to Be This Deadly?
July 15, 2025
•29m
A little over a week after the devastating floods in Central Texas, the death toll has reached more than 130 people — and the search for the missing continues.
In the aftermath of the disaster, there have been mounting questions about how local officials handled the critical hours before and after the storm. Today, we look at the missed opportunities that may have contributed to the growing tragedy — and whether anything more could have been done to save lives.
Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a Times reporter covering how President Trump is transforming the local government..
Background reading:
- Kerr County, where most of the deaths occurred, failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.
- Years before the floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved the removal of many Camp Mystic buildings from flood zones, records show.
- Eight-year-olds at camp, families in their R.V.s: These were some of the lives lost to the Texas floods.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Photo: Carter Johnston for The New York Times
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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