By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Martin Crutsinger
Social Security and Medicare, the government’s two biggest benefit programs, remain under intense financial pressure with the retirement of millions of baby boomers and a devastating pandemic putting increased pressures on the two programs’ finances.
A report from the programs’ trustees released Tuesday moved up by one year the date for the depletion of Social Security’s reserves, now projecting that Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2034 instead of 2035.
Medicare is still expected to exhaust its reserves in 2026, the same date as estimated last year.
“The finances of both programs have been significantly affected by the pandemic and the recession of 2020,” the trustees said.
The report noted that employment, earnings, interest rates, and economic growth plummeted in the second quarter of 2020 after the pandemic hit the United States.
The report said that “given the unprecedented level of uncertainty” there was no consensus on what the long-lasting effects of the pandemic will be on the two benefit programs.
When the Social Security trust fund is depleted the government will be able to pay 78% of scheduled benefits, the report said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House has confidence the Secret Service is “going to get to the bottom of this.”
Americans are segregating by their politics at a rapid clip, helping fuel the greatest divide between the states in modern history.
China has restricted exports of high-tech metals gallium and germanium, which are critical to making chips, in response to the U.S. blocking them from access to advanced chips.
A federal judge in Louisiana has restricted the Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms regarding content.
Russia said it's in contact with the U.S. over the imprisonment of journalist Evan Gershkovich.
They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.
Former President Donald Trump reportedly pressured former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to overturn the state's 2020 election results.
Former President Donald Trump reportedly pressured former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to overturn the state's 2020 election results.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are "beyond their sell-by date" in an interview with The New York Times.
Overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating affirmative action in higher education had been leading goals of the conservative legal movement for decades. In a span of 370 days, a Supreme Court reshaped by three justices nominated by President Donald Trump made both a reality.
