*By Michael Teich*
Republicans are struggling to renege on a long-standing pledge they will likely not be able to honor ー the promise to repeal Obamacare.
"They can't walk away from a promise they've made for eight years," Politico reporter Adam Cancryn said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar. Repealing Obamacare "would be even more difficult than it was last year," he added.
While Cancryn thinks it will be "a major shock at this point" if Republicans maintain control of both the House and Senate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has hinted that the party would consider an attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act if it manages to thwart a "blue wave."
Although the right failed to repeal Obamacare last year, their efforts to end the program were not penalized ー so they may try their luck again, Cancryn said.
"There may be a feeling that if we didn't pay for it the first time, then there's no real harm in taking another shot."
Even if Republicans were to successfully repeal Obamacare, the party is far from finding a solution to replace it, Cancryn added.
"There's no viable Republican health plan going forward."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-the-midterm-elections-could-shape-the-future-of-healthcare-in-america).
On a live broadcast, an employee on a Russian state news television channel held up a sign protesting propaganda about the war in Ukraine. Ruslan Deynychenko, executive director of the Ukrainian fact-checking organization StopFake, joined Cheddar News to discuss what he called the misinformation spread to the Russian people about the invasion. "They are not about informing people they are about brainwashing people," he said. "Russian government uses their media as an instrument, as a tool, of their foreign policy."
Student loan payments for millions of borrowers are set to resume on May 1st. However, signals from the Department of Education show that the date may be pushed back. Once again, it's been pushed back a few times. Initially, the Biden Administration stated loan payments would resume as the economy continues to show signs of recovery. Student Loan Expert and Author of "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid", Mark Kantrowitz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Tim Davis, Partner and Executive Managing Director at Steward Partners, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses what activity we could expect to see from the crypto market this week as the Fed decision approaches, the prices of Bitcoin and Ether struggle to find a spark, and the industry continues to digest President Biden's executive order on crypto.
Russia may be asking China for help with its war in Ukraine, according to several reports citing unnamed U.S. officials. Russia is reportedly calling on its ally for military and economic assistance, in an attempt to avoid punishment from sanctions imposed by the U.S., Europe, and Asia, which have hammered Russia's economy. Chinese and Russian officials denied the reports. Meanwhile, top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting today, with both countries confirming the conflict in Ukraine will be the meeting's main topic. Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A Ukrainian drone company is using its technology to help defend its home nation during the ongoing war with Russia. Valerii Iakovenko, co-founder and CEO of DroneUA, joined Cheddar News to discuss its efforts to help against the invasion. "These drones can be used to do strikes more precise and even cheap drones, even simple technologies can help to make a defensive possibilities more precise," he said.
Following the Texas Supreme Court's decision to end further challenges against the latest abortion restrictions, Texas saw a 60 percent decrease in abortions performed in the state — with an exodus of patients seeking care in other parts of the country. President, and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alexis McGill Johnson, joined Cheddar News at South by Southwest 2022 to discuss the impact of the court's ruling on reproductive health care in the Lone Star State and beyond.
Damian Mason, farm owner, agricultural economist and author of "Food Fear" joined Cheddar News to talk about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is putting pressure on commodities, which could lead to a 20 percent price hike according to the United Nations. “Russia and Ukraine are responsible for about 35 percent of exports, 35 percent of grain exports, specifically wheat,” said Mason. He also added, "You've got Russia saying, 'we're going to hoard and hold back our wheat,' which of course crimps global supply, and you've got Ukraine that maybe won't even get harvested."
In order to qualify for one of the coveted first retail licenses in New York's adult-use cannabis program, you'll have to have a conviction on cannabis-related charges or have an immediate family member who does. It's part of the latest effort by New York lawmakers to create a diverse and inclusive industry — but some advocates still have reservations. Amber Littlejohn, the executive director of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "We definitely applaud the state of new york, but ultimately the devil will be in the details as to whether or not this actually works out to create equity in the cannabis industry," she said.
