Can the NFL crown a first-time Super Bowl champion this season?New Foto - Can the NFL crown a first-time Super Bowl champion this season?

Long-suffering fans in cities likeBuffalo,DetroitandCincinnatihope this is the year when the NFL once again crowns a first-time Super Bowl champion. The league hasn't had a team win its first Super Bowl since the 2017 season whenPhiladelphia beat New Englandto give the Eagles their first Lombardi Trophy. The seven straight seasons without a first-time champion is the second longest in NFL history, trailing only the 10 straight seasons between when the New York Giants won their first Super Bowl in the 1986 season and the Denver Broncos won their first in the 1997 season. It would be far from a long shot this year as the Bills enter the season as one of the favorites to win it all, according to BetMGM, with 7-1 odds, along with the Baltimore Ravens and defending champion Eagles. The Bills famously lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s and have won playoff games in each of the last five seasons. Buffalo is the first team ever to go five straight seasons with a playoff win and no Super Bowl appearance. Four other teams that haven't won a Super Bowl title are in the top 13 when it comes to odds to win it all this season. The Detroit Lions, who have never been to a Super Bowl, have the fifth-best odds at 10-1, Cincinnati is tied for seventh at 20-1,Minnesotais tied for 11th at 25-1 andthe Los Angeles Chargersare 13th at 30-1. The only other franchises without a Super Bowl win are Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee. The other biggest North American pro sports leagues have all crowned first-time champions in the past three seasons with the Texas Rangers winning their first World Series in 2023, the Denver Nuggets winning their first NBA title in 2023 and the Florida Panthers winning their first of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024. The Oklahoma City Thunder also won their first NBA title in June but the franchise had previously won it all in 1979 when it was located in Seattle. Rodgers and Fields flip uniforms The opener between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets will feature familiar faces in unfamiliar uniforms. Aaron Rodgerswill make his Pittsburgh debut after starting Week 1 at quarterbackfor New Yorklast season, whileJustin Fieldshas taken the opposite journey going from the Steelers to the Jets. This marks the first time two starting QBs faced off in Week 1 after starting the opener the previous season for the opponent. There have been six other QBs who started an opener against the team they played for in Week 1 the previous season, according to Sportradar. Russell Wilson faced Seattle and Baker Mayfield played Cleveland in 2022; Sam Darnold took on the Jets in 2021 and Chad Pennington did it in 2008; Kurt Warner faced the Giants in 2005 and Jack Kemp played the Chargers in 1963. Rodgers will be making his 18th straight start in a season opener, tying Brett Favre for the second longest streak by a quarterback. Drew Brees started in 19 straight openers. Rodgers will also join Wilson (Broncos) as the only QBs to start a game for a team they had previously beaten in a Super Bowl. Rodgers won MVP in his only Super Bowl appearance following the 2010 season when Green Bay beat Pittsburgh. Flacco's journey The 41-year-old Rodgers isn't the only QB in his 40s getting a Week 1 nod.Joe Flacco, 40, will get the start for Cleveland against Cincinnati, marking the third time two QBs 40 or older started a season opener in the same season. Tom Brady and Brees did it in 2019 and '20. Flacco will be starting an opener for a fourth franchise after previously doing it for Baltimore, Denver and the New York Jets. He will be the 12th QB to start an opener for at least four teams. The only QBs to start openers for more teams are Ryan Fitzpatrick (six), Vinny Testaverde (five), Kerry Collins (five) and Josh McCown (five). Saints QBs seek first win New Orleans starts the seasonwithout a quarterbackon the roster who has won a start in the NFL. Spencer Rattler gets the nod against Arizona after losing all six starts last season in his first season, while rookie Tyler Shough will serve as his backup. This marks the 11th time since 2000 a team started a season without a QB on the roster with at least one NFL win with Green Bay the last to do it in 2023 with Jordan Love and Sean Clifford. Repeat division winners The volatility in the NFL often leads to teams going from out of the playoffs to the top of the division thanks to easier schedules, normal regression and the randomness of a short season. That hasn't happened at all in the AFC as of late. Buffalo, Baltimore, Houston and Kansas City have all won back-to-back division titles. The only other times since the 2002 realignment that all four division winners in a conference repeated came in the 2019 AFC and the 2012 AFC. All four teams are favorites to win again, according to BetMGM. There has only been one time since the 1970 merger that a conference had the same division winners for three straight seasons with Dallas, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams doing it from 1976-78. It's been the opposite case in the NFC East, which hasn't had a repeat winner since Philadelphia won four straight division titles from 2001-04.The defending Super Bowl champion Eaglesare looking to end that drought this season. ___ Inside the Numbers dives into NFL statistics, streaks and trends each week. For more Inside the Numbers, headhere. ___ AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Can the NFL crown a first-time Super Bowl champion this season?

Can the NFL crown a first-time Super Bowl champion this season? Long-suffering fans in cities likeBuffalo,DetroitandCincinnatihope this is t...
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Britain stuns Montenegro 89-83 to secure first win in 12 years at EuroBasketNew Foto - Britain stuns Montenegro 89-83 to secure first win in 12 years at EuroBasket

Myles Hesson scored 25 points to lead Britain to its first victory in 12 years at the EuroBasket tournament on Wednesday, a 89-83 upset of Montenegro that ended their rivals' hopes of qualifying for the knockout phase. Britain had lost its previous four games in Group B but produced a strong collective display to break its losing streak and stun Montenegro, which needed a win to progress to the round of 16. Hesson also grabbed seven rebounds and Akwasi Yeboah added 23 points for Britain. Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic led Montenegro with 31 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists but couldn't make up for Montenegro turning the ball over 18 times. Both Montenegro and Britain were eliminated as Sweden progressed to the knockout phase for the first time, regardless of the result of its game against Lithuania later Wednesday. The knockout phase will be in Riga, Latvia, from Sept. 6-14. ___ AP sports:https://apnews.com/hub/sports

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Britain stuns Montenegro 89-83 to secure first win in 12 years at EuroBasket

Britain stuns Montenegro 89-83 to secure first win in 12 years at EuroBasket Myles Hesson scored 25 points to lead Britain to its first vict...
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Trump to ask Supreme Court to save tariffs but faces tough legal questionsNew Foto - Trump to ask Supreme Court to save tariffs but faces tough legal questions

By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump is set to imminently ask the conservative-majority Supreme Court to validate his broad emergency tariffs after two setbacks at lower courts, but will face tough legal questions as his administration presses ahead with backup plans. Legal and trade experts said that the Supreme Court's 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed justices may slightly improve Trump's odds of keeping in place his "reciprocal" and fentanyl-related tariffs after a federal appeals court ruled 7-4 last week that they are illegal. Trump said on Tuesday that his administration would seek as early as Wednesday an expedited ruling by the Supreme Court "because we need an early decision." He warned of "devastation" if the duties he imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are struck down. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit agreed on Friday with a lower court in finding that IEEPA does not grant the president unlimited authority to impose tariffs and the 1977 statute does not mention the term among regulatory powers it allows in a national emergency. The ruling marked a rare setback for Trump, who has sought to re-order the global economy in the U.S.'s favor with tariffs by declaring a national emergency over decades of trade deficits. Trump won a string of Supreme Court victories since returning to office, from allowing deportation of migrants to permitting a ban on transgender people in the military. Top administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, say they expect the Supreme Court to uphold the use of IEEPA to justify tariffs, but will turn to other legal means if needed. The tariffs will remain in place at least through October 14 to allow time for the government to file the Supreme Court appeal. MAJOR QUESTIONS DOCTRINE Trump's Department of Justice has argued that the law allows tariffs under emergency provisions that authorize a president to "regulate" imports or block them completely. How far that unwritten regulatory authority goes is the biggest challenge for Trump's appeal, and two losses have led some legal scholars to predict that the Court of International Trade's original ruling against the tariffs will ultimately be upheld. "I have a really hard time believing that the Supreme Court is going to read IEEPA in such a broad way that the President can write and rewrite the tariff code in any way he wishes, on any particular day for any particular reason," said John Veroneau, a former Republican-appointed deputy U.S. Trade Representative and partner at Covington and Burling. Veroneau said that the case will test the Supreme Court's "major questions doctrine", which holds that if Congress wants to give an executive agency the power to make decisions of "vast economic and political significance," it must do so explicitly. The doctrine was used against former President Joe Biden in 2023 when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that he overstepped his authority by moving to cancel up to $400 billion in student loans - an order that the court said had a "staggering" scope of impact. A key question is whether the court will apply the same standard to Trump's tariffs. Comparing these to the impact of the student loan cancellations, the appeals court said in its decision that "the overall economic impact of the tariffs imposed under the government's reading of IEEPA is even larger still." SPLIT DECISION Balancing this will be the Supreme Court's traditional deference to the president on matters of foreign affairs and national emergencies, an issue where the 6-3 conservative majority may come into play. Six of the seven appeals court judges voting against the IEEPA tariffs were appointed by Democratic presidents, but there were crossover votes among both parties' appointees. "Given the Federal Circuit's majority opinion and the dissent were quite robust, the Supreme Court will likely address the meat of whether IEEPA allows the administration to impose tariffs," said Ryan Majerus, a former senior Commerce Department official and a partner with King and Spalding. "That decision, either way, will have significant implications for where the administration's trade policy goes next," Majerus said. The Trump administration has already been expanding tariff investigations under other legal authorities, including the national security-focused Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 under which a probe into furniture imports has been launched. Bessent told Reuters that another option could be a provision of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 50% on imports from countries that are found to discriminate against U.S. commerce. The statute, Section 338, has been largely dormant for decades but would allow for quick imposition of tariffs. If the IEEPA tariffs ultimately are struck down, trade lawyers said that a major headache for the Trump administration will be refunds of paid duties. Majerus said importers can lodge protests at the Customs and Border Protection agency to obtain refunds, but these efforts may end up in litigation. CBP reported that as of August 25, collections of Trump's tariffs imposed under IEEPA totaled $65.8 billion. A source familiar with the Trump administration's thinking said that lawyers sifted through the ruling over the Labor Day holiday weekend to gauge possible outcomes and expected a quick appeal to the Supreme Court, with a final decision likely in early 2026. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Trump to ask Supreme Court to save tariffs but faces tough legal questions

Trump to ask Supreme Court to save tariffs but faces tough legal questions By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Pres...
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Trump admin live updates: Appeals court says Trump cannot invoke Alien Enemies ActNew Foto - Trump admin live updates: Appeals court says Trump cannot invoke Alien Enemies Act

President Donald Trump is scheduled on Wednesday to host the Polish president in the Oval Office, as leaders in Warsaw and other European countries discuss ongoing security threats posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Trump on Tuesday made an announcement regarding U.S. Space Command from the Oval Office, saying the headquarters will move to Alabama. Sep 3, 7:07 AMTrump to host Polish president at White House President Donald Trump is scheduled on Wednesday to welcome Polish President Karol Nawrocki to the Oval Office on Wednesday morning.The pair will hold a bilateral meeting, which will be followed by a lunch, according to the White House. Polish Secretary of State Marcin Przydacz wrote a list of priorities for the meeting.Those priorities included the "first point" of describing security in the region to Trump, "so that President Trump also has full awareness of our perspective on the situation regarding Russia's aggressive policy, Belarus's actions, including in the context of hybrid attacks or the deployment of Russian troops in the region," Przydacz wrote in an Op-Ed in a Polish newspaper.NATO aircraftscrambled in Polandearly on Wednesday, as Russia bombarded neighboring Ukraine with drones and missiles.-ABC News' Hannah Demissie and Kevin Shalvey Sep 3, 12:21 AMAppeals court says Trump cannot invoke Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration cannot use acenturies-old wartime authorityto speed up the removals of noncitizens alleged to be members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.In a 2-1 decision, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that President Donald Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act did not meet the legal requirement of a war or an invasion. The Louisiana-based appeals court -- one of the most conservative in the country -- rejected the Trump administration's argument that members of Tren De Aragua comprised a hybrid criminal state intent on invading the U.S."A Country's encouraging its residents and citizens to enter this country illegally is not the modern-day equivalent of sending an armed, organized force to occupy, to disrupt, or to otherwise harm the United States. There is no finding that this mass immigration was an armed, organized force or forces," Judge Leslie H. Southwick wrote.In a dissenting opinion, Judge Andrew Oldham rebuked his colleagues for second-guessing Trump's determination about the alleged invasion."That contravenes over 200 years of legal precedent. And it transmogrifies the least-dangerous branch into robed crusaders who get to playact as multitudinous Commanders in Chief," he wrote.-ABC News' Laura Romero and Peter Charalambous Sep 2, 10:35 PMDOD asks military judges to backfill immigration judges The Defense Department says it's looking to tap military judge advocates and civilian attorneys to begin working on the growing backlog of immigration cases that's topped3.6 million casesin recent years.The move is part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on migration to the U.S., and in particular, asylum seekers. Under U.S. law, a person who enters the country illegally is still allowed to seek asylum through an immigration court. The Justice Department, which oversees the court system, says it has tried to hire more judges in recent years but remains overwhelmed by the number of new cases being filed, with some 1.8 million new cases added last year, according to the Congressional Research Service.In a statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department is in the process of identifying people who can work as temporary judges at the request of the Justice Department."These DOD attorneys will augment existing resources to help further combat a backlog of cases by presiding over immigration hearings," Parnell wrote in a statement.According to an email sent by the Navy Judge Advocate General obtained by ABC News, the military is interested in 100 volunteers -- active duty, reserve and civilian -- who could begin work this November for a roughly six-month stint.But that number is expected to grow. The Associated Pressfirst reported on Tuesdaythat Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to work as temporary immigration judges."Preferred volunteers will have experience in administrative law, immigration law, as a military judge or in related fields," the Navy JAG wrote in its email calling for the initial group of volunteers."Furthermore, selected officers must demonstrate a record of sound judgment, legal expertise and analytical ability, coupled with exceptional discernment and impartiality, a professional demeanor, suitable temperament for the role of immigration judge and strong written and oral communication skills are also essential," the email added. "Judge advocates must be active members in good standing of a state bar or The DC bar."-ABC News' Will Steakin and Anne Flaherty Sep 2, 7:29 PMCassidy stands behind Kennedy after CDC shakeup Sen. Bill Cassidy told reporters he's not walking back his support for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. despite Kennedy's changes to vaccine policy and the termination of CDC Director Susan Monarez."People are going to try to make this something more than it is. I'm not presupposing anyone is right or wrong. I am saying we've got to get to the truth because there are serious allegations and so that will take radical transparency -- to quote the president, to quote the secretary," Cassidy said."So I am not presupposing someone is right or wrong. I just know we've got to figure it out," he said.Cassidy, a physician who cast a key vote for Kennedy's confirmation and chairs the committee that focuses on health, has been embroiled in the CDC showdown -- both during the termination, when Monarez called Cassidy to alert him that Kennedy was pushing her out, and afterward, as Cassidy called for oversight investigations into the major staff shakeups at CDC.But on Tuesday, he maintained that Kennedy and Trump are still in fact-finding mode, and he wouldn't make a final judgement until all of the data was out there.-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett and Allison Pecorin Sep 2, 4:17 PMPritzker lays out what he expects to unfold in Chicago in coming days Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said he expects to see what played out inLos AngelesandWashingtonto happen in Chicago in the coming days."First, Donald Trump is positioning armed federal agents and staging military vehicles on federal property, such as the Great Lakes Naval base. It is likely those agents will be with ICE, Customs and Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security and other similarly situated federal agencies. Many of these individuals are being relocated from Los Angeles for deployment in Chicago," the governor said. Pritzker said he expects agents are planning to "raid Latino communities and say they're targeting violent criminals" and that Trump "will be looking for any excuse to put active duty military on our streets, supposedly to protect ICE.""We have reason to believe that the Trump administration has already begun staging the Texas National Guard for deployment in Illinois," Pritzker said. Sep 2, 4:08 PMPritzker pushes back on Trump's comments on Chicago: 'Unhinged' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, quickly pushed back on President Trump's comments about sending National Guard troops to Chicago."First, I want to address the president's unhinged remarks a few minutes ago begging me to call him. No, I will not call the president, asking him to send troops to Chicago. I've made that clear already," Pritzker said at a press conference. The governor then addressed residents directly, saying he would share as much as his team knew about the administration's potential action."Rumors have been swirling about what the White House has planned, and sifting fact from fiction is increasingly difficult because Donald Trump's administration is not working in coordination with the city of Chicago, Cook County or the state of Illinois," Pritzker said. "I want to take a moment at the top of my remarks to note how truly extraordinary it is for the federal government to refuse to coordinate with local law enforcement and government." Sep 2, 3:27 PMTrump says he will appeal tariff ruling to Supreme Court Trump slammed a federal appeals court'sdecisionruling his tariffs were unlawful.The president claimed the court was liberal and would cost the country billions of dollars.Trump said he plans to bring the case to the Supreme Court to appeal and ask for an expedited ruling. Sep 2, 3:23 PM'We're going in,' Trump says about Chicago President Trump on Tuesday was asked if he's decided whether he is going tosend National Guardsmen to Chicago."Well, we're going in," Trump said as he took questions from reporters in the Oval Office. But he didn't say when such an operation would take place."I didn't say when we're going in," Trump continued. "When you lose -- look, I have an obligation. This isn't a political thing. I have an obligation." Trump pointed togun violence over the weekend in Chicagoand said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker should be requesting federal assistance."If the governor of Illinois would call up, call me up. I would love to do it. Now, we're going to do it anyway. We have the right to do it because I have an obligation to protect this country," Trump said. Sep 2, 3:13 PMTrump responds to internet rumors about his health Fox News' Peter Doocy brought up a social media trend from over the weekend following Trump's lack of public appearances."How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead? You see that the people didn't see you for a couple days. 1.3 million user engagements as of Saturday morning about your demise," Doocy asked. Trump said he did not hear about those rumors, but maintained that he is "very active.""I didn't I knew they were saying, like, 'Is he OK? How is he feeling? What's wrong?' I said I just left and it's also sort of a longer weekend. You know, it's Labor Day weekend. So I would say a lot of people know I was very active this Labor Day," he said. Sep 2, 3:11 PMTrump says US 'shot out' boat carrying drugs from Venezuela President Trump, speaking in the Oval Office, said the U.S. military "shot out" a boat carrying drugs from Venezuela."You'll be seeing that and you'll be reading about that," Trump said. "It just happened moments ago. And our great General, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been so incredible ... But he gave us a little bit of a briefing, and you'll see. And there's more where that came from.""We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time, and we just -- these came out of Venezuela and coming out very heavily from Venezuela. A lot of things are coming out of Venezuela," the president added. "So, we took it out, and you'll get to see that after this -- after this meeting is over." Click here to read the rest of the blog.

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Trump admin live updates: Appeals court says Trump cannot invoke Alien Enemies Act

Trump admin live updates: Appeals court says Trump cannot invoke Alien Enemies Act President Donald Trump is scheduled on Wednesday to host ...
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Shohei Ohtani makes Dodgers history with 120-mph home run in loss to PiratesNew Foto - Shohei Ohtani makes Dodgers history with 120-mph home run in loss to Pirates

Shohei Ohtani made more history Tuesday at PNC Park. The Los Angeles Dodgers' star hit a solo home run in the third inning of his team's 9-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The blast easily cleared the right-field wall in Pittsburgh, flying an incredible 120 miles per hour off the bat. That made it the hardest-hit ball for the Dodgers in the Statcast era and one of the hardest-hit home runs in recorded MLB history. Shohei Ohtani rockets a home run out at 120 MPH 😳pic.twitter.com/EFxw2IPbUE — MLB (@MLB)September 2, 2025 Only five other home runs in the Statcast era, which started in 2015, have been hit harder. Pirates star Oneil Cruz holds the record at 122.9 mph, which he set earlier this season. To add to Ohtani's accolades, the home run came off a 99.2-mph fastball from Bubba Chandler. That makes it the hardest-hit home run off a pitch going at least 99 mph in the Statcast era, breaking New York Yankees star Aaron Judge's previous record set earlier this season, viaMLB's David Adler. The home run was the 46th of the season for Ohtani, who entered the night trailing only Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in MLB. It was also the 100th homer of Ohtani's career with the Dodgers, and he hasn't even finished his second season with the organization. Ohtani hit 54 home runs last season. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Ohtani was in the lineup as the designated hitter Tuesday, and he has been working his way back to full strength on the mound. He pitched five innings Wednesday in the team's5-1 winover the Cincinnati Reds, which marked his longest outing on the mound since joining the Dodgers. He is scheduled to make his next start in the Dodgers' matchup with the Pirateson Wednesday. Ohtani's home run in the third inning Tuesday cut the Pirates' lead to two runs at the time, and the team ended up tying the game after the fourth inning. But the Pirates went back in front after putting up three runs in the sixth inning off an RBI single from Henry Davis and a two-RBI double from Jared Triolo. That, along with extra RBI by Triolo and Cruz, was enough to push the Pirates to the two-run win. The Pirates now sit at 62-77, which has them in last in the NL Central race. They are well back in the wild-card race, too, and are on pace to miss the playoffs for a 10th straight season. The Dodgers fell to 77-60 with the loss, though they still hold a narrow lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Shohei Ohtani makes Dodgers history with 120-mph home run in loss to Pirates

Shohei Ohtani makes Dodgers history with 120-mph home run in loss to Pirates Shohei Ohtani made more history Tuesday at PNC Park. The Los An...
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Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hits his 51st homer and closes in on more recordsNew Foto - Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hits his 51st homer and closes in on more records

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Cal Raleighhit his 51st homerTuesday night, extending his major league record for home runs by a catcher and drawing closer to Mickey Mantle for the most by a switch-hitter. The Seattle Mariners star went deep in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Steinbrenner Field. It was Raleigh's 41st homer while playing behind the plate, tying Todd Hundley (1996) for the second most in a season. That record is 42 by Javy López in 2003. Raleigh had already bested Salvador Perez for the most homers by a player whose primary position is catcher. Perez hit 48 in 2021. Mantle set the mark for homers by a switch-hitter with 54 in 1961. Raleigh is also within five of Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record of 56 homers in a season, set in 1997 and '98. The 371-foot shot to right field was his first home run in a week. Raleigh leads the majors in homers by two over Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hits his 51st homer and closes in on more records

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hits his 51st homer and closes in on more records TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Cal Raleighhit his 51st homerTuesday night...
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Blue states that sued kept most CDC grants, while red states feel brunt of Trump clawbacksNew Foto - Blue states that sued kept most CDC grants, while red states feel brunt of Trump clawbacks

The Trump administration's cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of a state, according to a KFF Health News analysis. Democratic-led states and select blue-leaning cities fought back in court and saw money for public health efforts restored — while GOP-led states sustained big losses. The Department of Health and Human Services in late March canceled nearly 700 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants nationwide — together worth about $11 billion. Awarded during the covid-19 pandemic, they supported efforts to vaccinate people, reduce health disparities among demographic groups, upgrade antiquated systems for detecting infectious disease outbreaks, and hire community health workers. Initially, grant cancellations hit blue and red states roughly evenly. Four of the five jurisdictions with the largest number of terminated grants were led by Democrats: California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, and Massachusetts. But after attorneys general and governors from about two dozen blue states sued in federal court and won an injunction, the balance flipped. Of the five states with the most canceled grants, four are led by Republicans: Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Ohio. In blue states, nearly 80% of the CDC grant cuts have been restored, compared with fewer than 5% in red states, according to the KFF Health News analysis. Grant amounts reported in an HHS database known as the Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System, or TAGGS, often don't match what states confirmed. Instead, this analysis focused on the number of grants. The divide is an example of the polarization that permeates health care issues, in which access to safety-net health programs, abortion rights, and the ability of public health officials to respond to disease threats diverge significantly depending on the political party in power. In an emailed statement, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the agency "is committed to protecting the health of every American, regardless of politics or geography. These funds were provided in response to the COVID pandemic, which is long over. We will continue working with states to strengthen public health infrastructure and ensure communities have the tools they need to respond to outbreaks and keep people safe." The money in question wasn't spent solely on covid-related activities, public health experts say; it was also used to bolster public health infrastructure and help contain many types of viruses and diseases, including the flu, measles, and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. "It really supported infrastructure across the board, particularly in how states respond to public health threats," said Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The Trump cutbacks came as the U.S. recorded itslargest measles outbreakin over three decades and 266 pediatric deaths during the most recent flu season — thehighest reportedoutside of a pandemic since 2004. Public health departments canceled vaccine clinics, laid off staff, and put contracts on hold, health officials said in interviews. After its funding cuts were blocked in court, California retained every grant the Trump administration attempted to claw back, while Texas remains the state with the most grants terminated, with at least 30. As the CDC slashed grants in Texas, its measles outbreak spread across the U.S. and Mexico, sickening at least 4,500 people and killing at least 16. Colorado, which joined the lawsuit, had 11 grant terminations at first, but then 10 were retained. Meanwhile, its neighboring states that didn't sue — Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma — collectively lost 55 grants, with none retained. In Jackson, Ohio, a half-dozen community health workers came to work one day in March to find the Trump administration had canceled their grant five months early, leaving the Jackson County Health Department half a million dollars short — and them without jobs. "I had to lay off three employees in a single day, and I haven't had to do that before. We don't have those people doing outreach in Jackson County anymore," Health Commissioner Kevin Aston said. At one point, he said, the funding helped 11 Appalachian Ohio counties. Now it supports one. Marsha Radabaugh, one employee who was reassigned, has scaled back her community health efforts: She'd been helping serve hot meals to homeless people and realized that many clients couldn't read or write, so she brought forms for services such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to their encampment in a local park and helped fill them out. "We would find them rehab places. We'd get out hygiene kits, blankets, tents, zero-degree sleeping bags, things like that," she said. As a counselor, she'd also remind people "that they're cared for, that they're worthy of being a human — because, a lot of the time, they're not treated that way." Sasha Johnson, who led the community health worker program, said people like Radabaugh "were basically a walking human 411," offering aid to those in need. Radabaugh also partnered with a food bank to deliver meals to homebound residents. Aston said the abrupt way they lost the funds — which meant the county unexpectedly had to pay unemployment for more people — could have ruined the health district financially. Canceling funding midcycle, he said, "was really scary." HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist and promoter of vaccine misinformation,has called the CDCa "cesspool of corruption." At HHS, he has taken steps to undermine vaccination in the U.S. and abroad. Federal CDC funding accounts formore than halfof state and local health department budgets, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. States that President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election received a higher share of the$15 billion the CDC allocatedin fiscal 2023 than those that Democrat Kamala Harris won, according to KFF. The Trump administration's nationwide CDC grant terminations reflect this. More than half were in states that Trump won in 2024, totaling at least 370 terminations before the court action, according to KFF Health News' analysis. The Columbus, Ohio, health department had received $6.2 million in CDC grants, but roughly half of it — $3 million — disappeared with the Trump cuts. The city laid off 11 people who worked on investigating infectious disease outbreaks in such places as schools and nursing homes, Columbus Health Commissioner Mysheika Roberts said. She also said the city had planned to buy a new electronic health record system for easier access to patients' hospital records — which could improve disease detection and provide better treatment for those infected — but that was put on ice. "We've never had a grant midcycle just get pulled from us for no reason," Roberts said. "This sense of uncertainty is stressful." Columbus did not receive its money directly from the CDC. Rather, the state gave the city some funds it received from the federal government. Ohio, led by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and a Republican attorney general, did not sue to block the funding cuts. Columbussued the federal government in Aprilto keep its money, along with other Democratic-led municipalities in Republican-governed states: Harris County, Texas, home to Houston; the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri. A federal judge in June blocked those cuts. As of mid-August, Columbus was awaiting the funds. Roberts said the city won't rehire staff because the federal funding was expected to end in December. Joe Grogan, a senior scholar at the University of Southern California's Schaeffer Institute and former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council in Trump's first term, said state and local agencies "are not entitled" to the federal money, which was awarded "to deal with an emergency" that has ended. "We were throwing money out the door the last five years," Grogan said of the federal government. "I don't understand why there would ever be a controversy in unspent covid money coming back." Ken Gordon, Ohio Department of Health spokesperson, wrote in an email that the $250 million in grants lost had helped with, among other things, upgrading the disease reporting system and boosting public health laboratory testing. Some of the canceled HHS funding wasn't slated to end for years, including four grants to strengthen public health in Indian Country, a grant to a Minnesota nonprofit focused on reducing substance use disorders, and a few to universities about occupational safety, HIV, tuberculosis, and more. Brent Ewig, chief policy and government relations officer for the Association of Immunization Managers, said the cuts were "the predictable result of 'boom, bust, panic, neglect' funding" for public health. The association represents 64 state, local, and territorial immunization programs, which Ewig said will be less prepared to respond to disease outbreaks, including measles. "The system is blinking red," Ewig said.

byMario Satorik
in
September 03, 2025

Blue states that sued kept most CDC grants, while red states feel brunt of Trump clawbacks

Blue states that sued kept most CDC grants, while red states feel brunt of Trump clawbacks The Trump administration's cuts to Centers fo...
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