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Jane Doe who accused Jay-Z of sexual assault formally recants her claims

September 25, 2026 / 10:54 AM EDT / CBS News

By Kerry Breen News Editor
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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The Jane Doe who accused rap mogul Jay-Z of sexual assault has formally recanted her claims, stating in court documents that her claims were false and that she never met him.

“Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter never raped me. I have never met or spoken to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me whatsoever,” the anonymous woman wrote in the 12-page declaration, which was reviewed by CBS News. Shawn Carter is Jay-Z’s legal name. “There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter.”

The woman said that she understood her “false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering and damage that can never be fully undone.”

The woman previously claimed that she had been raped by Carter and Sean “Diddy” Combs while a third person watched. The initial lawsuit, filed in October 2024 and amended to include Carter in December 2024, alleged that the woman was invited to a Video Music Awards afterparty when she was a teen. She alleged that after accepting a drink at the afterparty, she began to feel lightheaded and went to lie down. She then alleged that Carter, Combs and another woman entered the room, and that Combs and Carter raped her with the woman present.

In her statement recanting the claims against Carter, the woman said she had seen a Facebook ad looking for people who might have sexual assault claims against Combs, who is serving a four-year sentence for prostitution-related charges. She said the ad triggered memories of being raped as a teenager. When she contacted the company on the ad, she was connected with the Buzbee Law Firm, she said.

In her declaration, the woman said that the initial October 2024 lawsuit was filed by Tony Buzbee and his firm without her knowledge. She said that in January 2025, after the suit was amended to include Carter, she began to doubt her claims against him and that “I ever went to a party with celebrities.” She claimed that her lawyers dismissed her lawsuit after she told them that.

Carter has denied all allegations and sued the woman, Buzbee and the Texas-based law firm, accusing them of conspiring to pressure him into a secret financial settlement. Carter alleged that after he refused to pay an “extortionate demand letter” sent by Buzbee in October 2024, the lawsuit was amended to include him.

A malicious prosecution lawsuit against Buzbee and his law firm is ongoing in New York. Carter filed a notice Thursday saying he was voluntarily dismissing the woman as a defendant in the lawsuit.

He wrote that the “trauma” that he, his family and his loved ones have endured because of the allegations “can never be dismissed.”

The woman’s new lawyer, James Blair Newman Jr., said that she “maintains that she was a victim of sexual assault, but she was entirely mistaken in her allegations identifying Mr. Carter, and those allegations were false.”

Buzbee continues to represent other plaintiffs who are suing Combs for sexual assault. Victims have alleged abuse at parties in New York, California and Florida. Combs’ lawyers have called Buzbee’s lawsuits “shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them.”

Why the court fight over the White House media ban isn’t over

2026-09-25T10:03:37.67Z / reuters.com

• Summary

• Court restored CNN, Politico, and MS NOW’s access for 14 days
• Judge has not yet ruled on the news outlets’ free speech claim
• Outlets face September 28 deadline to seek preliminary injunction

WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump’s administration complied on Thursday with a judge’s order to restore White House access to three media ​outlets he had banned last week — CNN, Politico, and MS NOW — but litigation over the ban is not over yet.

Here is what ‌to know about the next steps in the lawsuit filed by the three media outlets.

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DID THE JUDGE ISSUE A FINAL RULING?

No. The judge assigned to the case, US District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, issued a temporary order that reinstated the outlets’ access for 14 days while their legal challenge proceeded.

In his ruling, Kelly said legal precedents make clear that once White House press credentials ​are issued to journalists, they have a right to “notice and an opportunity to be heard” before those credentials are revoked.

Kelly, a Trump-appointed judge, said ​the news outlets were likely to succeed on their claim that this constitutional right to due process was violated.

But Kelly ⁠did not reach a primary issue in the case: a claim by the news outlets that the ban violated the rights to freedom of speech and ​freedom of the press in the US Constitution’s First Amendment.

Kelly said it was not necessary to resolve that issue, since the due process claim was sufficient grounds to ​grant a temporary restraining order halting Trump’s ban.

Kelly set a September 28 deadline for the outlets to request a follow-up ruling, known as a preliminary injunction, which would extend his block on Trump’s ban for the duration of the case.

CAN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEAL?

If Kelly converts his initial order to an injunction, which seems likely, the administration could ask a federal appeals ​court in Washington to lift the injunction.

Trump, anticipating a loss before Kelly, vowed an appeal on Monday, before the judge had even ruled.

Trump announced the ban on ​Friday on his social media platform, saying the three news organizations “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.”

In a ‌filing on ⁠Tuesday, the Justice Department accused the outlets of threatening national security with their coverage, citing stories about US missile stockpiles, construction of Trump’s White House ballroom and turnout at the recent Republican midterm convention.

Kelly handled a similar case in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, revoked the White House press credentials of former CNN journalist Jim Acosta.

After Kelly issued a preliminary decision in Acosta’s favor, the White House sent the journalist a letter saying it had made a “final determination” to restore his ​press pass, leading him to voluntarily ​drop his case.

COULD THE WHITE HOUSE ⁠TRY AGAIN TO REVOKE THE OUTLETS’ WHITE HOUSE ACCESS?

Theodore Boutrous, a lawyer for the three outlets, warned of this possibility during a court hearing on Wednesday.

Boutrous had urged Kelly to rule on both the due process and First Amendment issues. By ​focusing exclusively on due process, Boutrous said during the court hearing, the judge was opening the door for the ​Trump administration to try ⁠again to bar the outlets in a more formal but preordained process.

Boutrous drew a parallel to the case of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Trump last month renewed his push to remove her from the central bank, following a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the summer that blocked a previous attempt due to a lack of due process.

“I’m ⁠very concerned ​that even if the court grants a TRO [temporary restraining order] on due process grounds, the shenanigans ​will continue,” Boutrous said.

In an interview with MS NOW on Thursday, Boutrous said his clients’ First Amendment arguments “will come front and center” in the coming weeks.

“I imagine the government will somehow try to ​justify and shore up this baseless national security argument they came up with after the fact,” Boutrous added.

Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by David Bario and Michael Perry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Rush of money, campaign stops show Republicans feel vulnerable in Iowa, Kansas

2026-09-25 / Reuters

Sept 25 (Reuters) – With midterm elections just over a month away, Republican heavyweights have been jetting across the country to campaign and outside groups have been pouring money into races in ​what is normally the party’s safest territory — Farm Belt states like Iowa and Kansas.

The influx of money and attention shows just how vulnerable Republicans are as high costs, especially ​for gasoline and diesel, have disappointed the party’s usual supporters, according to campaign strategists and political scientists. Republican voters have increasingly soured on President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy, part of why his approval rating fell to 32% in a September 21 Reuters/Ipsos poll, the lowest of his political career.

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“The spending reflects just how competitive these races are,” said Republican strategist Brad Dayspring of Purple Strategies in Alexandria, Virginia. “Republicans are fighting for their political future and they’re using every arrow in the ​quiver to make sure their message breaks through.”

Vice President JD Vance recently campaigned in Iowa on behalf of US Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, and earlier in the year for Republican Representative ​Zach Nunn.

Vance also made a stop in Kansas, where a Democrat has not been elected senator since the Great Depression, to rally support for Republican Senator ​Roger “Doc” Marshall.

Those two states, as well as Nebraska, where incumbent Republican Pete Ricketts is facing independent Dan Osborn, look competitive as the general election nears.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana also recently traveled to all three ​to campaign for Republicans.

“If you told me six months ago I was going to be having to spend my time in those three states, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Kennedy said. “Those oughta be fat guy layups ​for us.”

FARM BELT FEELS THE EFFECTS

For the first time, Republicans who disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living outnumber those who approve 51% to 44%, according to the September 21 poll.

The war with Iran has caused diesel fuel prices to surge to more than $6.50 a gallon, a record. Diesel is used to power vehicles like pickup trucks and farm equipment, making the increase particularly painful in states like Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, where agriculture is a dominant industry.

In Iowa, Hinson ​is facing an increasingly tough battle with Democrat Josh Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, on the western edge of the state.

A Marist poll on September 22 showed her running behind Turek, with 42% ​of respondents supporting Hinson to Turek’s 50%.

A sitting member of the US House of Representatives, Hinson previously voted six times against House measures seeking to curb Trump’s authority to continue the Iran war. Following Vance’s September 18 visit, ​Hinson reversed course, ​calling for a swift end to the war.

Hinson did not attend the rally headlined by Vance. Speaking at the event, he called her an “amazing public servant” and vowed to get her elected even though, “I know she couldn’t be here today.”

Republican-aligned political action committees have poured more than $30.3 million into the campaign, with more than $11.7 million coming since Labor Day. Democrats have spent $24.3 million to boost Turek, with about $7.6 million coming since Labor Day, according to federal election filings, which do not include nonprofit groups that are not required to disclose their spending.

KANSAS LOOKING COMPETITIVE

Vance made the trip to Kansas as Marshall, a former obstetrician who was elected in 2020, ​faced reports that he has sued more than 700 ​patients for unpaid medical debts. A Marshall ​spokesperson told the New York Times in response to their reporting that he treated patients regardless of whether they could pay.

Recent polling from Emerson College/Nexstar Media put Marshall’s Democratic challenger, church pastor Adam Hamilton, within the margin of error when pitted against Marshall. The poll showed 45% of voters supporting Hamilton and 43% ​supporting the Republican senator.

If Hamilton won, he would be the first Democratic senator elected from Kansas in 94 years.

Outside Democratic groups started targeting the race ​at the end of August, pouring ​in about $2.3 million, according to Federal Election Commission data, indicating they see the potential for Hamilton to unseat the incumbent Marshall. Republican-leaning groups have put about $1.6 million into the race, but just $27,500 since Labor Day.

Visits by high-profile figures like Vance are often used to generate more turnout among loyal voters in midterm elections, whose outcome usually depends on getting the party’s staunchest supporters to the polls.

Those visits can backfire, said Alexandra Middlewood, professor of political ​science at Wichita ​State University. Kansas has large numbers of independent voters less likely to be swayed by the backing of big names, ​she said.

In a year when Republicans and Trump are increasingly unpopular, visits like Vance’s could reinforce negative sentiments.

Ron Bonjean, a partner at bipartisan public affairs firm Rokk Solutions, said of Vance’s visit to Iowa: “If the vice president is going into a Republican stronghold this ​late into a campaign, it shows that they want to shore up support to ensure there aren’t problems on election day.”

Reporting by Renee Hickman and Dawn Kopecki. Editing by Emily Schmall, Michael Learmonth and David Gaffen

纳吉获有条件特赦后首次露面 申请暂缓一马案刑罚以免阻碍居家服刑安排

2026-09-25 19:55 / 联合早报

马来西亚前首相纳吉（中）星期五（9月25日）针对他提出暂缓执行一马案判决的申请出庭，这是他上周五获得国家元首有条件特赦后首次公开露面。 （马新社）

（吉隆坡综合讯）马来西亚前首相纳吉星期五现身吉隆坡高庭，针对他被定罪的一个马来西亚发展有限公司案提出暂缓执行刑罚申请。这是纳吉上周获有条件特赦后，首次出现在公众视野。

现年73岁的纳吉身穿浅灰色西装及白色衬衫，星期五（9月25日）早上8时30分在监狱人员押送下，从加影监狱抵达吉隆坡法庭大厦。

吉隆坡高庭当天对此案进行案件管理，并择定10月14日审理纳吉一马案的暂缓执行刑罚申请。

去年12月，高庭裁定纳吉因一马案被控四项滥权和21项洗钱的罪名全部成立，判处监禁15年，罚款近114亿令吉（约36亿新元）。纳吉随后提出上诉，但当时并未申请暂缓执行刑罚。

纳吉的首席辩护律师沙菲宜星期五在法庭大厦召开记者会，回应为何至今才提出这项申请时说，这是因为当时纳吉已因一马公司前子公司SRC国际公司案在狱中服刑。

他解释说，由于法庭谕令一马案的刑期须在SRC国际公司案刑满后才执行，因此，为了避免纳吉在SRC国际公司案获得特赦的居家服刑安排，因一马案的刑罚未暂缓执行而受到阻碍，纳吉才提出这项申请。

上周五（18日），马国国家元首苏丹依布拉欣批准纳吉有条件特赦，允许他以居家服刑方式服完SRC国际公司案的剩余刑期，直至2028年8月23日。特赦的前提是纳吉须先缴清5000万令吉罚款。

纳吉无力缴付罚款 众筹只筹得200万令吉

不过，纳吉至今未缴付罚款，因此仍在狱中服刑。

沙菲宜说，纳吉目前陷入想回家却无力缴付罚款的困境，因为纳吉的多个银行户头至今仍被冻结，包括担任首相与国会议员时期用于领薪的户头，因此无力缴付巨额罚款。

纳吉获得有条件特赦当晚，巫统设立“纳吉团结基金”发起众筹。纳吉的女儿诺雅娜星期五透露，有关基金至今只筹得约200万令吉，或所须总额的4%。

她也说，家属及律师尚未获得监狱局提供的任何关于纳吉居家服刑的信息，因此对于相关安排一无所知。

马国媒体早前报道，纳吉预计在位于吉隆坡大使路的住家居家服刑，而选择这个地点是因为那里无人居住，适合改造成临时监狱。

对此，诺雅娜说，上述房子自纳吉2022年8月23日入狱后便一直空置。“妈妈（罗斯玛）跟我一起住，所以（纳吉）入狱后房子就一直空着。”

APSN朝阳和东陵学校迁入同校园 增170学额助学生升读中学

2026年9月25日 19:58 / 联合早报

• APSN旗下朝阳学校和东陵学校迁入宏茂桥新校舍，两校在同一校园办学，合计增加170个学额，整体学额比迁校前增加近30%。 – 新校舍星期五由总统尚达曼和夫人珍一藤木主持开幕。朝阳学校可容纳最多400名学生，东陵学校则可容纳350名学生。 – APSN教育服务主席霍佳汉说，目前近95%的朝阳学校小六学生会升读东陵学校，两校同处一园后学生无需转换学习环境。 – 两校仍保有各自特色和课程，但可进一步共享设施、专业知识和资源；新校舍设有餐饮、零售等职业培训空间。

坐落在宏茂桥54街、毗邻旧朝阳学校的新校舍星期五（9月25日）正式启用。 （李冠卫摄）

社会服务机构APSN旗下为特需学生开办的朝阳学校和东陵学校，迁入宏茂桥新校舍，两校集中在同一校园办学，合计增加170个学额，整体学额比迁校前增加近30%，让学生能够在熟悉的环境中从小学顺利过渡到中学教育。

坐落在宏茂桥54街、毗邻旧朝阳学校的新校舍星期五（9月25日）正式启用，由总统尚达曼和夫人珍一藤木主持开幕仪式。珍一藤木也是APSN赞助人。中区市长潘丽萍和宏茂桥集选区议员娜蒂雅也受邀出席开幕仪式。

朝阳学校和东陵学校主要招收有轻微智力障碍或自闭症的学生。朝阳学校为7岁至12岁学生提供小学教育；原位于亚历山大路的东陵学校，则为13岁至16岁学生提供中学教育。

共享设施与专业资源 衔接中小学特需教育

新校舍启用后，朝阳学校可容纳最多400名学生，比迁校前的320个学额增加80个；东陵学校则可容纳350名学生，比原有的260个学额增加90个。

APSN教育服务主席霍佳汉博士（42岁）致辞时说，目前近95%的朝阳学校小六学生会升读东陵学校。两校迁入同一校园后，学生无需转换学习环境，也能获得更连贯的教育和支援。

他受访时说，两校迁入同一校园是APSN的重要里程碑。虽然两校仍保有各自的特色和课程，但可进一步共享设施、专业知识和资源。

“更重要的是，这能加强APSN这个大家庭的联系，让学生、教育工作者和家长有更多机会互相学习、支持彼此。”

新校舍占地2万2000平方米，共七层，设有学习、休闲及职业培训设施，包括餐饮、零售、园艺和酒店服务等培训空间，让学生学习实用及符合业界需求的技能，为日后就业做准备。

总统尚达曼（右二）和夫人珍一藤木（右一）在朝阳学校小六学生迈克尔星（Mikhel Singh，左）的带领下参观新校园的图书馆，由朝阳学校校长王惠琴（右三）陪同。图书馆以魔法森林为主题，设有不同区域，也是迈克尔星在校园里最喜欢的地方之一。（李冠卫摄）

校园也设有生态池、户外学习平台、图书馆和多用途礼堂等设施。部分设施由两校共享，让学生有更多机会互动和合作，培养社交能力。

朝阳学校老师在创新中心（Innovation Hub）向访客介绍社区出行训练软件。软件设有虚拟实境（VR）功能，可模拟学生从学校出发的出行路线，途中显示学校门口的红绿灯，教导学生如何安全过马路。（李冠卫摄）

就读东陵学校中一的胡恩愷（13岁）是首批今年1月起在新校舍上课的学生之一。他去年从朝阳学校毕业。他受访时说，两校搬到同一个校园后，他除了能继续见到小学时期的老师，也能在休息时间遇到仍在小学就读的朋友。

由于新校园就在原朝阳学校旁边，他不需要重新适应新的通勤路线。他说：“新校园有很多设施，我最喜欢的是图书馆。那里很舒服，也有很舒适的椅子和坐垫。”

APSN目前共运营四所特需教育学校。除了朝阳和东陵学校，还有招收7岁至16岁学生的加东学校；立达高级特别学校则为17岁至21岁的学生提供职业培训，让学生在完成中小学特需教育后继续接受职业培训，并获得就业及职业发展方面的支援。

APSN成立于1976年，截至目前已协助超过6900名特需者发挥潜能。

霍佳汉致辞时透露，APSN今年6月迎来首批50名参加朝阳学校—朝正课程（APSN Chaoyang School – Chaozheng Programme）的小一学生。这项新课程主要为需要中度至高度支援的自闭症及智障学生提供更具针对性的教育和帮助，课程设在朝阳学校原址翻新后的校舍。

迎成立50周年里程碑 推出针对性支持课程

今年适逢APSN成立50周年，霍佳汉说，新校园象征着APSN持续为未来一代学生和家庭提供支持的承诺。

他说：“对我们的学生来说，这座校园属于你们。请好好把握每一个机会，保持好奇心，在面对挑战时坚持下去，并始终相信自己的潜能。”

Talk of US export ban on diesel deepens US crude futures’ discount to global benchmark

2026-09-25T10:01:49.142Z / Reuters

• Summary

• WTI trades at $12.02 a barrel below Brent, widest discount since May 6
• Analysts say diesel export ban could cut US refinery crude runs by 12%
• US energy secretary gauges refiners’ support for voluntary export restraint, sources say

HOUSTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Washington’s talk of a possible ban on diesel exports is widening the gap between US crude oil futures and the global Brent benchmark, a signal that markets expect US refiners to ​process less crude oil if their diesel output gets stuck at home.

While that may bring some immediate relief to high domestic diesel prices, which this week hit a record $6.528 a gallon ‌and stirred a political uproar, the bigger discount for domestic crude futures could be a double-edged omen: an indicator of higher gasoline prices to come, while in the longer term diesel prices could also begin rising again.

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As investors price in a scenario where diesel gets stranded in the US, West Texas Intermediate crude futures traded as much as $12.02 a barrel under Brent futures on Thursday, their largest discount since May 6, according to LSEG data.

Analysts say US refiners could cut their crude runs by ​as much as 12% if diesel exports are banned, with key storage hubs likely to fill up within a month.

The US is the world’s largest diesel exporter, with net exports of about ​1.2 million barrels per day, versus production of 5.1 million bpd, according to Morgan Stanley.

These exports have partially plugged the gap from lost Middle East barrels ⁠while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. Diesel supplies have also dwindled from Russia, which has repeatedly imposed export bans of its own to tackle shortages that followed Ukrainian drone attacks on its oil refineries.

Wood Mackenzie ​analysts, in a note on Thursday, said a diesel export ban would redirect a 700,000 bpd oversupply of diesel and gasoil into storage, effectively filling Gulf Coast inventories to maximum capacity in just over a month.

That ​would force US refiners to cut crude runs by more than 2 million bpd, Wood Mackenzie estimated, to prevent inventories from exceeding capacity — a reduction of 12% of US refinery crude runs at current rates.

The prospects for a US diesel export ban remain uncertain.

The White House on Wednesday denied media reports it was preparing for a 90-day diesel export ban, and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said a ban would not bring surging prices under control. On Tuesday, however, President Donald Trump said ​he backed a ban.

In the meantime, Wright has contacted executives at several major American refiners in recent days to gauge support for voluntary restraint on diesel exports, as the Trump administration searches for an alternative to a ​short-term ban, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

RECORD DIESEL PRICES STIR CALLS FOR EXPORT BAN

Driving the demand for a US export ban is a surge in diesel prices, which have hit records in both the US and ‌Europe. On Thursday, ⁠US prices remained elevated at $6.514 a gallon, according to the AAA, as the US war with Iran disrupts global supplies.

That could spell trouble for Trump’s Republican Party in the November midterm elections, by fuelling inflation and putting a particularly heavy burden on farmers, one of the party’s key constituencies.

The Iran war is complicating the conundrum in the US oil sector in another way: by boosting shipping costs.

A rise in the discount for US crude relative to European crude, known as the WTI-Brent spread, typically boosts demand for US oil and increases exports, as traders can make a profit through arbitrage by selling it abroad. But that depends on shipping costs.

Rising ​freight rates and tight vessel availability have dimmed demand ​for US exports and contributed to the widening ⁠WTI-Brent spread, Georgios Sakellariou, freight analyst at Signal Maritime, said.

While the WTI-Brent spread has been trending wider in the third quarter, US crude exports have not risen significantly, according to data from ship tracker Kpler.

Shipping crude from the US Gulf Coast to Asian markets on a very large crude carrier currently costs around $50 million ​in freight, according to Signal Maritime, compared with $16 million before the Iran war broke out and drove up war risk premiums.

The discount that a barrel of ​US crude would need versus ⁠a European barrel to offset shipping costs was previously around minus $4 a barrel, according to Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. It is now likely double that, at minus $8, due to surging freight rates, Yawger said.

“International crude is carrying a higher scarcity and logistics premium, while US barrels are struggling to clear abroad at current transportation costs,” said Shohruh Zukhritdinov, chief executive at oil trading firm NitrolOil.

The WTI-Brent spread has traded exclusively at a $4 discount ⁠or wider ​since July 7, according to LSEG. Yet US crude exports have remained relatively flat month over month, rising only 45,000 barrels per ​day from July to August, at 3.72 million bpd, according to Kpler.

On a three-month average basis, US crude exports for September are currently on track to fall for the third consecutive month to their lowest since before the Iran war broke out in February, ​according to Kpler.

“A wide paper spread is an invitation to test the arbitrage, not proof that the arbitrage is open,” said Zukhritdinov.

Reporting by Georgina McCartney, Arathy Somasekhar in Houston, Noel john in Bangalore; Editing by Edmund Klamann

No English content available

Americans navigate ‘wild West’ of health insurance options after dropping Obamacare plans

2026-09-25T10:05:06.268Z / Reuters

• Some Americans are switching to short-term plans, health-sharing groups or going uninsured
• Hospitals say they are treating more uninsured patients
• Alternative plans can lack protections for patients, experts warn

Sept 25 (Reuters) – When Stacy Cox, a self-employed photographer in Kanab, Utah, dropped her Obamacare health insurance plan this year, routine preventive care became a financial dilemma. Now she finds herself weighing $1,200 for a mammogram against survival of her business.

“It’s scary,” the 49-year-old Cox told Reuters. “Every month we come to the table and we have a discussion. Is it time to close a business? Is it time to seek employment somewhere in the hopes of gaining health insurance?”

Cox is at high risk for breast cancer due to family history and has an autoimmune disease requiring regular medications.

She is among 3 million Americans who dropped out of the Affordable Care Act marketplace, created by President Barack Obama and often called Obamacare, due to sharp increases in premiums and deductibles at the beginning of 2026.

The plans, which offer subsidies based on income, covered 19.2 million people as of February, according to government data. Expiration of enhanced COVID-era premium tax credits at the beginning of the year contributed to sharp cost increases.

Cox is one of nearly a dozen Americans who told Reuters they shifted to skimpy, short-term health plans that provide less comprehensive coverage, or have joined health-sharing programs, where members pool monthly contributions to help pay each other’s medical bills. Many Americans have opted to go without health insurance altogether, a situation that the ACA was originally meant to address.

Several hospital operators have flagged rising costs tied to treating uninsured patients, including Universal Health Services

UHS.N, a Pennsylvania-based hospital system with more than 500 facilities. In July, its CEO said it seemed most patients who had dropped ACA coverage were now uninsured.

Enrollment data on short-term coverage remains limited.

A spokesperson for the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said these plans, which are primarily designed to help fill a temporary coverage gap, such as when someone is transitioning from an employer-based plan, are one of several options available.

In the ACA marketplace, insurers have proposed a median premium increase of about 15% for 2027, according to health policy research group KFF, marking the second successive year of double-digit hikes.

Enrollment for ACA plans opens November 1 and runs until January 15. UnitedHealth

UNH.N, Elevance

ELV.N, Centene

CNC.N
and Molina Healthcare

MOH.N
offer Obamacare plans. Some insurers, like UnitedHealth, also offer short-term plans.

TURNING TO CHEAPER OPTIONS

Ryan Shapiro, 56, from Frederick, Maryland, plans to wind down his photography business by year end and help his wife run her interior design business, in part due to the rising cost of healthcare.

Shapiro dropped his ACA coverage for this year because his monthly premium was set to more than double to over $1,000. He instead chose a short-term plan that costs roughly $600 a month and covers hospitalization and critical illnesses.

Under current federal rules, short-term plans are generally limited to three months, plus a one-month renewal. After CMS said last year it would stop enforcing that limit, several states allow longer coverage duration.

“It’s half the cost of full-blown health insurance,” Shapiro said. “It’s a way for us to kind of minimize our expenses should a health crisis happen.”

SKIPPING CARE

Several people interviewed said they had postponed or skipped preventive care, annual checkups and other treatment because of high premiums and deductibles, opting to pay out of pocket for urgent care when necessary.

“What do we do if one of us gets sick?” said Cox, who has skipped regular cancer screenings. “Do we just die? Because we sure can’t afford to fight it, and that’s a really scary place to be in.”

High deductibles have been another pain point, forcing patients to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for medical services before insurance coverage kicks in. Some also said their plans offered a narrow choice of doctors.

Some people have turned to health-sharing programs, often organized by religious groups, that typically do not provide consumer protections.

Cristin Connelly, a 53-year-old public relations consultant in Atlanta, joined Zion HealthShare in 2025 after dropping her ACA plan. She pays $480 a month for herself and her young adult children, which includes an annual preventive doctor’s visit for each family member, one mammogram a year and a colonoscopy every other year, among other services.

Her plan has a minimum spend of $5,000 for submission, a de facto deductible Zion refers to as an initial unshareable amount individual members must pay before medical expenses become eligible for the community sharing pool.

Zion HealthShare, which has more than 78,000 active members, has no religious requirements.

“My experience with insurance is it’s such a hassle to get things paid. They deny claims all the time and then say they’re only paying a portion of it,” said Connelly. Her health-share experience “so far has been that when I ask for a self-pay rate for anything, it’s much less.”

She said she hopes to move off the health share in the long run.

Experts say health-sharing arrangements and other non-traditional products carry significant limitations.

Many states do not adequately police aggressive or deceptive marketing practices, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, leaving consumers vulnerable.

“There really and truly is a bit of a wild, wild West out there with respect to these products,” Corlette said. “Some of them are legit, some of them not so legit, very much buyer beware!”

Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrinalika Roy, Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot

Hurt by Trump, Senate Republicans plan to bolster affordability credentials before midterms

2026-09-25T10:03:29.159Z / reuters.com

The steel frame of data centers under construction during a tour of the OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas, U.S., September 23, 2025. A total of eight data center buildings are planned to exist on the campus. REUTERS/Shelby Tauber/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Senate Republicans plan vote on data centers as election anxiety increases
• Trump’s sinking popularity undermines Republican hopes of keeping Senate majority
• Republicans hope data center vote will give them the upper hand with voters

WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – US Senate Republicans aim to improve their election prospects by voting on legislation that seeks to protect consumers from rising electricity ​bills caused by data centers, hoping to win over voters struggling with inflation stoked by President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.

Republicans had the ‌option to depart Washington on Thursday and stay out until after the November 3 midterm election. But they chose to return next week to take up the Ratepayer Protection Act at the behest of Senator Jon Husted, who is trailing the Democratic candidate, former Senator Sherrod Brown, in Ohio, a state Trump won by more than 11 points in 2024.

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Republicans believe their votes in favor of the bill will demonstrate their commitment to helping voters focused on a cost-of-living crisis, with ​polls showing broad opposition to data centers despite Trump’s support for their development.

Holding a vote on the bill is the latest sign of Republican anxiety in the face ​of Trump’s record-low approval rating less than six weeks before Election Day, when Republicans hope to retain control of the Senate and House ⁠of Representatives.

This angst has prompted Republicans to find ways to break with Trump and address voter frustrations that analysts say have raised Democratic hopes even in traditionally Republican ​states such as Kansas and Nebraska.

REPUBLICANS CALL FOR END TO IRAN WAR

Senate Republican candidates Mike Rogers of Michigan and Allison Hinson of Iowa, who are locked in tight election contests, have ​called for a quick end to the Iran war, which has disrupted oil supplies and caused energy prices to surge.

Other Republicans including Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas have begun voicing concern about immigration enforcement operations in their states, one of Trump’s signature initiatives.

“It’s not a great environment. There are headwinds we’re facing in all the races around the country,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

He told reporters earlier this week that ​demonstrating independence from Trump on issues important to local constituents was the best way for Republican candidates to win.

Trump’s approval ratings have fallen even among Republicans, according to ​a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing party support for the president dropping nine points to 73% over the course of a week.

In key battleground states such as Georgia, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina and Texas, the president’s ‌approval ratings ⁠reported by polling analytics firm Civiqs were double digits below his share of the 2024 presidential election vote.

Though Trump is not on the November ballot, he has remained at the center of the campaign and dominated a Republican convention in Dallas this month intended to boost Republican candidates for Congress.

“The election cycle is about Trump, and he’s not given anybody anything to vote for other than his MAGA agenda,” said Chuck Coughlin, an independent strategist who heads the Arizona-based firm Highground Inc.

Up to now, Republicans have promoted tax cuts contained in Trump’s One Big ​Beautiful Bill, which went into effect in 2025, as evidence ​of their effort to address affordability, while contrasting themselves ⁠with Democrats on transgender issues and other culture-war topics.

ACTING ON ELECTRICITY RATES

Data centers are proliferating as artificial intelligence requires increasing computing power. Costs for grid upgrades needed to meet data centers’ massive energy demands have in many cases been passed on to residential electricity consumers.

The ​Ratepayer Protection Act would require state utility regulators to consider whether large electricity users including data centers should bear the incremental costs of ​power infrastructure built to serve ⁠them. It passed the House of Representatives in a 417-3 vote. A procedural vote was expected in the Senate on Wednesday.

Democrats, who blocked an attempt by Husted last week to pass the legislation through unanimous consent, said the bill does not go far enough to protect consumers. They have proposed the GRID Savings Act, which would require large data centers to pay the full cost of ⁠grid upgrades ​needed to serve them.

“Senator Husted’s bill is a fraud. It’s voluntary. No company has to do it. The ​bill we have is mandatory. It is much stronger,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

Given Democratic opposition, Republicans hope to use next week’s vote to show the public that they, not Democrats, are ready to ​address high costs.

“They say they’re for more affordability. This is a chance for everybody to prove it,” Husted told reporters.

Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Michael Learmonth and Cynthia Osterman