Health insurance subsidy standoff pits affordable care for millions against federal budget constraints

By Wendy Netter Epstein, Professor of Law, DePaul University
Christopher Robertson, Professor of Law, Boston University

As the federal government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1, 2025, competing narratives quickly emerged about the cause.

Some Republican lawmakers objected to Democrats’ push to include an extension of the expanded Affordable Care Act premium subsidies in a short-term funding bill and cited concerns about long-term spending. Democratic leaders countered that the…

~	Australia’s gambling harm is likely underreported – and authorities are still failing to act

~	Madagascar’s Gen Z-led revolt against power outages and water supply cuts in urban areas

~	People trust podcasts more than social media. But is the trust warranted?

~	Extreme weather now costs Australians $4.5b a year. Better insurance options and loans would help us adapt

~	More veg, less meat: the latest global update on a diet that’s good for people and the planet

~	Why do doctors run late?

~	From the telegraph to AI, our communications systems have always had hidden environmental costs

~	Anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism is on the rise in Canada

~	Darfur: ICC convicts Janjaweed leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity

~	In landmark labour case, UN World Court weighs in on right to strike