Rebekah Sager
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Journalist, proud 22-'23 @CarterFellows and @NABJ member. Bylines in @washingtonpost @vice and @playboy, to name a few. Last meal Gumbo 🥣
Articles by Rebekah Sager
Trump’s tariff moves threaten America’s struggling beef industry, rancher says
Beef prices in the United States have jumped nearly 57% over the past five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. NPR reported in May that the U.S. cattle herd was the smallest it’s been in 75 years, amid drought and international competition. President Donald Trump’s response to low stocks and high prices, to the disappointment of domestic beef producers, has been to open American markets to cheaper imports. Last month, the president announced that as of Sept.
What Trump’s trade war with Canada could mean for US auto buyers, workers and businesses
The tit-for-tat trade war between Washington and Ottawa took another turn in recent days after talks between the United States and Canada broke down. On Aug. 24, President Donald Trump announced he would double existing tariffs on imports of Canadian cars, auto parts, and steel to 50%, effective Jan. 1, 2027. The next day, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on some $20 billion worth of American goods, affecting a range of products that includes dairy, steel, cheese and paper items.
Georgia Advocates Fight for HIV Care for Black Trans Men
South Georgia native Octavia Lewis works with Positively Trans (T+), a program within the Transgender Law Center designed to fight stigma and discrimination. Like much of the U.S., Lewis said, when it comes to the transgender community, there are the “haves and the have-nots,” who are mostly Black and brown. Due to rejection from family, job discrimination, and the high cost of gender-affirming care, some, like herself, turned to sex work, leading to an HIV+ diagnosis.
Georgia Advocates Fight for HIV Care for Black Trans Men
South Georgia native Octavia Lewis works with Positively Trans (T+), a program within the Transgender Law Center designed to fight stigma and discrimination. Like much of the U.S., Lewis said, when it comes to the transgender community, there are the "haves and the have-nots," who are mostly Black and brown. Due to rejection from family, job discrimination, and the high cost of gender-affirming care, some, like herself, turned to sex work, leading to an HIV+ diagnosis.
NC mom: Medicaid cuts could harm daughter with disabilities
By Rebekah Sager for the North Carolina Independent. Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the North Carolina Independent-Public News Service Collaboration Stacy Staggs’ twin daughters, Emma and Sara, were born 12 years ago at just 27 weeks and 4 days. Since that day, Emma has required virtually around-the-clock care to survive, and without a Medicaid waiver program, there’s no way the family could pay for her care.
Trump continues pushing for ballroom and other projects in face of public opposition
President Donald Trump and the White House are continuing to insist that Congress should allocate funding for the ballroom and other facilities they want to see built on the site of the East Wing of the White House, which Trump had demolished in October of last year. The East Wing Modernization Project includes a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a suite of offices for the first lady, a movie theater, and a drone-proof underground complex. However, since the demolition of the East Wing on Oct.
Higher costs, fewer services for Iowa dialysis patients
(KMAland) -- Experts say implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget law that President Donald Trump signed in 2025, could be devastating for kidney patients in the United States. The budget law changes the way Medicaid is administered, creating new out-of-pocket costs and work requirements for recipients, limiting how much states can impose in taxes on medical providers, and mandating that recipients renew their eligibility twice a year.
Higher costs, fewer services for Iowa dialysis patients
By Rebekah Sager for the Wisconsin Independent. Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Wisconsin Independent-Public News Service Collaboration Experts say implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget law that President Donald Trump signed in 2025, could be devastating for kidney patients in the United States.
WI Medicaid recipient: Impending federal changes are a 'death warrant'
By Rebekah Sager for the Wisconsin Independent. Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Wisconsin Independent-Public News Service Collaboration A new report from the Urban Institute projects that millions of Americans who depend on Medicaid may soon lose their benefits due to changes to eligibility requirements included in President Donald Trump’s most recent budget law.
Trump budget law could mean big changes for people living with kidney disease
Experts say implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget law that President Donald Trump signed in 2025, could be devastating for kidney patients in the United States. The budget law changes the way Medicaid is administered, creating new out-of-pocket costs and work requirements for recipients, limiting how much states can impose in taxes on medical providers, and mandating that recipients renew their eligibility twice a year.
Trump budget law could mean big changes for people living with kidney disease
Experts say implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget law that President Donald Trump signed in 2025, could be devastating for kidney patients in the United States. The budget law changes the way Medicaid is administered, creating new out-of-pocket costs and work requirements for recipients, limiting how much states can impose in taxes on medical providers, and mandating that recipients renew their eligibility twice a year.
Millions may lose Medicaid coverage because of Trump budget law
A new report from the Urban Institute projects that millions of Americans who depend on Medicaid may soon lose their benefits due to changes to eligibility requirements included in President Donald Trump’s most recent budget law. Trump signed H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law in July 2025. The law mandates that states conduct twice-yearly eligibility reviews and imposes new work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
Michigan moms push for child care reform as costs climb
By Rebekah Sager for the Michigan Independent. Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Michigan Independent-Public News Service Collaboration Chamber of Mothers is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots organization that has worked since 2021 for change in the areas of maternal health, affordable and accessible child care, and paid family leave. Cece Watry became a facilitator of the Southeast Michigan chapter of the national organization in 2025.
Experts: AI could affect SNAP benefits in Michigan
By Rebekah Sager for the Michigan Independent. Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Michigan Independent-Public News Service Collaboration Michiganders applying to enroll in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may soon find that their cases are being reviewed by artificial intelligence technology.
As the SAVE plan ends, student borrowers in Wisconsin may have to pay more
After nearly two years of litigation, on March 10, a district court judge ordered an end to a Biden-era loan repayment plan that based repayment rates on borrowers’ income. The Saving on a Valuable Education plan, known as the SAVE plan, had 7.5 million students enrolled nationwide, around 135,000 of them in Wisconsin. Those borrowers now must find a new repayment plan.
Federal budget proposal boosts military spending while reducing food assistance
President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget submitted a budget request to Congress on April 3 for fiscal year 2027. In it, the office requested a record-breaking $1.5 trillion in funding for national defense, a 44% increase from last year. In order to pay for the increased military spending, the budget proposes significant cuts to social service programs.
Gov. Tony Evers signs bill expanding postpartum care through Medicaid program
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has signed into law a measure that broadens postpartum care benefits for mothers covered under BadgerCare Plus, the state’s Medicaid program. The bipartisan-approved Senate Bill 23, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 102, signed by Evers on March 18, provides Wisconsin moms with Medicaid coverage for up to one year after giving birth.
Pennsylvania court rules state ban on public funding for abortion is unconstitutional
A Pennsylvania appellate court ruled 4-3 on April 20 that the state’s ban on public funding of abortion, first instituted in 1982, is unconstitutional. The ruling came in a case that was initiated in 2019 when a group of Pennsylvania abortion providers filed suit in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania against state officials on the grounds that the ban on public funding violated provisions of the state constitution prohibiting discrimination based on sex and protecting reproductive autonomy.
PA mother fights cuts to Medicaid affecting child with disabilities
By Rebekah Sager for the Pennsylvania Independent. Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Keystone State News Connection reporting for the Pennsylvania Independent-Public News Service Collaboration This June, Cole Schiano will celebrate his 10th birthday. Thanks to Medicaid, he’s been able to live his 10 years with all of the medical and occupational support he and his family have needed. “He is so much fun.
Monument program wins grant to highlight stories of Appalachian VA
By Rebekah Sager for the Virginia Independent. Broadcast version by Zamone Perez for Virginia News Connection reporting for the Virginia Independent-Public News Service Collaboration According to an announcement from Virginia Tech, the Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia project, led by two VT faculty members, recently received a $5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Trump administration bans abortion services in VA facilities
In a sweeping policy shift, the Department of Veterans Affairs has and counseling as of Dec. 22, 2025, completely denying access even to survivors of rape and incest and those facing serious medical risks.
Americans are cutting back on utilities and food to pay for health care, a new study finds
Americans are struggling to make ends meet, while also keeping up with the high cost of health care, according to the results of research released on March 11. The research was gathered by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America in collaboration with West Health.
Americans are cutting back on utilities and food to pay for health care, a new study finds
Americans are struggling to make ends meet, while also keeping up with the high cost of health care, according to the results of research released on March 11. The research was gathered by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America in collaboration with West Health.
Pennsylvania mom of child with disabilities fights cuts to Medicaid
This June, Cole Schiano will celebrate his 10th birthday. Thanks to Medicaid, he’s been able to live his 10 years with all of the medical and occupational support he and his family have needed. “He is so much fun. He’s in third grade, and he loves school, and he loves his friends,” Cole’s mother, Victoria Schiano, told the Pennsylvania Independent. “He loves being part of the community.
Roanoke County supervisors aim to use zoning laws to restrict abortion clinics
During its session on Feb. 10, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution instructing the county’s planning commission to examine zoning codes and advise on changes that would place new limits on where abortion clinics can operate in the county. The resolution was included in the board’s consent agenda, usually reserved for routine, procedural items that all parties have previously agreed on and approve in a single vote.
What losing ACA insurance premium subsidies could mean for Wisconsinites
Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File) In 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic stretched into its second year, Congress moved to shore up access to health insurance by expanding tax credits that helped subsidize premiums under the Affordable Care Act.
Heritage Foundation issues report on ‘America’s family crisis’
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy group that was involved in the development of the Republican agenda for the second Trump presidency, Project 2025, published a report on Jan. 8 aimed at reshaping U.S. family policy.
Michigan Planned Parenthood closures fuel ongoing debate
In the spring of 2025, Planned Parenthood closed its clinics in Jackson, Petoskey, and Marquette, Michigan. The closures of the Marquette and Petoskey clinics left patients who live in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and much of Northern Michigan with a drive of over 100 miles to the next closest clinic, which is nearly five hours away in Traverse City.
Pregnancy is increasingly criminalized in the United States
Imagine the trauma of not only losing a pregnancy to a miscarriage, but then being arrested, jailed, and charged following the loss. According to legal scholars, the number of pregnant people being charged with crimes in connection with miscarriages, along with those charged in connection with abortions, is increasing.
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania temporarily closing three of its four clinics
In early January, Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania announced it would be temporarily shuttering three of its four clinics in the region, leaving over 11,000 patients without the health care centers they rely on. The Bridgeville Health Center paused in-person services on Dec. 5, 2025; the Greensburg Health Center paused in-person services on Jan. 16; and the Pittsburgh Family Planning Health Center will provide limited services starting on Jan. 26.
Maternal health care deserts are spreading in rural Pennsylvania
Midwife Corina Finch examines the stomach of a pregnant patient at The Farm Midwifery Center, Aug. 31, 2023, in Summertown, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) When someone is about to give birth in Pennsylvania, they may very well face a drive of 30 minutes or more to a hospital that offers labor and delivery services. In the last decade, over 100 rural hospitals have closed across the United States, and over 700 are at risk of closing.
With ACA subsidies set to expire, the entire health care economy could free-fall
Rural hospitals could face more closures as health care costs are expected to rise after the enhanced subsidies for the Affordable Care Act expire on Jan. 1. In 2021, Congress created an enhanced ACA tax credit to make health insurance more affordable as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on. Lawmakers expanded who qualified for existing subsidies and increased the financial aid to those who were already eligible.
Nursing no longer a professional degree under Trump’s Education Department
The U.S. Department of Education announced on Nov. 6 that it concluded rulemaking negotiations to make a host of substantial changes to student aid that were required by provisions in President Donald Trump’s budget law, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Before any final changes can be made, the department must create a draft in the Federal Register for public comment.
Nursing no longer a professional degree under Trump’s Education Department
The U.S. Department of Education announced on Nov. 6 that it concluded rulemaking negotiations to make a host of substantial changes to student aid that were required by provisions in President Donald Trump’s budget law, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Before any final changes can be made, the department must create a draft in the Federal Register for public comment.
Journalist, Author & Contributor
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A Fired Federal Worker Finds Refuge in Mexico
Feature / November 18, 2025 A Fired Federal Worker Finds Refuge in Mexico “The administration doesn’t want me. I personally don’t feel safe [in the United States]. I know I’m not the only person who feels that way.” “I feel that the community here really understands me, both Mexican and expats,” Karen says, referring to the influx of Americans who’ve relocated to the city since Trump was first elected president in 2016.
We Have Breath Again: Black Americans on Leaving the US for Mexico
World / November 14, 2025 We Have Breath Again: Black Americans on Leaving the US for Mexico The Americans recently relocating to San Miguel de Allende are a new kind of “expat,” a word they refuse to call themselves. Ad Policy Newcomers to San Miguel consider themselves immigrants, eschewing the term “expat” as it is both a colonized word and doesn’t accurately reflect the literal meaning: someone relocated out of the country by their jobs.
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin propose a bill to redefine abortion care
Two Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have introduced legislation that would redefine what is considered abortion care. The bill, introduced by state Rep. Joy Goeben and state Sen.
Anti-abortion lobbying plays role in GOP opposition to ACA premium credit extension
Enhanced tax credits that were provided under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and have subsidized the cost of premiums for people who buy health insurance policies through Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to expire at the end of the year. If Congress does not act to renew the credits, some 22 million Americans will see sharp increases in the cost of their health insurance.
Anti-abortion lobbying plays role in GOP opposition to ACA premium credit extension
Enhanced tax credits that were provided under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and have subsidized the cost of premiums for people who buy health insurance policies through Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to expire at the end of the year. If Congress does not act to renew the credits, some 22 million Americans will see sharp increases in the cost of their health insurance.
Jack Ciattarelli doubles down on abortion misinformation and a 20-week ban
In a July 25 interview with the hosts of a show on a New Jersey radio station, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli accused Democrats of celebrating abortion, called the state the “abortion capital” of the country, and suggested that women wake up toward the end of their pregnancies and randomly decide to have abortions. Ciattarelli is running against Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. The election will take place on Nov. 4.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears cozies up to anti-abortion group on campaign trail
“We didn’t come here to play. We came here for all the right reasons,” said Virginia Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate for governor in the 2025 election, at the anti-abortion group Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference on June 28. Members of the organization, founded by anti-abortion lobbyist and political consultant Ralph Reed, have long supported bans and restrictions on the procedure.
Reproductive rights supporter Abigail Spanberger elected governor of Virginia
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia, who during her campaign vowed to protect abortion access in the state, soundly defeated Republican nominee Lt. Gov Winsome Earle-Sears in the Nov. 4 election with over 57% of the vote. “We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship.
Where do Virginia candidates stand on in vitro fertilization?
During the 2024 general election season, candidate Donald Trump promised he would either force the federal government to pay for in vitro fertilization treatments for all Americans or insist that private health insurance companies cover the procedures, even referring to himself at one point as “the father of IVF.” IVF is an assisted fertility technology in which eggs are retrieved from a patient’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory to create embryos, which are then implanted in...
Attorney General Jason Miyares cozies up to extreme anti-abortion group
In a recent webcast hosted by an anti-abortion organization, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares offered the group his full support and praise for their work. The webcast, titled “Life on the Line: How to stop the deadly abortion amendment in Virginia,” was produced by The Family Foundation, a faith-based anti-abortion nonprofit, and hosted by David Bereit, founder of the global anti-abortion campaign 40 Days for Life.
2025 legislative races will determine the future of reproductive rights for Virginians
The Nov. 4 elections for Virginia’s House of Delegates will determine whether the commonwealth enshrines reproductive rights in its constitution and expands protection for contraception access. Virginians will choose a new governor: Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who favors abortion rights, or Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who opposes them. Voters will also select all 100 members of the House of Delegates, where Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority.
Reproductive rights supporter Mikie Sherrill elected governor of New Jersey
Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill was elected governor of New Jersey by a commanding margin on Nov. 4, besting her opponent, former Republican assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, by 13 points. “New Jersey voters turned out because they know what is at stake and they trust Governor-elect Sherrill to protect their rights and reproductive freedom,” Mini Timmaraju, CEO and president of Reproductive Freedom for All, said in a statement.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells FDA to review safety of mifepristone
The abortion pill mifepristone was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 25 years ago. Since then, according to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the pill has been used safely and effectively by 7.5 million Americans as a more private method of ending a pregnancy than a surgical procedure. On May 14, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the FDA to review the safety of the abortion drug.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells FDA to review safety of mifepristone
The abortion pill mifepristone was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 25 years ago. Since then, according to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the pill has been used safely and effectively by 7.5 million Americans as a more private method of ending a pregnancy than a surgical procedure. On May 14, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the FDA to review the safety of the abortion drug.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to resume abortion care
Nearly a month after announcing a pause on abortion services in the state, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced on Oct. 27 that it will resume abortion care for patients. The organization cut abortion services on Oct. 1 due to a provision in H.R. 1, President Donald Trump’s budget law, that prohibits federal funding, including Medicaid, to any entity that provides abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or the risk of injury or death to the pregnant woman.
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