A California labor union has offered to scale back a proposal to temporarily increase taxes on billionaires, but it wasn’t enough to get the governor on board. The union made the offer Thursday, a day after the the question qualified for the November ballot. The state would use the money to counter federal cuts to healthcare for low-income people. The original proposal would impose a one-time, 5% tax on individuals whose net worth exceeds $1 billion and who were living in the state as of Jan. 1. A spokesperson for Newsom says scaling it back doesn’t change its fundamental flaws. Proponents offered to lower the tax to 2%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twannetta Weaver felt like she made the responsible choice when she enrolled in a high-deductible health insurance plan thro…

HAVANA (AP) — Some of Cuba’s sickest people are feeling the effects of the U.S. energy blockade, with surgeries delayed, kidney dialysis treat…

Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million. The initiative, led by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, was seen as a move against migration. Preliminary results showed nearly 55% opposed the measure, with a turnout of almost 59%. Critics warned it could harm Switzerland's ties with the European Union. Switzerland isn't an EU member but is surrounded by EU countries. The proposal's defeat reflects ongoing debates about immigration in Europe. Swiss democracy allows voters to directly influence policy through referendums, highlighting the country's unique approach to governance.

The Trump administration has warned more than 500 hospitals that they are failing to provide the public with enough information about prices. And the administration argues the lack of disclosure is keeping healthcare costs higher than they should be. The Associated Press exclusively obtained the list of hospitals that have received letters on the issue since April. Failing to comply with the warnings comes with penalties as high as $2 million a year. The letters are part of a push to do more to enforce price transparency standards that President Donald Trump established in his first term. They come as Trump is trying to show people he's addressing cost of living concerns ahead of the November midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Social Security ’s retirement trust fund is projected to face a funding shortfall in 2032, a year earlier than last year’s p…

U.S. employers added a surprising 172,000 jobs in May as the labor market continued to show resilience in the face of rising costs from the Iran war. The Labor Department reported Friday that job growth was down slightly last month from a revised 179,000 in April. The unemployment rate stayed at a low 4.3%. The job market has been recovering this year from a miserable 2025, so far shrugging off higher energy prices and increased economic uncertainty since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

WASHINGTON (AP) — He spoke fast, hammering through the Trump administration's efforts to lower prescription drug prices, combat health care fr…