A look at three major shifts: Medicaid cuts, Canada's digital tax dispute, and the end of Social Security's GPO. How will these impact you? #EconomicImpact #SocialWelfare #PolicyChanges
00:11This 3% tax, retroactive to 2022, set to impose a $2 billion bill on giants like Amazon and Google,
00:20President Donald Trump has vehemently called this a direct and blatant attack on the U.S.,
00:26threatening to terminate all trade discussions with Canada.
00:30While Canada maintains its commitment to negotiations, business councils warn of undermined economic relations.
00:37This dispute highlights the complexities of global digital taxation and its potential to ignite trade conflicts.
00:45A UC Berkeley Labor Center analysis warns that billions in cuts, coupled with stringent work requirements,
00:51could strip health coverage from 11 million vulnerable individuals who rely on Medicaid as a lifeline due to health issues.
00:58This could devastate not just their health, but also the well-being of elderly and disabled adults dependent on them for care.
01:10Second, an international trade dispute is escalating as Canada proceeds with its Digital Services Tax, or DST, on major tech companies.
01:20Finally, the Social Security Administration continues to evolve, with a significant change being the recent removal of the Government Pension Offset, or GPO, in January 2025.
01:32This provision previously reduced or eliminated spousal and survivor social security benefits for
01:39Individuals receiving non-covered government pensions.
01:43The GPO, born out of a 1977 Supreme Court ruling that found sex-based distinctions in survivor benefits unconstitutional,
01:52was designed to prevent a perceived windfall for non-covered government workers.
01:58Its repeal signifies a step towards broader benefit access, and reflects ongoing adjustments to this vital social safety net.
02:06These intertwined issues, from health care access to international trade and social security reforms,
02:13underscore a period of significant policy shifts with far-reaching consequences for citizens and economies alike.
