A watchdog group is launching a new campaign targeting two of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital systems, arguing they have strayed from patient care and should risk losing their tax-exempt status as a result.
Consumers&#8217; Research is set to roll out its “Woke Hospitals” initiative on Monday, ahead of a Tuesday hearing by the House Ways and Means Committee focused on rising health care costs. The campaign singles out New York-Presbyterian and CommonSpirit Health, accusing both of prioritizing political and social initiatives over core medical services.
The campaign includes a mobile billboard expected to circulate near Capitol Hill and <a href="http://wokehospitals.com/">a dedicated website</a> detailing the group’s allegations — what the group describes as “ideological overreach” by nonprofit hospitals benefiting from federal tax advantages.
Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, said the effort is intended to draw attention to what he describes as a misalignment between public subsidies and hospital priorities. “It is appalling to see hospitals indulge in woke politics while their patients struggle with long waits, surprise bills, and a continuous lack of price transparency,” Hild said in an exclusive statement to The Daily Wire. “Nonprofit status is not an automatic right; it is a public subsidy granted in exchange for a public benefit.”
According to the campaign materials, Consumers’ Research is highlighting programs at New York-Presbyterian that it says reflect an institutional focus on “health equity” and social justice. Among them is the hospital’s <a href="https://www.nyp.org/daliocenter">Dalio Center for Health Justice</a>, which promotes initiatives aimed at addressing disparities tied to race, socioeconomic status, and access to care. The hospital has described these programs as a core part of its mission, with leadership emphasizing that addressing long-standing inequities is essential to improving patient outcomes.
<div id="attachment_1084581" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1084581" class="size-medium wp-image-1084581" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/NY-Pres-MBB.jpeg 1280w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Billboard content provided by Consumers&#8217; Research</div>
Consumers’ Research points to the hospital’s own language as evidence of a broader shift in priorities. “Our goal is to contribute to equal healthcare and equal education because we believe that these are the most fundamental building blocks of equal opportunity and just society,” said Ray Dalio, founder of Dalio philanthropies and a hospital trustee.
Hospital CEO Dr. Stephen J. Corwin similarly emphasized the institution’s focus on broader social goals, stating, “We are living in a profound time where social, economic and health crises are converging at once. … New York Presbyterian hopes to be a leader in health justice.”
The group also points to New York-Presbyterian’s Compass Program, which provides support services for trans-identifying youth, including counseling, family assistance, and medical referrals. Hospital leadership has publicly affirmed its commitment to “gender-affirming care,” describing it as an important part of serving the patient population.
At CommonSpirit Health, Consumers’ Research is focusing on the system’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, which coordinates a multi-pronged strategy aimed at reducing disparities in health care access and outcomes. The hospital network has described its work as an effort to improve care delivery through better data collection, community partnerships, and workforce diversification.
The campaign also highlights CommonSpirit’s participation in initiatives such as the <a href="https://www.chausa.org/news-and-publications/publications/catholic-health-world/archives/november-1-2023/commonspirits-five-pillars-approach-is-about-creating-equity-for-all">Race to Zero climate effort</a>, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as partnerships designed to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups in the medical field.
The timing of the campaign is designed to intersect with congressional scrutiny of nonprofit health care systems. Lawmakers in both parties have increasingly questioned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-posting-real-prices-before-care-could-soon-be-the-new-reality">pricing transparency</a>, executive compensation, and whether nonprofit hospitals are providing sufficient community benefit to justify their tax status.
Consumers’ Research says it hopes the campaign will push Congress to more aggressively scrutinize whether hospitals that engage in political or ideological initiatives should continue receiving favorable tax treatment. The group has also indicated that this is only the first in a series of efforts targeting nonprofit health care providers. Hild said the group plans to continue highlighting what it sees as misuse of taxpayer-supported resources. “As this new campaign shows, Consumers’ Research will continue exposing hospitals and hold them accountable,” he said.
“Consumers are right to be fed up,” Hild added. “They’re dealing with long wait times, high costs, and a lack of transparency—while the institutions meant to serve them are pursuing agendas that have little to do with patient care.”
The targeted hospital systems have not yet publicly responded to the campaign’s Monday launch, though both have previously defended their equity and community health initiatives as central to their missions.

Close-up of sterilized and ready for use surgical instruments on medical tray during surgery operation in operating room at hospital

Are Hospitals Putting ‘Woke’ Politics Over Patients? New Campaign Targets Major Systems.

Congress

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Health

Healthcare

Hospitals

U.S.

New York City&#8217;s most elite hospital gave more than a million dollars to an &#8220;anti-racist,&#8221; pro-LGBTQ+ theater company as it laid off a thousand workers, records reviewed by The Daily Wire show.
New York-Presbyterian has donated more than 1.3 million to the People’s Theatre Project since 2021, financial <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133957095/202543189349306204/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">records</a><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133957095/202413189349304986/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> show</a>. In October 2023, Dr. Steven J. Corwin, then president and CEO of the hospital system, pledged to give another million to the theater — an arts program that &#8220;centers immigrants and members of the Latine, Black, and Queer communities&#8221; — to build a state-of-the-art performance center.
As the hospital was bankrolling the &#8220;anti-racist&#8221; organization&#8217;s quest to &#8220;build a world where the oppressed can find Liberation,&#8221; it was struggling financially. In May 2025, it <a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/newyork-presbyterian-to-cut-1000-employees/">announced</a> it was slashing 2% of its workforce, laying off 1,000 people. In 2026 it <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/16/nurses-describe-escalating-tension-as-nyc-strike-continues-00734336">came under fire</a> when it offered nurses a lower-than-requested annual raise, a cut the hospital blamed on the Trump administration&#8217;s economic policies.
In October 2025, Corwin <a href="https://www.nyp.org/news/newyork-presbyterian-leadership-transition-announcement">announced</a> he would step down in early 2026.
New York-Presbyterian&#8217;s reputation took a serious hit in the final years of Corwin&#8217;s 14-year tenure. It&#8217;s financial troubles came as it became one of the <a href="https://www.centernyc.org/urban-matters-2/enough-to-make-you-sick-curbing-high-private-hospital-costs#:~:text=New%20York%20City%27s%20private%20hospitals%20are%20some,than%20one%20percent%20of%20private%20hospital%20spending.">most expensive hospitals</a> in the country. In March 2026, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-new-york-presbyterian-hospital-anticompetitive-contracts-increase">sued the hospital</a> for &#8220;anticompetitive contract restrictions that deny New Yorkers the choice of lower cost healthcare options.&#8221;
All the while, it was supporting the People’s Theatre Project.
In October 2023, Corwin appeared with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and &#8220;Hamilton&#8221; composer Lin-Manuel Miranda to pledge $1 million to the construction of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante, a 19,000-square-foot compound featuring multiple theaters and a gallery, meant to &#8220;amplify the voices of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities.&#8221; The State of New York contributed $4 million.
“NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to support the People’s Theatre Project, and we look forward to the future of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante,” Corwin said. “This will be a space where members of the community can come together to create meaningful social connections, build a sense of belonging, and help enrich the community and New York City through the arts.”
It is unclear if the hospital ever made the $1 million contribution. Neither NewYork-Presbyterian nor the People&#8217;s Theatre Project responded to a request for comment.
The relationship between the hospital and the radical arts organization dates back to 2009, when it was founded by Mino Lora, a leftist who has called for defunding the police and served on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s transition team. That year, New York-Presbyterian <a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/home/about-us/">partnered</a> with the group on &#8220;a health-focused theatre-making program for children ages 5–12.&#8221; New York Presbyterian’s Corporate Director of Community Affairs, Monica Hidalgo, serves on the theater&#8217;s board.
All told, NewYork-Presbyterian has given the People&#8217;s Theatre Project $1,312,500 since 2021. During that time, the theater has produced such plays as “The Diamond,” which “follows a group of detained immigrants who conspire against a dystopian government.” Earlier this month, it hosted a reading of the “Sombraluz,” a play about a marine whose life was “shaped by the trauma of Guantanamo Bay.”
The People&#8217;s Theater Project also hosts outright political events, including a “rapid response” and “safe space” to “share feelings, build resilience, and transform emotions into art&#8221; in the wake of President Donald Trump&#8217;s 2024 election. In January 2026, the theater hosted an “undoing racism” workshop.
&#8220;As an anti-racist organization, we believe in Equity for all,&#8221; the group&#8217;s website reads. &#8220;We see the full humanity and immense power that exists in immigrants, youth, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, and people living with disabilities. We work to build a world where the oppressed can find Liberation.&#8221;
The People&#8217;s Theatre Project<a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> works</a> with K-5 &#8220;young artists&#8221; to celebrate &#8220;their identities and communities&#8221; through theatre pieces and has a &#8220;social justice leadership program&#8221; for adolescents in grades 6-12. The organization also<a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/ptp-partnerships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> partners</a> with elementary, middle, and high schools in New York City.
The organization views theatre &#8220;as a catalyst for change,&#8221; and its mission includes advocacy for progressive social causes such as dismantling systemic racism, immigrant rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights.
&#8220;Racial justice is an urgent priority because systemic racism persists in our society, perpetuating inequality at every turn,&#8221; the group&#8217;s <a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/advocacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> says. &#8220;Theatre serves as a powerful platform to confront and dismantle these injustices.&#8221;

Untitled design – 2026-04-24T124659.019

Hospital System That Laid Off 1,000 Staff Gave $1.3 Million To ‘Anti-Racist’ Theatre Group

Health Care

LGBTQ

New York

Zohran Mamdani

The University of Miami Health System appears to have scrubbed references to radical gender and racial ideologies from its website. That doesn’t mean it’s abandoned those principles.
UHealth recently deleted webpages highlighting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and so-called gender-affirming services, information obtained by Consumers&#8217; Research and shared with The Daily Wire shows. The move comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on hospitals and other institutions to scale back transgender medicine and abandon DEI initiatives.
But UHealth’s facelift may just be for show. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine operation — which once <a href="https://news.med.miami.edu/miller-school-recognized-for-diversity-and-inclusion/">boasted</a> that “diversity is not just a goal, it’s essential to the business of health care” — still maintains racial quotas for both staff and medical school applicants. And while UHealth <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230320180241/https://umiamihealth.org/treatments-and-services/lgbtq-services">deleted</a> a public page outlining its transgender procedures, it still offers everything from hormone treatments to surgeries, sometimes to children as young as 12.
Advocates say nonprofit hospital systems receiving taxpayer support have a responsibility to focus on patient care rather than political activism. 
“Nonprofit hospitals receive massive taxpayer subsidies to care for the sick and keep us healthy, not to bankroll activist agendas,&#8221; Consumers&#8217; Research executive director Will Hild said. His organization is publishing evidence of UHealth&#8217;s ideological priorities as part of its <a id="m_380556438124433728m_-3045006689688549635OWAf2c5d792-40c8-ff0b-b285-5674e35360ac" href="https://consumersresearch.org/badmedicine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://consumersresearch.org/badmedicine/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1773363826991000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3HkgqO57wRtJMEqYn7H99Q">Bad Medicine</a> initiative, which &#8220;targets nonprofit health systems across the country who are prioritizing political ideology over patients.&#8221;
Should UHealth continue to do so, it could put it in the government&#8217;s crosshairs as the Trump administration ramps up scrutiny of hospitals accused of prioritizing ideological programs over patient care.
“President Trump took swift action to protect children from harmful transgender ideology through executive orders to halt transgender interventions for kids,” O. H. Skinner, executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The message is clear: taxpayer money should not subsidize life-ruining gender procedures on children.&#8221;
UHealth has scrubbed <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230320180241/https://umiamihealth.org/treatments-and-services/lgbtq-services">sites</a> detailing the wide range of transgender procedures it offers — everything from specialized hormone treatments to referrals for surgical procedures and voice treatments.
<a href="https://umiamihealth.org/en/treatments-and-services/infectious-diseases/uhealth-rapid-access-wellness-clinic">All of those services</a> are still very much available at UHealth — to almost all patients.
The UHealth Rapid Wellness Clinic <a href="https://umiamihealth.org/treatments-and-services/infectious-diseases/uhealth-rapid-access-wellness-clinic#:~:text=The%20RAPID%20Program%20offers%20services%20such%20as:,care%20at%20community%20sites%20in%20Miami%2DDade%20County">continues to offer</a> transgender services, offering “personalized, holistic care for transgender people to enhance mental and physical well-being,” including prescriptions for “feminizing and masculinizing hormones” and referrals for surgical consultations.
According to <a href="https://doctors.umiamihealth.org/provider/lydia-ann-fein/1094992?_gl=1*1ifi9es*_ga*MTQ0MTcxMTA0MC4xNzcxNDQ3OTAw*_ga_JCW15RZR91*czE3NzMyMzQ0MzckbzEyJGcwJHQxNzczMjM0NDM4JGo1OSRsMCRoMA">program materials</a>, those services are available to patients as young as 12.
Dr. Lydia Ann Fein, who leads the Gender Affirmation Program at the University of Miami Health System, said in an interview with the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article244097007.html">Miami Herald</a> that a significant portion of the clinic’s patients are teenagers.
“Thirty percent of my transgender patients are teens,” Fein said. “I’m seeing a shift to younger patients.”
Fein attributed the increase in younger patients to greater visibility of transgender identities. “In general, with transgender and gender nonconforming people being more visible in society and the media, younger people are identifying this within themselves and parents are more aware,” she said. “It’s more accepted.”
The UHealth LGBTQ Services clinic, which houses the Gender Affirmation Program, sees hundreds of patients annually. Fein said the program coordinates with specialists across multiple fields, including plastic surgery, urology, and more.
“We also have an ear, nose, and throat surgeon and a speech pathologist for voice training and modification surgery,” she said.
Fein also emphasized the importance of psychological support for patients seeking gender-related treatments. “For those patients, it’s extremely important that they are connected to mental health care in some fashion and community organizations that offer social support,” she said.
The medical school also <a href="https://news.med.miami.edu/miller-school-and-miami-dade-college-partner-on-pathways-program/">partners</a> with Miami Dade College to increase the number of minority medical school applicants through mentoring programs, MCAT preparation, and financial stipends for participants.
“Diversity, or the lack of it, among medical professionals affects care delivery, clinical decision-making, and participation in clinical trials,” the University of Miami says. “Most importantly, it impacts patient outcomes.”
Archived materials show the medical school also hosted a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210222190245/https:/med.miami.edu/en/offices/diversity/about-us/task-force">“Task Force on Racial Justice,”</a> which recommended increasing recruitment of Black faculty members and encouraging more students from underrepresented minority groups to pursue training at the school. The school also launched a <a href="https://med.miami.edu/about-us/culture-change#:~:text=The%20Miller%20School%20of%20Medicine%20has%20a,*%20**History**%20*%20**Offices**%20*%20**Community%20Outreach**">“Culture Change”</a> initiative featuring faculty committees focused on improving institutional culture to create an “affirming and energizing environment.&#8221;
The University of Miami’s medical system has also embraced environmental activism through the university’s GreenU sustainability program. The initiative promotes policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, encouraging<a href="https://greenu.miami.edu/initiatives/food-and-well-being/index.html"> reduced meat consumption</a>, and shifting school food systems toward what administrators describe as more <a href="https://greenu.miami.edu/initiatives/food-and-well-being/sustainable-food/index.html">“sustainable”</a> options.
The health system has also faced questions about oversight and leadership. In one case, a UHealth physician was fired after posting graphic photographs of transgender patients’ genitalia on a personal Instagram account. More recently, the Department of Health and Human Services <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-decertifies-miami-organ-agency-reforms-transplant-system.html">announced</a> plans to decertify and shut down a University of Miami organ procurement organization after investigators cited “years of unsafe practices, poor training, chronic underperformance, understaffing, and paperwork errors.&#8221;
The University of Miami did not respond to a request for comment.

img-sole-mia-rendering

A Major Health System Scrubbed The Woke From Its Website. It Hasn’t Really Changed.

Donald Trump

Miami

Transgender

Wokeness

The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1917-assassin-storms-mar-a-lago-to-try-to-kill-president-trump">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
One of the most common talking points you hear from the Left — and you’re going to hear it a lot heading into the midterms — is that America has terrible health care. We’re told that every civilized country in the world has universal, socialized medicine, and that we’re backward, retrograde, clinging to some barbaric capitalist system while enlightened Europeans enjoy cradle-to-grave care.
You hear it constantly: America is a disgrace. We need socialized medicine.
Now, before we go any further, let’s acknowledge something the Left rarely does: we already have a substantial amount of socialized medicine in this country. We have it for illegal aliens. We have it for the very poor. We have it for the elderly through Medicare. We have a massive social safety net.
But here’s the part they leave out: the only reason any of that works at all is because it’s sitting on top of a heavily capitalist health care system that funds the entire apparatus. The “free” part only functions because something productive underneath it is paying the bills.
Still, we’re told we should scrap the whole thing and go full European.
How about we take a little look at some of the socialist health care systems around the world? Let&#8217;s start with Europe.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1917-assassin-storms-mar-a-lago-to-try-to-kill-president-trump">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show on DailyWire+</a></h3>
A horrifying story recently came out of the United Kingdom. According to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15582277/Woman-dead-floor-home-told-wait-ten-days-ambulance.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline">The Daily Mail</a>, a 97-year-old woman, Babette Burge, was found nearly dead on the floor of her home after being told she would have to wait ten days — ten days — for an ambulance. Not ten days for surgery. Ten days just to be transported to a hospital.
<blockquote>Just five days earlier, a paramedic from a local GP surgery had attended Ms Burge&#8217;s home to assess her condition and found that her leg was &#8216;shortened and rotated&#8217; &#8211; a sign of a fractured hip.</blockquote>
She was nearly 100 years old, lying on the floor with a broken hip, and was told she’d need to wait ten days for an ambulance.
She was later discovered barely breathing. Then she died.
This is what we’re supposed to envy? “Everybody gets health care” in the UK — assuming you can get to the hospital. The catch is that no one comes to get you. Universal coverage is lovely in theory. In practice, however, if you can’t secure transportation, it doesn’t matter how free the surgery is.
Meanwhile, in Canada, a prominent Canadian writer — very much on the Left, by her own description — recently admitted something chilling. She said she was offered medical assistance in dying (MAID) instead of care.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m about as far left as you can get… but we do have problems with MAiD in Canada.
How do I know? It was “offered” to me in lieu of care.
I’m disabled, I was alone, my conditions expensive.
Yes I was allowed to say “No”, but no alternative care was offered.
That’s coercion. <a href="https://t.co/LvCWd55esk">https://t.co/LvCWd55esk</a>
— Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) <a href="https://twitter.com/broadwaybabyto/status/2025364112348188828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @broadwaybabyto/X.com
That’s not compassion. That’s coercion.
And this isn’t an isolated anecdote. Canada has dramatically expanded medical assistance in dying, or MAID. In parts of Europe — particularly in countries like the Netherlands — similar policies are spreading. Elderly people, disabled people, chronically ill people, and even young people struggling with “seasonal depression” are increasingly being told that death is a “treatment option.”
Think about that.
In a system where the government is paying the bills, patients are not just patients — they’re line items. They’re costs. And when waitlists grow long and budgets grow tight, the incentives get dark very quickly. The cheapest patient is the one who isn’t there anymore.
On the one hand, American leftists insist we’re the only country in the civilized world without socialized medicine. On the other hand, you look at some of these “civilized” systems and see 97-year-olds waiting ten days for an ambulance and disabled citizens being nudged toward suicide because their care is expensive.
That’s not health care. That’s the opposite of health care.
Now, is the American system perfect? Of course not. It’s expensive. It’s complicated. It’s frustrating. But it is also the system that produces the vast majority of the world’s pharmaceutical innovation. It is the system that subsidizes global research and development. It is the system that people from all over the world come to when they need cutting-edge treatment.
It is not, however, a system where the government routinely suggests that you kill yourself because you’re inconvenient. There’s a reason that countries with fully socialized medicine struggle with wait times and rationing.
So before we swallow the talking point that America is uniquely cruel because we don’t have cradle-to-grave government medicine, it’s worth looking at what that actually looks like in practice. A nearly 100-year-old woman dying on the floor because no ambulance is available. A disabled Canadian writer being offered euthanasia in lieu of care.
Beware the supposedly greener grass on the other side of the fence. Especially when that fence is our northern border, separating us from the snow Mexicans.

Motion blur ambulance United States

Waiting 10 Days For An Ambulance — The Dark Side Of ‘Free’ Health Care

Waiting 10 Days For An Ambulance — The Dark Side Of 'Free' Health Care

Assisted Suicide

Canada

Death

England

Europe

Michael Knowles

United Kingdom

A Manhattan hospital that has performed countless procedures on gender-confused children in recent years announced on Tuesday that it officially ended its youth gender clinic following the Trump administration&#8217;s move to pull federal funding.
Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Health, which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-clinics-are-promoting-services-to-gender-nonconforming-kids-here-are-47-of-them">offered gender procedures</a> for children since at least <a href="https://nyunews.com/news/2025/02/02/nyu-langone-gender-affirming-care/#:~:text=NYU%20Langone%20Health%20is%20a%20leading%20institution,two%20patients%20under%20the%20age%20of%2019.">2020</a>, cited the &#8220;current regulatory environment,&#8221; along with the &#8220;recent departure&#8221; of its medical director, for its &#8220;difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/nyregion/nyu-hospital-transgender-youth.html">reported</a>.
NYU Langone previously <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220828054900/https://nyulangone.org/locations/child-study-center/gender-sexuality-service">stated</a> on its website that it prescribes &#8220;gender-affirming medical interventions, including puberty suppression, gender-affirming hormone treatments, and gender-affirming surgery&#8221; for gender-confused children. The hospital&#8217;s <a href="https://nyulangone.org/locations/child-study-center/gender-sexuality-service">website</a> no longer mentions gender surgery for children and focuses on &#8220;mental health services.&#8221;
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">signed</a> an executive order to protect children from irreversible gender procedures by threatening to strip federal funding from hospitals that perform the procedures. Following Trump&#8217;s order last year, NYU Langone began winding down its &#8220;Transgender Youth Health Program,&#8221; canceling appointments for children, including two 12-year-olds who were supposed to start puberty blockers, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">reported</a> at the time. However, some parents told the Times that the hospital kept appointments for children who were already on puberty blockers or hormone therapy.
Last June, the FBI set up a <a href="https://x.com/FBI/status/1929587710894739567">tip line</a> for Americans to report &#8220;any hospitals, clinics, or practitioners&#8221; that &#8220;mutilate&#8221; children &#8220;under the guise of gender-affirming care.&#8221; The Trump administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/nyregion/transgender-care-lawsuit-trump.html">reportedly</a> served subpoenas to multiple hospitals last year, including NYU Langone, seeking more information on their youth gender clinics.
In December, the Trump administration began implementing the president&#8217;s executive order to protect children by proposing rules to strip federal funding from hospitals that continue to perform gender procedures on children.
Democrats have pushed back against Trump&#8217;s effort to go after hospitals and doctors that promote gender procedures for children. In response to Trump&#8217;s crackdown on hospitals performing gender procedures on children, New York joined a coalition of Democrat-led states that sued the Trump administration in an effort to stop the federal government&#8217;s investigation into hospitals and doctors that perform the life-altering procedures on children.
President Trump&#8217;s executive action to protect children from the harmful procedures followed numerous Republican-led states banning the so-called gender-affirming treatments and procedures for minors. Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and many other states took action to protect children beginning in 2023, shortly after Daily Wire host Matt Walsh&#8217;s documentary &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman">What is a Woman?</a>&#8221; exposed the dangers of gender procedures.
After &#8220;What is a Woman?&#8221; became one of the most-watched documentaries of the year, Walsh held a rally in Nashville and met with state leaders in multiple states to advocate for ending &#8220;child mutilation.&#8221;
Thanks to recent laws passed by Republican-led states and the efforts of President Trump, the tide has turned in the debate on gender procedures for children. The Trump administration and advocates for protecting children from gender procedures celebrated another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-fight-is-not-over-major-medical-org-rejects-transgender-surgeries-for-kids">major win</a> earlier this month when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons acknowledged that &#8220;evidence did not support genital procedures or removing the breasts of young girls who identify as boys.&#8221;

NYU Langone/Donald Trump

Trump Flex Delivers Another Major Victory Protecting Kids From Gender Mutilation

LGBT

transgender surgery

Trump Administration

A major Catholic health system taught staff members how to be legally uncooperative with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in one of the hospital’s most prestigious lecture settings.
<a href="https://www.providence.org/locations/or/provider-resources-and-referrals/womens-health-provider-resources/professional-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Providence Health</a> hosted a virtual version of grand rounds — a weekly occurrence where leading doctors train other physicians and staff in crucial methodologies — aimed at providing better understanding of the “intense fear in which their immigrant patients are living” and taught staff how to be effective advocates during ICE encounters “within the boundaries of internal policy,” according to a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ORacXqH8Jc9XuEcyZFzaZaqrsQ3Hpxuo/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA_zOzGQgyc&amp;list=PL5EjetDHODdNsYNrClwtvsJPyKCnke2BB&amp;index=13">recording</a> reviewed by The Daily Wire. After publication of this story, Providence removed the video from YouTube, where it was posted.
Erin McKee, co-founder of the <a href="https://www.ojrc.info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon Justice Resource Center</a>, presented during the one-hour webinar titled “Providence Women and Children&#8217;s Virtual Grand Rounds: Know Your Rights with ICE,” on January 29, 2026.
“When ICE is after you or your friends or family and you don&#8217;t want to help them, right? You&#8217;re not obligated to do that,” McKee said during the presentation. “If you think ICE is after you or your friends and family and you don’t want to help, your mindset should be don’t trust. They might not be telling you the truth. And ICE, ICE will often lie in order to get someone to move from maybe a private protected space to a public space where they can lawfully arrest them.&#8221;
Providence is a major health system with a Catholic heritage that spans six states and includes more than 125,000 employees, 51 hospitals, and 1,014 health clinics, according to its <a href="https://www.providence.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. It is unclear how many employees tuned in to grand rounds, but the session was open to the entire staff nationwide.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/54vxCDPRimQ1CID2ncyaRXqcWTq87sJT?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=76b38d97-2d35-49ad-ab26-eb7cedf4d6d3&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Catholic%20Health%20Vid&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2Fe86167f7-276a-496a-a3ab-d76826ba7b93.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Credit: Daily Wire
</div>
The Oregon Justice Resource Center suggests individuals follow a “Don’t Trust, Don’t Talk, Don’t Consent” model when approached by law enforcement, as stated on its <a href="https://www.ojrc.info/kyr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.
McKee mocked <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/02/04/dhs-sets-record-straight-administrative-warrants-and-american-public-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">administrative warrants</a> used by ICE agents when arresting illegal migrants, calling them, “A paper that says, ‘Dear me, you can do whatever you want. Signed me.’ And then they’re like, ‘See, this paper says I can do whatever I want.’”
McKee encouraged hospital staff to call the <a href="https://pircoregon.org/about/what-to-do-if-you-see-ice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition</a> (PIRC) hotline, an activist group that tracks ICE activity and provides a rapid response, if they came across ICE agents.
“And what happens is if you witness or observe ICE enforcement activity or suspected ICE enforcement activity, you call the hotline. PIRC will send a volunteer to that location to verify whether it is, in fact, ICE activity,” said McKee.
Dr. Kurt Miceli, medical director at Do No Harm, disagrees with the insertion of political activism into grand rounds.
“Grand Rounds have long been dedicated to clinical, medical, and scientific topics that directly advance patient care and research, not to political activism. The profession’s core responsibility is to care for patients, and presenting politically oriented content as Grand Rounds risks weakening professional focus, compromising institutional neutrality, and diminishing trust in the educational mission,” Miceli told The Daily Wire.
At the start of the presentation, a Providence Health staff member noted federal immigration enforcement was causing the community “deep pain.”
“I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the deep pain, fear and grief being felt across our communities in light of the recent escalation and federal immigration enforcement activity and the tragic fatal shootings of Renee [Good] and Alex [Pretti] in Minnesota,” said Kara Johnson, the senior director of women and children’s services at Providence, at the beginning of the session. After publication of this story, Johnson removed her LinkedIn profile.
Johnson’s remarks refer to Good and Pretti, two anti-ICE <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-pretti-attacked-immigration-enforcement-days-before-fatal-shooting-video-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protesters</a> killed by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge. The deaths of Pretti and Good have led to massive protests in the Twin Cities and caused the Trump administration to <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/ice-agents-ordered-to-meet-this-democrat-demand?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Some+ICE+Agents+Ordered+To+Cut+Back+On+Deportation+Tactic+Targeted+By+Dems%2C+Sources+Say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rethink</a> its approach to deportations.
“These events have sent shock waves through immigrant communities and all who care about justice and safety. Many of our patients, our colleagues, and our neighbors are carrying heavy trauma right now,” said Johnson.
“Obviously federal agents are violating rights. We are watching it on TV. We are seeing them completely disregard the Constitution, any type of norms that have applied in law enforcement situations,” McGee stated.
After publication of this article, Providence defended the training session in a lengthy statement provided to The Daily Wire.
&#8220;As a not-for-profit, Catholic health system, Providence sees health care as a fundamental human right, not a privilege. We serve members of our communities without regard to legal or socioeconomic status and believe that everyone deserves quality health care,&#8221; the organization said. &#8220;As a mission-driven organization, we have a special focus on those who are most vulnerable and know that immigrants, undocumented or not, face unique challenges. Our medical facilities are a place of healing where everyone can expect to be treated with compassion and respect.&#8221;
&#8220;Patients are never asked about their citizenship or legal status in order to receive medically necessary care, and we follow federal and state privacy laws, including HIPAA, that protect the confidentiality, dignity and safety of every patient we serve. While law enforcement officials are permitted in public spaces including entrances, lobbies and waiting areas, pursuant to our longstanding practice they are not allowed to access private areas of our facilities unless we have the patient’s explicit consent or the requesting party presents the appropriate legal authority — such as continuing legal custody, valid subpoena, court order or judicial warrant. Caregivers have clear procedures to follow if law enforcement agents request access to patients or their information, consistent with federal and state patient privacy requirements, which prohibit disclosure of protected health information without proper authorization.&#8221;
Update, 6:40 p.m. CT: This piece was updated with a statement from the Providence health system.

Screenshot

‘Don’t Trust Police!’: Video Shows Leading Catholic Health System Training Doctors To Resist ICE

Catholic Church

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

A major nurses union is holding secretive training sessions for union members to learn how to &#8220;fight&#8221; federal immigration enforcement in their hospitals.
An email reviewed by The Daily Wire reveals that the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is promoting training sessions for nurses to resist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in hospitals.
ONA, which represents around 15,000 nurses, is the largest nurses union in Oregon. As an affiliate of National Nurses United—the largest nurses union in the United States—ONA also wields influence at the national level.
Notably, the email says that the sessions will not be recorded or posted publicly, adding a secretive element to the training sessions.
The email addresses &#8220;ONA members&#8221; with the subject line, &#8220;Trainings: Accountability for ICE&#8221; and reads as follows:
&#8220;As frontline healthcare workers, we are entrusted with a fundamental responsibility: to preserve life, reduce harm, and provide care with dignity to everyone who comes through our doors,&#8221; the email continues. &#8220;As ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) activity increases across Oregon, that responsibility is in jeopardy. Intimidation and the use of force create fear that keeps immigrant communities from seeking care and until conditions become life-threatening. This fear directly interferes with our ethical, professional, and legal duties and endangers lives rather than protecting public safety.&#8221;
The training sessions were promoted as being run by ONA’s &#8220;Legal and Government Relations teams,&#8221; advancing &#8220;critical training and opportunity to join the fight against ICE and CBP in our hospitals.&#8221;
ONA offered two sessions, one early Wednesday, and one Thursday morning.
&#8220;The trainings will provide essential context on our role in this fight, practical guidance for frontline staff, and updates on our collective advocacy efforts,&#8221; nurses are told.
<div id="attachment_1035131" style="width: 958px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1035131" class="wp-image-1035131 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-948x576.png" alt="" width="948" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-948x576.png 948w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-300x182.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-768x466.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM.png 1248w" sizes=" (max-width: 948px) 100vw, 948px" />Credit: The Daily Wire</div>
Specifically, the training promised to cover nurses&#8217; &#8220;legal rights and obligations as a healthcare worker if ICE or CBP enter your facility,&#8221; &#8220;ONA’s efforts to hold ICE accountable,&#8221; and &#8220;Opportunities to engage in ONA’s upcoming legislative fight to ensure hospitals remain places of healing.&#8221;
&#8220;Please note: Trainings will not be recorded or posted online. All attendees must register in advance. Anyone represented by ONA may attend,&#8221; the email added.
A registered nurse who received the email and attended one of the training sessions told The Daily Wire they found it odd that the sessions would not be posted publicly. &#8220;My question is WHY? Are they afraid that what they are &#8216;training&#8217; is possibly against the law?&#8221; the nurse posed.
The RN said the training session, in part, talked about legislation restricting ICE near hospitals, churches, and community centers.
<div>
<div>&#8220;They tried to remain vague when talking about how to directly address ICE in facilities,&#8221; the source told The Daily Wire, &#8220;And I did appreciate that their lawyers who spoke said that you &#8216;can’t physically obstruct ICE.'&#8221;</div>
Recently, an ICU nurse named Alex Pretti was killed during a scuffle with Border Patrol agents. Pretti was armed—though it remains unclear whether he ever brandished his weapon—and inserted himself into an encounter as agents were dealing with an agitator during an operation. Video from weeks before the incident shows Pretti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-pretti-attacked-immigration-enforcement-days-before-fatal-shooting-video-shows">spitting</a> at federal immigration officers and kicking out a vehicle’s taillight. The circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death remain under investigation.
Separately, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-nurse-urges-medical-professionals-to-inject-ice-agents-with-paralyzing-drug?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Virginia+Nurse+Urges+Medical+Professionals+To+Inject+ICE+Agents+With+Paralyzing+Drug">The Daily Wire</a>, a Virginia hospital fired a nurse after she encouraged other medical professionals to inject ICE officers with succinylcholine—a drug that temporarily paralyzes muscles—in order to “sabotage” them.
The nurse, who used the TikTok handle Redheadredemption, urged doctors and nurses to “grab some syringes with needles on the end” and “have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever.” She added, “That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe.”
</div>
<div>
<div>
The Daily Wire reached out to ONA about the training sessions and asked why they are explicitly being kept from the public.
An email from ONA Director of Communications Peter Starzynski defended the training sessions, accusing &#8220;unaccountable immigration enforcement&#8221; of &#8220;increasingly overstepping its authority and treading on the rights of local communities in Oregon—including patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers.&#8221;
&#8220;This places nurses in an extraordinarily difficult position of providing care to patients in a manner that is consistent with their professional obligations,&#8221; Starzynski said.
The communications director said the training sessions focus on the following:
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Supporting nurses and frontline healthcare professionals in providing the highest quality care to all patients—even when federal agents are present in the hospital.  </div>
</li>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Educating members on Federal and State law and how to comply with their licensing obligations while treating patients in this context. </div>
</li>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Affirming the shared ethical and legal responsibilities of hospitals, nurses, and other frontline care providers to ensure every patient receives respectful, appropriate, and high-quality care, regardless of immigration status.  </div>
</li>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Providing guidance on how to comply with professional license obligations to protect patient confidentiality and a patient’s medical autonomy in this environment.  </div>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
It remains unclear why the training sessions are not made public.
</div>
</div>
ONA also posted to its Facebook page on January 25 about its participation in a vigil for Pretti.
&#8220;We must not standby [sic]. We must stand up against injustice and human rights violations. That is exactly what Alex Pretti was doing,&#8221; the post said. &#8220;He deserves justice. We honor his legacy and call on all major healthcare systems in Oregon to stand up for nurses, publicly denounce this killing and hold ICE and similar federal agencies accountable.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1035147" style="width: 539px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1035147" class="wp-image-1035147 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-529x576.png" alt="" width="529" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-529x576.png 529w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-276x300.png 276w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-768x836.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM.png 1354w" sizes=" (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px" />Facebook: ONA</div>
In a lengthy statement on Pretti, ONA said, &#8220;A nurse&#8217;s job is to care for their patients — but they are also ethically bound to speak out in the face of injustice and human rights violations. Provision 8.2 of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses is clear: &#8216;Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability.&#8217; That is exactly what Alex was doing.&#8221;
Starzynski also told The Daily Wire that &#8220;hospitals can only function when everyone who enters follows the same rules&#8221; and &#8220;no federal agency should be above protocols designed to protect patients, healthcare workers, and the integrity of medical care.&#8221;
&#8220;Taxpayer dollars should not be used to undermine public health, violate basic rights, or erode trust in institutions meant to keep our communities safe,&#8221; he said. &#8220;For months, ONA has urged hospitals to support frontline caregivers by complying with state and federal patient protections. Throughout it all, ONA members have remained steadfast in their commitment to ensuring our hospitals are places of care, dignity, and healing for everyone.&#8221;

Major Nurses Union Holds Secretive Training Sessions To ‘Fight Against ICE’

Major Nurses Union Holds Secretive Training Sessions To ‘Fight Against ICE And CBP In Our Hospitals’

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Nurses

Oregon

Unions

A Virginia nurse was seen in a series of now-deleted TikTok videos sharing ways for medical professionals to &#8220;sabotage&#8221; ICE agents with syringes full of succinylcholine, which temporarily paralyzes muscles.
The nurse, who went by Redheadredemption on TikTok, encouraged doctors and nurses to &#8220;grab some syringes with needles on the end&#8221; and &#8220;have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever,&#8221; adding &#8220;that will probably be a deterrent. Be safe.&#8221;
In another video, she was seen dressed in scrubs while calling on others to soak poison ivy in water and to put the solution into water guns to shoot at ICE agents&#8217; faces.
She also shared in a separate post a call for single women to find ICE agents on dating apps and then put laxatives in their drinks on dates.
&#8220;All the single ladies where these ICE guys are going have a chance to do something, not without risk, but could help the cause for sure. Get on Tinder, get on Hinge, find these guys, they&#8217;re around,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;If they&#8217;re an ICE agent, bring some ex-lax and put it in their drinks, get &#8217;em sick. Nobody&#8217;s gonna die, it&#8217;s just enough to incapacitate them and get them off the street for the next day.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Meet Melinda, a healthcare worker at <a href="https://twitter.com/VCUHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VCUHealth</a>. She posted a series of videos encouraging people to inject ICE agents with succinylocholine, a temporary paralysis drug, and spray poison on them. She also encourages woman to go on dates with agents and drug their food.
Any… <a href="https://t.co/CMJN12GhOc">pic.twitter.com/CMJN12GhOc</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2015941489516245223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Highly easily deniable, you could get sick, too. Won&#8217;t eat there again. I&#8217;m just sayin&#8217;, let&#8217;s get &#8217;em where they eat, somebody&#8217;s not gonna be supporting these guys, where&#8217;s the hotel where they eat? Who makes their breakfast? Let&#8217;s find them.&#8221;
&#8220;Let&#8217;s make their lives f*cking miserable.&#8221;
At one point, she also urged hotel employees to hide &#8220;dead fish&#8221; in ICE agents&#8217; hotel rooms.
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, the woman&#8217;s employer, and the VCU Police have opened an investigation into the posts, Fox News reported Tuesday.
&#8220;We prioritize the health and safety of anyone who comes to us for care. We are aware of a series of videos that appear to have been posted by an individual confirmed to be an employee of our health system,&#8221; VCU told Fox News Digital in a statement. &#8220;The content of the videos is highly inappropriate and does not reflect the integrity or values of our health system.&#8221;
&#8220;VCU Police are assisting with this investigation,&#8221; the university continued. &#8220;Per policy, while the investigation is underway, the individual is on administrative leave and will not be in our facilities or interacting with patients.&#8221;

Screenshot 2026-01-27 at 4.02.32 PM

Virginia Nurse Urges Medical Professionals To Inject ICE Agents With Paralyzing Drug

Crime

Minneapolis

TikTok

A Colorado woman bled on the emergency room floor while <a href="https://www.walb.com/video/2023/08/25/anybody-could-have-died-patients-recall-waiting-12-hours-mercy-south-hospital-er/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waiting 12 hours</a> for care. A New York man who feared he had appendicitis waited eight hours while repeatedly vomiting and passing out. A cancer survivor in <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/10/ucsf-emergency-wait-times/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Francisco</a> waited 28 hours for a doctor to examine her injured leg. By the time she saw a doctor, she was paralyzed.
ER wait times have been steadily increasing since 2012, spiking during the coronavirus pandemic. Today, they&#8217;re higher than ever.
What is happening in America&#8217;s emergency rooms?
A <a href="https://ihpi.umich.edu/news-events/news/wait-times-emergency-hospitalization-keep-getting-higher?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a> published in the journal Health Affairs looked at data from 46 million emergency visits across all 50 states since 2017. Researchers found a national increase in wait times, with the average wait time exceeding four hours. Additionally, 5% of patients waited more than 24 hours to get assistance.
Notably, the study did not factor people leaving the ER before they received care, which is typically referred to as ER &#8220;abandonment.&#8221;
Staffing shortages are certainly a factor, but they alone can&#8217;t explain increased wait times.
According to <a href="https://paragoninstitute.org/author/niklas_kleinworth/?mab_v3=9924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Niklas Kleinworth</a>, a policy analyst at the Paragon Health Institute, the problem is largely due to the lack of financial incentives in the American healthcare system.
“I think that the increased ER wait times are actually one of the big <a href="https://paragoninstitute.org/newsletter/the-falsehoods-of-obamacare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broken promises of Obamacare</a>,&#8221; Kleinworth told The Daily Wire on Thursday. &#8220;When that law was passed, we were promised that if you gave people more healthcare coverage, they would see their primary care physician instead of going to the ER. They would have more access. But we&#8217;ve actually seen the opposite.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen that a lot of the financial incentives for people to take care of themselves and go see their regular physician haven&#8217;t come to fruition,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;And so now people are going to the emergency room to get routine care instead.”
Kleinworth said expanding telehealth services could help solve this problem. In Montana, for example, after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed a bill in 2021 to increase telehealth access and eliminate certain restrictions, emergency department visits <a href="https://mthf.org/news/2024-medicaid-in-mt-press-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased </a>with Medicaid enrollees. Mental health services were also more accessible and cost-effective for residents in rural communities and the Native population.
Another problem is the increased rate of rural hospital closures. With fewer rural hospitals, Americans from these areas are forced to travel longer distances to city hospitals, adding to already congested ERs.
Kleinworth explained that federal programs like the 340B Drug Pricing Program actually “encourage consolidation.&#8221; As a result, we’re seeing large urban hospitals buy up small rural hospitals to capitalize incentives meant for rural areas.
Larger city hospitals &#8220;benefit from a lot of the programs that were designed for those [rural] hospitals, like 340B Drug Pricing Program,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And then they&#8217;ll reduce access to services in those areas and redirect them to more wealthy areas where the margins are higher.”
He also highlighted some other &#8220;pretty basic solutions,&#8221; like making sure government programs designed to help rural facilities actually help rural facilities.
Kleinworth also noted that a little deregulation could go a long way to increase health care access.
&#8220;For example, in the state of Idaho, they allow non-physicians like pharmacists to be able to practice at the top of their license. And a lot of people receive their primary care through their pharmacists now,&#8221; Kleinworth said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said this month that <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/02/opinion/democrats-are-spending-money-on-healthcare-for-illegal-migrants-in-california-its-6-4-billion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigrants</a> are driving up ER wait times and healthcare costs alike. Democrats say that giving illegals full access to the American healthcare marketplace will help alleviate stress on emergency rooms.
Kleinworth isn&#8217;t so sure.
“Unfortunately, no, that&#8217;s not the solution,&#8221; Kleinworth told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Take California, for example. California is one of those states where they&#8217;ve offered healthcare benefits to illegals for years now. The promise was that it was going to allow them to access their primary care and they won&#8217;t have to go to the emergency rooms anymore. But we find that California actually has some of the highest ER wait times in the country. They also have some of the highest abandonment rates in the country.”
Ultimately, Kleinworth says, we need to seriously overhaul Medicaid.
&#8220;The problem here is that the way the system is designed, it prioritizes able-bodied working-age adults over pregnant women, the disabled, elderly, and children,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And what we saw with Medicaid expansion, a lot of those people were less likely to be able to access their specialists, their primary care physician, so it also increased the ER wait times.&#8221;
&#8220;Refocusing the program on the truly needy, instead of able-bodied working-age adults would help,&#8221; Kleinworth said, noting that President Donald Trump&#8217;s big, beautiful bill &#8220;made a lot of progress toward that.&#8221;

Hospital closure in Madera, CA

Why ER Wait Times Are So Out Of Control — And How To Fix Them

Why ER Wait Times Are So Out OF Control, And How To Fix It

Medicaid

President Donald Trump assembles his Cabinet as the government shutdown continues and a peace deal in Gaza takes shape, candidates in the New Jersey governor’s race clash, and wait times for emergency rooms have exploded nationwide.
It’s Friday, October 10, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump’s Cabinet Assembles &amp; Jersey Governor Race Tightens" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HBTyeOrOWCc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<div class="ad-wrapper" data-testid="ad-wrapper"><iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trumps-cabinet-assembles-jersey-governor-race-tightens/id1576594336?i=1000731145276" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Assembles Cabinet </h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-984045" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump assembled his Cabinet on Thursday as the government shutdown entered its ninth day, and as his Middle East peace proposal passed a major hurdle.
Columbus Day returns: At the top of Thursday’s meeting, Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1976319459523690719">signed</a> an executive order to bring back Columbus Day on October 13. “Columbus Day, we’re back. We’re back, Italians,” the president said.
Middle East peace: According to the president, the rest of the hostages still alive in Gaza, 20 in all, should be returned to Israel on either Monday or Tuesday.
The hostage crisis has been a major focus of the administration, and of Israel, which has been plastered with posters of the hostages emblazoned with the call to “Bring Them Home Now” since the war began. Yellow ribbons to represent the hostages, dead and alive, are more common in Israel than kippahs.
That shows why Trump has been invited to speak in front of the Knesset. It’s a rare privilege. The last U.S. president to receive the honor was George Bush in 2008.
Shutdown: President Trump seems intent on hammering Democrats over the shutdown, not just rhetorically but with cuts to what the president calls “Democrat programs.”
“We&#8217;ll be making cuts that will be permanent, and we&#8217;re only gonna cut Democrat programs,” the president <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1976340087588913227">said</a> at Thursday’s meeting. “They wanted to do this, so they’ll get a little taste of their own medicine.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">NJ Governor’s Race A Toss-Up</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-984047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Less than four weeks from Election Day, the New Jersey gubernatorial election is a toss-up, with Republican Jack Ciattarelli surging in the polls. Ciattarelli spoke to Morning Wire about his efforts to turn deep-blue New Jersey red this November. (The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: A lot of folks who maybe don&#8217;t follow state politics as closely hear that there is an exceedingly close race in New Jersey. And they might be surprised by that, thinking of the history of New Jersey as a more blue state. Four months ago, polls were showing you trailing by more than 20 points. This week, you are essentially tied in every poll that is coming out. What changed over the course of this election?
Ciattarelli: People want change across the state. They&#8217;re very frustrated with Phil Murphy&#8217;s failed policies – and they have failed us. The taxes, they&#8217;ve increased every single year he&#8217;s been in office. The exorbitant spending in our state government, I mean, our state budget&#8217;s gone from $36 billion to almost $60 billion, a 64% increase. Housing, we&#8217;ve got an overdevelopment crisis in our suburban communities, but yet an acute housing shortage in our urban areas. Public safety has gone, you know, we don&#8217;t have public safety in Jersey. Nonviolent crime has spiked because we don&#8217;t let our local police do their job. The break-ins, the car thefts, the flash mobs, public education – people aren&#8217;t happy with what&#8217;s going on there, and we&#8217;ve slipped from two to 12 on an actual report card. Your electricity bill is going through the roof. These are all things that people are really pissed off about, and when they&#8217;re pissed, they want change. 
Morning Wire: A lot of Republicans who have success at the state level in blue states take a more moderate approach. I’m thinking of the, you know, Charlie Bakers or Larry Hogans of the world, considered more moderate, keeping their distance from Donald Trump. You have not shied away from the president, it seems. He&#8217;s endorsed you. He said that you&#8217;re “all in on the MAGA movement.” And that is unique in a blue state. Walk us through that relationship with the president.
Ciattarelli: All my opponent wants to talk about is Trump because of her disdain for Trump. I mean, her whole campaign is based on a stack of lies about me, disdain for Trump, and she can fly a helicopter. Is that going to fix New Jersey? And by the way, what does Donald Trump have to do with our property taxes? What does he have to do with public safety in this state, public education, your monthly electric bill, overdevelopment in our suburban communities? He&#8217;s got nothing to do with that. The party that&#8217;s controlled Trenton for the last 25 years has everything to do with that. So listen, I think that you can be friends with the president and support his policies while making it clear that you&#8217;re all about fixing New Jersey. 
Morning Wire: If elected, what sort of approach would you take when it comes to working with federal agencies like ICE, DEA, ATF operating within your state? We&#8217;ve seen a number of attempts to handicap them. How would you approach those agencies?
Ciattarelli: Number one, there will be no sanctuary cities in New Jersey. When I&#8217;m governor, we will not be a sanctuary state. I&#8217;m reversing that policy on day one. I can do that by executive order. And I&#8217;m never going to tell a local mayor or police chief they can&#8217;t work in partnership with a federal agency to keep their community safe. If that&#8217;s what they want to do, that’s a local decision. And I would support it 100% whatever it is that the mayor and police chief decide to do to keep their community safe. But the other thing I have to do is get rid of cashless bail. Cashless bail in New Jersey has created a professional criminal who’s learned how to game the system. And you talk to your local cops, arrest, release, repeat is real. And it’s demoralizing to our local cops to have to arrest the same person over and over again. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">ER Wait Times Explode</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-984049" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: For the last decade, emergency room wait times have continued to rise, threatening Americans’ overall health. ER wait times started to increase around 2012, spiked during the pandemic, and are now higher than ever.
A <a href="https://ihpi.umich.edu/news-events/news/wait-times-emergency-hospitalization-keep-getting-higher?utm_source=chatgpt.com">new study</a> published in the journal Health Affairs looked at data from 46 million emergency visits across all 50 states since 2017. It found a national increase in wait times, with the average being over four hours, and 5% of patients waiting more than 24 hours to get assistance. Notably, this doesn&#8217;t even factor in people leaving the ER before they get care, commonly referred to as the “abandonment” rate.
Why? The nursing shortage is certainly a factor. But according to <a href="https://paragoninstitute.org/author/niklas_kleinworth/?mab_v3=9924">Niklas Kleinworth from the Paragon Health Institute</a>, one of the major factors is that, since expansion under Obamacare, there is no financial incentive for many people to wait to see their physician when they can go to the ER and receive same-day care: 
“We&#8217;ve seen that a lot of the financial incentives for people to take care of themselves and go see their regular physician haven&#8217;t come to fruition,&#8221;  Kleinworth told Morning Wire. &#8220;And so now, people are going to the emergency room to get routine care instead.”
Another issue is the increased rate of rural hospital closings. Kleinworth said programs coming out of Washington actually “encourage consolidation” – and we’re seeing large urban hospitals buy up small rural hospitals to eat up incentives meant for rural areas.
The White House has also blamed long ER wait times on illegal aliens. 
&nbsp;

MRN_251010_V2

Morning Brief: Trump Summons Cabinet, NJ Governor’s Race Heats Up, & ER Wait Times Soar

Morning Brief: Trump Summons Cabinet, NJ Governor's Race Heats Up, & ER Wait Times Soar

Government Shutdown

Israel

Morning Wire

New Jersey

Washington D.C.

If Democrats in the Senate continue to block a short-term government funding plan, a program that allows low-income and Medicare patients to be treated at home rather than in a hospital will expire, the White House warns. 
The Acute Hospital Care at Home Initiative enables hospitals to obtain approval to treat Medicare patients with conditions such as respiratory diseases or bacterial infections at home. The program, which was rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire on September 30 unless reauthorized by Congress.
Around 1,200 Medicare patients per month currently benefit from the program, according to information provided to The Daily Wire by the Office of Management and Budget. The program has been well-received by both patients and healthcare providers, <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-report-study-acute-hospital-care-home-initiative">according</a> to evaluations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
“Democrats are trying to shut down the government to pacify their base, and they don’t care who they hurt in the process — including beneficiaries receiving hospital care at home,” a Trump administration official told The Daily Wire. “This program has been a success and is popular with patients and providers.” 
“While Republicans voted to extend it, Democrats are more than happy to harm these patients and force them out of their homes so that they can shut the government down,” the administration official added. 
The program was included in the short-term spending package passed by the House last week, which continues federal spending as is for seven weeks. However, Democrats are blocking the same bill from passing in the Senate. 
As of Friday, 48,955 patients have benefited from the program, and 419 hospitals across 39 states have approved participation in the program, according to the Office of Management and Budget. 
Commonly treated conditions under the program include heart failure, blood poisoning, respiratory disease, pneumonia, bacterial infection, urinary tract infection, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Early evaluation of the program indicates generally lower mortality and readmission rates for patients treated at home. 
If a shutdown occurs, the Office of Management and Budget has directed federal agencies to prepare for permanent reduction-in-force plans, indicating that widespread firings could be forthcoming across the federal government. President Donald Trump has said that the Democrats are holding the funding hostage by trying to force taxpayer funding for illegal alien healthcare and transgender surgeries on children.

Democrats Call On FCC Chair To Resign Over ABC’s Kimmel Decision

Popular Health Program Will Expire If Senate Dems Force Government Shutdown, White House Warns

Medicare

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

An opinion piece in Canada’s <a href="https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/dur-surely-it-cannot-be-that-babies-born-alive-after-an-abortion-are-left-to-die/64535">Western Standard</a> sheds light on a deeply troubling reality: one in four late-term abortions in Alberta, Canada, resulted in a baby being born alive — and many were left to die without medical care.
According to the Western Standard, the federal agency responsible for compiling and reporting health data across Canada, <a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/f67685af801/45d9acaf-ab1c-4bdd-9ba6-2378fb034aa0.pdf">Canadian Institute for Health Information</a> (CIHI), reported a total of 133 late-term abortions in Alberta in the 2023-2024 year. Based on data analyzed by pro-life researchers and originally raised in the Alberta Legislative Assembly, this should spark serious concern — and immediate action — not only in Canada, but also in the United States.
According to the Canadian data, out of 133 late-term abortion procedures, 28 babies survived the abortion. These weren’t “non-viable tissue,” as the abortion industry so often claims. They were living, breathing infants, whose humanity became undeniable in their cries and movements.
Instead of receiving medical attention, however, they were abandoned and left to die. These aren’t abstract numbers — these are living, breathing children.
I know this reality all too well because I am one of those statistics. I survived an abortion in 1977.
When my birth mom was 31 weeks pregnant, her mother, a prominent nurse at a local hospital, forced her to have an abortion to end my life. For days they injected a saline infusion into the amniotic fluid, a solution designed to poison and scald me until I was delivered dead. On the fifth day, I was born, leading my birth mom to think the abortion was successful. I was then rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) — and, unbeknownst to her, I lived and was placed up for adoption.
At <a href="https://abortionsurvivors.org/">The Abortion Survivors Network,</a> we know firsthand the weight of such statistics — because we are living proof that survival is possible. It isn’t easy being an abortion survivor. What many don’t know is that while we fought to survive physically as babies, that mental fight continues well into adulthood. We shouldn’t have to continue to fight something we defeated as babies.
There are roughly over 10,000 late-term abortions performed annually in the U.S. and that is a conservative estimate. If even 25% resulted in a live birth, as the Alberta data suggests, that would amount to 2,500 infants born alive every year.
Yet in the U.S., each state has different reporting requirements and laws. For example, in Minnesota there is no ban for abortion regardless of what trimester a woman is in, she could be at 35 weeks and decide she no longer wants the child, and she can legally seek an abortion. Aside from states differing on abortion law, there is no nationwide federal requirement to report when a child is born alive during an attempted abortion. And because there are no federal “born alive” reporting standards, there is a lot we don’t know. The pro-abortion crowd may say it &#8220;doesn&#8217;t happen” but how would they know if there is no tracking, reporting and they refuse to listen to survivors and mothers?
This lack of adequate data stems from several factors, including variations in state reporting requirements or perhaps some states choosing not to report abortion data at all.
Opponents of <a href="https://abortionsurvivors.org/fetal-survival-in-second-trimester/">Born Alive protections</a> often argue that surviving infants who are born-alive are often too premature or sick to survive. But that misses the point entirely. Our data show that infants refute the opponent’s arguments about viability — these babies who were diagnosed with fetal anomalies survived being aborted in the second trimester.
Our medical system cares for premature babies, critically ill newborns, and children with disabilities every day — why should it be any different for a baby born alive after an abortion?
The measure of a humane society is not whether every life can be saved, but whether every life is treated with dignity and given a chance.
What we need is strong federal Born Alive legislation that does the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Requires mandatory reporting of all instances where infants survive abortion attempts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mandates medical care for every baby born alive, no matter the circumstances of their birth.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ensures long-term physical and mental health support for both the child and the mother when the abortion procedure fails.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Establishes medical training and legal accountability, so that no infant is left to die without intervention.</li>
</ul>
It’s time to ask: How many babies survive abortions in the U.S., but do not survive the system’s silence?
These children deserve our voice, our laws, and our care.
Every child who survives an abortion deserves to be more than a statistic.
* * *
Melissa Ohden, is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://abortionsurvivors.org/">The Abortion Survivors Network</a> and is a pro-life speaker, leader, and advocate who often appears on television and radio shows. She has spoken on Fox News, The 700 Club, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), One America News (OAN), Hannity, Focus on the Family, and more. Having earned her Master’s in Social Work, Melissa is also the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Carried-Me-Daughters-Memoir/dp/0874867886/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15IEJ3OBI06GO&amp;keywords=you+carried+me&amp;qid=1694023247&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=you+carried+me%2Cstripbooks%2C95&amp;sr=1-1">You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir</a>.
If you or someone you know is an abortion survivor, please reach out to Melissa Ohden at <a href="mailto:melissa@abortionsurvivors.org">melissa@abortionsurvivors.org.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Asian newborn lying down crying on crib in the incubator during the first day of life

Menu