Isaac Arnsdorf, Author at Pacific Standard

Home Archives for Isaac Arnsdorf

President Donald Trump makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on January 14th, 2019.

Economics

The Trump Administration Promised to Help Farmers. These Chicken Farmers Say It Has Not Delivered.

Many farmers thought that President Donald Trump would be better for their livelihoods than his predecessor, but now they say things have only gotten worse.

Isaac Arnsdorf

The seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Social Justice

New VA Software Threatens to Disrupt the Health Care of Thousands of Vets

A review of a new tool to determine eligibility for private care for vets by the U.S. Digital Service recommended the agency scrap the software and start over.

Isaac Arnsdorf

President Donald Trump speaks to the media upon his return to the White House after a day trip to Camp David on January 6th, 2019 in Washington, D.C.

Social Justice

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Associates Continue to Influence Policy Decisions at the VA

The president's old friend Albert Hazzouri used a personal message to advocate for the American Dental Association after spending time with him at Trump's resort in 2017.

Isaac Arnsdorf

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

News in Brief

Oversight Committee Raises Ethics Concerns About Trump’s Proposed Nuclear Power Deal With Saudi Arabia

The proposal gained traction in the early days of the administration because two top Trump advisers, who had potential financial stakes in the plan, pushed it to the president.

Isaac Arnsdorf

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.

Social Justice

A Senior Adviser to Robert Wilkie Used VA Funds to Pay for Travel Costs

The department paid for Darin Selnick's flights from his home in California to Washington, D.C., hotel stays, and foods with taxpayer funds—raising ethical concerns.

Isaac Arnsdorf

Social Justice

The Trump Administration Proposes New Rules to Encourage Veterans to Seek Private Care

The new access standards are the most important step toward reshaping the Department of Veterans Affairs in line with Trump's vision of enlarging the private sector's role.

Isaac Arnsdorf

Social Justice

Trump’s VA Faces a Lawsuit Aimed at Exposing the Influence of the ‘Mar-a-Lago Crowd’

The government is attempting to get the suit thrown out of court asserting that a Watergate-era sunshine law on advisory committees shouldn't apply.

Isaac Arnsdorf

President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for Robert Wilkie (R), to become secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Social Justice

President Trump Pushes the Department of Veterans Affairs Toward Increased Privatization

The administration is determined to use a new law to expand the private sector's role in veterans' health care—a move that end up being costly for former service members.

Isaac Arnsdorf

Social Justice

‘It’s a Mess’: How Barriers to the Ballot Box Marred the Mid-Terms

Across the country, Americans had their enthusiasm to vote tested by problems at polling places including long lines and a shortage of ballots.

Isaac Arnsdorf

White House doctor Ronny Jackson, chosen as the next permanent secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

News in Brief

Uncertainty Swirls Around Trump’s Department of Veteran Affairs

After the White House Chief of Staff John Kelly contradicted the official narrative around the previous secretary's departure, legal questions have sprung up about the current leadership of the department.

Isaac Arnsdorf