How Democrats Plan to Fight Trump's Corporate Healthcare Scammers in the US

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) 

Trump wants to force retirees and Medicare beneficiaries into the hands of corrupt private healthcare insurance scammers by eliminating Original Medicare (Plan B) and replacing it with a compulsory Medicare Advantage (or Plan C). The corporate scammers are his billionaire buddies.

Democrats now plan to counter this sneaky conspiracy by Trump with a plan to expand Original Medicare coverage that would, if successful, turn the table on Trump's healthcare insurance scamming friends and transform the Medicare Advantage (Plan C) into a major disadvantage. In time, Medicare Advantage C should be eliminated and the corrupt healthcare insurance intermediary between the government and the beneficiary would be eliminated.

While universal healthcare (Medicare for ALL) must wait the maturing of America into a civilized advanced country, this push by Democrats is a good step toward that ultimate objective. 
================================================


Medicare update: Major changes proposed by Democrats if they win midterms
Suzanne Blake
Fri, October 2, 2026

House Democrats have unveiled a new health care agenda that would make major changes to Medicare if the party regains power following November's midterm elections.

If they win, the Democrats would push to expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision and hearing benefits as well as lower the Medicare eligibility age.

"Vision, dental, and hearing coverage would be a nice carrot to add to the traditional Medicare system," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "These are significant gaps in original Medicare and are also some of the benefits that attract beneficiaries to Medicare Advantage. Adding these benefits to traditional Medicare could reduce one of the competitive advantages Medicare Advantage plans currently have."

Why It Matters

More than 68 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, but many beneficiaries lack coverage for routine dental care as well as hearing aids and vision services.

Expanding these benefits has long been a priority for many Democrats, as these gaps in coverage can lead to worse health outcomes and higher medical costs over time.

The proposal is, in some ways, a reaction to the sharply criticized Republican-backed "One Big Beautiful Bill," which adopted many changes to federal health care programs, including scrapping the Medicare Part D prescription program, which this proposal aims to address.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JULY 18: U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks at The People V. The Powerful rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and others joined El-Sayed to rally the crowds. (Photo by Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

What Democrats Are Proposing

"There's a large diversity of opinions in the caucus, so a lot of what we do is just compile all the different proposals among the caucus," Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Punchbowl News, adding that options under discussion include "adding dental, vision and hearing coverage to Medicare.

The proposals are part of an 84-page health care platform rolled out by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as Democratic lawmakers look to face off with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans ahead of Election Day.

According to the new health care agenda, Democrats' Medicare priorities include:

Expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing services.

Lowering the age of Medicare eligibility.

Expanding Medicare coverage for long-term care provided in patients' homes.

Working to lower prescription drug costs beyond the Medicare program.

Capping out-of-pocket health care costs.

Restricting the influence of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the prescription drug market.

The document also calls for broader reforms to the health care system, including efforts to break up health care monopolies.

Democrats also included a focus on banning insurers from using artificial intelligence to make coverage determinations.

Medicare for All Not Front and Center

While progressive Democrats continue to advocate for a Medicare for All system, the agenda stops short of making it a centerpiece of the party's platform.

Jeffries has said that Medicare for All has substantial support among House Democrats, with more than 100 lawmakers backing the idea, but not enough consensus exists within the caucus to make it the party's primary proposal.

Instead, the agenda lists Medicare for All and a public option as possible alternatives. The expansion of Medicare to dental and vision, though, has considerably more support.

"As healthcare expenses continue to rise, many seniors are facing substantial increases to the goods and services they're receiving, and extending coverage for conditions that have long needed separate insurance plans could certainly help to ease the financial burden," Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.

"At the same point, the pathway to this proposal passing is difficult. Even if Democrats reclaim Congress after the midterms, they would still more than likely face a Presidential veto."

Democrats Target Republican Health Care Changes

The platform is calling to reverse the health care spending reductions in last year's Republican legislation.

Democrats said those changes could lead to coverage losses and place additional financial pressure on rural hospitals and health care providers. According to the agenda, once fully implemented, millions of Americans could lose health coverage and some rural hospitals could face closure due to the Republicans' policy changes.

"Democrats are pushing this because dental, vision and hearing are still major gaps in original Medicare. And retirees can face meaningful out-of-pocket costs for all three," Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek.

"For beneficiaries, the impact could be pretty straightforward. Lower out-of-pocket costs and fewer reasons to choose Medicare Advantage solely for those extra benefits."

What Happens Next

The proposals right now are mere campaign promises rather than formal legislation and will depend heavily on the outcome of the November midterms.

If Democrats regain control of one or both chambers of Congress, party leaders could seek to advance portions of this health care agenda through standalone bills or legislative packages.

However, many of the proposals, particularly Medicare expansion and eligibility age changes, would likely face significant opposition from Republicans.

"I don't think a Democratic victory in the midterms alone would be enough to get this across the finish line," Thompson said. "Democrats currently don't control either chamber of Congress, and even if they were to win the House and Senate, President Trump would still be in the White House and could veto major legislation expanding Medicare."

Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas

Cornell's Gang Rape Scandal: Window into Trump's Elitist White Trash Universe of Drug Use

The Cornell gang rape scandal may not involve Donald Trump personally or directly. But it does open a window into the elitist white trash universe of Trump's own scandals involving women.

The Cornell gang rape scandal does not involve migrants or immigrants, legal or illegal. It is the sort of white upper class crime that often goes covered up and shielded from the law. The drug use in the Cornell case explains why and how Latin American cartels are so successful in smuggling and selling dangerous and illicit drugs in the US: Their "clients" are within the white American elitist circles of the likes of Donald Trump.

Yet Donald Trump makes a fanfare over low level drug dealers and smugglers, especially those from the migrant communities, who are easily targeted and do not have the protection of the elitist wealthy white ruling class in America. 

Donald Trump never addresses the rampant drug use in his own white upper class universe of politicians, academics, high finance and such, as the Cornell case clearly shows. It is this drug use by the white trash upper class of the United States that fuels the drug smuggling from Latin America, but is never held to account because it is an untouchable ruling class. 

This is not about Democrats and Republicans. This is about a two-tier system in which the same crime is treated differently depending on who commits it. If it is a lower class "brown" immigrant criminal, the entire US military is mobilized to hunt it on the streets, on the border and in the ocean. But if it is an upper class US-born "white" criminal, the ruling class protects it by an unspoken omerta rife with coverups that occasionally erupt into a scandal thanks to the dogged work of activists. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Bob Dylan immortalized this racist two-tier system of justice in his song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" about the 1963 murder of Hattie Carroll, a 51-year-old Black maid, by William Zantziger, a wealthy white tobacco farmer, in Maryland. While the Cornell case is not about white trash racism, it is about white trash sexism in which a woman victim takes the place of a black victim.

Every time we think that white racism and sexism have been defeated by decades of activism and awareness-raising, we discover that they are entrenched and endemic to the white American culture of violence and make a resurgence thanks to the likes of racists and sexists like Donald Trump who energize and normalize it.

And nothing exemplifies this white trash upper class better than the fraternity universe on American university campuses.

=================================================

Cornell, Chi Phi Sued by Victim of Alleged Gang Rape, Drugging in 2024

Friday, Oct. 2, 2026

By Cereese Qusba
Sep 18, 2026 11:03 pm · Updated Sep 28, 2026 1:36 pm

A former Cornell student seeks damages from the University, several fraternity and sorority organizations and more after filing a lawsuit alleging that she was raped and coerced into consuming drugs at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell in 2024.

Editor’s Note: The content of this article contains detailed descriptions of sexual assault and drugging.

A former Cornell student filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that she was gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs by several men at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell in 2024.

She is suing Cornell University, several Chi Phi fraternity organizations, seven current and former students, several sorority organizations, the former president of Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter, a local bar and several unnamed individuals.

“What happened to me was horrific and deeply disturbing,” the plaintiff told The Sun. “Almost two years later, I still carry the weight of its impact every day and night.”

The plaintiff, identifying as Jane Doe, filed this lawsuit after an initial report was made to the Cornell community on Nov. 8, 2024.

The Chi Phi members named in the lawsuit are defendants Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.

The Alleged Incident

On Oct. 19, 2024, the night of the alleged drugging and sexual assault, the plaintiff claims that her evening began at Cornell’s Tri-Delta house. Here, she consumed hard liquor before attending a Tri-Delta National’s Alpha Beta Chapter event hosted at Moonies Bar & Nightclub.

At Moonies, the plaintiff claimed she was marked on her hands as underage and was clearly intoxicated. Despite this, the plaintiff was served alcoholic beverages by Moonies employees.

At approximately 11 p.m., the plaintiff allegedly left Moonies and stopped at the Lot 10 bar, then “stumbled alone” to Chi Phi National’s Xi chapter’s fraternity house, located at 107 Edgemoor Ln., to meet her friend, defendant Ingalls.

At the Chi Phi house, defendant Ingalls allegedly proposed having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother. The plaintiff was “incapable of consenting,” according to the lawsuit. Ingalls still allegedly brought the plaintiff to a room.

The plaintiff claims that defendants Ingalls and Newell pressured her to snort a white, powdery substance claimed to be ketamine and supplied her with marijuana and a liquor believed to be high-proof rum.

Without the plaintiff’s consent, defendant Ingalls initiated oral sex while defendant Newell engaged in vaginal intercourse, according to the lawsuit. Throughout the alleged assault, defendant Newell slapped the plaintiff on the buttocks multiple times, which the plaintiff claims resulted in bruising she noticed the next day.

Defendant Lopes joined the alleged assault, and began kissing the plaintiff while Newell groped her from behind, according to the lawsuit. The two then placed her on a bed and again initiated sex with the plaintiff without her consent.

At approximately 1:42 a.m., defendant Newell allegedly encouraged fraternity brothers to join him, sending a message about “free pussy” upstairs to a Snapchat group entitled “Chi Phi Actives,” which the lawsuit describes as a group chat for Xi chapter members.
A Snapchat groupchat titled "Chi Phi Actives," in which a defendant allegedly sent a message saying, "free pussy" upstairs. (Photo taken from the lawsuit)

Multiple other members of the Xi chapter, including defendant Sarabia, entered the room with the plaintiff while she attempted to hide her naked body under the covers of the bed.

The plaintiff claimed she pushed defendant Sarabia away as he grabbed her face and kissed her.

The lawsuit states that the plaintiff’s phone was on the other side of the room and she “felt as if there was no way for her to escape this room full of predatory, fraternity men.”

Defendant Newell then “commanded” the plaintiff to snort a line of ketamine off of his erect penis, according to the suit.

While she was lying on her back, defendants Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar poured and snorted lines of ketamine over her body.

Defendants Ingalls and Lee took the plaintiff into another room, which was believed by the defendant to be the office of Orazio Petito, president of Chi Phi at Cornell at the time. Defendants Ingalls and Lee forced oral and vaginal sex upon her simultaneously and made her snort more ketamine. The assault lasted until around 5:45 a.m., according to the lawsuit.

The filing states that the plaintiff was completely incapacitated at this point and came into consciousness later that day on Oct. 20, 2024.

The lawsuit states that the plaintiff was in a “very vulnerable situation” when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by defendants Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar. The lawsuit claims that the student defendants were “fully aware” of her condition.

Jeremy Saland, an attorney for defendant Kretzschmar, disputed the allegations against his client in a statement sent after publication, saying the defense possesses evidence that contradicts the plaintiff’s account.

“We wholeheartedly deny the allegations in the complaint against Scott Kretzschmar,” Saland wrote to The Sun. “It is disappointing the claims against him were even made considering we possess documents that thoroughly corroborate our position, including her own words, statements from other parties, and scientific evidence demonstrating they are false.”

The student defendants could not immediately be reached for comment.

The plaintiff reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department on Nov. 8, 2024, and that same day, the Xi chapter was placed on temporary suspension for alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Temporary suspensions were also issued for defendants Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar, according to the lawsuit.

The defendants were offered the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to the University, according to the lawsuit.

On Nov. 26, 2024, the University released a statement, titled “Update on disturbing allegations of sexual violence,” explaining that the University was continuing to investigate the incident.

In January 2025, the University began a Title IX investigation in response to the plaintiff’s Formal Complaint, according to the lawsuit.

According to the complaint, Cornell’s Title IX investigation is believed to have concluded, while the Ithaca Police Department is still investigating the incident.

The Complaint

The complaint brings claims against the University for negligence, negligent supervision, breach of contract, violations of state human rights and education laws and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

It also accuses Tri-Delta entities of negligence and breach of contract, Chi Phi defendants of negligent supervision and seven student defendants of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

A representative from the Tri-Delta Executive Office did not respond to a request for comment.

The plaintiff brings claims against Moonies Bar & Nightclub, alleging that the bar and its employees violated New York’s Dram Shop Act — which can hold alcohol vendors liable in certain circumstances when they knowingly serve persons who are underage.

Moonies denied the allegations of negligence and violations of New York’s Dram Shop Act.

In a statement sent to The Sun after publication, a Moonies representative wrote that on Oct. 19, 2024, Moonies had a contract in place with Tri-Delta as it hosted the sorority’s private event. Per the contract, Moonies marked the hands of underage guests, provided wristbands to those over 21 years old and “no alcohol was served to guests who had mark[s] on their hands,” according to the representative.

“Our bartenders strongly followed the rules and only served guests who had wristbands on their hands,” the representative wrote.

The Moonies representative reiterated that the plaintiff’s claim that she was served alcohol at Moonies was “completely inaccurate.”

The lawsuit seeks damages from all defendants. The lawsuit “specifically seeks” damages from Cornell, fraternity and sorority organizations, certain faculty, alumni and executive board members and Petito, which the lawsuit described as failing to properly supervise or monitor the seven current and former student defendants.

When asked by The Sun about the pending litigation, a University spokesperson declined to comment. Petito did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

“In the aftermath, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of support I received from the student community,” the plaintiff told The Sun. “What I experienced was already devastating, but that pain was compounded by being criticized and ostracized at a time when I needed compassion, support and care the most.”

Editor’s note: Cereese Qusba is a member of Tri-Delta at Cornell.

Update, Sept. 19, 11:35 a.m.: This article has been updated to include a statement from defendant Scott Kretzschmar’s attorney, and to reflect that The Sun reached out to Tri-Delta, Moonies Bar & Nightclub and the student defendants, and they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Update, Sept. 22, 4:45 p.m.: This article has been updated to include a statement from Moonies Bar & Nightclub.


Cereese Qusba


Cereese Qusba is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She was a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board and is a senior editor for the 144th Editorial Board. She can be reached at cqusba@cornellsun.com.