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FILE - A worker examines ballots at the L.A. County Ballot Processing Center Nov. 4, 2025, in City of Industry, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

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FILE - President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi listen as FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Oct. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell, File)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on December 29 that all 50 states will receive financial awards to strengthen rural healthcare as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion, five-year initiative. CMS also announced the establishment of the Office of Rural Health Transformation within the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, which will oversee the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense says, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Troops held a brief ceremony to mark the occasion in neighboring Belarus where the missiles have been deployed, the ministry says. It did not say how many missiles had been deployed or give any other details. The announcement comes at a critical time for peace talks, with negotiators still searching for a breakthrough on key issues, including territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.