Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/743970
ByLisaLererand Jonathan Lemire The Associated Press WASHINGTON Seeking to lash Hillary Clinton to her husband's sprawling post- presidential empire, Don- ald Trump accused the cou- ple of turning to corruption to enrich themselves while in public service. Michelle Obama boosted Clinton at a North Carolina rally, meanwhile, as the candi- date cheered her on. On Thursday, the GOP nominee cited newly re- leased emails from her cam- paign chairman's personal account showing Doug Band, a former Bill Clinton aide, describing overlap- ping relationships between the Clinton Foundation and the family's private gains. "Mr. Band called the ar- rangement 'unorthodox.' The rest of us call it out- right corrupt," said Trump at the first of three cam- paign rallies in Ohio. "If the Clintons were willing to play this fast and loose with their enterprise when they weren't in the White House, just imagine what they'll do in the Oval Office." Band wrote the 2011 memo to defend his firm, Teneo, describing how he encouraged his clients to contribute to the founda- tion and get consulting and speaking gigs for Bill Clin- ton. Some of his work in- cluded obtaining "in-kind services for the president and his family — for per- sonal travel, hospitality, va- cation and the like." The message was re- leased by WikiLeaks after a hack by others of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's private email ac- count. "I think we've had enough of the Clintons, in all fairness," Trump said. "Don't you think?" Band called the business, "Bill Clinton Inc." — a term Trump referenced to paint the family as using their public profiles for personal gain, a line of attack Repub- licans have long tried. The hacked emails, as well as recent news of an "Obamacare" premium hike, have appeared to hand Trump a pair of potent gifts in the campaign's final fort- night. But to the frustration of many in his party, Trump has struggled to stay on message, often turning to personal attacks against private citizens who he feels have wronged him, like the Gold Star family of Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim- American soldier killed in action. On Thursday morn- ing, Trump told ABC News that had he been president during the Iraq war, Khan would still be alive. "Honestly, I don't under- stand how anyone would want to rub salt in the wounds of a grieving fam- ily," Clinton told thousands of supporters in Winston- Salem, North Carolina, where she was campaign- ing with Michelle Obama, marking the first joint ap- pearance for the two first ladies on the campaign trail. Mrs. Obama's emo- tional take-downs of Trump have become a key part of Clinton's effort to fire up women, particularly black women for whom the first lady is a model and a source of pride. The women were unveil- ing a new $500 million pol- icy plan aimed at reducing bullying. The Clinton cam- paign said her policy would provide funding to states that develop comprehen- sive anti-bullying efforts. It would be paid for through Clinton's proposed tax in- creases on the wealthy. CAMPAIGN 2016 Michelle Obama boosts Clinton CHUCKBURTON—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Hillary Clinton, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, greet supporters during a campaign rally in Winston- Salem, N.C., on Thursday. By Meghan Hoyer and Ricardo Alonso- Zaldivar The Associated Press WASHINGTON Americans in the health insurance markets created by Presi- dent Barack Obama's law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, a new county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found. The analysis by AP and consulting firm Avalere Health found that about one-third of U.S. counties will have only one health marketplace insurer next year. That's more than 1,000 counties in 26 states — roughly double the num- ber of counties in 2014, the first year of coverage through the program. With insurance notices for 2017 in the mail, fami- lies are already facing diffi- cult choices, even weighing whether to stay covered. "At this point we are at a loss," said Ryan Robin- son of Phoenix. "We don't know what the next step is." He and his wife, Nicole, only have plans from one insurer available next year, and the company doesn't appear to cover an expen- sive immune-system medi- cation for their 11-year-old daughter. Phoenix is the market hardest hit by insurer exits, shrinking from nine carri- ers to one. With many other communities affected, how- ever, the problem of dwin- dling choice may create even bigger political head- aches than the rising pre- miums announced earlier this week. Largely as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped to a histori- cally low level, less than 9 percent. But the program hasn't yet found stable foot- ing, and it remains politi- cally divisive. Insurer par- ticipation rose in 2015 and 2016, only to plunge. Dwindling choice could beatrickierissuethanrising premiumsfortheObamaad- ministration and advocates of the 2010 law, including Democraticpresidentialcan- didate Hillary Clinton. Most customers get fi- nancial assistance, and their subsidies are designed to rise along with premi- ums, which are increasing an average of 25 percent in states served by Health- Care.gov. But there is no comparable safety valve for disruptions caused by in- surers bailing out. "Rising premiums get all of the political atten- tion, but lack of choice be- tween insurers could be a bigger problem for consum- ers," said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president with Avalere. Five states — Alaska, Al- abama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wyoming — have one participating in- surer across their entire ju- risdictions. Only Wyoming had faced that predicament this year. Another eight states — Arizona, Florida, Geor- gia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, and Tennessee— have only one participating insurer in a majority of counties. Citing big financial losses, several marquee in- surers sharply scaled back their participation for next year. United Healthcare ex- ited from more than 1,800 counties, and maintains only a minuscule presence, according to the analysis. Humana nearly halved the number of counties where it offers plans. Insurers say enrollment was disappointing, pa- tients were sicker than ex- pected, and an internal sys- tem to help stabilize premi- ums didn't work well. The Obama administration says insurers are correcting for initially pricing their plans too low. HealthCare.gov has taken steps to help consum- ers whose insurer is leaving by matching them to the closest comparable plan on the marketplace next year. ANALYSIS Fewer choices for health care consumers By James Macpherson and Blake Nicholson The Associated Press CANNONBALL,N.D. Law en- forcement officers wearing riot gear and firing bean bags and pepper spray on Thursday ousted protest- ers from a camp on private land in the path of the Da- kota Access oil pipeline. Hundreds of armed state and local police and National Guard — some on foot and others driv- ing trucks, military Hum- vees and buses — began the operation at midday and slowly enveloped the camp, arresting more than a dozen protesters who re- fused to leave. There were no serious in- juries,althoughonemanwas hurt in the leg and received treatment from a medic. Protesters initially set up roadblocks and started some fires to slow the law enforcement advance but eventually retreated. Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said that the camp had been cleared by nightfall although po- lice were still dealing with protesters on the perimeter, and he said police would stay put for now. "We're not leaving the area," Kirchmeier said. "We are just going to make sure that we maintain a presence in the area so the roadway stays open, and to keep in- dividuals from camping on private land." The confrontation marked a major escalation of a protest that has raged for months. Opponents of the pipeline moved in over the weekend to establish a camp on private land where the developer was working to complete the 1,200-mile pipeline designed to carry oil from western North Da- kota to Illinois. The route of the pipeline skirts the Standing Rock Reserva- tion and the tribe says it could endanger water sup- plies and disturb cultural sites. The state of North Da- kota says no sensitive cul- tural sites have been found in the area. The tribe sought to block the pipeline in court, chal- lenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' deci- sion granting permits at more than 200 water cross- ings. But a federal judge in September denied their re- quest to block construction. Three federal agencies then stepped in and ordered con- struction to halt on Corps- owned land around Lake Oahe, a wide spot of the Missouri River, while the Corps reviewed its decision- making. Construction was allowed to continue on pri- vate land owned by devel- oper Energy Transfer Part- ners. OIL PIPELINE Protesters ousted from private land Paid advertisement FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B

