Thursday News: House Votes Today to Trash Healthcare, Harm Sick People; Dominion Power on Hot Seat, and For Good Reason

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, May 4.

• House Republicans say they have votes to pass controversial health-care bill today (Anyone who votes for this steaming pile needs to be defeated next November.)
• Congress is voting Thursday on a bill to replace Obamacare. The CBO still hasn’t scored it. (Republicans – appalling as always.)
• The GOP Health Care Bill May Have Found A Better Way To Fail (“Even if it makes it out of the House.”)
• Trumpcare’s Damage (“New data makes the Republicans’ health care bill look even worse than predicted.”)
• Trumpcare simply refuses to die — and so does the self-destructive ignorance of Donald Trump’s supporters (“At this point, Trump loyalists are like fans of a bad football team, except dumber: They want a win at any cost”)
• The Comey Letter Probably Cost Clinton The Election (“And yet, from almost the moment that Trump won the White House, many mainstream journalists have been in denial about the impact of Comey’s letter…But if the Comey letter had a decisive effect and the story was mishandled by the press — given a disproportionate amount of attention relative to its substantive importance, often with coverage that jumped to conclusions before the facts of the case were clear — the media needs to grapple with how it approached the story. More sober coverage of the story might have yielded a milder voter reaction.”)
• George Will: Trump has a dangerous disability (“…it is up to the public to quarantine this presidency by insistently communicating to its elected representatives a steady, rational fear of this man whose combination of impulsivity and credulity render him uniquely unfit to take the nation into a military conflict.”)
• Trump wants to leave the Paris agreement. That would be a huge mistake.
• Trump’s “religious liberty” executive order is meant to legalize anti-LGBT discrimination — and may be unconstitutional
• Blow: Senators Save the Empire (“The Senate may well be our rampart, as it is an institution that recognizes the severe threat Trump poses. It could be the Senate that saves America from this tyrant and his throngs of cheering supporters who have set this whole nightmare in motion.”)
• Donald Trump doesn’t care about health care — or anything else: He just wants a “win” after so much losing
• How Jimmy Kimmel transformed the health-care debate
• The GOP Health-Care Bill Is an Abdication of Responsibility and a Moral Disgrace
• A Little-Noticed Target in the House Health Bill: Special Education (Did I mention that this bill is appalling.)
• House Republicans are charging ahead with a dishonest, reckless health care plan (“An exercise in fig leafs and buck passing, not legislation.”)
• The Russia investigation could finally unlock Trump’s tax returns (“It was a recurring theme during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing with FBI Director James Comey.”)
• Woman faces a year in prison after laughing at Jeff Sessions (“This is a totally normal thing that happens in a functioning democracy.”)
• A Guide To Donald Trump’s Relationship With Alex Jones (Demented.)
• Representative David Brat on Trump, Health Care, and What the Freedom Caucus Really Wants
• Aetna will exit Obamacare markets in Virginia in 2018, citing expected losses on individual plans this year
• Sen. Warner to oppose concealed carry push
• Virginia Republican: ISIS Will Rob Your House In Broad Daylight If You Don’t Vote For Me (“When fearmongering goes hilariously wrong.”)
• House clerk refuses to recognize two Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoes (“The vetoed budget item extends a prohibition on requiring public labor agreements with unions to public-private transportation deals, as the state already forbids for conventional projects managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation.”)
• Editorial: Questions for Northam and Perriello at tonight’s Democratic debate (These are some really lame questions…)
• If approved, federal budget compromise would avert most Hampton Roads shipyard layoffs
• McDonnell says he feels ‘vindicated.’ He’s missing the point. (“In an interview with ’60 Minutes,’ the former Va. governor does not appear contrite.”)
• Northam grilled on campaign finance, Perriello on abortion at progressive forum
• Barack Obama stars in Tom Perriello’s first campaign ad for Virginia governor (“Absent from his ad? Any mention of Donald Trump”)
• Virginia power broker in the hot seat in governor’s race (“Democrat Tom Perriello and 61 legislative candidates swear off cash from Dominion Energy, Virginia’s biggest political donor”)
• Editorial: In mishandling the mentally ill, Virginia has too much company
• Va. sheriff calls on McAuliffe to free Jens Soering
• Virginia’s expansion of disability services leaves Fairfax County short of funds
• Editorial: School Board must tackle rezoning
• Richmond School Board forfeits right to criticize Bedden, sets $114/hr consulting rate in separation agreement
• Blue Ridge Caucus: Chris Hurst uses Greg Habeeb’s sarcastic tweet citing ‘massive ego’ to raise money
• Clouding up today with downpours likely late tonight into Friday (“Nearly all of the area could get an inch or more of rain and temperatures will cool over the weekend into early next week.”)