Tuesday News: Trumpcare Zombie Won’t Die; Another Day, Another Disastrous Global Warming-Fueled Hurricane

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, September 19.

• Latest health-care push comes with big risks for Republicans (“Two months after an effort to overhaul the Affordable Care Act failed, Senate Republicans are trying to corral support for a new bill. But it remains far from certain that leaders can marshal enough votes to secure passage. Even if they do, the party will own legislation that would slash health-care spending and likely cover fewer people than the last bill.”)
• Hurricane Maria, “extremely dangerous” storm, pounds Dominica
• Maria Does ‘Mind Boggling’ Damage to Island of Dominica
• Hurricane Maria back at Category 5 as it barrels toward Puerto Rico (Two words: global warming.)
• The CBO Won’t Score the Final Trumpcare Bill for Weeks
• Republicans Really Could Repeal Obamacare This Time (“Of course, that’s been true every time.”)
• The 4 steps for Republicans to repeal Obamacare in the next 2 weeks (This bill would be like a Category 5 hurricane for U.S. healthcare.)
• The Latest GOP Health-Care Scheme Fulfills an Old Conservative Dream (More like a nightmare.)
• The Republican Health Care Zombie Is Back (“After spending much of this year trying to kill the Affordable Care Act, House and Senate leaders try again with a worse plan.”)
• Leonhardt: John McCain Faces a New Test of His Principles (McCain looks like he’s about to fail those supposed “principles.”)
• With a Picked Lock and a Threatened Indictment, Mueller’s Inquiry Sets a Tone
• Trump Urges U.N. Reform; Hints He May Quit Iran Deal (UN reform is fine, depending on exactly what it is of course. Quitting the Iran deal is absolutely NOT fine.)
• Sometimes Justice Means Having Air You Can Breathe (“Race and class always matter—including when they’re choosing where to put that factory.”)
• Groundhog Day for Obamacare Repeal (“The GOP is still missing the crucial 50th Senate vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal. But a looming deadline is providing new momentum, and the legislation has advanced from no-shot to long-shot.”)
• Clinton Won’t Rule Out Questioning 2016 Election, But Says No Clear Means To Do So
• These Companies Support the Paris Agreement. They Also Support Climate Deniers. (“The most striking example? SolarCity, the nation’s largest residential solar-panel provider. Its investors were certain the Obama power plan would be good for business—and its absence was bad news. The company’s stock nose-dived 26 percent the morning after the Supreme Court paused the rule. Still, three months later, SolarCity donated $20,000 to RAGA, on top of the roughly $15,000 it donated to the group the year before.”)
• Facebook’s Reckoning Draws Nearer (“Sooner or later, the company will be forced to take on the responsibilities that come with being the world’s dominant news distributor.”)
• Trump’s interior secretary on national monuments: Sell ’em and strip ’em (“Interior Department’s ideas for national monuments are leaked: A massive capitulation to oil and gas interests” Your daily reminder that the Trump administration is evil incarnate.)
• Philosopher Susan Neiman: “The president of our country is evil” (“Author of ‘Evil in Modern Thought’ says progressives must not shun the concept, especially when it fits so well”)
• Trump says he wants a massive military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on July 4 (No. Just no.)
• New study: White people lack empathy across the socioeconomic spectrum (“Apparent empathy gap among white Americans shows up on questions of both race and economics, study finds”)
• Momentum builds for Obamacare repeal (“Sen. John McCain could again be the decisive vote.”)
• President Trump’s Day 2 at the UN: What to watch for Tuesday
• Political campaigns prep for battle with hackers (“Democratic committees burned in 2016 are quickly adopting anti-hacking measures, but individual campaigns are moving more slowly.”)
• The GOP’s on the verge of passing a bill that will phase out Medicaid in its entirety (“Time to panic.”)
• Laura Ingraham’s racist, transphobic takes land her a primetime slot on Fox News (“Fox isn’t changing after Ailes.”)
• Ex-Fox News contributor alleges anchor raped her in new lawsuit (Basically, Fox is the Big Lie, sexual harassment and rape network.)
• Virginia estimates $1.2 billion hit to Medicaid program under latest Senate health plan
• AG Mark Herring announces policy proposals on heroin and opioid abuse
• Ryan’s total pay could top $1M a year (“James E. Ryan could receive more than a million dollars a year as the University of Virginia’s president.”)
• New poll: Northam has slight edge, but Va. governor’s race looks like a squeaker
• The Va. governor’s race still hears a lot from the guys who lost the nomination fights (Tom Perriello has been relentless, working his butt off to elect the statewide ticket of course, but also – and just as importantly – House of Delegates candidates. Rock on Tom!)
• ‘You’ve Lost That Centrist Feeling’: Comstock challenger hits cringe-worthy notes
• Try to Make It Through This Entire Ad Without Cringing (“Dan Helmer is … not the future of the Democratic Party.” Ouch.)
• Dear 2018 Democrats: Do Better (“One of [Barbara Comstock’s] principal Democratic opponents is Dan Helmer, an Army veteran and Rhodes Scholar. Helmer is an attractive candidate and Comstock is a tempting target. But Helmer is simply going to have to do better than this.”)
• Behind the Making of the Worst/Best Political Campaign Ad of All Time (“Dan Helmer is running for Congress. And despite a terrible voice, he chose to sing in his campaign ad. It’s impossible to not watch.”)
• DMV shortfall tops $16M, raising possibility of increased fees
• Editorial: GO Virginia reports challenge both parties
• Jesse Jackson in Roanoke stop: ‘There is power in the vote’
• Cuccinelli and Miller column: Here’s why your electric bill’s too high (“Repealing the 2015 law locking in profits has the potential to bring hundreds of millions in savings to Virginians who use electricity.” Agreed; the 2015 bill was a disgrace and needs to be repealed. While you’re at it, how about dismantling Dominion Energy?)
• Virginia’s environmental agency to press ahead on pipeline permits as other states hit the brakes (Virginia’s DEQ is completely corrupt, basically a puppet of Dominion Energy, also corrupt.)
• Pick of Heaphy for rally probe criticized (“Tanesha Hudson said she was disappointed the city chose Heaphy, considering his long-standing relationship with the city.”)
• Editorial: Region must not play second fiddle (“While tonight’s debate may not feature any fireworks, November’s decision will have far-reaching implications for Virginia and for Hampton Roads.”)
• Richmond School Board votes to hold special election to fill vacant seat
• Congregation once led by Robert E. Lee votes to remove his name from their Lexington church
• Virginia Department of Forestry is collecting acorns and nuts for new forest
• Partly sunny and breezy with a chance of showers; warmer tomorrow