DAILY NEWS
Facing the heat (or not), Larry Brown’s hat, turning on Trump, RIP J…
Friday, April 14, 2017
TOWN HALLS
ALSO at The Stand — Demand to see Trump’s returns at Tax March Seattle on Saturday
► From TPM — Top Republican faces tough questions about health care at Oregon town hall — Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), one of the Republicans who helped craft the GOP bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, defended his support for Trumpcare to a raucous crowd of more than 2,000 on Thursday at a town hall in Bend, Oregon.
ALSO at The Stand — Which members of Congress are playing hide-and-seek at recess?
TRUMPCARE
► From KUOW — Maps show a dramatic rise in health insurance coverage under ACA — New data from the U.S. Census Bureau presents the most detailed picture yet of the dramatic rise in the number of people covered by health insurance since the Affordable Care Act went into effect.
► In today’s NY Times — Can Trump take health care hostage? (by Paul Krugman) — The president adopts a bargaining tactic that’s both nasty and stupid.
► From The Hill — Dems link ObamaCare payments to shutdown fight — Following Trump’s threat, congressional Democrats are demanding that key ObamaCare payments be included in the next spending bill, raising the possibility of a government shutdown if they are not.
► From The Hill — GOP centrists push back on ObamaCare repeal — The centrists object to demands from conservatives that states be given waivers that would allow them to repeal ObamaCare requirements, arguing that the move would put insurance out of reach for people with pre-existing conditions.
LOCAL
EDITOR’S NOTE — WSLC President Jeff Johnson:
“The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO has long advocated for union members and community partners to run for elected office. It is our strong belief that union members bring with them a vision of what shared prosperity means for a community. Larry Brown, Legislative and Political Director of the IAM 751, is a labor leader with the experience and values to help the Auburn community live up to its great potential.”
► In today’s Tri-City Herald — Workers, bidders will have to wait longer to hear Hanford’s new contracting plan — The Department of Energy may not release a master plan for new Hanford contracts for a few months longer. The new contracting strategy is expected to shape the way work that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars is divided up at the nuclear reservation and which companies will employ more than 6,000 Hanford workers over the next decade.
ALSO at The Stand — Hunger strikers decry conditions at Tacoma detention center
► From The Stranger — ICE: “We don’t have a hunger strike. We have people refusing meals.” — “We don’t have a hunger strike,” said an ICE spokeswoman. “We have people refusing meals… People refuse meals, that’s not uncommon. They may not like what’s being served a particular day or they may not be hungry.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — “Nothing to see here. Move along.”
► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Immigration agency puts detainer ‘shame’ reports on hold — The Trump administration has stopped producing a weekly scorecard of law enforcement agencies it says are not cooperating with stepped-up federal efforts to deport those in the country illegally.
THIS WASHINGTON
► In today’s News Tribune — One doctor’s pain at Western State Hospital (by Dr. Joseph Wainer) — Despite a tremendous influx of resources at the state mental health institution, the core problem remains: a deficit of quality leadership, according to a psychiatrist who works there.
► In the (Everett) Herald — House budget address state tax system’s unfairness (letter)
► In the (Everett) Herald — House budget would fully fund schools, improve tax system (letter)
THAT WASHINGTON
► In today’s NY Times — For Trump, a steep learning curve leads to policy reversals — Prseident Trump, the first occupant of the White House never to serve in government or the military, has discovered that some issues are more complex than he knew.
► In today’s Washington Post — EPA chief Scott Pruitt calls for an ‘exit’ from the Paris climate agreement — The comment appeared to be the first time such a high-ranking official has so explicitly disavowed the agreement endorsed by nearly 200 countries to fight climate change.
T.G.I.F.
► This week, we lost guitarist J. Geils, leader of the band bearing his name that is known by casual fans for hits like “Centerfold,” “Freeze Frame” and “Love Stinks.” J. (John) passed away in his home in Massachusetts of natural causes at the age of 71. His Boston/Detroit band was legendary for its energetic, interactive live performances. See for yourself…
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.