In an interview with the Wall Street Journal Wednesday, Donald Trump threatened to cancel key Obamacare payments that the federal government makes to insurance companies.

These payments are called "cost-sharing reductions" and they help insurers cover low-income working Americans.

If Trump follows through on his threat to cancel them, many insurance companies would probably pull out of Obamacare altogether - and that's the point.

This is all part of a mobster-style ploy to get Democrats to the negotiating table.

As Trump told the Journal, "I don't want people to get hurt.... [But] What I think should happen-- and will happen -- is the Democrats will start calling me and negotiating."

Democrats are already playing hardball over this -- they now say they want a guarantee to cover the cost-sharing reductions in the government spending bill to that's due at the end of the month.

So will this threat backfire on Trump or will Democrats surrender?

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10:30pm... How Trump Could Frack Up the Arctic... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Friday's Daily Stack 

In for Thom, Progressive host Alex Lawson, Social Security Works/We Act Radio   

 

Hour One: Progressive activism in Arizona
- Josselyn Berry, Progress Now AZ    

Article: ""You work for us": Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake faces hostile town hall" by Matthew Rozsa.

Article: "Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signs bill banning pay-per-signature for initiative petitions" by Mary Jo Pitzl.

Article: "Republican lawmakers pass more restrictions on voter initiatives" by Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services.

Article: "Democrat David Garcia Announces Bid for Arizona Governor" by April 12, 2017.

 

Article: "Trump's 'aggressive' tweets are 'trouble,' says North Korea" by Chris Matyszczyk.

Article: "Kansas election: Republicans mull narrow win in deep red state" by BBC.

Site: Resistance Recess.

Article: "Tax Day March", April 15, 2017.

Article: "Trump Reverses Himself On 6 Major Issues In 2 Days" by Ben Walsh , Amanda Terkel.

Article: "How about a real town hall instead of public appearances?" by Jacob Lang.

Facebook: "Southern Maryland People's Assembly".

Facebook: "Together We Will - Maryland".

Facebook: "Senator Steve Waugh".

Site: NAACP.

Book: Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky.

Site: Indivisible.

Article: "Here's how much the 'mother of all bombs' the US just dropped on ISIS in Afghanistan actually cost" by Rebecca Harrington.

Article: "An engineer in need of a laptop" by Samantha Badeau.

Hour Two: Tax March April 15
- Nelini Stamp, Working Families Party...Tax March Executive Committee    

Event: April 15: "Tax March".

Article: "Border Patrol agent shoots, kills migrant who threw rocks" by Michael Martinez and Jaqueline Hurtado.

 

Site: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Site: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).

Article: "Arc of the United States" by Wikipedia.

 

Talk Media News Segment:
- Patrick Gavin 

Article: "Highlights from President Trump's interview with the Wall Street Journal" by Alexander Mallin, Ryan Struyk.

Tweet: "North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A." by Donald J. Trump.

Article: "North Korea threatens retaliation; China urges restraint" by TMN.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Book: Loving What You Do: The Elements of a Great Working Life by Ellen Ratner.

Hour Three: Drug Prices Should Be Lower
- Heather Block, Patient Advocate  

Article: "This Cancer Patient Supports Looking at New Ways to Price Drugs" by Heather Block.

Article: "Maryland General Assembly passes bill aimed at drug 'price gouging'" by Ian Duncan.

Article: "Big Pharma Funds "Independent" Advocacy Groups Attacking Drug-Price Reduction Bill" by Lee Fang.

Bill: "S.771 - Improving Access To Affordable Prescription Drugs Act" by Sen. Al Franken.

 

Article: "Watch: Angry crowd confronts Republican Greg Walden at town hall".

Article: "Good Friday" by Wikipedia.

Video: Bill Wiese - 23 Minutes in Hell.

Article: "Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017" (April 18, 2017).

Site: Jon Ossoff for Congress.

Article: "Tommy Douglas" (father of Canadian Healthcare) by Wikipedia.

Facebook: "Drug Prices are Too High".

Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

In for Thom, please welcome progressive Alex Lawson, Executive Director-Social Security Works & Owner-We Act Radio

 

We'll have the latest news and information... including Social Security and Medicare...

 

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

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