Republicans inched closer to a deal on repealing Obamacare yesterday, as the House Freedom caucus OK'd a new version of the American Health Care Act which is actually worse than the one that couldn't pass Congress back in March.

This new version of Trumpcare is worse because it does away with the best parts of Obamacare: the part that bans insurance companies jacking up premiums on people with pre-existing conditions, and the part that requires every insurance plan to meet a minimum standard of coverage (for example, it has to cover things like hospital visits, birth control, and maternity care).

Under the new house Republican plan, states could simply opt out of those requirements.

GOP lawmakers, on the other hand, would be exempt from these changes.

In other words - they'd get to keep their current Obamacare plans with all the protections intact, while everyone else would be left with their crappy Trumpcare plans.

So it turns out that this Republican healthcare plan is so bad that even Republicans don't want to have to deal with it.

Shouldn't we just be going for single payer?

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10:30pm... 100 Days Into the "For-Profit Presidency" (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Thursday's Daily Stack 

Article: "The Midwest is longing for populism. Can Democrats offer that in 2018?" by Thomas Frank.

Book: What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank.

Book: Listen Liberal by Thomas Frank.

Article: "North American Free Trade Agreement" (NAFTA) by Wikipedia

Article: "The Guardian view on Barack Obama: don't go chasing Wall Street cash" by The Guardian.

Article: "The global elite are headed for a fall. And they don't even know it." by Damon Linker.

Article: "Booed and heckled, Macron gets a rough ride in Le Pen's French heartland" by AFP.

Tweet: "On the same day Democrats were rallying around a $15 minimum wage, the @GOP unveiled a massive tax cut for corporations and the super rich." by Rep. Keith Ellison.

Article: "New RTW law under siege in Show-Me State" by Chris Woodward.

Article: "Top adviser to Richard Nixon admitted that 'War on Drugs' was policy tool to go after anti-war protesters and 'black people'" by Adam Edelman.

Speech: "Great Society" by Wikipedia.

Article: "An exemption for Congress roils Republicans' latest health care effort" by Sarah Kliff.

Article: "Sanders' Unity Tour With DNC Chair Exposes Rifts But Also Suggests Common Goals" by Scott Detrow.

Article: "What are Marine Le Pen's policies?" by Alasdair Sandford.

Article: "French unemployment still above eurozone average" by Marion Candau.

Article: "Mélenchon's team urge 'not one vote for Le Pen' but stop short of backing Macron" by Kim Willsher.

Article: "Defeated conservative Fillon calls on supporters to choose Macron over Le Pen" by Silvia Amaro.

Article: "Herrera Beutler addresses healthcare" by Jess Macinko.

Article: "Statement of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen on American Health Care Act".

Article: "CBS CEO: "...may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS"" by Lee Fang.

Article: "Gravis Marketing Poll: Donald Trump approval rate sits at 42% as he approaches 100 Day mark" by Frank Torres.

Article: "Barack Obama to 'make $400k' for his Wall Street speech" by Maya Oppenheim.

Article: "Schengen" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Eurozone" by Wikipedia.

Hour Two: Why We Are a Nervous Nation...PTPTSD Explained
- Dr. Steven Stosny PhD, Compassion Power/Soar Above: How to Use the Most Profound Part of Your Brain Under Any Kind of Stress.

Article: "CareDash Survey: Majority of Americans Still Suffer From Election Results Anxiety as President's 100th Day Draws Near" by CareDash.

Article: "He once called it 'election stress disorder.' Now the therapist says we're suffering from this" by Steven Stosny.

Site: Drinking Liberally

Site: MoveOn.org

Site: Our Revolution

 

Article: "WV Gov. Justice announces May 4 start for special session on budget" by Phil Kabler.

Article: "Chinese factory that makes Ivanka Trump clothes cited for low wages, poor conditions" by Peter Weber.

Article: "Donald Trump orders government to 'buy American' despite manufacturing products in 12 different countries" by Emily Shugerman.

Article: "Couple charged in shooting of protester at Milo Yiannopoulos event in Seattle".

Article: "Protesters Storm Heritage Foundation" by David Rutz.

Article: "Grand Rapids Police Under Fire for Stopping Young Black Boys at Gunpoint" by Democracy Now!

Article: "Facebook is APD's megaphone" by Ryan Boetel.

Case: "Buckley v. Valeo", 1976

Case: "First National Bank Of Boston V. Bellotti", 1978

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010)

Article: "Constitution of the United States", article 3 section 2. "... the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make..."

Video: "New Covenant speech", October 23, 1991 by Bill Clinton.

Article: "Protesters storm Heritage Foundation building to call for 'Budget for the People'" by Joshua Eaton.

Article: "Banks Are Spending Billions To Make Rich People Richer" by Zach Carter.

Article: "Credit Suisse launches $4bn share sale to ease capital fears" by Laura Noonan, Ralph Atkins.

Article: "Sugary Drinks Tied to Accelerated Brain Aging" by Nicholas Bakalar.

Article: "Donald Trump's first 100 days were a stress test for democracy" by Lawrence Douglas.

Article: "White House Deflects Blame To Obama Admin For Insufficiently Vetting Flynn" by Esme Cribb.

Article: "Elizabeth Warren Wades Into Democratic Party's Debate On Candidates' Abortion Views" by Ryan Grim.

Article: "Congress Is Preparing To Give Away Public Land" by Sarah Okeson, David Cay Johnston.

Amendment: "S.Amdt.838 to S.Con.Res.11" by Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK].

Law: "The National Labor Relations Act (The Wagner Act)", 1935.

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

 

In for Thom today, please welcome Sam Sacks, Co-founder, The District Sentinel.

 

We'll have the latest news and information... everything you need to know to win the water cooler wars...

 

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"

 

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