Robert Reich’s Live Anti-Trump Resistance Report for September 25th (VIDEO)

Senator Ron Wyden speaks at a town-hall meeting

at Linn-Benton Community College’s activity center 

in Albany, Oregon, on February 4, 2017.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE 

SPRAWLING NEW 

ANTI-TRUMP 
RESISTANCE MOVEMENT

By Joshua Holland

“The election of Donald Trump was a catastrophe for progressive America, but the damage may be mitigated over the long term by a remarkable surge of energy on the left in response to his election.” In February, as many as 5.2 million people participated in hastily organized Women’s Marches across the country, senators’ phones were jammed with calls protesting Trump’s cabinet nominees and other early moves, and, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post at the time, more than one in three Democrats say they plan to become “more involved in the political process in the next year” as a result of the election. That’s true of 40 percent of Democratic women, and almost half of self-identified liberal Democrats,” according to The Nation.

That surge of energy has evolved into a strong anti-trump resistance movement on social media and in cities and towns across America.

Robert Reich has emerged as a leader in the anti-trump resistance movement. He is a persistent leading voice, spearheading forces against Donald Trump’s presidency, and is a staunch advocate for his impeachment. Reich’s resistance report analysis and guidance are indispensable for anyone who wants to be informed during these crazy and frightening times in American politics. Reich is outstanding at connecting the dots and illuminating the bigger picture that links the countless scandals and outrages that come across the newswire.

Reich’s Live Resistance Report on September 25th, 2017, delves into the controversy over Donald Trump's criticism of the NFL and the players and coaches' responses. He also talked about the Muslim ban, Trump and Kim Jon-un's escalatory back-and-forth, and the fundamental question of what patriotism is about.

Senate won't vote on ObamaCare repeal bill

Good news. Although I’m afraid it will not be the end of it. The “Zombie” Republican health care bill known as Graham-Cassidy” does not have the votes to pass.

According to The Hill, “Senate Republicans have decided to not vote on their latest ObamaCare repeal legislation, signaling a collapse in their last-ditch effort to kill off President Obama's signature law.”

“The last-ditch bill sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) would dismantle ObamaCare’s insurance subsidy program and Medicaid expansion and convert their funding into block grants to states.

" ‘We don't have the votes,’ Cassidy acknowledged after meeting with his colleagues on Tuesday . . . We made the decision since we don't have the votes, we're going to postpone it.

“Graham said the health care debate will resume after Congress tries to move a tax reform package and expressed confidence his bill will eventually muster 50 votes.

" ‘It's not if, only a matter of when," he said, adding that with more ‘attention’ and ‘time,’ the bill could eventually become law.

“In the meantime, Graham and Cassidy plan to tour the country to build support.

" ‘We're going to take our show on the road,’ Graham said.”

Here’s the story:

Under the proposed Graham-Cassidy legislation to repeal and replace the Obamacare, the board of the National Association of Medicaid Directors stated, "The scope of this work, and the resources required to support state planning and implementation activities, cannot be overstated."

(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

 SENATE WON'T VOTE ON OBAMACARE REPEAL BILL

By Alexander Bolton

AP -- GOP, White House prepare to roll out tax cuts

I realize I am oversimplifying, but in reality, when Republicans say they want to simplify the tax code it means making it simpler for wealthy folks. But not necessarily for the rest of us. The tax code is simply a ruse: It intends on making it look like they care about taxes middle-class Americans pay. They’re fully committed to cutting taxes for wealthy Americans because they believe “trickle-down economics” works, but when it comes to the rest of us, they are more concerned about what that would do to tax revenue and “substantially” adding to the deficit.  

The whole current tax code could be really simplified by legislating a simple federal tax on sales, excluding food, clothing, and medical expenditures. The rich would pay higher taxes on expensive cars, million dollar homes, and million-dollar yachts. It would come down to all of us paying taxes on our wants and not on our needs.

From the Associated Press’ Marcy Gordon And Ken Thomas:

“They’re in agreement on wanting to cut tax rates and simplify the byzantine tax system but they’re divided over whether to add to the government’s ballooning debt with tax cuts. The GOP also is at odds over eliminating the federal deduction for state and local taxes.

“The White House and congressional Republicans are finalizing a tax plan that would slash the corporate rate while likely reducing the levy for the wealthiest Americans, with President Donald Trump ready to roll out the policy proposal at midweek.

“The grand plan to rewrite the nation's tax code would be the first major overhaul in three decades, delivering on a Trump campaign pledge and providing a sorely needed legislative achievement. It also is expected to eliminate or reduce some tax breaks and deductions.

“The plan would likely cut the tax rate for the wealthiest Americans, now at 39.6 percent, to 35 percent, people familiar with the plan said Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement.

“In addition, the top tax for corporations would be reduced to around 20 percent from the current 35 percent, they said. It will seek to simplify the tax system by reducing the number of income tax brackets from seven to three.

“ ‘The plan being assembled lays out ‘pro-growth tax reform,’ Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, head of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill. It will fix a tax code that is ‘so complex, so costly and so unfair,’ he said.

“Brady predicted the plan ‘will deliver the lowest tax rates on businesses in modern history.’”

Here’s the rest of the story:

The big three meet on tax reform

at the White House in Washington,

September 5, 2017.

Joshua Roberts | Reuters

GOP, WHITE HOUSE PREPARE TO ROLL OUT TAX CUTS

By Marcy Gordon And Ken Thomas

Masters of War: Senate Defense Budget Set to Exceed One Third of Global Military (VIDEO)

MASTERS OF WAR: 

SENATE DEFENSE BUDGET 

SET TO EXCEED ONE THIRD

OF GLOBAL MILITARY

By Ben Dangl

It’s unconscionable that the Senate approved a military spending package that is three times as much as China spends on its military, and 10 times as much as Russia. 

Moreover, the spending package is almost double what Donald Trump requested.

According to the Intercept, “One of the most controversial proposals put forward by Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential campaign was a pledge to make tuition free at public colleges and universities. Critics from both parties howled that the pie-in-the-sky idea would bankrupt the country. Where, after all, would the money come from?

“Those concerns were brushed aside Monday night, as the Senate overwhelmingly approved an $80 billion annual increase in military spending, enough to have fully satisfied Sanders’s campaign promise. Instead, the Senate handed President Donald Trump far more than the $54 billion he asked for. The lavish spending package gives Trump a major legislative victory, allowing him to boast about fulfilling his promise of a ‘great rebuilding of the armed services.’

“The bill would set the U.S.’s annual military budget at around $700 billion, putting it within range of matching the spending level at the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“To put that in further perspective: If the package becomes law, U.S. military spending would exceed the total spending of its next 10 rivals put together, going off of 2016 military spending estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“Before the bill becomes law, it has to be reconciled with the version the House already passed, which contains a similar $77 billion spending increase. It is likely to become law by the end of the year.”

ABC -- Trump seen by most Americans as doing more to divide than unite country (POLL)

From the News And Guts Facebook page :

Is he Donald The Deflector? Maybe Donald The Diverter? Why would the President take on America’s pro athletes and its most popular game? This morning's tweets bashing the NFL may be less about defending the flag than Donald Trump diverting attention from his failures. Healthcare reform is about to tank (again), his administration has zero significant legislative accomplishments, his candidate for Senate in Alabama is about to lose and the border wall remains something Trump can only dream about.

Meanwhile, Mike Allen at Axios says NFL and NBA players are just the latest in a long line of Trump targets:

“Opinionated athletes have a lot of company. Other than white, straight, Christian men, it's hard to think of a group President Trump hasn't offended or attacked as a candidate or in office.

Be smart: Trump's mostly white, mainly rural, majority-male base clearly laps this up — and he knows it.”

Meanwhile, a new poll from ABCNews + Washington Post finds Donald Trump with historically low approval ratings. It also shows most Americans don't want to go to war with North Korea and don't trust Trump can handle the threat responsibly. Here's more from ABC:

"Views on North Korea underscore trepidations about Trump on the global stage. Even as a record number of Americans see North Korea as a threat, the public by a wide 62-37 percent does not trust Trump to act responsibly in handling the situation. Compare that with trust in U.S. military leaders; at 72 percent, it’s about double the level of trust in their commander-in-chief.

But Trump faces equal difficulties at home. His approval rating is the lowest of any president at eight months in office in polling back 71 years. The public by 66-28 percent says he’s done more to divide than to unite the country."

TRUMP SEEN BY MOST AMERICANS AS DOING MORE TO DIVIDE THAN UNITE COUNTRY (POLL)

By Gary Langer

NY Times -- Trump Attacks Warriors’ Curry. LeBron James’s Retort: ‘U Bum.’

  

Donald Trump’s response to the National Football League’s players kneeling during the national anthem and Golden Gate Warrior point guard Stephen Curry’s rejection to attend a White House Celebration of the teams 2017 NBA Championship win has drawn intense blowback from the NFL and the NBA.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban fired back at President Donald Trump’s criticism of NFL players, as well as the president’s decision to revoke a White House invitation to Golden State Warriors' star Stephen Curry. 

On Sunday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a supporter, and donor who gave the president his Super Bowl ring, said "I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the president on Friday.

“There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics.

"Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful."

Robert Reich reacts on his Facebook page:

NFL players have far more class and more understanding of America’s ideals than Trump does. Kudos to them for standing up to the bully-in-chief.

To recap: Trump went to Alabama Friday evening, and in front of a vastly white audience he criticized athletes -- nearly all of them black -- who have protested police brutality by silently holding a fist aloft or taking a knee on the sidelines of football games. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these N.F.L. owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”

In response, Steph Curry, star of the Golden Gate Warriors, winner of the N.B.A. championship in June, explained why he thought the team should skip the champions’ customary visit to the White House. “By acting and not going, hopefully that will inspire some change,” he said, “when it comes to what we tolerate in this country and what is accepted and what we turn a blind eye to.”

Yesterday morning, Trump declared on Twitter he would not invite Curry, to the White House.

Which led players around the country to respond. For example:

N.B.A. point guard Chris Paul: “With everything that's going on in our country, why are YOU focused on who's kneeling and visiting the White House??? #StayInYoLane

LeBron James: “U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”

Bishop Sankey, a Vikings running back: “It's a shame and disgrace when you have the President of the US calling citizens of the country sons of a bitches.”

Even N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell: “Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the N.F.L., our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.”

Donald Trump is not just an embarrassment. He's a petty, vindictive man-child who doesn’t want America to tolerate free speech he dislikes, and who wants to divide this nation. He is unfit to be our president. We must unite to remove him from office as soon as possible.

TRUMP ATTACKS WARRIORS’ CURRY. LEBRON JAMES’S RETORT: ‘U BUM.’

By Ken Belson And Julie Hirschfeld Davis

Steve Kerr: Mr. President: You Represent All of Us. Don’t Divide Us. Bring Us Together

Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, writes an open letter about Donald Trump trying to silence black athletes:

“We knew it was coming.

“After Steph spoke up at media day on Friday, we figured it was just a matter of time until the president responded. Then on Saturday morning my wife, Margot, woke me up. “Here it is,” she said, and showed me Trump’s tweet. Our invitation, he wrote, “has been withdrawn” because, “going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team” and, “Stephen Curry is hesitating.”

“First off, I’m pretty sure Steph wasn’t ‘hesitating.’ He made it clear he wouldn’t go. Second, as I joked to the media Saturday, it was like the president was trying to break up with us before we broke up with him.

“Regardless, it’s a shame. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet President Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton, and Obama. I didn’t agree with all of them, but it was easy to set politics aside because each possessed an inherent respect for the office, as well as the humility that comes with being a public servant in an incredible position of power, representing 300 million people. And that’s the problem now. In his tweet to Steph, Trump talked about honoring the White House but, really, isn’t it you who must honor the White House, Mr. President? And the way to do that is through compassion and dignity and being above the fray. Not causing the fray.

“Would we have gone? Probably not. The truth is we all struggled with the idea of spending time with a man who has offended us with his words and actions time and again. But I can tell you one thing: it wouldn’t have been for the traditional ceremony, to shake hands and smile for cameras. Internally, we’d discussed whether it’d be possible to just go and meet as private citizens and have a serious, poignant discussion about some of the issues we’re concerned about. But he’s made it hard for any of us to actually enter the White House, because what’s going on is not normal. It’s childish stuff: belittling people and calling them names. So to expect to go in and have a civil, serious discourse? Yeah, that’s probably not going to happen.

“Look, I’m a basketball coach and what I do obviously pales in comparison to what the president does. But our jobs are similar in at least one respect: If you want to be an NBA coach, you need to be prepared to be criticized. You kind of know that going in. If I coach poorly and we lose the game, I hear about it. That’s okay. It’s really where we coaches earn our money, accepting and dealing with criticism and keeping the ship moving forward. There has to be an inherent understanding when you enter into any public position of power that this is what happens. People are going to take shots at you and it’s incumbent upon you to absorb those shots. Maybe you respond diplomatically, but you maintain a level of respect and dignity. What you can’t do is just angrily lash out. Can you imagine if I lashed out at all my critics every day and belittled them? I’d lose my players, I’d embarrass ownership, I’d embarrass myself. Pretty soon I’d be out of a job. It’s a basic adult thing that you learn as you grow up: People aren't always going to agree with you. And that’s OK.

“Instead, we get Trump’s comments over the weekend about NFL players, calling them ‘sons of bitches’ for kneeling during the anthem. Those just crushed me. Crushed me. Just think about what those players are protesting. They’re protesting excessive police violence and racial inequality. Those are really good things to fight against. And they’re doing it in a nonviolent way. Which is everything that Martin Luther King preached, right? A lot of American military members will tell you that the right to free speech is exactly what they fight for. And it’s just really, really upsetting that the leader of our country is calling for these players to be ‘fired.’

“The hard part is knowing what to do now. Margot and I talked for a long time Saturday morning about what to say publicly. I’ve probably been as critical of Trump as anybody but maybe it’s time to take a different course. There’s no need to get into a war of words. It’s about trying to hang on to the values that are important to us as an organization, a country, and, really, as human beings.

“The fact is we live in an amazing country, but it’s a flawed one. I consider myself unbelievably lucky to live here, so please spare me the ‘If you don’t like it you can get out’ argument. I love living here. I love my country. I just think it’s important to recognize that we as a nation are far from perfect, and it’s our responsibility to try to make it better. And one of the ways to do that is to promote awareness and understanding and acceptance. Not just acceptance but embracing our diversity, which when you get down to it is not only who we are but truly what makes us great. And it’s not happening.

“Remember, the president works for us, not vice versa. We elected him. He doesn’t just work for his constituents and his base. He works for every citizen. Once you take that office, you have to do what’s best for the entire country. Sure, you’re going to have policies that align with your party, but that’s not the point. Respectfully, Mr. Trump, the point is this: You’re the president. You represent all of us. Don’t divide us.

“Bring us together.”

Steve Kerr

MR. PRESIDENT: YOU REPRESENT ALL OF US. DON’T DIVIDE US. BRING US TOGETHER

By Steve Kerr (As Told To Chris Ballard)

Nation -- Bernie Sanders Just Gave One of the Finest Speeches of His Career (VIDEO)

Outlining a vision of an America on the side of peace and justice, the senator shredded Trump’s brutish foreign policies.

BERNIE SANDERS 

JUST GAVE ONE 

OF THE FINEST SPEECHES 

OF HIS CAREER

  

By John Nichols

“What a rational and progressive foreign policy is about is building upon our common humanity. We must do everything we can to oppose the forces that try to divide us up and set us against each other.” -- Senator Bernie Sanders

The Nation’s John Nichols writes . . .

“The most meaningful foreign-policy address delivered by a prominent American political figure in this moment of global turmoil and possibility was not, as should be quite clear by now, Donald Trump’s “Rocket Man” rant at the United Nations.

“Rather, it was the speech that Senator Bernie Sanders gave Thursday at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. The long-planned address by the 2016 presidential contender was not presented as a formal response to Trump. And yet, as Sanders outlined a vision for foreign policy that was more nuanced, more complex, and more genuinely internationalist than that of the president, he provided the most necessary and valuable counter to Trump.

“Sanders also countered the narrow framework of the contemporary debate about foreign policy that gave rise to the nationalist presidency of a billionaire populist who thinks there is a country in Africa called ‘Nambia.’ ”

CBS -- Steph Curry responds to Trump's comments: 'That's not what leaders do'

Trump rescinded Curry's invitation to the White House after Curry said he wasn't interested in going

According to CBS Sports: “The world woke up Saturday morning to Donald Trump’s tweets rescinding Curry's invitation, which in turn led to players such as LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant responding with their own tweets, and eventually both the Warriors and NBA commissioner Adam Silver releasing statements.

“Now, Curry himself has shared his thoughts on the situation, saying it was "surreal," and lamenting that Trump's actions are "not what leaders do."

“ ‘It's surreal, to be honest,’ Curry said after that practice had concluded at the team's facility in downtown Oakland. ‘I don't know why he feels the need to target certain individuals, rather than others.

" ‘I have an idea of why, but it's kind of beneath a leader of a country to go that route. That's not what leaders do.’ "

Robert Reich congratulates Curry for taking a stand against Trump’s Twitter outburst, saying . . .

This morning [Trump] called out Curry for saying that he didn't want the team to visit the White House. In a vindictive and childish tweet, Trump wrote, “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!"

This afternoon Curry took the high road, telling reporters, "That's not what leaders do." The Warriors also issued a statement that read in part, "We believe there is nothing more American than our citizens having the right to express themselves freely on matters important to them."

This is the response of real champions -- something Trump could never even remotely understand.

USA Today

STEPH CURRY RESPONDS TO TRUMP'S COMMENTS: 'THAT'S NOT WHAT LEADERS DO'

    

By Jack Maloney

Clean air and safe water should always come before corporate profits

Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt have turned the Environmental Protection Agency over to corporate polluters. Pruitt meets frequently with mining and fossil fuel industry executives, but hardly takes any meetings with environmental groups, according to a new report by the Washington Post. The corporate meetings also appear to be influencing the agency's decisions:

1) Less than two weeks after Pruitt met with an Alaskan mining company, the agency approved a controversial mine that could contaminate nearby streams.

2) In April, Pruitt met with representatives of the American Gas Association. Two weeks later the agency announced it would reconsider Obama-era regulations on harmful methane leaks at drilling sites.

3) After Pruitt's meeting with a truck manufacturer, the agency halted new standards for the trucking industry.

The EPA has a duty to protect the public from harmful pollution, not cater to the needs of corporate interests. Clean air and safe water should always come before corporate profits.

-- Robert Reich

EPA CHIEF PRUITT MET WITH MANY CORPORATE EXECS. THEN HE MADE DECISIONS IN THEIR FAVOR.

By Steven Mufson and Juliet Eilperin

The Resurrection Of Roy Moore

President Trump is popular in Alabama. He won the state by 28 percentage points. So, it might seem surprising that contender for the U.S. Senate, Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the State Supreme Court, is leading Donald Trump’s endorsement Luther Strange, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Alabama.

“The president ramped up his support for ‘Big Luther’ with several tweets, and campaigned for Strange at a rally in Huntsville on Friday. But many Alabamans don’t see a contradiction in liking Trump but rejecting Strange. Moore’s core supporters, especially, see Strange, a former D.C. lobbyist, as a creature of the very swamp they elected Trump to drain,” writes Politico’s Eric Velasco.

Robert Reich remarked on Facebook: “It’s all about Trump. Always.”

  

Reich wrote, “Trump spent the first 25 minutes of last night’s campaign rally defending his decision to endorse Luther Strange, the Republican establishment’s pick for the Alabama Senate race in the upcoming Republican primary. Strange's opponent is Roy Moore, who was twice removed as Alabama’s chief justice for defying federal judges, who questioned former President Barack Obama’s citizenship, who said “homosexual conduct” should be illegal, and who suggested the 9/11 attacks were an act of punishment by God.

“ ‘I might have made a mistake. I’ll be honest, I might have made a mistake,’ Trump told the crowd. Why? Not because Moore is totally unqualified to be a U.S. Senator. No, Trump said his reason for doubting his endorsement of Strange was that if Strange loses, the media will accuse Trump of being ‘unable to pull his candidate across the line’ and cast the loss as a ‘total embarrassment.’ ”

On the left is Luther Strange, the right is Roy Moore

THE RESURRECTION OF ROY MOORE

Alabama’s would-be senator has a long history of bucking the system, suffering the consequences—and bouncing back.

By Eric Velasco

Nation -- Canada Is Using NAFTA to Demand Protection for US Unions

 Canadian negotiators are pushing the US to do away with anti-labor policies like “right to work.”

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has, to a significant extent, defined the relationship between the three North American nations over the last fifteen years. NAFTA was sold on the promise that it would bring more and better jobs and faster growth to the region and reduce emigration from Mexico to the United States and Canada. While trade and investment flows did increase, NAFTA did not create more net trade-related jobs and those that it did were very often less stable, with lower wages and fewer benefits. Instead, increased trade largely benefited the corporate elite in all three countries. Income inequality has also grown in the region. We believe that the trade liberalization and investors' rights provisions contained in NAFTA were important contributors to these results, -- NACLA.

And, Donald Trump has made NAFTA central to his debate over free trade. He has stated his intent to "renegotiate" NAFTA, calling it the “worst trade deal in the history of  the country.”

According to The Nation, “US labor has long criticized NAFTA as an enemy of unions, corroding domestic labor standards while spurring offshoring of blue-collar jobs to “low-road” Global South nations. But, up north, Canada’s unions fear exactly the same from the United States—that Washington’s relatively lax regulatory regime is dragging down standards and sucking away jobs. So, Canada wants to fix its southern neighbor’s labor laws.”

So, “the Trudeau administration has reportedly challenged Washington to raise labor standards as part of any revamped NAFTA deal. It has demanded protections for unionization and collective-bargaining rights, and called directly for a ban on “right to work” laws, which many states have used to dilute union power and sink wages, with spillover effects for the workforces of US trade partners. Pressured by unions, Canadian ministers seem to be leveraging labor standards to pressure Trump to make NAFTA, in theory, more beneficial for Canada’s labor force by countering the “race to the bottom.”

In agreement, Robert Reich writes . . .

Canada is intent on fixing what it considers a major unfair trade practice in the United States – American laws that keep down wages by making it harder for American workers to unionize than for Canadian workers to unionize. Canada is demanding stronger protections for American workers who want to unionize, and also a ban on “right to work” laws that states use to dilute union power and reduce wages. Canada says these unfairly reduce American wages and thereby hurt Canada’s competitiveness.

Canada is absolutely right. If the United States wants to renegotiate NAFTA to prevent Mexico from offering unfairly low-wage work, Canada should use the opportunity to prevent the United States from offering unfairly low-wage work, too.

CANADA IS USING NAFTA TO DEMAND PROTECTION FOR US UNIONS

By Michelle Chen

Obama: We Have To Keep "Our Leaders" From "Inflicting Real Human Suffering On Their Constituents" (VIDEO)

OBAMA: WE HAVE TO KEEP 

"OUR LEADERS" FROM "INFLICTING 

REAL HUMAN SUFFERING 

ON THEIR CONSTITUENTS"

By Ian Schwartz

I strongly oppose Graham-Cassidy. Like so many of the other Republican bills, it is another attempt to abolish government legislated health-care that is comprehensive and affordable, and not one that raises cost, reduces coverage, or one that doesn’t provide protections for Seniors, people with pre-existing conditions, and certainly not one that would make health-care almost unattainable for those who don’t have the wherewithal to pay for it. While the United States needs to take the profit out of health-care, Republicans want to give health-care back to the for-profit insurance providers as it was prior to ACA. A Medicare-for-all single-payer system will give health-care decisions to the people and take the profit out. 

Former President Barack Obama spoke today about the Republicans push to repeal the Affordable Care Act. At an event for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on Wednesday, in part he said:

"For the first time more than 90% of Americans know the security of health insurance. Paying more for insurance or being denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition or because you are a woman, that is not a thing anymore, we got rid of that. And people are alive today because of it and that is progress.

“Now, the legislation that we passed was full of things that still need to be fixed. It wasn't perfect. It was better.

“And so when I see people trying to undo that hard won progress for the 50th or 60th time with bills that would raise cost or reduce coverage or rollback protections for older Americans or people with pre-existing conditions, the cancer survivor, the expectant mom or the child with autism or asthma, for whom coverage once again would be almost unattainable, it is aggravating. And all of this being done without demonstrable or actuarial or plain common sense rational, it frustrates and it is certainly frustrating to have to mobilize every couple months to keep our leaders from inflicting real human suffering on our constituents."

Click here to 

Support the effort to end the Senate Republican’s health-care bill by contributing to the public testimony for Monday's Graham-Cassidy hearing.

NPR -- 10 Months After Election Day, Feds Tell States More About Russian Hacking

  

“One of the public's unanswered questions about Russia's attempts to break into election systems last year was which states were targeted. On Friday, states found out.

“The Department of Homeland Security said earlier this year that it had evidence of Russian activity in 21 states, but it failed to inform individual states whether they were among those targeted. Instead, DHS authorities say they told those who had ‘ownership’ of the systems -- which in some cases were private vendors or local election offices.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told the House Intelligence Committee in June: "In 2016 the Russian government, at the direction of Vladimir Putin himself, orchestrated cyberattacks on our nation for the purpose of influencing our election -- plain and simple. Now, the key question for the President and Congress is: What are we going to do to protect the American people and their democracy from this kind of thing in the future?"

But Donald Trump and Congress have done nothing about it. They are either ignoring Russia’s cyber-attack, denying it, or, at least the White House, seemingly trying to cover it up.

The President and Congress have a sworn duty to protect the United States and the Constitution. We have been attacked, folks. Trump, his administration, and Congress are failing in their most important and fundamental responsibility.

Robert Reich, as usual, on his Facebook page has a well-placed opinion:

The Trump Administration today finally got around to notifying states about Russian cyberattacks on their voting systems. According to the Department of Homeland Security, hackers targeted election databases in 21 states last year. The department didn't disclose the details of the attacks or how many systems were breached, though based on earlier reports hackers gained access to systems in at least Illinois and Arizona. For many states this was the first time the federal government had contacted them about Russian interference.

The Trump administration's lax response to these attacks is absolutely appalling. Russian interference in the 2016 election was a brazen and direct attack to our democratic system of government, but Trump and his administration have only tried to sweep it under the rug. Unless we take immediate steps to secure our election systems, the foundation of our democracy will remain at risk. We need to make this a major priority ahead of the 2018 midterms.

  

10 MONTHS AFTER ELECTION DAY, FEDS TELL STATES MORE ABOUT RUSSIAN HACKING

By Pam Fessler

The Cassidy-Graham bill probably won’t become law

The good news is that the Graham-Cassidy proposal looks like it lacks the support to pass. And it is unpopular with the broader electorate.

A new poll finds that more than half of Americans prefer Obamacare over the newest Republican plan. Only 33 percent prefer the Graham-Cassidy proposal that Senate Republicans plan to vote on by the end of September.  

According to the Washington Post, “Public opinion didn’t stop Republicans from voting on unpopular health-care bills earlier this year. Republicans may try again early next week to pass this bill, given it’s their last chance for a while to do something on health care. It’s likelier than not it will fail, given that Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) oppose it and two other senators have serious concerns about it.

According to CNN, “Sen. John McCain announced Friday in a statement that he cannot "in good conscience" vote for the GOP's latest plan to overhaul Obamacare, likely ending Republicans' latest effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

" ‘I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,’ the Arizona Republican said in a statement. ‘I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will (affect) insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it. Without a full CBO score, which won't be available by the end of the month, we won't have reliable answers to any of those questions.’

“McCain's ‘no’ vote means it is likely Republicans won't be able to repeal and replace Obamacare before September 30, as Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he would not back Graham-Cassidy and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has said she is leaning "no" on the proposal. But there are still questions as to where Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is at the moment. It's also unclear if senators on the fence would support a procedural motion on the bill even if they decide they are against Graham-Cassidy in the end.

If Cassidy-Graham doesn’t pass it “would mean Obamacare would be the law of the land for the foreseeable future. And more than half of America is okay with that.”

Here’s the story:

Alex Brandon/AP

THE CASSIDY-GRAHAM BILL PROBABLY WON’T BECOME LAW

By Amber Phillips

Politico -- Price Traveled by Private Plane At Least 24 Times

HHS secretary chartered flights even to cities with frequent, inexpensive commercial options.

Politico previously reported that “In a sharp departure from his predecessors, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price last week took private jets on five separate flights for official business, at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars more than commercial travel.

“The travel by corporate-style jet comes at a time when other members of the Trump administration are under fire for travel expenditures, and breaks with the practices of Obama-era secretaries Sylvia Mathews Burwell and Kathleen Sebelius, who flew commercially while in the continental United States.”

But now It turns out Health Secretary Tom Price didn't just take 5 flights on a private jet.

“Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has taken at least 24 flights on private charter planes at taxpayers’ expense since early May, according to people with knowledge of his travel plans and a review of HHS documents.”

“The frequency of the trips underscores how private travel has become the norm — rather than the exception — for the Georgia Republican during his tenure atop the federal health agency, which began in February. The cost of the trips identified by POLITICO exceeds $300,000, according to a review of federal contracts and similar trip itineraries.”

PRICE TRAVELED BY PRIVATE PLANE AT LEAST 24 TIMES

By Rachana Pradhan And Dan Diamond