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John McCain saving Obamacare is proof that the system is broken

In the dead of night, Republican senators unveiled and voted on the Health Care Freedom Act, the so-called “skinny repeal” bill that was anything but skinny. On Thursday night, the CBO released a score of the HCFA based on details of the bill that had been held in secret by garbage rat king Mitch McConnell until mere hours before the vote. The CBO’s estimate showed that 15 million people would have been thrown off their insurance next year, and 16 million by 2026. Premiums in the individual marketplace would have gone up by 20 percent.
Ultimately, early Friday morning, John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins voted the bill down, which crashed and burned in a 49-to-51 vote. The suspense all came from McCain, who wouldn’t tell reporters what he had decided, telling them instead to “watch the show.” If any one of those senators had changed their mind, repeal would have gone through, with Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote.
While HCFA was ultimately defeated, it’s hard to overstate how broken this entire process has become. Republicans were voting on a bill that they explicitly stated was so terrible that they did not want to see it actually go into effect. Paul Ryan had to promise that the bill would go to conference committee and that the House would negotiate with the Senate to reach a compromise to improve the bill. But Ryan’s commitments were ambiguous, and it sure looked like the House was gearing up to pass a straight-up “skinny” repeal. If McCain had caved, Republican leaders would have been able to present the “skinny” bill as a fait accompli.
From the beginning, McConnell did everything he could to make the process as opaque and undemocratic as possible—to the public, to Democrats, even to his own caucus. He knew that secrecy was the only way he would have even the slightest chance of getting his monster through the system. In an incredible moment on the floor last night that illustrated just how fast McConnell was trying to jam this bill through, Senator Patty Murray tried to interrupt Senator Mike Enzi to ask more questions about the bill, which had only been made public an hour earlier. Enzi replied that her time would probably be better spent in reading the bill.

Democrat pile-on: Hundreds of challengers already filing to take on Republicans

Democrats are entering the 2018 congressional races in record numbers, largely motivated by the Trump “resistance” movement they hope will extend into next year.

An analysis of the Federal Election Commission’s six-month report for midterm candidates shows 209 Democratic challengers with at least $5,000 raised -- by far the biggest batch of challengers for any year dating back to 2003, according to statistics kept by the Campaign Finance Institute.

The July 15 FEC summary also shows 105 of 241 House Republican incumbents so far have a Democratic challenger with such a war chest.
Out-of-power Democrats have crowed for months about the prospect of voter dissatisfaction with President Trump and congressional Republicans spawning a 2018 wave election in their favor.
“I think a lot of it is inspiration meets opportunity,” Mac Zilber, a California-based Democratic political consultant, said of the large Democratic field.
“It’s Donald Trump first and foremost. But they’re also being driven by a lot of donors and activists out there. And frankly, some people were a little more complacent under Obama. They’re finally taking that step.”
New York Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley recently said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has more than 350 candidates lined up for next year’s races, in which his party would need to win 24 more House seats to take control of the chamber.
“No district is off the table,” said DCCC Chairman Rep. Ben Ray Lujan.
To be sure, historical trends for the party that doesn’t control the White House suggest an opportunity for Democrats to make big gains in next year’s midterms. Beyond Trump’s record-low approval rating, pulled down by the Russia meddling-collusion probes, Capitol Hill Republicans continue to struggle to pass an ObamaCare overhaul bill as promised during the 2016 campaign.
However, Democrats face several big challenges – old and new.
The party still appears split between establishment voters like those who voted for Hillary Clinton in last year’s presidential race and the progressive wing that backed democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. In addition, Republicans continue to out-fundraise Democrats. And Democrats’ massive candidate field raises questions about whether the party’s political infrastructure might be over-extended – and whether overcrowded primary races could leave the winners bruised going into November 2018.
The anti-Trump campaign platform also has failed so far to help Democrats pick off Republican-held seats in four special House elections this year.
REPUBLICANS DISMISS DEMS' 'BETTER DEAL'
Eyeing a reset, Washington Democrats on Monday officially rebranded their party and message -- promising “a better deal” for voters with better-paying jobs and other economic opportunities.
“They don’t have a message, and that became clear this week when they took tips from Papa John’s,” said Jesse Hunt, press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, referring to criticism that the “better deal” slogan mimics that of the pizza chain.
Zilber, a partner in J&Z Strategies, downplayed the notion that Democratic candidates will uniformly attack Trump.
“One of the great things about primaries is that they are natural experiments to see which message wins out,” he said.
Zilber also argued that different messages will appeal to different voters, including those in Orange County, Calif., a historically conservative area with an increasingly diversified population that in 2016 voted for Clinton, marking the first time they picked a Democrat.
Among the party’s biggest GOP targets are California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, elected to Congress nearly three decades ago and whose 48th Congressional District has four Democratic candidates, and Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock. Her 10^th district has eight Democratic candidates, according to the most recent FEC records.
Hunt argued Wednesday that Democrats’ preferred candidate to deny Comstock a second term is Jennifer Wexton, who trails three other Democrats in the race in fundraising and who had her picture taken with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., when Democrats announced their “better deal” plan in Comstock’s district.
“You’ll see that photo again,” Hunt said.
Michael Malbin, of the Washington-based Campaign Finance Institute and who analyzed the FEC data, says Democrats are putting themselves in a strong position to take advantage of a wave, if there is one.
“But winning the first inning is not the same as winning the ninth," he recently wrote in a blog for the nonpartisan Brookings Institution.
The average cost of winning a 2016 House race was $1.3 million, according to OpenSecrets.org.
The special House election this year for the open seat of former GOP Rep. Tom Price cost an estimated total $55 million, a record amount.

Russia, China are North Korea's 'enablers,' Tillerson says

Rex Tillerson, U.S. secretary of state

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson lashed out at Russia and China early Saturday, following North Korea’s second test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile – and reports that Kim Jong Un’s regime was now capable of striking cities on the U.S. mainland.

Tillerson labeled the two U.S. rivals the “principal economic enablers” of North Korea’s weapons programs, and called on them to ramp up efforts to curb the growing nuclear threat from Pyongyang.

“All nations should take a strong public stance against North Korea by maintaining and strengthening U.N. sanctions to ensure North Korea will face consequences for its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them,” Tillerson said.
China has reportedly pressed North Korea to abide by all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and cease any actions that could escalate tensions.
Meanwhile, President Trump condemned North Korea’s action as “reckless and dangerous,” and said the U.S. will take all “necessary steps” to protect itself and its allies.
Kim expressed “great satisfaction” following the ICBM test. The missile traveled 620 miles until landing in waters near Japan, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency.
Analysts now believe Pyongyang’s weapons can hit U.S. cities such as Los Angeles or Chicago.
Tillerson said the U.S. wants a peaceful resolution to denuclearize North Korea, adding that Washington “will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.”

The United States "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea."

The secretary of state was in contact with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. They planned to work closely with South Korea on a U.N. Security Council resolution to crack down on the rogue North, Japan’s Kyodo News Service reported Saturday.
Following North Korea’s ICBM launch, forces from the U.S. and its ally South Korea conducted joint military exercises in the region that included the launch of a barrage of missiles of their own.
South Korea has stepped up its military presence along the Korean Peninsula in recent weeks, and was considering deploying additional anti-missile systems. The recent ICBM test has also prompted South Korea to discuss with the U.S. increasing the warhead limit of their missiles from 1,100 pounds, to a ton.

Border Patrol Arrests 2 Men After Finding 5 Immigrants, Gun in SUV

A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent suits up for his night patrol along the international border between Mexico and the United States near San Diego, California. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

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Two men are behind bars after trying to smuggle illegal immigrants and weapons from Mexico into the U.S.
Border patrol agents stopped the men early Thursday morning in eastern San Diego County.
After inspecting their SUV, officers found two other men lying down in the cargo area of the vehicle and three more sitting in the back seats.
Agents also found an AR-15 rifle with 19 rounds of ammunition.
The five additional passengers admitted they were in the country illegally.

China Steps-Up Presence at N. Korean Border

A soldier stands guard near a barbed wire fence on Hwanggumpyong Island located in the middle of the Yalu River, near the North Korean town of Sinuiju and the Chinese border city of Dandong. (Jacky Chen/Reuters)

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China is said to be fortifying its border with North Korea in response to heightened tensions in the region.
New measures reportedly include the creation of a border defense brigade along with 24 hour drone surveillance across the nearly 900 mile border.
The Chinese military has been going through substantial modernization efforts in recent years, but officials maintain the North Korea crisis should be resolved with diplomacy.
A recent Pentagon report concluded Pyongyang could develop a missile capable of reaching the U.S. by as early as next year.

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Scaramucci's interview tirade sends Twitter aflutter

Newly hired White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci has certainly made his mark in Washington -- and on the internet.

The Mooch’s interview with the New Yorker on Thursday, in which he demanded that Ryan Lizza tell him who leaked the details of a dinner that President Trump attended the previous night, left Twitter in a frenzy over the shock and vulgarity of his vitriol.

In typical meme-worthy fashion, some of the tweets made light of the situation.
Some mentioned his Italian-American heritage, debating whether Scaramucci had brought honor or shame to people who share his ethnicity.
Others used the social media platform to come to Scaramucci’s defense.

Press secretary Sanders reacts to Scaramucci interview

After newly hired White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci set off a firestorm Thursday with vulgar remarks in a New Yorker magazine interview, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was quick to try to put out the blaze.

Sanders told reporters outside the White House on Thursday that she hoped Scaramucci could learn to use more restraint in his rhetoric – especially when discussing fellow Trump administration staffers.

“Anthony has put out a statement that has made pretty clear that sometimes he is a passionate guy and he has made pretty clear that sometimes he has let that passion get the better of him,” Sanders told a reporter outside the West Wing. “I don’t anticipate he will do it again.”

Scaramucci "is a passionate guy and he has made pretty clear that sometimes he has let that passion get the better of him. I don’t anticipate he will do it again.”
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary

Sanders also addressed concerns that Scaramucci might be serious in wanting to “kill” leakers in the White House, as he was quoted as saying.
“In terms of people’s safety, I certainly hate that somebody feels that way, but I have worked with an incredible team over the last six months,” Sanders told Fox News. “We have a great group of people. I love coming to work every day. I consider it a privilege. I certainly feel very safe in the building, and happy to be here.”
In the interview, Scaramucci bluntly assailed his top White House rival, chief of staff Reince Priebus, as well as Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon. He also threatened “leakers” among his new staff, or White House staffers who serve as unnamed sources to the White House press corps.
“They’ll all be fired by me,” Scaramucci told a New Yorker reporter, after the reporter refused to divulge a source. “I fired one guy the other day. I have three to four people I’ll fire tomorrow. I’ll get to the person who leaked that to you.”
One White House official expressed concern about Scaramucci’s comments since being hired.
“This is getting out of hand. I am honestly getting concerned for my safety in the office tomorrow,” the official, who is well liked by many among the different factions in the White House, told Fox News exclusively Thursday.
The official said Scaramucci’s tough language in the article was not only concerning but below the dignity and decorum of White House traditions and etiquette.
“This type of behavior is unbelievable,” the official told Fox News. “Working in the White House and something like that is said … it is a disgrace.”
Thursday’s Scaramucci episode has become a combustible and potentially defining moment of the first six months of the Trump White House. The new communications director, with smooth-talking skills in the briefing room and a stellar Wall Street background, unleashed a barrage of expletive-laden comments to the New Yorker.
“Reince is a (expletive) paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” he told the New Yorker about the White House chief of staff, who has apparently fallen out of favor with Trump.
Scaramucci also took a shot at Bannon.
“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own (expletive),” Scaramucci said. “I’m not trying to build my own brand off the (expletive) strength of the president. I’m here to serve the country.”
Scaramucci later tweeted his response to the article.
“I sometimes use colorful language. I will refrain in this arena but not give up the passionate fight for @realDonaldTrump's agenda.  #MAGA”

Senate rejects amendment to 'skinny repeal' of ObamaCare as 3 Republicans vote no

Senate Republicans failed to pass Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposed “skinny repeal” amendment in a vote Friday morning, signaling what could be the end to any hopes of repealing and replacing ObamaCare.

As the clock neared 2 a.m. ET, the amendment proposal failed, 51-49, with Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining Democrats in voting no.

“It is time to move on,” McConnell said after the vote.
Added Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.: "We are not celebrating. We are relieved."
Shortly after, President Trump took to Twitter to express his disapointment in the three Republicans who voted against the amendment, saying they "let the American people down."
"3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!" Trump tweeted.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Republicans will now have to work on improving the current health care legislation alongside their Democratic counterparts
"The American people have spoken loud and clear against the higher costs and monstrous cruelty of Trumpcare," Pelosi said.
The decision came after House Speaker Paul Ryan honored Republican senators’ request that the body vote on a vehicle to continue moving forward with discussions to repeal and replace the health care legislation through a conference committee.
“Senators have made clear that this is an effort to keep the process alive, not to make law. If moving forward requires a conference committee, that is something the House is willing to do,” Ryan said in a statement Thursday night.
But McCain said he was skeptical that the House would take the bill to committee and approve it as is, so he voted no, dooming the "skinny repeal" after his triumphant return to Washington this week following a brain cancer diagnosis and surgery.
"We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of the aisle, heed the recommendations of the nation's governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people," McCain said in a statement.
After McConnell's pared-down ObamaCare bill failed to receive enough votes early Friday, he took to the podium and delivered a somber message on the Senate floor.
“This is clearly a disappointing moment. From skyrocketing costs to plummeting choices and collapsing markets, our constituents have suffered through an awful lot under ObamaCare,” McConnell said. “We thought they deserved better. It's why I, and many of my colleagues, did as we promised and voted to repeal this failed law. We told our constituents we would vote that way. When the moment came, most of us did. We kept our commitments."
“So yes, this is a disappointment, a disappointment indeed,” he added.
However, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he hasn't lost faith in the GOP's promise to ultimately repeal and replace ObamaCare, and believes "in time, we will honmor our promise."
Cruz added that the focus needs to shift to lowering premiums in order to reach the majority.
Failure to pass the amendment underscored the ongoing struggle within the Republican Party between moderates and conservatives who can’t seem to reach a consensus on their efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 law that is considered the signature legislation of President Barack Obama’s presidency.
The GOP will now have to grapple with the real possibility of failing to deliver a full repeal and replace of the law, something the party has been promising its supporters for more than seven years.

Great Britain to Challenge Chinese Naval Power in South China Sea

Chinese naval soldiers stand guard on China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning, as it travels towards a military base.(REUTERS/Stringer)

July 27, 2017

OAN Newsroom
Britain’s defense minister plans to send aircraft carriers to the South China Sea sometime next year.
On Thursday, Michael Fallon said Britain is eager to exercise freedom of navigation, and plans to do so in an effort to challenge Chinese naval escalation in the region.
Officials claim an influx of British activity could anger the Chinese, and possibly have a negative effect on relations between the nations.
China previously condemned nations trying to get involved in the South China Sea dispute.
Fallon says no deployments are planned yet.

Russia Signs Deal to Keep Air Base in Syria for Nearly 50 Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, reacts during a joint media conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Savonlinna, Eastern Finland, on Thursday July 27, 2017. (Martti Kainulainen/Lehtikuva via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a law formalizing a deal with the Syrian government to keep an air base in Syria.
Putin approved the agreement Wednesday after it was supported by the Russian parliament earlier this month.
It now allows the Russian air group to use the air base in Latakia for 49 years free of charge.
The Russian air group used the air base since 2015 to help Syria fight against ISIS.
The deal could be extended for another 25 year period.

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Kid Rock tables US Senate run, stresses voter registration

Musician Robert James Ritchie (aka Kid Rock) left his fans, as well as political junkies, guessing Wednesday about whether he will actually run for a U.S. Senate seat in his home state of Michigan – something the artist teased in a series of tweets July 12.

In a statement released on his website, kidrock.com, the rocker announced a new initiative to create a “non-profit organization for the promotion of voter registration,” while he continues to explore the idea of challenging incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, in 2018.

“As part of the excitement surrounding this possible campaign, I decided to take a hard look to see if there was real support for me as a candidate and my message or if it was just because it was a fresh new news story,” Rock said. “The one thing I've seen over and over is that although people are unhappy with the government, too few are even registered to vote or do anything about it.”

“The one thing I've seen over and over is that although people are unhappy with the government, too few are even registered to vote or do anything about it.”

Rock added he will hold a news conference in roughly six weeks “to address this issue amongst others, and if I decide to throw my hat in the ring for US Senate, believe me … it’s game on m***********.”
Stunt? Maybe not
Democrats, who were blindsided by Donald Trump’s presidential election upset, have been cautious about dismissing the prospect of a Rock candidacy as a publicity stunt.
“I know a lot of people are thinking: this is some sort of joke, right?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote in an email, the Boston Herald reported.
“Well,” she continued, “maybe this is all a joke — but we all thought Donald Trump was joking when he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his campaign, too.”
Warren’s email links to a fundraising page for her own reelection campaign, as well as that of Stabenow.
Critics of Trump initially thought that revelations of his past, including vulgar talk in an “Access Hollywood” video with former NBC host Billy Bush, would be detrimental to his presidential campaign, but Trump’s victory in November proved them wrong.
Leading in polls
So, the idea of a rocker with a salacious past of assault and provocative comments, plus a partying persona, running for a Senate seat in a largely blue-collar state might not be that farfetched.
In fact, a mock poll by Delphi Analytica found Rock would defeat Stabenow by four points in the 2018 election.
Of the 688 Michigan residents polled, the majority were undecided at 44 percent. However, when asked to choose Rock or Stabenow, Rock won by 54 percent to 46 percent.
Wednesday’s announcement didn’t provide much clarity on whether Rock will actually run for Senate. But if he does run, Trump has already prepared the Democratic Party to expect the unexpected. 

Scaramucci on White House leaks: 'We're going to let people go if we have to'

White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci vowed Wednesday to take a hard line against leaks from the West Wing, telling Fox News' "Hannity," "we're going to let people go if we have to."

"One of the big problems that I’m discovering," said Scaramucci, who was named communications director Friday, which led to the resignation of press secretary Sean Spicer, "is that senior people are really the guys doing the leaking and they ask junior people to leak for them.

"I’m very proud to be reporting directly to the president so I can hermetically seal off the [communications] team from this sort of nonsense," Scaramucci added.
WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ASSISTANT PRESS SECRETARY MICHAEL SHORT RESIGNS
Scaramucci spoke to Fox News' Sean Hannity one day after the resignation of senior assistant press secretary Michael Short, who claimed he offered to step down of his own accord. Short's departure came as sources told Fox News that Republican National Committee officials who followed Spicer and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to the White House feared for their jobs.
"We let somebody go yesterday, but I’ve told people that if there’s a civil war, and people are fighting internally, we have to dial that down," Scaramucci said. "I don’t think you can let people go ... just for the sake of letting them go. I think we have to give them ... some level of amnesty to see if they’ll stop and work together.
"But I’ll move very quickly if they cannot do that, because I have the president’s authority to do so."
Earlier Wednesday evening, Scaramucci tweeted that he planned to contact the FBI and the Justice Department, claiming that his own financial disclosure information had been leaked. But the tweet was later deleted.
Scaramucci also claimed that some leaks from other executive agencies came from what he called "political holdovers from the Obama administration that want to put a hurt on the Trump administration." In response, he said he was planning to meet with communications people from those agencies in an effort to "curtail leaks on their side."
After Scaramucci appeared on "Hannity," Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores issued the following statement:
"We have seen an astonishing increase in the number of leaks of classified national security information in recent months. We agree with Anthony that these staggering number of leaks are undermining the ability of our government to function and to protect this country. Like the Attorney General has said, 'whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail,' and we will aggressively pursue leak cases wherever they may lead."

New Audit Shows IRS Paid Out $24B in Potentially Improper Refunds

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The IRS is paying out more than $24 billion in potentially fraudulent refunds claimed under controversial tax credits.
An audit of the agency in 2016 says $17 billion were payments made on improper claims under the earned income tax credit.
It estimates another $8 billion in wrong payments between the additional child tax credit, and a higher education tax credit.
$118 million were also paid to people not authorized to work in the U.S.
The audit suggest the IRS follow a 2015 law delaying refunds claiming those credits so agents have more time to flag suspicious returns.

Wasserman-Schultz Aide Arrested While Trying to Flee the Country

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The FBI arrests an aide of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as he was trying to flee the country.
37-year-old Imran Awan, an IT staffer for Schultz, had been under investigation for bank fraud.
Federal agents say Awan was headed to Pakistan, and had no intention of returning to the United States.
In a Washington D.C. court on Tuesday Awan pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges, and was released on high supervision.
He must wear a GPS tracking device, and is restricted to the 50 mile radius around his Virginia home.
Awan will be back in court August 21st.

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Sessions to announce investigations into intelligence leaks: source

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will soon announce several criminal leak investigations, Fox News has learned.

A U.S. official familiar with the discussions said Tuesday that the planned announcement surrounding stepped-up efforts on leak investigations has “been in the works for some time and will most likely happen sometime in the next week.”

The news comes in the wake of days of intense pressure on Sessions, with President Trump lashing out and expressing his “disappointment” with the attorney general, through tweets, interviews and news conferences.
The investigations will look at news reports that publicized sensitive intelligence material, according to officials who have been briefed on the matter.
Meanwhile, it appears that Sessions has no plans to step down at this point.
A source familiar with the conversation tells Fox News that Sessions’ chief of staff, Jody Hunt, recently told White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus that the attorney general had no intention of resigning.
Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's new communications director, said Tuesday that he was prepared to "fire everybody" to stop unauthorized information coming from the press office.
Speaking to reporters, Scaramucci said that he was "not doing an investigation. I'm just going to get the leaking to stop." He stressed that he had "the authority from the president to do that."
"You're either going to stop leaking or you're going to get fired," Scaramucci said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report 
Jake Gibson is a producer working at the Fox News Washington bureau who covers politics, law enforcement and intelligence issues.

Senate Republicans who defected on health care test vote

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, left, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak., were the only Republicans to vote against Tuesday's motion to proceed  (AP)

Vice President Mike Pence was needed in the Senate Tuesday to cast the tie-breaking vote on a motion to move forward with a bill to overhaul ObamaCare after two Republicans voted "no."

The votes by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak., eliminated the GOP's margin of error on the motion. Every other Republican senator voted "aye," while every Democratic senator joined Collins and Murkowski in voting "no."

Collins and Murkowski are among several moderate Senate Republicans concerned about possible Medicaid cuts in any ObamaCare overhaul. In separate statements last week, both women opposed an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to pass legislation repealing ObamaCare without new legislation in place.

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Murkowski — who backed a Senate bill repealing ObamaCare in 2015 that was vetoed by then-President Barack Obama, the law's namesake — said the Senate should "take a step back and engage in a bipartisan process to address the failures of [ObamaCare] and stabilize the individual markets."
Collins, who did not vote for the 2015 repeal, said that ObamaCare is "so interwoven in our health care system that to repeal it completely with no idea what it's going to be replaced with is not the right approach."
As for potential political consequences of their votes, Murkowski is not due to come up for re-election until 2022. Collins' turn will come in 2020, though she has not ruled out stepping down to run for governor of Maine next year.

Scaramucci: “If they don’t stop leaking I’m going to put them out on Pennsylvania Ave.”

Washington, D.C- Trey Yingst, OAN Chief White House Correspondent
The new White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci is cracking down on leaks. Already, one staffer has resigned as a result.
Michael Short, a former White House Press Assistant, resigned Tuesday after reports surfaced that he would be fired.
The resignation comes following a tumultuous week at the White House. On Friday Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned following the news that Scaramucci would be the new Communications Director.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Scaramucci said the President has given him full authority to fire anyone in the administration if they leak to the press.
“You wanna sell postcards to the tourists outside the gate or work in the West Wing?” Scaramucci asked outside the West Wing.
When asked how he would address future leaks, Scaramucci said he would ‘fire everyone’ if necessary.
President Trump has expressed frustration with leaks coming out of his administration, leaving open questions about more resignations in the coming days.

Beijing Demands U.S. End Flights Over China’s Illegally Occupied Islands

China has been expanding its maritime activity over the past few years. (Reuters/PHOTO)

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Pearson Sharp
China takes an aggressive approach to defending islands its occupying illegally, warning U.S. aircraft to stay away.
A pair of armed Chinese fighter jets swooped in to harass a U.S. Navy Reconnaissance plane flight over the East China Sea on Sunday.
U.S. officials say the dangerous behavior nearly caused a collision.
One of the Chinese jets dove under the American plane, then climbed suddenly and popped up just in front of the U.S. pilots.
China dismissed the claims saying it didn’t happen, and then rushed to scold the U.S. for flying over its annexed territory.
Both of the Chinese jets were carrying air-to-air missiles, posing a legitimate threat to the unarmed Navy plane.
The U.S., the UN, and numerous nations in the region—including Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam—have condemned China’s expansion.
Earlier this month, the U.S. sailed a destroyer near one of China’s annexed islands.

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McCain to return to Senate on Tuesday ahead of crucial health care vote

Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., will return to the Senate on Tuesday -- the day of a crucial vote to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare, his office announced on Monday night. 

McCain, 80, has been recovering at home in Arizona following a brain tumor diagnosis.

“Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said in a statement.
With McCain's return - and barring any other absences - there will now be a full complement of senators on hand for the health care test vote.
JOHN MCCAIN HAS BRAIN TUMOR, HOSPITAL SAYS
That includes 52 Republicans and 48 senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republicans can lose only two votes and have Vice President Pence vote to break the tie and start debate.
A tweet from McCain's account Monday night read: "Look forward to returning to Senate tomorrow to continue work on health care reform, defense bill & #RussiaSanctions."
McCain was diagnosed with a brain tumor following a July 14 craniotomy to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix said last week.
The hospital's examination of the tissue revealed that a primary brain tumor, know as a glioblastoma, was associated with the blood clot.
TRUMP CALLS OBAMACARE 'BIG, FAT, UGLY LIE'
Earlier Monday, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, discussed plans to get McCain back to the Senate.
"They were trying to get approval [from his doctors] for his travel arrangements. I've personally volunteered to rent an RV," Cornyn said, according to Politico.
Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump asks if The Washington Post is an Amazon 'lobbyist weapon'

President Trump took to Twitter late Monday to call out The Washington Post and asked if Amazon’s billionaire-owner Jeff Bezos is using the paper as a “lobbyist weapon against Congress.”

“Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?” Trump tweeted.

Bezos bought the paper in 2013. He made the purchase as an individual and Amazon.com Inc. was not involved.
Trump was apparently upset with the paper's report on Syria.
Amazon.com collects state sales taxes in all 45 states with a sales tax and the District of Columbia, according to their website. State governments have sought to capture sales taxes lost to internet retailers, though they have struggled with a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that retailers must have a physical presence in a state before officials can make them collect sales tax.
This is not the first time that Trump has taken aim at the website’s use of the tax system. In June, Trump took to Twitter and blasted the “#AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet takes (which they should).”
Both Amazon and The Post, in June, did not respond to Trump’s tweet.
Kim Ruebin, a senior fellow in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, told CBS’ MoneyWatch at the time, "They're (Amazon) being good citizens, and they're collecting the taxes and remitting it. … If you want more and more of your deliveries to be done in a day or two, you actually need warehouses and physical presence in places to get your goods to other places."
Bezos was one of a number of technology executives who visited the White House recently for a strategy session on modernizing government.
In 2015, he wrote that Bezos bought the Post “for purposes of keeping taxes down at his no profit company, @amazon.” He added that “If @amazon ever had to pay fair taxes, its stock would crash and it would crumble like a paper bag. The @washingtonpost scam is saving it!”

GOP Senators Are Expected to Hold Obamacare Repeal Vote This Week

In this July 18, 2017 photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. There are many reasons why the Senate will probably reject Republicans’ crowning bill razing much of “Obamacare.” There are fewer why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might revive it and avert a GOP humiliation. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

OAN Newsroom
Senate Republicans are determined to make way on the repeal of Obamacare.
GOP senators are set to return to Washington Monday, and talk with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on which repeal bill to bring up for a procedural vote.
Ultimately, it will be up to McConnell to pick either the House’s partial repeal measure, or the Senate’s own repeal and replace bill.
If the House measure is chosen its unclear what the replacement will be.
President Trump has pushed Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, but said he would accept its repeal if senators can’t come to an agreement.
The vote’s expected to come as early as Tuesday, and will allow senators to begin debate and make amendments.

Trump Administration to Roll Back Obama-Era Fracking Regulation

OAN Newsroom
The Trump administration is set to roll-back another Obama-era rule, making it easier to frack on public lands.
The Interior Department is sending a proposal in an effort to completely repeal the federal hydraulic fracturing rule implemented by former President Obama.
The administration claims the current regulation would cost the oil and gas industry around $45 million dollars annually.
The latest rollback keeps President Trump’s campaign promise to end regulations limiting fossil fuel production.

Common Sense or lack of it Cartoons

Republican health bill still a mystery before planned vote

The Senate will move forward with a key vote this week on a Republican health bill but it's a mystery what exactly they will be voting on.

It is not yet known whether the legislation will seek to replace President Obama's health care law or simply repeal it.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Sunday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will make a decision soon on which bill to bring up for a vote, depending on ongoing discussions with GOP senators. Thune sought to cast this week's initial vote as important but mostly procedural, allowing senators to begin debate and propose amendments.
But he acknowledged senators should be able to know beforehand what bill they will be considering.
Both versions encountered opposition from enough GOP senators to doom the effort, but McConnell, R-Ky., is making a last-gasp attempt this week after Trump insisted that senators not leave town for the August recess without sending him some kind of health overhaul bill to sign.
Some senators told The Wall Street Journal that McConnell told them that they would find out before any vote if they will be asked to repeal and replace.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who called the bill a “porkfest” in an interview said that the current legislation will not work.
“I think it keeps the fundamental flaw of ObamaCare, the death spiral will continue and we’re going to subsidize it,” Paul, the Kentucky Republican, told Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
McConnell, was making a last-gasp effort to resuscitate the legislation, cannot afford to lose any more than two Republican votes, The Journal reported.
President Trump tweeted on Sunday, "If Republicans don't Repeal and Replace the disastrous ObamaCare, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand!"
Trump has had a complicated relationship with the Republican Party, but GOP lawmakers have continued to be generally supportive of the president, even as his approval ratings slip.
“There’s less money from the government going to poor people, but there’s more money from the government going to rich people who run insurance companies,” Paul explained. “I think when voters find out that Republicans gave billions of dollars to rich insurance companies and took money away from poor people getting Medicaid, I think that’s a disaster.”
Still, at least two Republican senators Sunday appeared to reaffirm their intention to vote against the procedural motion if it involved the latest version of the GOP's repeal-and-replace bill.
Moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she continued to have concerns about reductions to Medicaid and criticized the Republican process, saying lawmakers were being unfairly kept in the dark. Under McConnell's plan, 22 million more people would become uninsured by 2026, many of them Medicaid recipients. She wants to hold public hearings and work with Democrats.