Pelosi and Schiff say any attempt to ‘stonewall’ inquiry ‘will be considered obstruction of justice’, while Bernie Sanders undergoes heart surgery
Bernie Sanders has tweeted his thanks to well wishers after he underwent heart surgery for a blocked artery. He has suspended campaign appearances but used his condition remind supporters of a key campaign goal: medicare for all.
Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm feeling good. I'm fortunate to have good health care and great doctors and nurses helping me to recover.
None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs. Medicare for All!
OK - here are some takeaways from that press conference. It was a long one involving a lot of incoherent and rambling answers from the president. But here’s my best shot of at some of the most important comments relating to impeachment and the ongoing Ukraine scandal.
Firstly, Trump responded to a New York Times report, published earlier today, stating that the whistleblower had approached a House Intelligence Committee staff aide days before filing his complaint. The report states that the committee chairman, Adam Schiff, was later made aware of the nature of the allegations but was not given any information on the whistleblower’s identity. A spokesman for Schiff has confirmed parts of this reporting, and stated it is standard procedure for the committee to offer advice to whistleblowers on how to file complaints.
Trump engages in contentious back and forth with @JeffMason1 after he dodges Ukraine question:
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Trump: We have the president of Finland, ask him a question.
Mason: I have one for him, I just wanted to follow up on the one I asked you—
Trump: Did you hear me? Ask him a question! pic.twitter.com/Co64SmxOmk
Guardian World News
Trump suggests House intelligence chair should face ‘arrest for treason’ – live news
- Trump hits out at Adam Schiff over impeachment inquiry
- Sanders to roll out new proposal on chief executive pay
Jeff Flake, a former Republican senator, has written a Washington Post op-ed imploring fellow members of his party to oppose Trump’s re-election.
Two years ago I stood in the Senate chamber and said: ‘There are times when we must risk our careers in favor of our principles.’ ...
Now, two years later, it is my former Republican Senate colleagues who have a decision to make. Or, as I see it, two decisions to make. The first is difficult; the second is easy. ...
“TrumpCare” does not exist – this has not stopped some firms from advertising insurance products under this banner, according to a new report from Axios.
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Democratic debates: Harris says Trump ‘tweeted the ammunition’ for El Paso shooter – live
The 10 candidates on stage in Houston offered competing visions based on Obamacare and Medicare for All
Elizabeth Warren is calling for the end of the Senate filibuster to enact gun-control legislation.
If the filibuster was done away with, it would only take 50 Senate votes to pass a bill; legislation can currently be blocked if it attracts less than 60 votes.
O’Rourke did not shy away from saying he would require citizens to turn in their military-style weapons, despite Republicans’ frequent accusations that Democrats are coming to take Americans’ guns.
“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AK-47,” O’Rourke said in one of the biggest lines of the night so far.
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House committee to vote on impeachment procedures – live
House judiciary panel to consider procedures for future hearings in first step towards possible impeachment of Trump
The Trump administration has reportedly given up efforts to write an Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) replacement bill.
After campaigning to repeal the law for eight years, Republicans have struggled to piece together a cohesive strategy for caring for the staggering 27.5m Americans locked out of the healthcare system.
A little live fact-checking from the Guardian’s reporter Joan Greve.
It appears this is the Al Green quote (from May) that Trump is referring to, which is different in both wording and meaning than the president claims here. https://t.co/FdpxlXsJeY pic.twitter.com/zlN1iTKrva
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Victorian MPs to debate bill to let transgender people change birth certificate without surgery
Despite vocal opposition from the Coalition and a new women’s group, Labor bill looks set to pass parliament
The Victorian parliament is gearing up for a debate over the rights of transgender and non-binary people to be able to choose the gender listed on their birth certificates.
Under current law in Victoria, in order for transgender people to have their birth certificate changed to affirm their gender, they have to have undergone sex affirming surgery, often at great cost. It is something many transgender people do not wish to undertake, it is not covered by Medicare, and often the surgery is not available in Australia.
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NSW abortion bill passes first hurdle
Bill passes lower house of New South Wales parliament after lengthy debate
An NSW bill to decriminalise abortion has passed its first hurdle after a lengthy and passionate debate in the lower house.
However, proponents of the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 face further hurdles as it now goes to the upper house for consideration.
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Josh Frydenberg faces citizenship challenge by constituent – politics live
Michael Staindl launches section 44(1) case against the deputy Liberal leader and treasurer in the court of disputed returns. All the day’s events, live
Chris Bowen to Greg Hunt:
Why did the Minister yesterday claimed that the granting of an MRI Medicare license to sound radiology was in unquote quote not under an independent process.” When in fact, they were signed off by him in his ministerial office.
Bob Katter appeared to just blurt a bunch of words out at the microphone, or maybe I just had a stroke. I don’t smell toast, but I just can’t tell. All I know is that I can make no sense of those words.
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Government refers Crown allegations to integrity commission – politics live
Attorney general responds to crossbench calls for inquiry. All the day’s events, live
If Christian Porter is writing these dixers, it is just indicative of how busy he is, because OMG it might just be easier to put a microphone on the prime minister when he delivers his joint party room rah rah, then put up with this.
Put it in a press release. Let backbenchers ask questions that actually matter to their communities.
Chris Bowen to Greg Hunt:
Can the minister confirm that sound radiology the Adelaide is situated within 5km of 9 other MRI machines with existing MRI Medicare licences?
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Trump renews attack on Baltimore congressman Elijah Cummings – live
- Trump on Twitter goes after Cummings and Al Sharpton
- Director of national intelligence Dan Coats to leave post
- Sign up for the US briefing and get a new perspective
Trump’s comments this morning to 9/11 first responders that he “spent a lot time” at Ground Zero are raising serious doubts.
A New York Times reporter who spent years covering the fallout of the attacks for the New York Post tweeted this:
So, I covered rebuilding at the WTC for three years after covering the immediate aftermath of the attacks for NYPost. Giuliani was a frequent presence w families, as was Pataki. I recall one instance where Trump was at the site. https://t.co/7Ish98CX1g
Trump’s reference to ‘7/11’ was a slip of the lip. News accounts from days just after 9/11 include references to Trump giving high-fives to police officers and volunteers on their way to the World Trade Center site. ‘I have a lot of men working down here. I want to make sure they’re OK,’ he said. Trump said his employers were cleaning and digging out, but declined to say where they were working.
Joe Biden’s campaign has released its own blistering criticism of Kamala Harris’ health care plan.
A statement from Biden’s campaign accuses the California senator of having “released a health care plan that both backtracks on her long-promised – but then-hedged – support of Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All legislation while at the same time committing to still unraveling the hard-won Affordable Care Act that the Trump Administration is trying to undo right now.”
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Trump defends ‘excellent’ labor secretary amid scrutiny over Epstein plea deal – live
Donald Trump ignores calls for Alexander Acosta to resign over role in securing a lenient 2008 plea deal for financier Jeffrey Epstein
It’s been quite a heavy day, so here’s a small dose of fun:
Public Policy Polling, a Democratic polling firm, tested how Donald Trump would fare against US soccer star Megan Rapinoe in a 2020 matchup.
Barack Obama’s healthcare law is once again in jeopardy, as a federal appeals court on Tuesday hears arguments on its validity.
The case, which could once again place the fate of the Affordable Care Act before the supreme court, was brought by a group of Republican governors and attorneys general.
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