Bannon says Trump will ‘blow up’ Obamacare as subsidies cut stokes fires

  • Moderate Collins and Democrat Murphy decry cut to low-income help
  • Trump responds to healthcare critics with claim ‘millions’ will benefit

A day after Steve Bannon seemed to confirm Donald Trump’s intent to destroy the Affordable Care Act (ACA), saying the president was “gonna blow that thing up”, a Republican senator who helped dynamite two Republican replacement bills said Trump was hurting American citizens.

Related: Steve Bannon renews call for war on Rep...

Saturday Night Live: here come the Harvey Weinstein jokes – a week late

Kumail Nanjiani was likable and Kate McKinnon shone as usual. But in the dispiriting America of Harvey and Donald, the best tactic was to keep it surreal

Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick, Silicon Valley – is in charge tonight. But first: Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump giving an address in a hangar. This week, he explains, he’s been reversing everything Obama did: Obamacare, the nuclear deal with Iran … and ‘We’re ripping out all of the vegetables in Michelle Obama’s garden and planting M...

Trump plants bomb, says Obamacare ‘imploding’

• President ends subsidies for poor … opens door for flimsy insurance plans … threatens Iran deal … vows love for Puerto Rico

• Get the day’s politics news in 60 seconds every weekday. By Tom McCarthy

10.05pm BST

Trump planted a time bomb under the Affordable Care Act by scrapping vital federal subsidies that help insurers extend quality coverage to low-income recipients. Then Trump said Obamacare was “imploding”.

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Trump scraps Obamacare subsidies in surprise late-night announcement

Federal payments underpinning healthcare scheme unlawful, says White House, in move that takes a further swipe at Democrats’ signature reform

Donald Trump has planted a timebomb under Obamacare, issuing a notice late on Thursday night that scraps vital federal subsidies underpinning the current healthcare system.

Related: Trump accused of sabotage after signing executive order to weaken Obamacare

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Trump chief of staff John Kelly: ‘I’m not quitting, I’m not getting fired’

  • Chief of staff makes surprise appearance to deny he’s about to leave
  • ‘Although I read it all the time pretty consistently, I’m not quitting today’

Donald Trump’s chief of staff has made an extraordinary public appearance to deny that he is about to resign or be fired.

Related: Trump accused of sabotage after signing executive order to weaken Obamacare

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Jeff Sessions issues directive undercutting LGBT protections

The Sessions directive effectively lifts a burden from religious objectors to prove their beliefs about marriage or other topics are sincerely held

The attorney general, Jeff Sessions, on Friday issued a sweeping directive that undercuts federal protections for LGBT people, telling agencies to do as much as possible to accommodate those who claim their religious freedoms are violated.

Related: Trump substantially weakens Obamacare contraception mandate

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Trump substantially weakens Obamacare contraception mandate

Many more employers allowed to opt out of requirement to cover birth control without copay in move that could cause thousands of women to lose coverage

The Trump administration has dramatically expanded the number of employers allowed to flout the Affordable Care Act (ACA) policy that requires company healthcare plans to cover contraception at no additional cost.

Related: White House drafts rule to roll back 'contraception mandate' for health coverage

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Trump claims tax plan is not for the rich | The minute

• Trump takes on tax cuts and you’ll never guess who benefits most... Tom Price says he’ll write a check for those plane rides … Trump repeats false tale of infirmed Senator...

• Get the day’s politics news in 60 seconds every weekday. By Jamiles Lartey

10.44pm BST

Donald Trump is charging hard to sell his overhaul of the US tax he says are aimed at “everyday hardworking Americans”. Unsurprisingly, analysis shows those most likely to g...

Zombie health bill: why the Republican plan will rise from the dead

The bill to replace Obamacare is deeply unpopular with the American public and the medical establishment – but here’s why we haven’t seen the last of it

The Republicans’ health bill seems to keep coming back from the dead. Many thought we’d seen the last of it when it failed the first time around this spring. It has been revived multiple times since – just to die again this Tuesday.

The bill is deeply unpopular with the American public, reviled by the medical establishment and ...

‘Height of hypocrisy’: Clinton calls out Trump team over private email reports

Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law among six administration figures who reportedly used private email accounts for White House business

At least six senior Trump administration figures have used private email accounts for official White House business, according to various media reports.

Related: Republican plan to defeat Obamacare looks doomed as Susan Collins says no to bill

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