Liberty and hope: They’re what bind us together – NorthJersey.com

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Josh Gottheimer Published 6:00 a.m. ET July 2, 2017 | Updated 6:00 a.m. ET July 2, 2017

Fireworks explode in the sky above the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol as the nation celebrates July 4 in this file photo.(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Over the first six months of my term, my staff and I visited all 79 towns of the 5th Congressional District, concluding our tour of businesses this week in the towns of Liberty and Hope.

As we celebrate Independence Day, it is the ideals of liberty and hope that speak to the core of who we are as a nation.

Im honored to serve North Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this role, Ive been lucky enough to see the best of New Jersey and the best of the United States: brave law enforcement officers and service members putting themselves in harms way to keep our families safe; communities coming together to support innovative small businesses and important causes; moms and dads celebrating milestones like graduations and retirements; citizens connecting with their elected officials and making their voices heard.

Even with all the challenges we face and trust me, I know that list runs long we live in the greatest country in the world.

My grandparents immigrated here from Russia and Germany; my wifes grandparents came to the States after surviving the Holocaust. Our families werent here that fateful day 241 years ago when a brave group of colonists declared themselves to be independent and truths to be self-evident. Yetthe promises contained in that declaration ring through our family and all our families to this day:that America remains the land of opportunity.

Im the son of a man who started a small business in the basement of his house. He has lived the American dream. Like me, he still believes deeply in that dream that we all are created equal, endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer(Photo: Amy Newman/NorthJersey.com)

Because of the wisdom and forethought of those Founders who took a stand in Philadelphia, Im still optimistic that Americas best days lie ahead. Our Founders never thought running our country would be easy. After all, the preamble of our Constitution opens with in order to form a more perfect Union. In other words, America would be a work in progress. They designed it that way. Our Founders feared that, in the wrong moment, their work building the greatest democracy in history could be undone.

So they intentionally put a series of checks and balances in our Constitution, giving distinct roles to Congress and the president, including making it difficult to pass legislation. They were thinking about the long game.After all, they had fought hard risking their liberty and lives for Americas freedom from an oppressive and autocratic England; they didnt want the same outcome here.

My point is that what we are living through now may be difficult, but its not the first time. We've had plenty of ups and downs in our nations history. Fortunately, Americas trend line has consistently pointed upward, and even in todays environment thats still the case.

Theres even the hit Broadway musical featuring our nations first Treasury secretary, who was shot and killed by the sitting vice president in a duel here in the Garden State that makes our current cable news duels seem tame by comparison.

While we've always had different points of view, there is a real difference between disagreeing on policy and pure obstructionism.There is a need to reach back to the collective good that we should be rowing together instead of fighting against one another.

Moving past the partisan arguments will take a commitment from all of us to actually reach across the lines that divide us and start talking with rather than at each other.

Thats what Im trying to do in Congress. I am proud to serve as the co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 21 Democrats and 21 Republicans who come together on a regular basis to look for areas of common ground and get things done. There are some areas where we may not ever agree, but on issues like cutting taxes, fixing our roads and bridges, and standing up for our veterans and first responders, theres plenty of room to work together. After all, a broken bridge isnt a Democratic or Republican issue; veterans live in rural and urban areas; and we all know we pay too much in taxes. These are just plain good for America issues.

I will continue to look for opportunities to reach across the aisle to get things done. This Independence Day, I ask you to join me. Reach out to your friends and neighbors, even those with whom you think you have little in common. Because we all share one important thing in common: We are American. And we all believe in liberty and hope.

Josh Gottheimer, D-Wyckoff, is a first-term congressman representing the 5th Congressional District.

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Liberty and hope: They're what bind us together - NorthJersey.com

Hiker who went missing in the area of Liberty Lake Regional Park … – The Spokesman-Review

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UPDATED: Sun., July 2, 2017, 8:14 p.m.

A 21-year-old hiker who was missing overnight has been located, the Spokane County Sheriffs Office said Sunday evening.

Jacob B. Caravalho apparently walked 27 miles from Liberty Lake Regional Park to a house south of Coeur dAlene near U.S. Highway 95, where he asked for help.

Kootenai County sheriffs deputies were contacting him Sunday evening to check on his condition.

Caravalho was reported missing at around 9 p.m. Saturday, according to a Sheriffs Office news release. His vehicle was found in the Off Road Vehicle Park, 2110 S. Idaho Road, but the search was suspended at about 11 p.m. due to terrain and lack of light, deputies said.

The search resumed at about 7 a.m. Sunday, with help from the Liberty Lake Police Department, Spokane County Parks rangers and sheriffs air support.

Caravalho was hiking alone. He reportedly had a backpack with him.

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Hiker who went missing in the area of Liberty Lake Regional Park ... - The Spokesman-Review

On Liberty and Responsibility – Knoxville City View

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When preparing our bi-monthly issues, I am invariably delighted by the insights offered by our writers. For instance, in this issue, while introducing some background for the early 19th century Cherokee removal, Gary Wade takes the time to walk us through a showdown between Andrew Jackson and the Supreme Court. Its this kind of generous writing that makes me proud to edit Cityview.

Justice Wade introduces us to Hamiltons Federalist #78, the letter most famously used by the Supreme Court to establish the idea of checks and balances. Id like to head in a slightly different direction and write about Madisons Federalist #10, the one most often taught in introductory college courses.

The Federalist papers were written when it was unsure if the people of New York would approve the Constitution, a time of extraordinary strife in our young country as the population split over the strength of the federal government and over our ties with European governmentsconflicts that certainly have their parallels in contemporary society. We find ourselves divided, again, over these same issues. Currently, political tempers are running hot. It may be helpful, therefore, to look back and understand what the man who wrote the first draft of our constitution had to say about factional strife amongst the population, and about the worry of its heading toward violent confrontation.

In the years immediately preceding the constitutional convention, the country had seen Shays Rebellion shake the governing principles of the new nation. Since the end of the Revolutionary War, the country had functioned as a confederation of states without a strong central government. Over the course of four years, we had proven a need to either revise the Articles of Confederation or form a more perfect union through the establishment of a federal constitution. And thats just what we did.

One of the primary arguments for a strong federal government was to control the violence of faction, what had been seen in Shays Rebellion. In order to do this, Madison offered a number of possible solutions, only one of which would work if we were to maintain liberty as a controlling and foundational concept for our free nation. Briefly, Madison says there are several ways to control the mischief of violence that can happen when citizens are in opposition to one another: you can either remove its cause by removing liberty, which is a bad idea because its the very thing youre trying to preserve in the first placeits a cure worse than the disease, Madison writes; or you can try to make everyone have the same opinions, which leads to the kind of tyranny our revolution opposed.

We can also try to control the results of faction and differing opinions. First, we could try to keep folks from having bad ideas. But that wont workideas are often subjective, and whos to judge good from bad? Finally, we can elect a representative democracy, one which incorporates a large number of representatives. Not so big as to be unwieldly, and not so small as to threaten that a small faction will take over.

Thus the importance of whom we elect to be our representatives. They must be true to us and not to large corporate interests. They must be of the people rather than of the government. We have a responsibility to go to the polls and elect those who will work with a diverse Congress to make laws that ensure our liberty.

Our liberty is in our hands, which pull the levers that elect the representatives who speak for us. Thats what I embrace and celebrate in this our legal issue.

Correction: In the article A Home for the Ages in our May/June issue, we misspoke about the coverages provided by Medicare and TennCare CHOICES. We should have written that people who have Medicare do not necessarily qualify for TennCare CHOICES. Medicare has strict limitations on providing in-home care and does not pay for home modifications. If you have questions, please consult an attorney to discuss these issues or contact Monica Franklin & Associates, Elder Law at 865-588-3700.

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On Liberty and Responsibility - Knoxville City View

Libertarian candidate enters Virginia gubernatorial fray – Loudoun Times-Mirror

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A Libertarian Party candidate for governor has qualified to be on the ballot for November's general election in Virginia.

The Virginian-Pilot reports 34-year-old Cliff Hyra will join Democratic nominee Ralph Northam and Republican nominee Ed Gillespie on the Nov. 7 ballot. The Virginia Department of Elections confirmed Thursday that Hyra had qualified, following the submission of petitions bearing more than 10,000 signatures.

Hyra is a patent attorney from Hanover County and is running for elected office for the first time. He has a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech and a law degree from George Mason University.

Libertarian Robert Sarvis collected less than 7 percent of the popular vote in the last Virginia gubernatorial contest.

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Libertarian candidate enters Virginia gubernatorial fray - Loudoun Times-Mirror

A Guide to Georgia’s Coast – Explore Georgia.org

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Plan a getaway to experience Georgia's unique beach communities.

The "best beach" title may depend on individual taste, but whether you seek history, nature, nightlife or just to be left alone, Georgia has a beach for you.

The coast of Georgia is roughly 110 miles and includes 15 barrier islands, four of which (Jekyll, St. Simons, Sea and Tybee) are accessible by car and have become popular resort destinations. The rest of Georgia's islands require transportation by boat and are virtually unspoiled natural escapes.

Jekyll Island was once a winter retreat for Americas richest families, including the Rockefellers, Pulitzers and Vanderbilts. Now a playground for seaside lovers everywhere, Jekyll Island offers a variety of activities ranging from environmental education to plain old-fashioned beach fun.

St. Simons Island charms visitors into staying. The island is home to more permanent residents than any other barrier island in Georgia. The combination of guests and residents means theres a wide variety of shopping, dining and activities available.

For many families, Sea Island has been a mutigenerational destination for decades. This resort caters to families, couples and groups, making each think the resort was made specifically for them.

On Georgias northern coast, Tybee Island is a laid-back beach destination just 20 minutes outside Savannah.

Eagle Island: One of the Private Islands of Georgia: At Eagle Island, youll trade in the car for a boat and cruise the waterways, with pit stops for shelling, birding or whatever youd like.

Little St. Simons Island: The all-inclusive, eco-friendly Lodge on Little St. Simons Island is the perfect getaway for nature lovers.

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A Guide to Georgia's Coast - Explore Georgia.org

China accuses US of ‘serious provocation’ as warship sails near disputed island – Washington Post

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China has accused the United States of staging a serious political and military provocation after an American warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea.

The USS Stethem, an American guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, a small landmass in the Paracel Islands chain, on Sunday, a U.S. defense official said, marking the second such operation since President Trump took office.

But China, which has enjoyed de facto control of the Paracels since expelling Vietnam in a military engagement in 1974, said the islands, which it calls the Xisha, are an inherent part of Chinese territory.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Stethem had trespassed there, entering the waters without Chinas approval.

Its behavior has violated the Chinese law and relevant international law, infringed upon China's sovereignty, disrupted peace, security and order of the relevant waters and put in jeopardy the facilities and personnel on the Chinese islands, and thus constitutes a serious political and military provocation, spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement.

The Chinese side is dissatisfied with and opposed to the relevant behavior of the U.S. side.

The incident is the latest flare-up in relations in just a few days, and came only hours before Trump spoke by telephone to Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Sunday night in Washington and Monday morning in Beijing.

Chinas state media said the two men discussed brewing issues, but gave no further information except to say that North Korea was expected to top their agenda, while also noting the call came soon after an arms deal with Taiwan was announced.

Last week, Chinas Foreign Ministry expressed outrage over twin American announcements: of a major package of arms sales to Taiwan, and fresh sanctions on North Korea that target a Chinese bank. Lu said then that the wrong moves go against the consensus achieved at Mar-a-Lago, when Trump and Xi met in Florida in April.

U.S. officials said the navys action, known as a freedom-of-navigation operation, or FONOP, was planned in advance, and was not targeted at any one country or aimed at making a political statement.

But China accused the United States of deliberately stirring up trouble in the South China Sea and staging provocative operations that violate China's sovereignty and threaten its security. The Chinese side will continue to take all necessary means to defend national sovereignty and security, Lu said.

Triton Island is claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. In May, a U.S. destroyer sailed well within 12 miles of Mischief Reef, a man-made island in the Spratly Islands to the south of the Paracels.

Fox News, which firstreported on Sundays incident, said a Chinese warship tailed the Stethem as it sailed past the island, although it is unclear how close the ship came to the American vessel.

[New satellite images show reinforced Chinese surface-to-air missile sites near disputed islands]

The 12-mile line is the internationally recognized distance that separates the shores of a sovereign nation from international waters. The United States has routinely conducted voyages within this 12-mile limit around islands in the South China Sea as a message to countries such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Many of these nations have laid claim to islands in the South China Sea, some of which are no more than tiny strips of sand and reef. The last time the U.S. Navy sailed near Triton Island was in January 2016, when the USS Curtis Wilbur came within 12 miles of its shores. The Pentagon did not notify any of the islands claimants before that operation.

Capt. Charlie Brown, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet, did not confirm the Sunday operation but said in an emailed statement that the Navy routinely conducts FONOPs, and that the operations are not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements.

U.S. forces operate in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region on a daily basis, including in the South China Sea, Brown said. All operations are conducted in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. That is true in the South China Sea as in other places around the globe.

In the Paracels and Spratlys, China has built up a number of small islands into fully functional military facilities complete with airfields and antiaircraft defenses. The White House, in both the Obama and Trump administrations, has seen the militarization of the South China Sea as a threat to stability in the resource-rich region, where ships from numerous countries have long fished.

U.S.-China relations appeared to be on an upswing after Trump said he and Xi had enjoyed great chemistry in Florida, and expressed confidence in Chinas efforts to apply pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear and missile defense program.

But officials say frustration has grown in the White House with Chinas reluctance to tighten the screws on North Korea as much as Washington would have liked.

The Stethem, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is based in Japan.

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Taiwan arms sale, NKorea sanctions outrage Beijing in test of U.S.-China ties under Trump

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China accuses US of 'serious provocation' as warship sails near disputed island - Washington Post

10 of the best small islands in Croatia – The Guardian

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Lopud

An hours ferry ride from Dubrovnik, Lopud is a world away from the citys bustle. Panoramic views take in mountains and deep-blue waters, from the surrounding Elaphiti archipelago to the Croatian mainland beyond. Just 220 year-round residents share this car-free island, which measures less than 5 sq km. A sweep of seafront promenade with waterside restaurants, petite boutiques and ice-cream shops traces Lopuds northern bay. A 15-minute hike south over the hills sits unj Bay, a splendid and rare arc of silky sand that shelves gradually into the surf. The island truly comes into its own in the early evening, once the last daytrippers have set sail for the mainland. Where to stay: built in the 1960s, Lafodia Sea Resort resembles a futuristic cruise ship (doubles from 80 a night B&B, lafodiahotel.com)

Sveti Nikola is Croatias northernmost island. Blanketed in pine forests and ringed by 2km of crystal-clear coastline, the petite island is uninhabited except for a hotel resort, built in 2015. But anyone can visit for the day on the free hourly shuttle boat from Pore Old Town. A fragrant path loops around the island, while Blue Flag beaches include the pebble swoosh of Oliva. As the waters are a protected marine park, snorkelling is excellent; dolphins are regulars in July and August. The island was once privately owned by a Venetian trading family, who built the elegant castle and restored the 14th-century lighthouse (Croatias oldest), which hotel guests can tour every Sunday morning. Where to stay: Valamar Hotel Isabella (doubles from 239 a night half-board, valamar.com)

The Brijuini Islands were once the summer retreat of former Yugoslav president Tito. After his death, the archipelago was designated a national park. Its popular with daytrippers who ferry across to its largest isle, Veliki Brijun (a 20-minute journey from the mainland town of Faana). However, with no permanent residents, the place becomes a peaceful haven once the last ferry leaves. The lush island is cloaked in rolling fields and thick forests, and ringed by secluded coves. Theres plenty more to explore too, including dinosaur footprints, Roman ruins, a botanical garden, an ornithological park, an 18-hole golf course built a century ago and a safari park. The latter is home to a menagerie of exotic animals gifted to Tito by socialist world leaders, including elephant Lanka, one of a pair presented by Indira Ghandi. Where to stay: waterfront Hotel Neptun-Istra (rooms from 61 B&B in Neptun, and from 88 in Istra, including ferry transfers, np-brijuni.hr)

A three-hour catamaran ride from the northern port of Rijeka, Susak is unique in Croatia in that it is almost entirely sandy. A mere 3km by 1.5km, the island has no roads, just silky soft trails that crisscross the island, often trimmed by sweet-smelling shrubs. In fact, Susaks name comes from the Greek for oregano: keep an eye out for the herb, which grows wild here. It has a population of less than 150, yet the island has become an unlikely outpost of international art, hosting the Susak Expo. This quirky biennial was launched in 2006 with the idea of creating contemporary art where almost no one would see it. Its next edition will take place in summer 2018. Where to stay: family-friendly Susak 272 (from 103 a night B&B, airbnb.com) sits directly opposite a sandy beach on the islands eastern bay. The house has eclectic furnishings and a sun-dappled patio and vegetable garden

Silba takes R&R seriously. Its not just car-free and hotel-free but, during July and August, to preserve the local tranquillity, its central village is also bike-free. Ruled by the Republic of Venice until the mid-19th century, this serene little speck sits an hour-and-a-halfs catamaran ride from Zadar. Life hums along in a low gear. Island activities include scaling Toreta, the panoramic viewing tower. Spend a morning skirting the northern or eastern shores peaceful bays on foot, seeking that perfect sunbathing and snorkelling spot. For those who cant resist breaking into a sweat, there are beach volleyball courts on Sotorice, Silbas largest stretch of sand. Where to stay: a two-bedroom, whitewashed, solar-powered house (from 134 a night, minimum four-night stay, on airbnb.com), just 30 metres from the sea in Paprenica Bay

Some 89 tiny islands make up the Kornati archipelago, a national park just south of Zadar. Covered by sage, olive and fig trees, main island Kornats land is strictly protected, as are its waters. Sailors are charged a steep fee to visit (from 32 a day, depending on the size of the boat); there are just nine zones where organised scuba diving is permitted. But for visitors seeking sun, sea and silence, plus hiking trails and knockout snorkelling, there are few better getaways. In keeping with its isolated aura, Kornat boasts just a handful of private homes available to rent. Where to stay: three-bedroom Kua Antonia (from 130 a night for a maximum party of six, kornati-kravljacica.com) is steps from the sea. The house has a small boat (30 a day) and a barbecue. Return transfer from the mainland 200 per party

olta may be visible from Splits seafront promenade, but while the latter features on pretty much every tourists Croatia hit list, travellers to olta are few and far between. Their loss. Hop aboard the half-hour catamaran, then make a beeline for the pretty town of Maslinica. On the islands western tip, this former fishing village is trimmed by a pine forest, crowned by an 18th-century castle-turned-luxury-hotel, and peeks out over an archipelago of seven islets. Foodie visitors are advised to leave space in their suitcases: the farms scattered across olta press their own extra virgin Levantinka olive oil, harvest grapes for the local Dobrii wine, or sell wildflower honey. Where to stay: seafront Villa Berg has two spacious apartments (from 70 a night, villaberg.eu), each with private balconies and uninterrupted Adriatic views

Hvar is Croatias hippest island, frequented by celebs from George Clooney to Beyonc. But a five-minute hop across the bay, sleepy Sveti Klement is a world apart. In 1906, botanist Eugen Meneghello transformed this island into his own secret garden, planting rosemary, lavender and lilies. Soon afterwards, he opened a guesthouse, today a collection of bungalows owned and managed by his great-grandchildren. Pretty much uninhabited from October through to early March, when this tourist accommodation shuts up shop, Sveti Klement remains both car-free and utterly idyllic. Dine on fresh seafood risotto or sea bass at Totos beach restaurant. Alternatively, take your pick of the islands 20 or so tiny coves, bearing in mind that most are clothing optional. Where to stay: Palmiana Meneghello Resort has colourful bungalows and villas (from 120 a night for two B&B, palmizana.com), all with private terraces set among the gardens. Accommodation centres around an al fresco restaurant with its own small gallery, featuring local artists

Just south of the remote Dalmatian island of Vis floats Bievo. Not only is it tiny (were talking less than 6 sq km), its the furthest inhabited island from the Croatian mainland. Its biggest claim to fame is Modra pilja, or the Blue Cave, accessible solely by boat via a small sea entrance. Visit the cave during late morning for an ethereal explosion of silver and cobalt, as rays of sunshine bounce off its limestone interior. Then go and explore: isolated coves ring Bievo. The topaz sea is home to colonies of dolphins and sea turtles. Or scramble around the islands monastic ruins, which date from the 11th century. Where to stay: there are just a few properties available to rent on Bievo. Pick of the bunch is this neat, four-person studio (double bed plus pull-out couch, from 55 a night, direct-croatia.com) with sea views and within easy walking distance of the Blue Cave

Perched off Korulas western shoreline, Proizd is entirely uninhabited, which makes it an ideal island for escaping Croatias summer crowds. Hop on the half-hour boat ride from Korulas port of Vela Luka. Sun-dappled hiking trails, trimmed by perfumed maquis, crisscross the island. Picnic on Proizds white pebbly beaches, the most popular of which (although hardly crowded) is the northern beach of Bili Boci. Snorkel above urchins and octopus. Round off a visit with a bottle of chilled Oujsko beer at Proizds solitary restaurant (open summertime only), which sits in the islands south side, near the petite port. Where to stay: theres nowhere to stay on Proizd. Book a room at the friendly Hotel Korkyra (doubles from 85 B&B, hotel-korkyra.com) on Vela Lukas harbour. Staff can offer inside tips on Proizd, as the hotel also manages the island restaurant

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10 of the best small islands in Croatia - The Guardian

Bloody Photos Show Mass Slaughter of Whales in the Faroe Islands – The Epoch Times

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Denizens of the Faroe Islandslocated in the northeast Atlantic Oceanhave rounded up and killed dozens of whales on abeach in a centuries-old hunt that animal rights groups call a barbaric practice.

The Faroese Government say some 450 pilot whales have been killed this year, and 295 were killed during hunts known as Grindadrap. About 500 were killed in 2015, the government said. Grindadrap can happen several times per yeardepending on where the whales are.

Pilot whales are not an endangered species.

A spokesman for the Faroe Islands government told Fox News that whale hunting is sustainable and lawful.

There is no doubt that whale hunts in the Faroe Islands are dramatic and result in a lot of blood in the water, he told the news outlet. They are, nevertheless, well organised and fully regulated.

(Boycott Denmark)

Images of the huntwhich turn the sea red with bloodgo viral every year, with a chorus of condemnation from animal welfare groups.

A spokesperson said that the way the whales are killed is humane, as many hunters use a special spinal lance that kills the whales within seconds.

Normally, the entire pod of whales is killed in less than fifteen minutes, the spokesman said. A rounded blowhole hook is used to haul the whales further up onto the shore.

The government says the hunting technique dates back to 1584. Whales are herded toward the shore where theyre beached and then subsequently killed.

Whaling is a natural part of Faroese life and pilot whale meat and blubber are a cherished supplement to households across the islands, a governmentspokesman told The Sun.

Militant animal rights group Sea Shepherd has pilloried the Faroese for the practice over the years.

(Sea Shepherd)

You cant explain to someone what a pod of dolphins looks like when theyre in absolute sheer panic, an activist told The Dodo. Theyre swimming in each others blood. You see babies who dont want to leave their mothers bodies. They are so exhausted after being driven that some of them just drop on their sides. Some of them die of sheer exhaustion.

Is it exactly these kinds of atrocities that authorities in Denmark and the Faroe Islands are attempting to cover-up, by refusing Sea Shepherd crews entry to the archipelago, said Sea Shepherd Operation Bloody Fjords Campaign Leader, Geert Vons, in a statement last year. And this is exactly the reason why we continue to push the increasing global momentum to end this bloody and brutal practice.

As The Dodo reported, entire families of whales and dolphins are killed.

Earlier this year, Denmarks famed Little Mermaid statue was vandalized, and it was painted it blood red. They wrote: Denmark defend the whales of Faroe Islands. While the Faroe Islands are part of Denmark, theyre not part of the European Union.

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Bloody Photos Show Mass Slaughter of Whales in the Faroe Islands - The Epoch Times

Love Island’s Gabby considers dumping Marcel after being left devastated at seeing a picture of him in bed with … – The Sun

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LOVE Islands Gabby runs away devastated in tonights episode after seeing a postcard of boyfriend Marcel in bed with one of the new girls.

While the boys are over at secret villa Casa Amor enjoying a party with the five new recruits, the girls receive a postcard featuring a picture of a picture of Kem and Chyna kissing, and Marcel, Jonny and Chris in bed with other girls.

ITV Picture Desk

ITV Picture Desk

Montana runs into the garden with the postcard and repeatedly shouts, Not good! as the girls gather around to see the picture.

Gabby who is now officially Marcels girlfriend found the sight of him in bed with someone else too much and immediately runs upstairs to get away from the images.

The other girls try to comfort and reassure her that they were probably just talking, but Gabby is still upset and wonders whether to dump him after they learn that there will be a recoupling tonight.

The latest recoupling will see half the contestants go home, as the girls must choose whether to stick with their current partners or go with one of the new boys.

In a stick or twist situation the islanders will be safe if they both recouple, however face being dumped in one partner chooses to go with someone else and the other doesnt - meaning half the island could go.

As well as Marcel, Kem and Chriss places are also in jeopardy as Olivia and Amber consider whether or not to recouple with them after seeing the incriminating postcard.

ITV Picture Desk

ITV Picture Desk

ITV Picture Desk

ITV Picture Desk

Olivia reveals she cant risk picking Chris as it could result in her being dumped from the island if he moves on to someone else, while Amber also says she has the same situation with Kem.

Olivia said: If I hadnt see that postcard, I would have picked Chris all day long. I just have to go with what my gut is telling me but now Ive seen photographic evidence of him in bed with another girl.

Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220

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Love Island's Gabby considers dumping Marcel after being left devastated at seeing a picture of him in bed with ... - The Sun

Love Island’s Dom says he wasn’t that shocked about Jess and Mike … – Metro

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Dom fell for Jess in the villa (Picture: ITV)

Love Island dumpee Dom says he wasnt that surprised to hear about Jess and Mike.

Jess and Mike were coupled up since the second day when Jess entered the villa.

Jess was dumped from the island by Jonny, Kem, Marcel and Sam who had to pick between Jess, Liv and Chloe.

Mike was pretty upset to find out from Marcel and Gabby that Jess had been getting closer to Mike outside of the villa, but since leaving he said that he wasnt that surprised to hear she had moved on.

Speaking about the moment he found out, he said: I dont think theres a way to describe it. Being stuck in the villa you cant really talk to the person. Am I shocked? Yes and no. Im not surprised that another guy would crack on to her, but at the same time I didnt believe it.

I want to speak to both of them, but Jess if my priority and once Ive spoken to her then Ill probably contact Mike myself and meet up with him at some point.

Dom also said he was happy to see Montana coupled up with someone new.

He said: Im buzzing for Montana. It was a choice that I had to make, either couple up with some random girl and risk losing Montana whos been there since day one, or decide to stick and then stand aside so she can find someone new.

Love Island continues Monday at 9pm on ITV.

MORE: Love Island fans can still apply to go in the villa with Camilla, Jonny and Kem

MORE: Are you being muggy or just a melt? We asked people to explain Love Island lingo

MORE: Love Islands Craig Lawson tells his kids hes on the show in heartbreaking clip posted by his mum

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Love Island's Dom says he wasn't that shocked about Jess and Mike ... - Metro

Five island homes to escape to now – Stuff.co.nz

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ANABELA REA

Last updated14:41, July 3 2017

ISTOCK

Fancy this being your new normal? Time to embrace island life. Here's four homes you'll love (and can afford).

If you're sick of daydreaming at your desk, relocation may just be the fix.

Nearly endless summers are a reality in some areas of the planet, and there are a few locations where good weather and great architecture collide.

Thanks to unfortunate declines in certain European economies during the last decade, there's property available at all prices.

Here arefour beautiful homes in the sunshine to remind you that the world is your oyster.

READ MORE * Forget Auckland, buy a chateau * A remote South Island home * A slower pace on Waiheke

GREKODOM.COM

Leave winter behind forever by shifting to a home in the sunshine, like this small but perfectly formed one bedroom maisonette in Crete.

MAISONETTE IN CRETE

With the help of your Kiwisaver and just a few years of saving, even a recent 'yo-pro' could be the proud (and sun-kissed) new owner of a house on the Greek island of Crete.

GREKODOM.COM

Cheap and cheerful, this is could be yours on the Greek island of Crete.

This 65 square metre maisonette could be yours for78,000 or $121,410.

There's just one bedroom but the it's a brand new build and the swimming pool is right outside your door.

ON THE WATER IN MALLORCA

GREKODOM.COM

Shift to this maisonette in Crete and you can walk to the water if you tire of the pool.

For 265,000 or $412,644, the next rung up the ladder is a two bedroom apartment in Port Adriano, on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

Sitting on the first line in the harbour, you could spend the day watching the super yachts of the rich and famous roll in while nibbling on garlic prawns.

Or, seeing as you're right in the city, it's the ideal location for hitting the town (and then crawling home) with your friends.

KYERO.COM

"Look it's Beyonce," is just one thing you might get the chance to say when celebrity spotting from your balcony in Port Adriano, Mallorca.

GARDEN SURROUND IN ANDROS

This two bedroom plus studio home on the Greek island of Andros looks freshly decked out in the Mediterranean staple colour scheme of white and blue.

It's a fifteen minute drive to the nearest beach in Batsi, but with a beautiful garden like that and outdoor portico, staying at home looks like a pretty good idea too.

KYERO.COM

You could watch the world go by from the comfort of your bedroom in Mallorca.

THE EMPTY NEST ESCAPE

Surrounded by plants and the sea, this home in Puerto del Carmen in the Canary Islands is kitted out in contemporary Spanish style and boasts seven bedrooms.

Contemplate how much you (kind of?) miss the kids while swimming in the courtyard pool. There's plenty of room them to come and stay during the New Zealand winter.

KYERO.COM

Right on the water in Port Adriano, this island home could be affordable to a working couple.

This182 sqm home with jacuzzi and games roomis 658,357or $1,024,923.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

This three bedroom home in Andros in the Aegean islands of Greece is pretty as a picture.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

This rustic portico on the island of Andros looks like an ideal place to relax.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

A calm palette of blue and white decorates this home on the island of Andros.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

As far as island homes go, this modern build in the Canary Islands is stunning.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

Low maintenance and totally cool, this Canary Islands home would be an ideal lifestyle for a couple with adult children.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

It's a straight view to pool in this modern home in Puerto del Carmen, Canary Islands.

APLACEINTHESUN.COM

Leave winter behind forever by shifting to a home in the sunshine.

-Homed

Continued here:

Five island homes to escape to now - Stuff.co.nz

Trump: If GOP health care bill fails, repeal Obamacare now …

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"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date," tweeted Trump.

Trump's declaration -- which marks a political shift for him and could further imperil delicate negotiations on Capitol Hill -- came shortly after Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, urged the President in a letter to repeal Obamacare now and replace later. The current Republican plan in Congress is to do both in one massive piece of legislation, though the Senate's bill has struggled to gain necessary GOP support.

Sasse quickly approved of Trump's tweet.

"Sounds great, Pres. @realDonaldTrump We are agreed. We need to break the logjam," he tweeted.

Trump's message Friday morning also marked a notable return to his efforts to push his agenda rather than distract from it, as he did on Thursday when he viciously and personally attacked MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski.

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump "hasn't changed his thinking at all" on health care as she fielded a question on Trump's tweet this morning on the health care reform efforts.

"We're still fully committed to pushing though with the Senate at this point, but we're looking at every possible option of repealing and replacing Obamacare. We are focused on doing that," Sanders said.

Sanders also said she did not know where Trump got the idea for that plan, noting that "people have been talking about this for quite some time."

"I don't know where specifically it may have come from," she said.

But Trump's tweet appears to mark a new public stance for him regarding health care.

"We're going to do it simultaneously," he said. "It'll be just fine. We're not going to have, like, a two-day period, and we're not going to have a two-year period where there's nothing. It will be repealed and replaced."

The President's tweet also could have the effect of further complicating health care negotiations. A GOP official close to leadership and supportive of the current repeal/replace effort told CNN: "Nothing like rolling a hand grenade into ongoing negotiations, eh?"

The concern, the official outlined, is that this now gives conservatives a reason to go back to their corner. While they were hardly at the breakthrough point, there's no question conservatives, particularly Sen. Ted Cruz, had been working in good faith to get to a deal.

Now the concern is conservatives can just say they wanted the 2015 repeal bill all along, and because the President clearly supports that plan, talks on a sweeping replacement plan can be scrapped.

A GOP Senate aide noted Trump's initial opposition to a straight repeal bill.

"We did this dance six months ago," the aide said. "We've litigated repeal, delay, replace. Thoroughly. The President spoke against it. This all might be more helpful if we weren't in the late stages of negotiations."

Appearing on CNN's "New Day" on Friday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, also rejected the President's suggestion.

"I think it's repeal and replace," he told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "We can argue whether they like the system we're bringing them in or not, but simply a repeal, even with the sunset the year or two down the road -- the problem (is) we know how Washington works."

He explained: "Sometimes on deadlines we still don't get things done. You can't leave the American people out like this. This is how sequester happened, because we thought we could fix the problem and never did."

Earlier this year, Hill Republican leaders floated the idea of repealing Obamacare and providing a transition period during which Congress would write a new law. But many Republicans opposed that idea, and along with Trump calling for passing both simultaneously, the party shifted tactics.

One reason behind that shift is repealing Obamacare without an immediate replacement plan would likely cause massive destabilization to an insurance market already unnerved by Washington's efforts to address health care. Many insurers are asking for another round of steep rate increases for 2018, and others aren't even willing to return to the exchanges at all.

The Affordable Care Act was troubled even before Trump took office, but the Republicans' quest to dismantle it has made things worse. Trump has caused confusion about whether he'll continue key components of the law. The two at the top of the list: the mandate that everyone have insurance and the cost-sharing subsidies for lower-income Americans.

Meanwhile, the future of the GOP health care efforts remains unclear. Senate Republican leaders scuttled plans for a vote on health care reform earlier this week as GOP leaders criticized the bill, but Trump was optimistic in his outlook Wednesday.

Trump declined to say what the surprise would be, but his optimism contrasted significantly with the nine Republican senators publicly expressing their opposition to the bill the President is championing.

The White House can only afford to lose two of the 52 Republicans in the Senate to pass the legislation.

CNN's Tami Luhby, Phil Mattingly, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju and Dylan Stafford contributed to this report.

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Trump: If GOP health care bill fails, repeal Obamacare now ...

President largely sidesteps the bully pulpit in pushing health-care bill – Washington Post

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With the Republican push to revamp the Affordable Care Act stalled again, even some allies of President Trump question whether he has effectively used the bully pulpit afforded by his office and are increasingly frustrated by distractions of his own making.

Trump has spoken out repeatedly during his tenure about the shortcomings of Obamacare, which he brands a disaster. But he has made relatively little effort to detail for the public why Republican replacement plans which fare dismally in public opinion polls would improve on the former presidents signature initiative.

The lackluster sales job, combined with recent controversial tweets and public statements targeting the media, has diminished the focus on the presidents leading legislative priority at a key juncture in the Senate, allies and analysts say.

Its a mystery, said Barry Bennett, a Republican operative who advised Trumps campaign last year and remains close to the White House. I dont know what theyre doing.

In recent days, Trump, who heads to Poland and Germany later this week, has seemed largely preoccupied by other things, including a Twitter feud with multiple news outlets. On Sunday, Trump sent around a video showing him body-slamming a CNN avatar, just days after calling an MSNBC host dumb as a rock.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

A top Trump lieutenant, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, was pressed Sunday on whether the media attacks are interfering with the presidents push of the unpopular Senate bill.

The fact of the matter is that he can do more than one thing at a time, Price said during an exchange with host Chuck Todd on NBCs Meet the Press that grew testy at times.

Price argued that Trump has been holding multiple meetings within the White House itself, with physicians, with small-business groups, with other folks who have been harmed by Obamacare, with patients, individual stakeholders from across this land who tell him and have told us repeatedly that the current system is collapsing.

Trumps public efforts to dismantle the health-care law, however, contrast sharply with President Barack Obamas efforts to build support in advance of its 2010 passage. Obama gave a joint address to Congress on health care. He fielded questions at town hall meetings around the country. And he even bantered on live television with hostile lawmakers at a Republican retreat.

Not only has Trump been unsuccessful at swinging public opinion toward the legislation, but also he hasnt really tried that much, said George C. Edwards III, a professor of political science at Texas A&M University and author of On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit.

He hasnt been out there consistently making a case for the legislation, Edwards said of Trump.

Its not hard to imagine other things Trump could be doing to try to boost support for the GOP plan among the public and, by extension, on Capitol Hill, Bennett said.

Trump could make much better use of Twitter, urging his 33million followers to call their senators and ask them to back the GOP bill, Bennett said.

Trump could have visited several states last week, holding events that highlight the sharp rise in premiums under Obamacare, he said. And Trump could mobilize his supporters to come to Washington and rally outside the Capitol, demanding passage of a bill.

Trumps seeming ambivalence about selling the GOP plan may reflect that he has always been more animated about getting rid of Obamacare than he has been about what should replace it.

To the degree he has discussed what the American health-care system should look like, Trump has talked about insurance for everybody and coverage that would be much less expensive and much better standards that the bills produced by the House and Senate dont come close to achieving, according to analyses.

Trumps public statements about the bills, at times, have risked doing more harm than help, leading to questions about how dedicated he is to the task at hand a view bolstered by Trumps head-scratching comments that he considered the House bill mean and that it would be unfortunate but okay if senators are unable to pass a bill.

Trump further muddied the waters last week by floating the possibility on Twitter that lawmakers could repeal the ACA now and replace it later a view that Price on Sunday emphasized is not the administrations preference.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that theres no reason Trump should follow models used by Obama or other past presidents to build public support.

You use the model that works for you, Spicer said, noting that Trump has advanced a health-care bill further in the process at this point in his term than Obama. The ACA did not pass until the second year of Obamas first term.

Weve been more efficient, Spicer said.

Marc Rotterman, a GOP consultant based in North Carolina, said Trump needs to be more repetitive when speaking to the public about why the bill should pass.

When you push a measure, redundancy matters, and these constant tweets against the media distract from the real issue, which is getting health care done, said Rotterman, adding that hed like to see Trump deliver an Oval Office address on the subject.

To bolster support for their initiatives in Washington, presidents often travel to friendly territory outside the Beltway to make their case. Trump has traveled outside of Washington several times lately, but those events have mostly focused on other issues, and when he has mentioned health care, he hasnt dwelled on it.

During Trumps recent travels to Ohio and Wisconsin, he staged secondary events meant to highlight victims of Obamacare.

In a mid-June trip to Milwaukee, for example, Trump invited two local families to join him on Air Force One to talk about their struggles to pay for insurance under the ACA. Afterward, Trump and the families spoke briefly to the news media on the tarmac, with Trump telling reporters, these citizens deserve so much better.

His motorcade then whisked him to a technical college to talk about workforce development and apprenticeships an event that received the majority of local coverage.

At a Trump rally late last month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the president could have made an extended argument about the need for moving forward on health care. But Trump didnt discuss the issue in much detail as he pledged to deliver a bill with heart.

He made at least as many headlines for pledging to crack down on the use of welfare by immigrants and to use solar panels to help pay for a promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ari Fleischer, the press secretary to former president George W. Bush, said Trump to this point deserves mixed marks for his use of the bully pulpit on health care.

Fleischer credited Trump with having kept his foot on the gas while the House was struggling to pass its version of the bill in early May.

In the Senate, Trump seems to be hindered by his low job-approval ratings, which have undercut his ability to reach out to some conservative Democrats, in particular, Fleischer said.

If Trump were more popular, Fleischer said, a handful of those Democrats would probably be more willing to support the bill, out of fear of incurring the presidents wrath. Instead, theyre now worried about drawing a Democratic primary challenger if they work too closely with Trump.

Since the focus turned to the Senate in recent weeks, Trump has also delegated much of the lobbying to Vice President Pence and senior administration officials, who have more extensive knowledge of the bill and a better sense of how to bring senators on board.

Trump is also faced with the prospect of selling a very unpopular product. A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate plan projected that it would lead to 22million fewer Americans having coverage within a decade.

Only 17percent of adults nationwide approved of the Senate health-care bill, while 55percent disapproved, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday.

Even among Republicans, support was tepid, with 35percent voicing approval and 21percent saying they disapprove. Other recent polls have had similar numbers.

Meanwhile, even as Trump has repeatedly railed about shortcomings of the ACA, public support for Obamas initiative has increased, polls have found.

In December, as Trump prepared to take office, 43percent of American adults viewed the ACA favorably, while 46percent viewed it unfavorably, according to a Kaiser Health tracking poll.

In the June poll, 51percent viewed the law favorably, compared with 41percent unfavorably. That was the best the ACA had fared since Kaiser started its polling in 2010.

The term bully pulpit was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who used the powers of the office to court reporters and deliver major speeches on legislation related to railroad regulation and food inspection.

Frances Lee, a government and politics professor at the University of Maryland, said presidents traditionally have poor records of changing public opinion when pushing unpopular initiatives, as Trump is attempting to do.

Use of the bully pulpit is mainly effective when presidents are pushing Congress to do something the public already favors, she said, citing the wide latitude Bush had with Congress after the Sept.11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Still, there is no shortage of suggested initiatives Trump could be taking that he has not.

After the House narrowly passed its health-care bill in early May, Aaron Kall, the director of debate at the University of Michigan, penned a piece for the Hill newspaper, urging Trump to give an address to a joint session of Congress to bolster Senate support.

In an interview, Kall said he still thinks that would be helpful to Trump, given the large television audience such an address would command.

If Trump wants legislation to pass at this point, he really needs to adopt some new tactics, said Kall, editor of Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States: Addresses to a Joint Session of Congress.

Kall suggested that Trump also make himself available for television interviews focused on health care with outlets beyond the friendly confines of Fox News.

I think weve underestimated him sometimes, Kall said. With a few days preparation, I think he could withstand an interview on this subject. He has a persuasive story to tell. It just needs to be packaged in the right way.

Others say that Trump would be well-served by putting down his phone.

Asked Sunday whether Trumps tweets made it harder to work on health care, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) admitted that he gets frustrated when the media and lawmakers focus on what the president says on Twitter.

Our focus cannot be on the tweet, Cassidy said on Meet the Press. Our focus has to be on that kitchen-table family paying $20,000, $30,000 and $40,000 for their premiums, wondering how theyre going to make ends meet.

Jenna Johnson and Ashley Parker contributed to this report.

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President largely sidesteps the bully pulpit in pushing health-care bill - Washington Post

Trump administration remains confident health-care bill will pass – Washington Post

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(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

Top Trump administration officials insisted Sunday that the odds of passing health-care legislation when the Senate returns to Washington next week remain high, but others in the GOP charged that the bills problems require more than a quick fix.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and White House legislative affairs director Marc Short are fighting off a tide of discontent that has been exacerbated in recent days by President Trumps tweet that the Senate could simply repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it later if it cannot pass the pending measure.

Price and Short both argued in television appearances Sunday that President Trump doesnt actually endorse the staggered approach. They said Trump was working the phones this weekend to urge senators to get on board with the Senate bill.

Still, Trumps comment a sharp departure from his campaign promises is undercutting the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to collect 50 GOP votes to support the current bill. Conservative Republicans are calling for separate efforts, urging quick action to undo Obamacare to allow more time for the difficult endeavor of structuring its replacement.

Those senators are still divided, however, on whether the replacement must be devised now or sometime in the future.

I want repeal to work, and the way you do it is you separate into two bills and you do it concurrently, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who declared on Fox News Sunday that we are at an impasse with the health-care bill on offer before the Senate.

We should do repeal with a delay, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said on CNN Sunday, saying that he was still willing to give the Senate bill another week before declaring it dead.

In an appearance on Face the Nation, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also endorsed repealing Obamacare with a delayed implementation that would give lawmakers time to craft a replacement, noting that approach might be easier.

Sometimes when you lump too many things into one piece of legislation, you doom its chances of success, Lee said. That might be where we are.

Lee is also one of the senators pushing a change to current legislation to insist that every state have at least one Obamacare-compliant insurance plan, in exchange for lifting the rules on the others. Short endorsed that change on Sunday, calling it perfectly appropriate, and part of the process of bringing everybody together.

But Republicans from the other side of the party spectrum are also distancing themselves from the Senate bill, as Democrats suggest they are ready for a bipartisan approach.

Last week, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked the president to relaunch the health-care push in a bipartisan fashion, declaring that Democrats are ready to work across the aisle.

Trump surrogates scoffed at that offer Sunday, with Short declaring that Senator Schumer might talk about bipartisanship, but he has no interest in bipartisanship whatsoever.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) used a Sunday appearance on NBCs Meet the Press to hawk the health-care proposal he drafted with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), which they say was designed to build bipartisan support. Both have been skeptical of the current Senate bill. But on Sunday, Cassidy said he, too, is skeptical that Democrats are serious about cooperation.

Until a Democrat says they are willing to sign on to the Patient Freedom Act, which allows a blue state to do what theyre doing now, but allows a red state to do something different, Im not sure were ready for bipartisanship, Cassidy said.

Trump administration officials identified three areas that could need last-minute changes to win a more favorable impact score from the Congressional Budget Office and more support from members. Price said the administration and lawmakers are working to ensure that individuals transitioning off Medicaid do not fall through the cracks, that more coverage options are available and that opioid abuse is addressed.

Not all Republicans are convinced that those efforts will help. In an appearance on ABCs This Week, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, warned against efforts to try to buy people off with little, last-minute fixes on issues such as opioid abuse programs that he called anemic. Its like spitting in the ocean. Its not enough.

Kasich had harsh words for both Democrats and Republicans, excoriating them for being too consumed with politics to be anything but shortsighted and disingenuous when it comes to fixing the health-care system, and complaining that sometimes my party asks too much.

Right now, theyre not ready, they are not ready to sit down and put the nation first in my opinion, Kasich said of congressional lawmakers. His problems with the bill, he said, cover the whole package.

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Trump administration remains confident health-care bill will pass - Washington Post

Sasse: ‘Repeal with a delay,’ then replace – CNN

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"If Leader McConnell can get us across the finish line in a combined repeal and replace, I'd like to see that happen," the Republican freshman senator said in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." "It needs to be a good replace, but if we can do a combined repeal and replace over the next week that's great. If we can't, though, then there's no reason to walk away. We should do repeal with a delay let's be clear, I don't want to see anybody thrown off the coverage they have now. I would want to delay so that we can get straight to work."

Sasse first suggested the option of repealing and then replacing the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's signature health care law, in a letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday an idea that Trump also voiced, but was met by criticism from both Republicans and Democrats who worried that it could harm Americans by leaving them without coverage.

"On July 10, if we don't have agreement on a combined repeal and replace plan, we should immediately vote again on H.R. 3762, the December 2015 ObamaCare repeal legislation that the Congress passed but President Obama vetoed," Sasse wrote in the letter. "We should include a year-long implementation delay to give comfort to Americans currently on ObamaCare that a replacement plan will be enacted before expiration."

Later that day, Trump tweeted, "If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders countered Sasse's argument on Sunday, calling the "repeal and then replace" option "absurd."

"I have a lot of respect for Sen. Sasse, but that idea is an absurd idea," the independent senator said in an interview on "State of the Union."

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois has also rejected the suggestion of repealing and then later replacing the law, saying it could harm Americans.

"I think it's repeal and replace," Kinzinger told CNN's Chris Cuomo Friday on "New Day." "We can argue whether they like the system we're bringing them in or not, but simply a repeal, even with the sunset the year or two down the road -- the problem (is) we know how Washington works."

Sasse cast doubt on the CBO report Sunday, saying that "(r)egularly, government scorekeepers underestimate cost and they overestimate coverage."

"CBO is filled with lots of well-meaning people, and they're good at certain kinds of analysis, but analyzing macro long-term, highly complex, dynamic social programs, thev're almost never been right," Sasse added.

The current Republican plan in Congress is to do both a repeal and a replacement of the law in one massive piece of legislation, though the Senate's bill has struggled to gain the necessary GOP support.

"I think we need to do both repeal and replace, and I'm a little agnostic as to whether they're paired or separated," Sasse added in his "State of the Union" interview on Sunday, calling for the cancellation of the Senate's August recess so lawmakers can get to work on a replacement plan.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that he will stick to the path of accomplishing both a repeal and a replacement together.

Finding a replacement for the law is "very challenging," but allowing Obamacare to remain in place is not an option, McConnell said, according to a video of his remarks posted on the website of the Courier-Journal newspaper, based in Louisville, Kentucky.

"We think that Leader McConnell and his senators within the Senate are working to try to get this piece of legislation on track," Price said. "Their conversations are ongoing as we speak, so we look forward to hopefully them coming aback after this 4th of July recess and getting the work done."

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Sasse: 'Repeal with a delay,' then replace - CNN

Why We Will Never Control Healthcare Costs – National Review

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On one hand bioethicists bemoan the high costs of medical care and promote health care rationing forthe elderly, seriously disabled, and dying.

On the other, they promote expanding publicor insurance funding of health care to ensure that peoples desires are satisfied and to promote social justicemedicine harnessed in the service of hedonism,the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.

For example, California requires all group insurance plans to cover fertility treatments for gays and lesbians in the same way they do biologically infertile heterosexual couples. The Obama Administration promulgated a regulation so that Medicare now funds sex change surgeries.

Now this. Advocacy has commenced in the UK to have the socialized NHS fund uterus transplants so that men who identify as women can give birth. From the Daily Mail story:

Transgender women who were born male should be given womb transplants so that they can have children, leading NHS doctors have told The Mail on Sunday. And fertility experts say taxpayers should fund such transplants for those who identify as women, on the basis of equality enshrined in law.

Leading the debate on the controversial procedure is medical ethics lawyer Dr Amel Alghrani, who is pressing for a talks on whether womb transplants for trans-women should be publicly funded. Dr Alghrani, of Liverpool University, also predicts that a successful programme would lead to others demanding wombs including gay and straight men who wanted to experience the joys of carrying a child.

This would be wrong on so many levels, ranging from safety concerns for both patient and potential future baby, the prospect of doctors and hospitals being forced to participate even if it violates their religious or moral beliefsalready beginning to happento the question of whether going to such extremes to satisfy individual yearnings constitutes wise public policy.

But make no mistake: Powerful political and cultural forces will bearepushing us hard in this direction.

This much is sure: If the current trends continue, there is no way we will ever be able to adequately control healthcare costs.

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Why We Will Never Control Healthcare Costs - National Review

Polling prescribes bipartisan compromise to move health care forward, argues Peggy Noonan – MarketWatch

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Former Ronald Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan believes a patriotic bipartisanship is the path forward on health-care policy, and she says the polls back her up. To fellow Republicans worried that compromising with Democrats and leaving much of President Barack Obamas signature health-care law in place would represent abandonment of seven years worth of repeal promises, the Pulitzer Prizewinning Wall Street Journal columnist serves up this metaphor:

The Noonan recipe revolves in roughly equal parts around the Democratic Partys exhibiting humility in accepting that Obamacare [is] in some respects on the verge of collapse; the Republicans climbing down from a position wherein Majority Leader Mitch McConnell broaches with his caucus the notion of bipartisanship only in a manner that sounds threatening; and the adoption of a sort of Realpolitik that permits all parties to see that current health-care law requires improvement but also that polls suggest the American people are not in the mood for tax cuts to the comfortable and [health insurance] coverage limits on the distressed.

She name checks Democrats Joe Manchin, Joe Donnelly amd Heidi Heitkamp and Republicans Shelley Moore Capito, Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham as having shown hopeful recent signs of willingness to reach across the aisle. Noonan also takes heart from President Trumps palpable desire for a legislative accomplishment, no matter what the legislation itself prescribes.

Of Trump, Noonan writes:

Read the complete Peggy Noonan column at WSJ.com.

More about health care:

The Obamacare repeal risk no one is talking about: nearly 1 million jobs

Trump says Republicans will get health-care over the line

Nearly one-quarter of Americans are one emergency away from financial disaster

CBO says Senate bill would increase number of uninsured Americans by 22 million

Rand Paul would prefer a Senate health bill that repeals Obamacare

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Polling prescribes bipartisan compromise to move health care forward, argues Peggy Noonan - MarketWatch

Ohio Gov. Kasich on health care: ‘Sometimes my party asks too much’ – Washington Post

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R)lecturedcongressional leaders of his party on Sunday for being shortsighted, disingenuous and, ultimately, doomed to be forgotten by history if they persist withtheir approach to health-care legislation.

Sometimes my party asks too much, Kasich said on ABC's This Week, saying he and others would not be fooled by efforts to try to buy people off with little fixes to the Senate billto increase spending to combat opioid addiction or give more financial support to low-income people seeking health coverage.

[Republicans grow increasingly anxious about heading home without a health plan]

This is not the first time that Kasich has criticized the GOP for the health-care legislation it istrying to shepherd through Congress. Last month, he joined with two other Republican governors and four Democratic governors to urge the Senate not to reduce Medicaid coverage which the Senate bill contracts.

But Kasich stressed Sunday that it's not just Medicaid, and the fact that there's not enough money in Medicaid legitimately to treat people that has prompted his oppositionto the bill.

Its the whole thing, he said. It's the entire package, which I believe can and should be fixed.

The sins of the health-care package Kasich has identified go right to the heart of the bill, he said.If the Obamacare exchanges are collapsing, he stressed, you can't also give people three or four thousand dollars a year and think they can buy an insurance policy.

What kind of insurance policy can you buy at three or fourthousand dollars a year? Kasich asked.

[GOP health-care talks center on stark question: Help vulnerable Americans or help the rich?]

He also said that the latest proposal to inject the effort with money to combat opioid abuse $45 billion over 10 years was anemic. It's like spitting in the ocean. It's not enough.

Kasich didn't reserve his harsh words only for the GOP he criticized Democrats, too, and politicians generally as being slaves to their party instead of working to improve the country.

No one will ever remember you if you don't put the country first, Kasich warned members of Congress.

Right now, they dont want to concede anything, he concluded. Right now, theyre not ready, they are not ready to sit down and put the nation first in my opinion.

[Fresh polls find Republicans health-care proposal is still a clunker]

Notably, Kasich did not direct the same sort of criticism atPresident Trump, who he suggested would be open to negotiations with Democrats.

I think hed be fine with it, the governor said, noting that Trump is a real estate businessman and that negotiation is part of their DNA.

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Ohio Gov. Kasich on health care: 'Sometimes my party asks too much' - Washington Post

Manchin: Dems want to work with Trump on health care – POLITICO – Politico

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Sen. Joe Manchin's comments echo those of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. | AP Photo

Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday said members of his party are willing to work with Republicans and President Donald Trump to find a bipartisan solution on health care.

Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia who has been seen as a potential partner on parts of Trump's agenda, made the comments in an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

Story Continued Below

"I want him to know there are Democrats that want to work with him," Manchin said. "But right now, they can't even repeal it. They can't get 50 votes to repeal it because somebody's getting hurt more than what they're willing to sign on to."

"Look at some of us. Work with us Democrats who are willing to meet you in the middle, who have always been willing to meet you in the middle," Manchin said.

Manchin's comments echo those of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who called for Trump to meet with Democrats to discuss how to fix problems in the health care system as a vote on the Senate GOP plan to replace Obamacare was delayed.

But Trump said at a recent rally he didn't think Democrats would vote for any health care bill, regardless of its merits. And earlier on Fox, White House legislative affairs director Marc Short called Schumer's calls to work on health care "disingenuous," citing Democrats' resistance to Trump's agenda so far, as well as resistance to confirmation of the president's nominees.

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Manchin also clarified during the interview that he has never supported the GOP's plan of repealing or replacing the law, but instead said the Affordable Care Act needs "repair."

"I think it needs repair," Manchin said. "I've thought from Day One. .. the private markets aren't working, and then on top of that we can do better through efficiencies."

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As GOP struggles with health care, Democrats forge ties with ‘resistance’ – Washington Post

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As Republicans return to their home districts to sell a flailing health-care bill, liberal groups are using the congressional recess to build opposition. They believe tens of thousands of phone calls, emails and in-person pushes will force on-the-fence senators to reject the legislation for good.

The fresh activism is coming with encouragement from Democratic lawmakers who are mired in the minority and have been mostly left to watch as Republicans struggle to reshape the nations laws to their liking. After starting the year on the defensive with their own base, party leaders and House and Senate Democrats are finally taking cues from these groups, believing that tactics honed far outside Washington could help scare Republicans into abandoning long-standing promises to upend the Affordable Care Act.

Ahead of the recess, while Republican senators toiled over details of their health-care overhaul behind closed doors, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) did whats become natural for Democrats lately: He lashed out on Twitter.

CBO confirms this thing is a %#$@ sandwich, he tweeted shortly after the release of the Congressional Budget Offices report that estimated 22 million more Americans would be uninsured under the Senate GOPs plan. He tweeted later that the lefts fight against the legislation is a test of the morality of our country. We have to win this one.

Democrats can see with their eyes where the energy is in American politics right now, said Ben Wikler, the Washington director of MoveOn.org, a liberal group initially launched to oppose the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

Its to abandon politics as usual and put up a bare-fisted fight. Thats really sinking in.

Schatz won reelection last year with more than 70 percent of the vote and acknowledges he did so by airing really pretty ads and taking advice from expensive consultants. It might have worked for him in Hawaii, but President Trump won the White House and Democrats failed to win back control of the House or Senate.

So now he admits to being a recent convert to the tactics used by Wiklers group and other organizations such as CREDO Mobile; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the fast-growing Indivisible movement. The groups have organized protests or sit-ins at congressional district offices and urged followers to flood Capitol Hill phone lines in opposition to Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss appointment or Trumps travel ban. Neither pressure campaign stopped DeVos or the Trump ban, but Schatz said they signaled to Democratic lawmakers that the groups could quickly mobilize Americans against Trump.

Our playbook needs a refresh. Its predictable and its stale, Schatz said. That refresh is not just new language or a new standard-bearer, but a recognition that for Democrats to win, we need to fight for Democrats and then theyll fight for us.

For Schatz, that has meant firing off quick stream-of-consciousness tweets that have earned him headlines and 30,000 more followers so far this year. Its also meant marching in the streets for the first time in his life, as he did last week with activists who opposed the GOP health-care plan. And it means providing counsel to constituents or activists who still want a little guidance from an elected official.

The senator who once chastised Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter for calling Hawaii an island in the Pacific said his change in tone is a recognition that people dont want to be sold soap.

They dont want a prepackaged product; they want to know that were people and that we respond to outrages in the same way that they do.

Democrats willingness to fight, particularly on health care, has not gone unnoticed by progressive activists who say they deserve credit for drawing in even wary moderates.

Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) who are all up for reelection in states Trump won handily have all been eager to speak out. They joined a protest-turned-photo-op on the Senate steps with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and other Democrats, with each senator holding a portrait of a constituent who had benefited from Medicaid.

The way theyve coalesced around the health-care issue has been better than expected; theyve done so because of how many people were demanding it, said Winnie Wong, the co-founder of People for Bernie Sanders and an Occupy Wall Street veteran.

Schatz was one of only a handful of Democratic lawmakers to actually march in last weeks health-care rally other party leaders just showed up to give speeches. He waited restlessly as Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Schumer addressed the crowd.

They have lots of powerful wealthy people on their side, Schumer said of Republicans. Who do we have? You!

Schumer especially has seen his fortunes change with the far left. In February, thousands of protesters marched to Schumers Brooklyn home to demand resistance to Trumps Cabinet nominees; some chanted What the f---, Chuck.

The infighting has largely stopped since then. Schumer has been a regular presence at protests, thanking activists for having Senate Democrats back. Theyve returned the praise. Schumer is both speaking out at every opportunity and keeping the caucus aggressive, said Wikler, whose group helped organize the Capitol protest.

After Schumer spoke, Schatz stepped on stage and called the GOP health-care bill literally an $800 billion cut in Medicaid and literally an $800 billion wealth transfer to people who dont need it.

He offered some advice for the congressional recess: Dont wait for instructions from any organization. Whatever you think you can do in that moment, just do it.

Six months ago, everyone in that building thought that repeal of the Affordable Care Act was a done deal, Wikler said, pointing to the Capitol. Since then, he said, Democrats had learned to take some cues from the resistance.

Weve mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to participate in our democracy, and thats taught us something crucial about the resistance to Trump: its working, said Faiz Shakir, national political director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

In many ways, Schatz is an ideological counterweight to conservative foot soldiers such as Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.) or Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), other senators in their 40s with no obvious White House dreams who could find themselves in the Senate for decades to come. While many of his Democratic colleagues ponder a run for president, Schatz said he intends to stay in the Senate.

Somebody has to not run for president, Schatz quipped.

Schatz came to the Senate in late 2012 as the appointed successor of the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who died after 49 years in the Senate just as Congress was in the throes of the fiscal cliff fight. The day after Christmas, Schatz flew to Washington aboard Air Force One with President Obama, who cut his annual Hawaiian vacation short to avert a financial disaster.

As Schatz prepared to travel from Washington to Honolulu on Thursday, a trip he makes nearly every weekend to see his wife and two young children, he admitted that despite doling out advice on how progressives should pressure Republicans during the upcoming recess, he hadnt determined what he will do. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have urged Democrats to hold news conferences, host rallies with progressive groups and submit op-eds to newspapers. Schatz said thats not good enough.

You cant fill a calendar and think thats a plan, he explained, meaning that he will avoid a strategy that dictates, Im going to use Facebook on Tuesday and use Twitter on Wednesday, and then Im going to send an op-ed in and hold a news conference on Friday.

Its a pretty chaotic environment out there, he said. We need to be a little more flexible.

Read more at PowerPost

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As GOP struggles with health care, Democrats forge ties with 'resistance' - Washington Post