WASHINGTON — An 11th-hour White House push to give President Trump a major legislative victory in his first 100 days in office broke down late Thursday as House Republican leaders failed to round up enough votes for their bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Some White House officials had hoped for a vote on Friday on a measure to prove that Mr. Trump was making good on his promise to undo the sweeping health law — President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement — in his first 100 days in office.

But seesawing commitments and the reservations from numerous lawmakers throughout Thursday laid bare the difficulty that Republican leaders faced in trying to push through a repeal bill. While revisions to their bill won over conservative hard-liners in the Freedom Caucus this week, those same changes threatened to drive away other members, even some who supported the first version.

A senior House aide said late Thursday that there would not be a vote on the health bill this week. At least 18 House Republicans oppose the latest version of the bill, the American Health Care Act, and leaders can lose no more than 22 to win passage if all members vote.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/us/politics/republicans-propose-short-term-funding-plan-to-avert-shutdown.html

“I loved my previous life. I had so many things going,” Trump told Reuters in an interview. “This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.”

A wealthy businessman from New York, Trump assumed public office for the first time when he entered the White House on Jan. 20 after he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an upset.

More than five months after his victory and two days shy of the 100-day mark of his presidency, the election is still on Trump’s mind. Midway through a discussion about Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president paused to hand out copies of what he said were the latest figures from the 2016 electoral map.

*****

“I like to drive,” he said. “I can’t drive any more.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-says-he-thought-being-president-would-be-easier-than-his-old-life_us_5902b2c6e4b0bb2d086c6c09

Ivanka Trump took to Instagram to wish her "incredible stepmom" Melania Trump on her 47th birthday Wednesday. The first lady made a rare mid-week travel to Washington D.C., on her birthday and spent the day with Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, Karen, at a luncheon for Senate spouses at the National Gallery of Art.

"Happy Birthday to our first lady (and my incredible step-mom!) Melania Trump," Ivanka captioned a photo of Melania and President Donald Trump. "A wonderful example of kindness and grace for us all! @FLOTUS."





Ivanka's message for Melania came after Sunday's report on Vanity Fair claiming the two women have a frosty relationship. The report, citing two unnamed sources, said Ivanka and her stepmother have had cold interactions with each other. However, a White House spokesperson dismissed the rumors, telling the Huffington Post Melania and Ivanka have always had a close bond.

Trump's wife received the disapproval of many Americans when it was announced she will live in New York with her son Barron, while Ivanka was often seen working closely with her father. The first daughter also took on a larger role in her father’s campaign than Melania did.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/ivanka-trump-gushes-over-melania-on-her-47th-birthday/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pen-america-on-trump-100-days_us_590209e7e4b081a5c0fb7bbf?6qm&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

In an effort to quantify the damage done against America’s constitutional belief in free expression, PEN America released a thorough survey of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

The organization, a nationwide community of novelists, journalists, editors, poets, playwrights and more, chronicled the president’s various statements that undermine the validity of news outlets, his lack of transparency and his choice to defund groups that support artistic expression. The report, titled “Trump the Truth,” explores a total of approximately 60 incidents in which the White House has undermined the press.

The 30-page memo focuses chiefly on how Trump’s administration treats journalists, citing some positive developments ― the administration offers “Skype seats” in its media briefing room for reporters outside of Washington, for example ― but mostly taking the opportunity to home in on the president’s false indictments of “fake news.”

In the document’s introduction, the organization writes:

...what this Administration is doing ― the relentless lies, the constant efforts to chip away at public support for the press and trust in their reporting, the dismissal of peaceful public demonstrations as illegitimate ― is not normal.

Fox News Host Jesse Watters Finally Gets In Trouble For Something
Insulting Asian-Americans and homeless people is fine, but making a joke about Ivanka Trump is too much.
By Amanda Terkel

Over the years, Fox News personality Jesse Watters has mocked Asian-Americans in New York City’s Chinatown, shamed homeless people, ambushed journalists at their homes and made a number of offensive comments about immigrants, LGBTQ people and others.

Yet through it all, Fox has stood by him. And even though the network recently fired his mentor, Bill O’Reilly, over numerous allegations of sexual harassment, top executives decided to stick with Watters. In fact, they promoted him to be a host on the primetime show “The Five.”

https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/857238421575806976

In 2009, Watters ambushed me while I was on vacation, claiming that I was causing rape victims pain and suffering because I wrote a post criticizing O’Reilly for implying that a woman was partially responsible for her own rape because of what she had been wearing and how much she had been drinking. O’Reilly then did several segments about me on his show the next week, calling me a villain.

I hope that Watters is able to enjoy his vacation this week in peace, without anyone following him and ambushing him and his family.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jesse-watters-ivanka-trump_us_5901ff98e4b0026db1def03a?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

The new proposal, known as the MacArthur Amendment in honor of its lead author, New Jersey Rep. Tom MacArthur, would allow states to apply for a waiver with the federal government to get out of some of Obamacare's requirements, like insurance companies not being able to charge people more if they have a preexisting condition.

That change brought the majority of the three dozen or so members of the House Freedom Caucus on board and seems to offer leaders a path forward.

"We think the MacArthur Amendment is a great way to lower premiums, give states more flexibility," House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters Wednesday. "We think it's constructive."

"I think the Freedom Caucus has done a good job of making the bill less bad," Sen. Rand Paul told reporters at the Capitol. "For me it's a big stumbling block, still, that there's taxpayer money that's being given to insurance companies, and I'm just not in favor of taxpayer money going to insurance companies."

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/trumpcare-has-a-pulse-but-remains-on-life-support-w479120

54% of physicians concerned about FDA nominee Dr. Scott Gottlieb's conflicts of interest



http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/survey-54-of-physicians-concerned-about-fda-nominee-dr-scott-gottlieb-s-conflicts-of-interest.html

Physicians are divided on the potential appointment of Scott Gottlieb, MD, as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, according to a survey from MDLinx, an online physician forum.

The survey polled 527 MDLinx physicians for their opinions on Dr. Gottlieb, who previously served as the FDA deputy commissioner for policy. MDLinx found 54.5 percent of respondents were concerned Dr. Gottlieb's consulting work presented a potential conflict of interest with the FDA job.

"We all know that the FDA is run more by financial interests than true science," one respondent wrote in the comments section of the survey. "I do not think he will lead the FDA in any meaningful way away from that sad tradition."

Respondent opinions were scattered, however, on how effectual Dr. Gottlieb would be in the head FDA role. Of those surveyed, 24.4 percent said they thought he "may be good" for the pharmaceutical regulatory process, while 21.8 percent said his appointment "may harm" the process. Slightly more than 19 percent of respondents were unsure and 15.6 percent said they felt the appointment would be "very bad" for the pharmaceutical regulatory process.

Media Matters notes that many of the leading figures in the white nationalist movement openly celebrated when they learned that Carlson would be taking over for Bill O’Reilly’s time slot on Fox News.

Even though Carlson doesn’t talk about “white genocide” conspiracy theories on his show, many members of the white nationalist movement appreciate the dripping disdain he regularly shows toward women and people of color.

“The key to his success is that he destroys people everyone hates,” Daily Stormer writer Eric Striker recently explained. “He mocks and berates an assembly line of Jewish liars, literally laughing at the absurdity of their canned talking points about everything from immigration to Russia to trannies.”

Conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich, meanwhile, described Carlson’s ascent as a “huge win for America,” while the neo-Nazi website InfoStormer described Carlson as “a one man gas chamber who gasses Jews and feminists on a nightly basis.”

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/a-one-man-gas-chamber-heres-why-neo-nazis-love-bill-oreillys-replacement-tucker-carlson/

Here’s What Trump Has Done For Women In His First 100 Days

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/heres-what-trump-has-done-for-women-in-his-first-100-days_us_5900d071e4b081a5c0f9f901

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He reinstated—and broadened—the global gag rule.

He has repeatedly come after Planned Parenthood.

He has proposed cutting programs that help victims of domestic violence.

He went out of his way to defend an accused sexual harasser (Bill O'Reilly).