Jul 17, 2017

Dems on health care delay: Maybe have some hearings?

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Top Senate Democrats have a suggestion for Republicans on how to use the extra time on the Senate health care bill: Hold some hearings on it. "We request that you use this additional time to hold public hearings so that Senators can invite impartial experts, including patients, to testify on the policies in the bill," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Patty Murray and Ron Wyden wrote in a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this morning.

They especially want more scrutiny of what they call the "radically conservative" provision by Sen. Ted Cruz to allow health insurers to sell plans that don't comply with Affordable Care Act regulations as long as they also sell plans that do.

Reality check: It's unlikely that Republicans will take them up on the request. But they're going to face increasing pressure to justify why they can't have hearings, given that they might be waiting for weeks for Sen. John McCain to recover from surgery.

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Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 11,137,846 — Total deaths: 526,156 — Total recoveries — 6,003,824 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1 p.m. ET: 2,809,108 — Total deaths: 129,509 — Total recoveries: 883,561 — Total tested: 34,213,497 — Map.
States: America's exceptionally uneventful Fourth of July — ICU beds in Arizona's hot spot reach near capacity.
Public health: U.S. coronavirus infections hit record highs for 3 straight days.
Politics: Trump extends PPP application deadline — Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive.
World: Mexican leaders call for tighter border control as infections rise in U.S.
Sports: 31 MLB players test positive as workouts resume.
1 📽 thing: Drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback.

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2 hours ago - Health

U.S. coronavirus infections hit record highs for 3 straight days

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The U.S. has reached new highs in single-day coronavirus infections for three consecutive days this week, per data from Johns Hopkins and the COVID Tracking Project.

The big picture: The number of coronavirus cases increased in the vast majority of states over the last week, and decreased in only two states plus the District of Columbia, Axios' Andrew Witherspoon and Caitlin Owens report.

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Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Colorado police chief fires officers who reenacted Elijah McClain's death

LaWayne Mosley, father of Elijah McClain, wears a t-shirt with is son's picture on it during a press conference in Oct. 2019. Photo: Andy Cross/MediaNewsGroup/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Interim Aurora, Colo., police chief Vanessa Wilson fired two officers for reenacting the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain and a third officer for commenting on the photo that captured the "despicable act," The Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: McClain died in the summer of 2019 after police officers held him in a chokehold and paramedics used a sedative, ketamine. People have been protesting McClain's death recently after the police killing of George Floyd revitalized the movement against police brutality.

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