“I guess you’re here about the opium” - A North Carolina man, to a narcotics investigator who turned up at his door. The investigator didn’t yet know that this man had around $500 million worth of poppy plants in his backyard. Jumped the smoking gun.

VITAMIN CBO

The Story

Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office graded the GOP healthcare bill. It wasn’t an easy A.

Back up.

Earlier this year, the GOP unveiled their replacement for Obamacare. It failed big league, in large part because some Republican lawmakers said it didn’t roll back enough of Obamacare. And because the CBO — which estimates how much laws will cost the gov —  said ‘hold up, this plan would leave 24 million more people without any insurance.’ So GOP leaders went back to the drawing board and released Version 2.0.

What’s in that plan?

It lets insurance companies hike up prices for people with pre-existing conditions (things like diabetes and cancer). This is illegal under Obamacare. The bill also rolls back funding for Medicaid and temporarily cuts off funding for Planned Parenthood. It was supposed to help both Americans and the gov save some money. Earlier this month, the House decided not to wait for the CBO score and voted to go with this plan.

So what’s the CBO saying now?

That the new bill will still leave tens of millions more people without any coverage. And that while this bill will reduce gov spending, it won’t get that job done as much as the GOP’s first plan. It also says the bill could end up lowering healthcare costs for many Americans in the long run, but sicker Americans might have to pay way more.

Now what?

The Senate will weigh in. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle say they’re not so into the House’s version and they’ve been working on their own version of the bill for weeks. And around we go.

theSkimm

For months, Republicans have been pushing hard to fix what they see as a broken healthcare system. But this CBO report shows that doing that will impact many sick Americans — the people who need healthcare the most.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when the fire alarm keeps going off in the office...

Getting out of control. Same for things in the Philippines. A militant group with ties to ISIS has been setting up shop in a city on one of the country’s southern islands. And earlier this week, the Philippine army tried to raid the group. It didn’t go well. The militants fought back, setting buildings on fire and eventually taking over the city. Then yesterday, the militant group took a bunch of Catholics hostage. Philippine President Duterte stepped in to say ‘it’s time for martial law.’ Aka when the military takes over the streets to carry out arrests and searches. This hasn’t happened in the Philippines since the ’70s, when a dictator was in power. So now some are saying ‘deja vu?’ It doesn’t help that Duterte’s the guy who’s been accused of human rights violations for a war on drugs that’s led to thousands of suspected drug dealers being killed. And now that he’s playing the martial law card, critics say it could give him more license to abuse his power. But Duterte says it’s necessary to keep people safe. Yesterday, he said he might even expand martial law to the entire country.

What to say when you see two people get in each other’s faces on your morning commute...

Alarming. Yesterday, a Republican political candidate in Montana was charged with assault after allegedly body slamming a reporter. Montana’s in the middle of a special election to fill the House seat left behind by Republican Ryan Zinke. Zinke’s the guy President Trump tapped to be his secretary of the Interior Dept. The race has Republican Greg Gianforte up against Dem Rob Quist. It’s a district that’s typically seen red. But the race is just the latest special election putting the GOP on edge. Quist has managed to raise a lot of money, and the Dems are hoping a W in Montana will give them a boost in the midterms next year. And now there’s this. The reporter says Gianforte body slammed him and broke his glasses after he tried to ask him a question about the GOP healthcare plan. Gianforte’s team says the reporter was being “aggressive” and grabbed at Gianforte. Now Gianforte has to go to court next month. Meanwhile, polls in the election close today. The political plot thickens.

PS: Want more politics where that came from? Download our app. 

What people are watching...

The Manchester, England attack. Yesterday, police said that the suicide bomber in this week’s attack was part of a broader terrorist network. And arrested the suspect’s brother and father in Libya. Reminder: a 22-year-old British man of Libyan descent is suspected of blowing himself up at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester earlier this week. It was the largest terrorist attack in England since 2005, killing 22 people and injuring dozens more. ISIS claimed responsibility. The incident led Prime Minister Theresa May to raise the country’s terror threat to its highest level, meaning another attack could be coming. Authorities say the bomber probably had some help, given how sophisticated the bomb was. It’s unclear if or how his family members were involved in the Manchester attack. But officials say that the suspect’s brother was about to carry out an attack back in Libya.

What to say when you get your co-worker’s ‘save the date’ in the mail…

Mazel. Yesterday, Taiwan’s highest court gave a thumbs up to same-sex marriage. They ruled that the country’s current laws - which say marriage is between a man and a woman - are unconstitutional because they violate equal rights. Big deal because Taiwan could now become the first Asian country to make same-sex marriage legal. The gov now has two years to change its laws. Meanwhile, Nevada and Connecticut are also saying ‘let’s get with the times.’ They recently became the latest states to ban conversion therapy for minors. Think: the kind that tries to change someone’s sexual orientation and has been proven not to work. Welcome to 2017.

What to say when you didn’t have the time of your life watching the “Dirty Dancing” remake...

You know nothing, Johnny Castle 2.0.

THING TO KNOW

Color Forecast Team: Nothing to do with the weather. A group of Miss Cleo-types who predict in advance what kinds of colors we’ll all be into based on big picture trends (think: the economy, environment, politics). Hint: They know what color you’ll paint your accent wall in 13 months. Here’s how.

SKIMM'R OF THE WEEK

Skimm’r John Walsh and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Back in the ’80s, John founded this org after his son was abducted and killed. Fast forward to today and he’s making sure missing children get home safe. Today is National Missing Children’s Day. John’s raising awareness by getting everyone to #RockOneSock. Or you can donate here.

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For your friend who just moved into a new apartment…

Congrats, now it’s time to make it your own. There’s a color consultant for that. Yes, really. An actual color consultant that can come to your house to help you put together a palette for the new place. Check it out.

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