Pulling the plug on Obamacare?

Friday, October 13, 2017
Your kids may be upset by all of the recent traumatic news events. "Sesame Street" wants to help. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.

By Doug Criss.

1. Obamacare

President Donald Trump hasn't been able to dismantle the Affordable Care Act through legislation, so he's moving to undermine the health care law via other means. Trump plans to stop crucial Obamacare subsidies that help low-income enrollees pay for their health care. The dramatic move threatens the law's future, because doing so could force insurance companies to raise rates or even leave the Obamacare exchanges altogether. Almost 6 million people, which is more than half of all Obamacare enrollees, qualify for the cost-sharing payments, which cost the feds about $7 billion this year. 

Earlier Thursday, the President signed an executive order he says will help small businesses and perhaps individuals join together and buy insurance. Trump said the move will bring affordable health insurance to millions more people; critics say it could destabilize Obamacare by taking younger and healthier people out of the exchanges.

2. Natural disasters

The wine country fires in Northern California are some of the deadliest in the state's history. At least 31 people have died and hundreds remain missing nearly a week after this disaster began. Homes searches are starting, and in some cases authorities are finding bodies burned beyond recognition. "Some of them are merely ashes and bones," Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said. The biggest fires are far from being contained, and the weather won't be ideal for fighting them this weekend, with winds predicted to be gusty through Saturday.

Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, President Trump raised a ruckus (yet again) when he tweeted that federal emergency responders can't stay on the hurricane-ravaged island "forever." That brought more criticism from San Juan's mayor and others. The recovery on the island is going painfully slow -- widespread power outages and cell phone service down -- as CNN's Chris Cillizza points out in two charts.

3. Russia investigation

Russian efforts to meddle in American politics did not end at Facebook and Twitter. A CNN investigation of a Russian-linked account shows its tentacles extended to YouTube, Tumblr and even Pokémon Go.

One Russian-linked campaign posing as part of the Black Lives Matter movement used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Pokémon Go and even contacted some reporters in an effort to exploit racial tensions and sow discord among Americans, CNN has learned.

The campaign, titled "Don't Shoot Us," offers new insights into how Russian agents created a broad online ecosystem where divisive political messages were reinforced across multiple platforms.

4. Hostage family freed

A family of five held captive by the Taliban for almost five years has been freed. An American woman, her Canadian husband and their three children were freed by the Pakistani army. The wife and husband -- Caitlan Coleman and Joshua Boyle -- were kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2012. Coleman was pregnant at the time. They had two more children while in captivity. Pakistan was able to free the family after their kidnappers moved them from Afghanistan over the border into Pakistan. It's unclear when the family will head home; Boyle refuses to board a US military plane over fears he'll be arrested. Boyle once was married to the sister of Omar Khadhr, a Canadian who was imprisoned for 10 years at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and later sued the Canadian government.

5. Harvey Weinstein

The furor over the sex assault allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is growing. Police in both New York and London are investigating him. And now he faces another public accusation of rape. Actress Rose McGowan, via several Twitter posts, accused Weinstein of raping her. She also alleged she told the head of Amazon Studios about the matter, but nothing came of it. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment from CNNMoney. Amazon and the Weinstein Co. are partners on two forthcoming streaming TV series.
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What's for lunch

Here's what's happening later
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And finally ...

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One last thing ...

Have a great weekend. We'll be back Monday ... with a whole new look!
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