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The latest Republican effort to kill Obamacare died overnight. Two more GOP senators — Jerry Moran of Kansas and Mike Lee of Utah — said they won’t support the current Senate bill. For those counting, those are “no” votes No. 3 and No. 4, and since the Republicans could only afford to lose two votes (they have just 52 votes in the Senate), this effort is officially dead.
So what happens now? Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will vote on a bill that would repeal Obamacare — but wouldn’t take effect for two years. That doesn’t sit well with President Trump, who made getting rid of Obamacare one of the pillars of his campaign. He tweeted that Republicans should repeal the health law immediately and start over from scratch.
2. Minneapolis shooting
She called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home. Police showed up, and she was shot dead by an officer. And that’s about all that we know so far about the death of Justine Ruszczyk, an Australian bride-to-be who is a dual US citizen. Relatives of Ruszczyk, a beloved yoga instructor and life coach, say they’ve gotten no info on what happened, and police aren’t saying much. There’s no video of the shooting because cops’ body cameras were off.
3. Korea military talks
South Korea wants to chat with North Korea, but it’s unclear if the North will show up. The South proposes meeting Friday at a village at the Demilitarized Zoneto talk about ending “hostile acts” between the two countries. The North hasn’t responded yet. Tensions are incredibly high on the Korean Peninsula right now, especially after the North successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US.
4. Worker visas
It’s “Made in America” week! And the Trump administration is celebrating by highlighting all things made in the USA. The Department of Homeland Security is marking the week by announcing an increase in the number of seasonal worker visas, which will allow businesses to bring in 15,000 more foreigner workers. Wait, what? Doesn’t that fly in the face of the President’s promise of tighterimmigration rules and policies that protect US workers? It would seem so, but the White House has also gotten heat from the biz community, which says it needs the visas to fill jobs it can’t fill with just American workers.
5. Mediterranean diet
As if we didn’t have enough reasons to adopt the Mediterranean diet — better heart health, stronger bones, lower risk of diabetes and high blood pressure — here comes another. New research says following the diet — which is heavy on fish, vegetables and olive oil — can lower your risk of developing dementia. The research says healthy older adults who followed the diet lowered their dementia risk by a third.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It is more precise than a bullet”
USS Ponce Capt. Christopher Wells on the world’s first active laser weapon
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
Travel tips
You can add coastal cliffs in Canada and island ruins in Micronesiato your must-visit list, now that they’re the newest UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Say it with(out) words
Apple celebrated World Emoji Day with — what else — new emoji, like a coconut, a “mind-blown” and a breastfeeding mom.
Book of doom
Dragons. Sea monsters. Unseasonable weather. The latest episode of “Game of Thrones”? No, just a rediscovered Renaissance-era book on the apocalypse.
#TeamFiona
Folks around the world are booking trips to the US, not to see the Statue of Liberty or the Golden Gate Bridge, but to see Fiona, the Cincy Zoo’s celeb baby hippo.
NUMBER OF THE DAY
27
The number of contact lenses found in a UK woman’s right eye
AND FINALLY …
Winning isn’t everything
Victory was certain for this 2-year-old in his bike race.Then he decided he didn’t want it after all. (Click to view)
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/18/us/five-things-july-18-trnd/index.html