The shooting at a congressional baseball practice reminds us of something we too often forget: We are one country, and we’re all in this together. Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
1. Congressional shooting
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.
2. Democratic National Committee
The wine country fires in Northern California are some of the deadliest in the state’s history. At least 31 people are dead 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.
Corker was having none of that, tweeting out that the White House is “an adult day care center” and someone had missed their shift. Wow. But Corker wasn’t done. Later he told The New York Times the President was putting the world on a path to World War III.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence left an NFL game in Indianapolis after players for the San Francisco 49ers kneeled during the national anthem. But some folks are calling what he did a pre-planned stunt. And an expensive one too, for taxpayers, since his trip to Indy cost $100,000. At any rate, he missed a great game, as the Colts prevailed in overtime over the winless 49ers.
3. The Weinstein effect
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.
There’s political fallout from the story too, with Republicans putting pressure on Democrats to return campaign contributions from Weinstein, who has donated to Democratic candidates and liberal causes for years. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy says Dems ought to give the money back.
5. Fried potatoes study
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 was previously 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. Trump in Asia
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.
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“I don’t think I’m being fired today.”
Country star Jason Aldean, who opened “Saturday Night Live” by playing Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”
BREAKFAST BROWSE
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Say aloha!
It doesn’t matter if you win or lose …
When Apple’s iOS is updated this week, you’ll be able to start using hundreds of new emojis, because we just don’t have enough smiley faces in our lives.
White wash?
Dove apologized over the weekend for a social media post, a looping image of a black woman removing a dark brown T-shirt to reveal a white woman.
The robots are coming, Part 1
In the UK there’s a farm where, for the first time in history, a crop was successfully planted and harvested by only machines.
The robots are coming, Part 2
With Boeing working on pilotless planes and GM set to unveil a self-driving military truck, humanity’s starting to look over its shoulder a little bit.
RIP, AIM
AOL Instant Messenger will be putting up a permanent away message when the iconic messaging program shuts down for good on December 15.
NUMBER OF THE DAY
30 seconds
That’s the box office haul for “Blade Runner 2049.” It was good enough for a No. 1 opening but still much less than expected.
AND FINALLY …
Steam-roller vs. giant gummy bear
This cute little beagle struggling to wake up from his nap is all of us trying to kick it in gear this Monday morning. (Click to view)