Secret no longer: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell yesterday finally unveiled the health care bill he'd been tinkering with in secret for weeks—and surprise! It's not so different from the House's terrible bill after all. The bill doesn't have enough support to pass the Senate in its current form, and it's unclear what tweaks will be necessary to get it there.
To get you up to speed, the NYT has this rundown of the bill's major departures from Obamacare. And Politico has a helpful tally of winners (the rich, anti-Obama governors, young and healthy people) and the losers (the poor and old, addicts, public health agencies).
Meanwhile: Barack Obama is not amused.
The ornery coots at the Portland Business Alliance are still so mad about the Better Naito project, which offers one of Naito Parkway's four travel lanes for pedestrians and bikes during summer months. Their latest hilariously unsuccessful gambit? Trying to get people to send pre-written statements opposing the project to city leaders. It hasn't worked in the least.
BIG NEWS: Partisan rancor down in Salem has prompted Democratic leaders to scrap plans for corporate tax reform this year, a major blow as lawmakers work to close a $1.4 billion funding shortfall over the next two years.
With tax reforms off the table, Gov. Kate Brown says it might be easier to pass the massive transportation package (read: tax and fee increases for transportation projects) that lawmakers have been pushing.
That transportation plan has been met with stiff resistance in some quarters of Portland—with plenty of people arguing that a plan to widen I-5 through the Rose Quarter is shortsighted and counter to pledges to reduced carbon emissions. This useful OPB piece looks at that argument, and also explains how a congestion pricing system on I-5—basically tolls to convince people not to drive at peak times—might work.
The criminal narrative grows worse for George Tschaggeny, the homeless man accused of stealing items from MAX stabbing victim Rick Best as he lay dying. Tschaggeny is now accused of using Best's credit card five times immediately following the May 26 tragedy.
Pressure is ramping up on Portland school board member Paul Anthony to resign, after a group of principals obtained some of his salty private communications.
Another University of Oregon basketball player is accused of sexual assault. Things need to change—in Eugene and everywhere.
In good news, OHSU just 3D printed a six-year-old a new plastic orange arm, and it's delightful.
Trump tells Fox News he threatened fired FBI Director Jim Comey with fictitious recordings of their conversations to keep the man honest in Congressional testimony. The president fails to mention that his threat prompted Comey to leak memos which eventually led to the appointment of the special prosecutor who's investigating Trump. So...
LASTLY: Blast the Bananarama while you scope this delicious forecast. It's Friday, y'all!
