The Affordable Care Act is in legal jeopardy, House Democrats argue over how to handle the latest Trump scandals, Tom Steyer runs for president, and our new PollerCoaster results show a 5-way tie for first. Then Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib joins to talk about Nancy Pelosi, impeachment, and the humanitarian crisis at our border.

Show Notes

ACA lawsuit

• NYT: Appeals Court Seems Skeptical About Constitutionality of Obamacare Mandate
• WaPo: Appeals judges question whether the ACA can stand without insurance penalty
• LA Times – Federal appeals court appears skeptical of Obamacare, putting future of law in doubt
• Texas Tribune – As Texas seeks to overturn Obamacare, attention focuses on a potential swing judge
• Vox: The latest legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act, explained
• NPR: The Affordable Care Act Is Back In Court: 5 Facts You Need To Know
• HuffPo: Obamacare Had Another Bad Day In Court. That’s Pretty Alarming.
• WaPo: The Daily 202: Trump might win a Pyrrhic victory against Obamacare, as the balance of judicial power shifts his way
• NY Mag – Suit to Destroy Obamacare Slouches Toward the Supreme Court
• NYT: So You Want to Overturn Obamacare. Here Are Some Things That Would Be Headaches.
• LA Times – Op-Ed by Jon Healey – The GOP’s nightmare scenario is playing out in its Obamacare lawsuit
• WaPo: Trump’s Next Phase on Health Care: Everywhere and Nowhere
• Roll Call – High-stakes lawsuit makes health care law a 2020 issue
• Bloomberg – Winning the Obamacare Suit Would Be a Disaster for Republicans
• WaPo: PowerPost  Analysis – The Health 202: The Obamacare lawsuit, by the numbers
• Politico: Long-shot legal challenge could end Obamacare during the 2020 campaign
• WaPo: GOP lies and bad faith are set to unleash an epic health-care disaster – Plumline
• CNN: Obamacare’s fate will be at stake at 2020 ballot box as well as in court
• The Atlantic – The Most Critical Argument Democrats Will Have in 2020
• CNN: 2020 Democrats signal showdown over the future of health care
• Vox: Abolish private insurance? It depends.
• NYT: Democrat vs. Democrat: How Health Care Is Dividing the Party
• WaPo: Voters have big health-care worries, but not the ones Democrats are talking about
• Daily Beast: Dems Ran on Health Care in 2018. During the First 2020 Debate, It Sharply Divided Them
• Politico: Democratic group’s poll shows Trump vulnerable with his base on health care

Investigation Hesitation

• WaPo: Acosta defends wealthy sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s plea deal, says Epstein would’ve had no jail time if his office had not intervened
• Politico: Acosta saves his job … for now
• NYT: Acosta Defends His Role in Brokering Jeffrey Epstein Plea Deal
• NYT: Cyrus Vance’s Office Sought Reduced Sex-Offender Status for Epstein
• WaPo: The big question Acosta failed to answer
• Bloomberg – Acosta Blames Grand Jury for Prostitution Charge: Epstein Update
• The Hill – Pelosi calls for Acosta to step down over Epstein case
• HuffPo: Nancy Pelosi On Trump Rape Allegation: ‘I Haven’t Paid Much Attention To It’
• Vox: Pelosi on latest sexual assault allegation against Trump: “I don’t know what Congress’s role would be”
• The Atlantic – Nancy Pelosi Would Prefer Not to
• NYT: Jeffrey Epstein Was a ‘Terrific Guy,’ Donald Trump Once Said. Now He’s ‘Not a Fan.’
• WaPo: Trump praises Acosta,who faces growing calls to resign over earlier Epstein case
• Vanity Fair – “HE SAID NOT TO TELL ANYONE”: HOW TRUMP KEPT TABS ON JEFFREY EPSTEIN
• NYT: Labor Secretary Acosta Faces Calls to Resign Over Epstein Case
• The Atlantic – Instead of an Apology, Acosta Offers Epstein’s Victims Implicit Blame
• The Atlantic – What Acosta Has Done Other Than Let Epstein Off the Hook
• Vox: Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta has no good answer for cushy Jeffrey Epstein plea deal
• Mother Jones – “It’s an Uncomfortable Reality.” An Expert on How Jeffrey Epstein’s Case Isn’t All That Unique.
• New Yorker – The Judicial System Finally Catches up to Jeffrey Epstein
• The Intercept: JEFFREY EPSTEIN SHIPPED HIMSELF A 53-POUND SHREDDER AND A CARPET AND TILE EXTRACTOR, MARITIME RECORDS SHOW
• Axios: What we know: The Jeffrey Epstein indictment
• Axios: House panel requests Acosta’s testimony on Epstein’s 2008 plea deal
• Newsweek – DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED FOR ACOSTA SAY THEY LACKED EPSTEIN CASE DETAILS, DESPITE CONFIRMATION HEARING QUESTION
• Esquire – Democrats Should Cut Off Alex Acosta’s Paychecks
• The Atlantic – Arresting Jeffrey Epstein Is Just the Start
• WaPo: ‘Regrets is not what I do’: Pelosi defends her comment about four House women
• Vox: Why Nancy Pelosi is at odds with House progressives over Twitter
• NYT: Pelosi Appeals for Democratic Unity While Dressing Down Dissenters
• WaPo: Twin challenges on budget, trade test withering Pelosi and Trump relationship
• NY Mag – What Does Nancy Pelosi Think She’s Doing?
• NYT: “Cuomo Signs a Bill to Allow Release of Trump’s State Tax Returns”
• Politico: “Cuomo signs law allowing New York to hand over Trump’s taxes”
• WaPo: “GOP scoffs at law allowing release of Trump’s state taxes”
• Vox: “New York just gave Democrats another way to get Trump’s tax returns. Will they act?”
• CNN: “New York gov signs law that would allow Congress to get Trump’s state tax returns”
• WaPo: Op-ed by Cass Sunstein – Impeachment isn’t optional. If facts point in that direction, Congress must act.
• Politico: Impeachment push freezes as Mueller testimony looms

2020

• WaPo: Swalwell drops out of presidential race, will seek reelection to House
• FiveThirtyEight – Why Eric Swalwell’s Campaign Failed
• The Atlantic – What You Gain by Losing Quickly
• Daily Beast – Good Riddance to ‘Another White Guy’
• Vox: Rep. Eric Swalwell drops out of the Democratic 2020 presidential primary
• Politico: Democratic field readies for the big shrink
• WaPo: When do struggling 2020 candidates have to bail to run for another office?
• The Atlantic – The Long-Shot Candidacy Conundrum
• USA Today: As Swalwell drops out, 2020 candidates face similar question: Do I have a chance at winning?
• NYT: Farewell, Swalwell: As One 2020 Democrat Drops Out, Will Others Follow?
• NYT: Democrats Grapple With a Sprawling Primary Field, and No One to Shape It
• FiveThirtyEight- Lanes Are Starting To Emerge In The 2020 Democratic Primary
• Politico – Hickenlooper campaign in shambles
• NYT: Tom Steyer Will Run for President and Plans to Spend $100 Million on His Bid
• WaPo: Billionaire Tom Steyer says he will run for president after spurning the race earlier this year
• Center for Public Integrity – 9 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TOM STEYER
• Politico: Impeachment and environmental activist Tom Steyer announces presidential bid
• FiveThirtyEight – Why We’re Not Treating Tom Steyer As A ‘Major’ Candidate (Yet)
• Politico: STEYER’s presidential strategy
• Politico: Tom Steyer unleashes TV ad blitz
• Mother Jones – Tom Steyer Has a Big Advantage in the 2020 Race: Your Email Address
• Politico: Steyer to draw on California methods in presidential bid
• CNN: Why you should be skeptical of Tom Steyer 2020
• WaPo: By David Weigel – The Trailer: Democrats weren’t really clamoring for another candidate
• The Atlantic –  Why Tom Steyer Changed His Mind on Running for President
• Axios: How Tom Steyer made his fortune – By Felix Salmon
• NYT Op-Ed by David Leonhardt – A Better Way to spend $100 Million
• WaPo: Power Up: Steyer presidential bid sparks Democratic worries about congressional races
• Vox: Tom Steyer — please, don’t run for president
• WaPo: The Finance 202: Steyer’s wealth may put him at odds with direction of Democratic Party
• Slate: How Many Florida Voters Could Tom Steyer Enfranchise for the Amount He Plans to Spend Running for President?

Rep. Rashida Tlaib

• WaPo: ‘Outright disrespectful’: Four House women struggle as Pelosi isolates them
• Politico: “’Do not tweet’: Pelosi scolds progressives in closed-door meeting”
• NYT: “Pelosi Appeals for Democratic Unity While Dressing Down Dissenters”
• NYT: “Tensions Between Pelosi and Progressive Democrats of ‘the Squad’ Burst Into Flame”
• NYT: “‘It Feels Like a Jail’: Lawmakers Criticize Migrant Holding Sites on Border”
• NYT: “From Celebrated to Vilified, House’s Muslim Women Absorb Blows Over Israel”
• Vox: “Rashida Tlaib wants to give low-income adults $3,000 a year each, no questions asked”
• NYT: “For Rashida Tlaib, Palestinian Heritage Infuses a Detroit Sense of Community”