Reuters, Washington
US House Republicans on Friday won passage of a measure starting the process of dismantling Obamacare, despite concerns about not having a ready replacement and the potential financial cost of repealing President Barack Obama’s landmark health insurance law. The House voted 227-198 to instruct committees to draft legislation by a target date of Jan. 27 that would repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, often called Obamacare. The Senate approved the same measure early Thursday.
AU asks Gambian President to step down
AFP, Nairobi
The African Union (AU) Friday urged Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh to respect last month’s election results and quit power peacefully, warning of “serious consequences” if his actions cause a crisis.
The AU’s Peace and Security Council said “as of 19 January 2017, outgoing President Yahya Jammeh will cease to be recognised by the AU as legitimate President of the Republic of The Gambia”.
US envoy against cutting funding to UN
AFP, United Nations
US Ambassador Samantha Power on Friday warned that cutting US funding to the United Nations would be “extremely detrimental” to American interests, one week before Donald Trump’s administration takes office. Addressing her final news conference, Power told reporters that “countries like Russia and China” would benefit from Washington’s reduced standing at the United Nations if funding were withdrawn.
One dead as ice storm targets central US
Reuters, Missouri
A winter storm bringing icy rain to the Great Plains and Midwest claimed the life of a Missouri woman on Friday, prompted the delay of an NFL football game and threatened power outages and treacherous conditions throughout the weekend. Ice, freezing rain and winter storm warnings were in effect from the Texas panhandle north into Iowa.
