[The bill's analysts] point out that, whereas the ACA penalizes people for not having insurance on an ongoing basis, the AHCA penalty kicks in only when people try to buy coverage after a break. It could actually discourage healthy people from getting back into the market unless they're sick. In addition, the AHCA penalty, which is based on a plan’s premium, would likely have a greater impact on older people, whose premiums are relatively higher, and those with lower incomes.

This Week: Sponsored by Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), S. 804 would require every medical center operated by the VA to include a full-time obstetrician-gynecologist. In addition, the bill would require an examination of medical centers to ensure that they are able to meet the health needs of women veterans. Sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), S. 681 the legislation would establish a peer-to-peer assistance program for women veterans. Among other provisions, the bill would require medical facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include at least one full-time or part-time women’s health primary care provider.

The collection includes rare editions such as the earliest chess related cover, DC Comics' More Fun Comics 76, released in 1942, and a 1947 DC Action Comics Superman in The Cross Country Chess Crimes. Additionally, objects are on view for comic and chess aficionados to appreciate, including limited edition, collector comic-inspired chess sets. The Ladies Knight exhibit contains diverse interpretations of the game range from the playful and feminine to the serious, and encourage dialogue about subjects like crime, language, peace and conflict, and inequality. And don't overlook the Q Boutique ...

Ferida Wolff writes: I know we have the inclination to try to control most things in our lives, and to do it now, but I think that sometimes all we need to do is take a deep breath and wait. It's sort of like baking. Each ingredient blends with the others while in the oven to create something new. As the pan cools, the waiting helps us to anticipate what we have before us and to appreciate its promise. Brownies or orchids — both brings smiles and delight. Like plants, life has its seasons of quiet and renewal intermingled with growth and high spirits. Summer is coming and many more colorful plants will be available for our viewing pleasure but I know I will always have a fond spot for the reminder of life’s seasons from beautiful azaleas.

Jo Freeman writes: Mother Earth was celebrated over the Mother's Day weekend at the DC Green Festival, one of five held around the country during the year. This year health and body products dominated among a wide variety of commercial and educational booths. Quorn foods were passing out a non-chicken salad made from mycoprotein that looked, felt and tasted like the real thing. You could sample half a dozen different Mycoprotein bars or Lundberg Family Farms rice and quinoa crackers. Kia Motors let attendees test-drive three electric models. I tried out the Soul EV. Nice car, but it felt really weird to be driving a car and hear no noise.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the technologies and devices that sense information and communicate it to the Internet or other networks and, in some cases, act on that information. These "smart" devices are increasingly being used to communicate and process quantities and types of information that have never been captured before and respond automatically to improve industrial processes, public services, and the well-being of individual consumers. For example, a "connected" fitness tracker can monitor a user's vital statistics, and store the information on a smartphone.

GAO found that 18 of the 48 nongeneralizable sample separation packets reviewed for Marine Corps servicemembers administratively separated for misconduct lacked documentation showing that the servicemember had been screened for PTSD and TBI. During interviews with Army officers, GAO found that some officers may not have received training to identify mild TBI symptoms, despite Army policy that all servicemembers should be trained. Further, GAO found instances in which both Army and Marine Corps may not have adhered to their counseling policies, which require that servicemembers, specifically prior to requesting separation in lieu of trial by court-martial, be counseled about their potential ineligibility for VA benefits and services.

Joan Cannon writes: Trying to make a dent in a reader's resistance is like trying to freeze the ripples on the water's surface after you’ve tossed a stone. Yet that’s what most writers are trying to do whether we realize it or not. There are a few mentors who have taught that lesson. I remember with awe those who made an effort to encourage such an ambition.

On May 4, 2017, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), to repeal and replace elements of the ACA (Appendix Table 1). It would eliminate individual and employer insurance mandates, effectively end the ACA Medicaid expansion, cap federal funds for the Medicaid program, make major changes to the federal tax subsidies available to assist individuals who purchase private insurance, and ban federal Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood. It would also allow states to waive the ACA’s Essential Health Benefits requirements and permit health status as a factor in insurance rating for individuals who do not maintain continuous coverage with the goal of reducing insurance costs. 

Among other issues: Homicide is a leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women and that little data exist on the number of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women in the United States; The TARGET Act would authorize the State Department’s rewards program to target transnational organized crime rings that engage in severe forms of human trafficking; Iincreasing efforts to prevent girls in the foster care system from becoming victims of sex trafficking; Overview of the Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies.

" 'We're not the Department of Prosecutions or even the Department of Public Safety,' " Yates said in May 2015, the week after she was confirmed as deputy attorney general, the second-highest-ranking position in the Justice Department. 'We are the Department of Justice.' In a news release, the White House said Yates had 'betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States.'

"Well, I could see you struggling with your decision to leave Chicago for Los Angeles. I watched you tossing each night, and wrestling with second thoughts. It was painful for me to witness that, so I thought it wise to reappear and help you out. It's called 'separation anxiety. " "It's not really second thoughts," I told her. "I know I want to be closer to my daughters, and it's important to do it now, when I'm untethered and in good health. But after I enjoyed lunches and dinners with close friends, I felt sad, and wondered how I'd get along without these people in my day-to-day life."

"Since 1891, women have made tremendous strides in their ability to pursue their dreams of education and meaningful work and to support themselves and their families. In pursuing these goals, women have helped improve working conditions for all workers and have been a major factor in America's prosperity over the past century and a quarter. Despite this progress, evidence suggests that many women remain unable to achieve their goals. The gap in earnings between women and men, although smaller than it was years ago, is still significant; women continue to be underrepresented in certain industries and occupations; and too many women struggle to combine aspirations for work and family."

More than 20 years ago, when Russell Foster was 19 and his girlfriend Amber was 15, Montana's laws tore them apart, sending Russell to prison for four years for having sex with a minor.Hoping to spare other young couples severe consequences, the Fosters pushed for a bill the Montana Legislature passed last month that would reduce the penalties for teens caught engaging in consensual sexual activity. The measure also would expand the age range covered by the state’s existing Romeo and Juliet law.