Monday Briefing | May 1

Stories to Follow

Trumpcare 2.0?: As President Trump marks 100 days in office, he is another step closer to achieving what he promised to do on day one—repeal the Affordable Care Act. The revised Republican health bill allows states to waive certain provisions of Obamacare, including the “essential health benefits” requirement—which would allow insurers to sell less comprehensive plans at lower prices. The House Freedom Caucus threw its support behind the revisions, but some Republicans remain unconvinced. There could be a vote on the new bill as early as this week.

The Pivot Continues: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton promised a “pivot to Asia” in 2010. Under President Trump, the pivot seems to be continuing, though not in the form that his predecessor might have hoped. Trump spoke with his Filipino counterpart on Saturday, reaffirming the two countries’ alliance in a “friendly” call, and inviting President Duterte—whom rights groups say may have committed crimes against humanity—to visit Washington. Chief of Staff Reince Preibus defended the invitation on Sunday in an interview with ABC, saying “the issues facing us, developing out of North Korea, are so serious that we need cooperation at some level with as many partners in the area as we can get.”

This Week in JPI

Political Analysis | Trump Leaves the Neighborhood Bloc Party

What does “America First” mean for our closest neighbors? Latin America expert Andrew Trudeau considers the implications of the signaled foreign policy shift.

Happening This Week

What You Need to Know: The Iran Deal – Past, Present & Future | Tuesday, May 2, 12:30pm, 19 University Place

Nitin K. Chadda will lead a discussion on the Iran deal on Tuesday. Chadda is the White House Director for Iran Affairs & Senior Advisor to former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, and is now a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

New York African Film Festival | From Wednesday, May 3-Tuesday, May 9, Film Society of Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th Street

The 24th edition of the New York African Film Festival starts on Wednesday, May 3. The six-day event’s theme is “The People’s Revolution,” and will feature dozens of films from throughout the continent.

In Your Free Time

Google image search Saiga antelopes. Actually, I can do it for you. No, I’m not making them up. Yes, their faces are supposed to look like that. And, incredibly, in a rare sliver of good news, they’ve been saved from the brink of extinction.

This week’s Monday Briefing is brought to you by Ayenat Mersie.