US Senate to Vote on Obamacare Repeal Today, Nuns say No Thanks

Take action now: GOP Senators are planning to vote on whether or not to debate the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This a major development, and activists are bussing in to DC from all over the country. Today's vote may lead to debate and amendments to the bill the House passed in back May. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needs 50 out of 52 GOP senators to back this bill if it is to pass. The vote is expected to happen sometime around 2:15 pm. If you are concerned about your own health care and that of millions of other people, call your senators (just about every American has two) via the US Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and give your thoughts before it's a done deal.

The Sister act: The GOP's Senate's health care bill is getting a scathing response from more than 7,000 nuns who have denounced the legislation in a letter, saying it goes against their Catholic faith teaching. The letter was published on Monday and calls out the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), which would replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) once it's been repealed. "The BCRA would be the most harmful legislation for American families in our lifetimes," the Catholic Sisters write. A Catholic nun was also instrumental in the passage of the ACA, which makes it fitting that the sisters would take a strong moral stance against the GOP's legislation.

Earthalujah!: A New York City-based group of performance activists known as Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir are planning to shake things up at Trump Tower with an International Brown Bag Lunch. The group, which apes the pontificating style of televangelists, has invited people of all ethnicities to a midday meal at Trump's eponymous tower in hopes that people of all backgrounds can break bread together as a representation of unity. Although the building is privately owned, the Community Garden on the fifth floor is a public space. The event is today, July 25, at 5th Ave and 56th St. from noon until 3 pm.

Weed crackdown: Penalties for pot use may get a lot worse. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is leading President Trump's Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, and marijuana advocates are nervous that he will push for tougher sentences for people who grow, sell, or smoke weed. In May, Sessions urged Congress in a letter to let him prosecute medical marijuana and asked for more Department of Justice oversight on state marijuana laws. Sessions' revamped war on drugs is expected to cause more problems than solutions.

Protect trans kids: Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie has signed a bill that requires the state to "ensure a supportive and nondiscriminatory environment" for trans students. Christie signed the bill into law on Friday and it is now effective immediately, which means that trans students will be allowed to use the bathrooms and lockers of their gender identity. Public schools must also refer to students using their preferred pronouns and chosen names. Given the Trump administration's lacking concern for protecting trans kids, other states will have to follow New Jersey's lead in creating localized legislation.

Changing the game: A 22-year-old politician, Hashim Walters, has become the youngest person to enter the 2017 mayoral bid for New Orleans. "This is just a tool or a stepping stone to encourage more millennials to get involved in the political world here in New Orleans and also nationally," Walters said in an interview with a local TV station. The Birmingham Southern College graduate has built his platform on affordable housing, public safety and improving employment opportunities in the city.

Cleaner oceans: The UK has finally banned microbeads from personal care items, but complaints from the cosmetic industry about high costs have stopped it from being a complete ban. Microbeads are bad for the environment because they pollute water with tiny bits of plastic that can wind up inside fish and potentially in food for human consumption. Rinse-off products like facial scrubs, shower gels and toothpaste are getting overhauled, but leave-on products like makeup and sunscreen aren't getting the same treatment.