The Death of ESPN: Today's News for April 27th

Fox News:

ESPN lays off about 100 employees, including Danny Kanell, Ed Werder

It’s a dark day at ESPN.

The sports broadcasting network sent a memo to employees early Wednesday, informing them that a series of previously announced layoffs would take place today. Familiar faces like Ed Werder, Danny Kanell, Jayson Stark, Trent Dilfer and Brett McMurphy are among those who have been let go.

The total number of employees cut will be around 100, Fox News has learned. 

ESPN, owned by Disney, has long been a drag on Disney's growth. A company that once was the definition of sports broadcasting has now become as much of an afterthought as a tv in a sports bar: Common, but not necessarily watched.

This layoff of 100 employees may not be the end of the network, but they are in the business version of intensive care. Going forward, expect ESPN to run on a much smaller business model cost-wise, with far fewer significant on-air personalities. Whether this is just a new business model, or the beginning of the end, remains to be seen.

In other news...

Vox:

Republicans exempt their own insurance from their latest health care proposal

House Republicans appear to have included a provision that exempts members of Congress and their staff from their latest health care plan.

The new Republican amendment, introduced Tuesday night, would allow states to waive out of Obamacare’s ban on preexisting conditions. This means that insurers could once again, under certain circumstances, charge sick people higher premiums than healthy people.

Republican legislators liked this policy well enough to offer it in a new amendment. They do not, however, seem to like it enough to have it apply to themselves and their staff. A spokesperson for Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), who authored this amendment, confirmed this was the case: Members of Congress and their staff would get the guarantee of keeping these Obamacare regulations.

This is typical of politicians placing themselves above the American public. However, when the light of the media shines on the cockroaches...

Vox:

GOP House member says he’ll fix the exemption for Congress in his health bill

A Republican legislator has vowed to close a loophole in his Obamacare replacement proposal, following Vox’s reporting on the exemption Tuesday night.

The amendment offered by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) would exempt health insurance plans held by legislators and their staff from key Obamacare repeal plans.

Congressional staff are currently required to buy coverage through the Obamacare marketplaces. The amendment offered by Rep. MacArthur would ensure that Hill staff continue to have access to Obamacare programs, like a ban on discriminating based on preexisting conditions, while other enrollees could lose those policies if their state applied for a waiver.

On Wednesday morning, Rep. MacArthur issued a statement saying he would work to eliminate this exemption...