The Senate narrowly approved a procedural motion to start floor debate on health care legislation, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a tie, but hours later the Senate rejected Republicans' most comprehensive plan to unravel and replace portions of the Affordable Care Act -- the Better Care Reconciliation Act plus funding for low-income people who would lose Medicaid coverage and a proposal by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to allow insurers that sell ACA-compliant plans to also offer noncompliant plans. Continued debate and additional votes are expected today.
⋅ Fortune
Vending machine company Three Square Market plans to insert microchips into about 50 employees to make snack buying at work more efficient. The employees can purchase snacks without using a credit card or smartphone at any of the workplace's "micromarkets."
Education Department officials have given feedback on nine of 17 states' Every Student Succeeds Act plans. Some states, such as Tennessee and Connecticut, are sticking to original plans on some accountability measures, despite requests to make changes.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that prompt action is needed to raise the debt limit. Debt is being held below a cap of almost $20 trillion by accountancy and cash-management methods, Mnuchin says, but this carries a real cost to taxpayers and creates investor unease.
Colorado-based organic grocer Lucky's Market will open a new store in Oakland Park, Fla., next month, marking the retailer's third store in the South Florida market. The new store will be located in Oakland Park's Downtown Culinary Arts District, which includes the Funky Buddha brewery and restaurants that emphasize fresh, local ingredients, according to a local developer.
⋅ The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (tiered subscription model)⋅The New York Times (free-article access for SmartBrief readers)⋅The Hill
The Senate voted down a measure proposed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would repeal major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including the individual mandate, Medicaid expansion, and tax credits that help people buy health insurance, while giving lawmakers two years to come up with a replacement. The measure is the second GOP health care plan rejected by the Senate this week, and sources say Republican leaders might attempt to pass a "skinny" repeal that would only eliminate a few ACA provisions, including the individual and employer mandates and the medical device tax, if more comprehensive proposals are voted down.
FCB West's new spot for Clorox features a man wiping down kitchen surfaces, interspersed with shots of the family fun that made it messy in the first place. The campaign includes similarly themed ads for bathroom and classroom cleaning.
Manufacturers are frequently perceived as more vulnerable than other industries to cyberattacks because they present multiple points of entry and may be under-prepared to protect themselves. Improving resistance to cyberattacks should begin with a multilayered "defense-in-depth" strategy along with the purchase of cyberinsurance.
⋅ ABC News
The cybersecurity industry needs to focus on showing "a little more thoughtfulness, a little less showmanship," Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos said after his speech at the Black Hat conference. Stamos also called for more focus on defense and announced a $1 million investment in a contest for defensive security research.
Chipotle executives revealed in an SEC filing they were served with another federal subpoena on July 19 asking for information related to a norovirus outbreak at a Chipotle in Sterling, Va. The subpoena was a follow-up to one issued Jan. 28 asking for "the production of documents and information related to company-wide food safety matters dating back to January 1, 2013."
⋅ The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)⋅The New York Times (free-article access for SmartBrief readers)
Viacom CEO Bob Bakish on Tuesday reportedly met with executives from Scripps Networks Interactive to discuss a possible acquisition. The company offered an all-cash deal to purchase Scripps, which is also being sought by Discovery Communications, which is not expected to offer an all-cash deal, sources say.
City populations could rise to 6.5 billion people by 2050, the UN says. Cities have been adjusting, and more than $75 billion in construction projects are proposed or in the works in cities around the world, including Shanghai, Paris and New York.
Anadarko Petroleum said it would restart 3,000 vertical wells in Colorado by the end of the year after conducting inspections and pressure tests. The wells were taken offline following a fatal explosion in Firestone, Colo., caused by a natural gas leak from an Anadarko well.
Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to add service in 2018 from Portland, Ore., to Maui; from Oakland, Calif., to Kaua'i, and from Los Angeles to Kona. The routes will feature the airline's new single-aisle Airbus A321neo aircraft.
AccorHotels is using acquisitions to solidify its position in the home-sharing market, merging Squarebreak and Travel Keys under its Onefinestay company. The combined companies will have about 10,000 rental properties.