Netanyahu Given First Chance to Form Government
BRIGGS: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given the first chance to try to form a new government after attempts to negotiate with his main rival Benny Gantz failed. But the road to building unity coalition, avoiding another election will be difficult if not impossible to navigate. Oren Liebermann joins us live from Jerusalem. If you're a betting man, Oren, you say this is likely?</s>OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave, if I were a betting man, I certainly wouldn't beat at all on Israel elections and Israel political future because that's how uncertain things are at the moment. What is clear right now is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at least gets the first crack at creating a new government, even though he doesn't have the biggest party after the elections and doesn't really have a clear to a path to a coalition. So, what was Israel's president's rationale in giving Netanyahu the first chance? Well, he at least has the best chance at succeeding or at least the worst chance of failing here, if you want to look at it like that. Now, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in getting him the chance, Netanyahu at least has the most support, 55 seats, whereas his rival Benny Gantz has only 54 seats, though Israel's president said neither of them has a clear path to forming a government. And the reality of a third possible election is growing day-by-day. Netanyahu says he wants to pursue a unity government, a wide government. Well, that's the same thing that his rival says. So, what's the way out of this? That is what remains unclear here. There is at least a clear path forward in terms of a timeline. Netanyahu will have up to six weeks to form a government. If he fails, as he did after April's election, Gantz will get a chance, his rival, he'll have four weeks. If both of them fail, which is likely to happen if nothing major shifts here, there's three weeks until the Knesset or for the Knesset to choose upon a third candidate. And if all of that fails, new elections are automatically triggered. Dave and Christine, the president warned, hat would be a heavy price once again for Israel's public to pay.</s>BRIGGS: So, three, four months, we might have some clarity. Oren Liebermann, best of luck to you, sir.</s>ROMANS: All right. What costs more than a midsize car? A year of health insurance. For the first time ever, the Kaiser Family Foundation shows annual employer-provided health care costs are above $20,000. That is a grim milestone. And employer health benefits have become too expensive for many lower- income workers. Only one in three employees at low wage firms are covered, compared to 63 percent of workers at other companies. The companies bear, on average, 71 percent of the cost of employer- provided health care. Employees pay the rest. And those costs, those consumer costs are rising faster than wages. Consumers paying higher costs for their share of the insurance, their deductibles are rising, and prescription drug costs are soaring. Over the past decade, family premiums are up 54 percent. Workers contributions are up 71 percent, but wages are only up 26 percent. This, Dave, is why this is one of the top issues on the campaign trial. No question. People are paying more of their own money for their employer sponsored healthcare. It's why more progressives in the Democratic Party are saying the government should take this over.</s>BRIGGS: Hopefully, the focus remains on those issues.</s>ROMANS: That's right.</s>BRIGGS: But it's doubtful that happens, right? The Milwaukee Brewers punching their ticket to the postseason without their most valuable player. Carolyn Manno here in studio with "The Bleacher Report", next.