MORNING MESSAGE
Democracy
spoke in the Greek referendum, calling on Europe to offer new hope. To date,
Europe refuses to listen. Greece will suffer, of course. But the Eurozone may
find it hard to overcome this disgrace. President Obama and the Treasury
Department should be putting maximum pressure on our European allies and on the
IMF to change course. Janet Yellen, chair of the Federal Reserve, should be
warning her counterparts at the European Central Bank of the risks involved in
forcing Greece out of the Euro. It may be too late to stop this fast-moving
crackup, but it is not too late to try.
Europe Presses Greece
Greek
PM and new finance minister meet with European counterparts today. AP: “As
the Greek leader readied proposals to restart bailout talks, the situation was
complicated by the European Central Bank’s refusal late Monday to increase
assistance for Greek banks desperately needing cash and facing imminent collapse
unless a rescue deal is reached.”
No
sign of budging from Germany. NYT: “Senior German officials dug in their
heels on Monday, saying a vote by Greeks to reject further austerity in a
referendum last weekend did not oblige other countries in the eurozone to change
their positions.”
Bernie Rocks Portland
Another
huge Bernie rally in Portland, ME. W. Post: “Sen. Bernie Sanders offered his
own answer Monday as to why he’s become such a draw on the presidential campaign
trail … ‘From Maine to California … the American people understand that
establishment politics and establishment economics are not working for the
middle class.'”
Clinton
campaign openly expressing worry over Sanders surge. NYT: “‘We are worried
about him, sure. He will be a serious force for the campaign, and I don’t think
that will diminish,’ Jennifer Palmieri, the Clinton campaign’s communications
director, said Monday in an interview on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe.'”
No Child Left Behind May Get Overhauled
Senate
to consider revamp of No Child Left Behind law this week. USA Today: “The
bipartisan proposal would do away with the No Child Left Behind law and reduce —
but not end — the federal government’s role in public elementary and secondary
education … House Republicans have their own version … But only the [Senate]
legislation has a chance to avoid a veto … [It] would maintain the current
federal regimen of reading, math and science tests in grades 3 through 12, but
states would decide how to use those test scores for accountability
purposes.”
WH
not supporting Senate bill yet. The Hill: “[Education Secretary Arne] Duncan
and Muñoz urged lawmakers to pass legislation giving more power to state and
local officials to measure progress and improve schools. But they said those
reforms should ensure that federal resources go to communities implementing
proven reforms.”
Senate
Dems to move on universal pre-K. W. Post: “…Senate Democrats in coming days
will roll out a new universal pre-kindergarten proposal that would be funded by
the closing of corporate tax breaks … [Sen. Bob] Casey plans to introduce it as
an amendment to a measure reauthorizing and overhauling No Child Left
Behind…”
Home Stretch For TPP Talks
Final
TPP talks later this month. NYT: “Outstanding controversies include access
to Canada’s agriculture market, Australian concerns over American pharmaceutical
patent rules, Peru’s rain forest management, Chinese components in Vietnamese
textile exports and labor organizing rights in Vietnam and Mexico … a July 31
agreement could not be signed until Oct. 31 or more likely the beginning of
November. Congress cannot begin considering it until December.”
MIT
prof shows how companies make pay living wages and be profitable. NYT’s Joe
Nocera: “Getting there requires companies to adopt what [Zeynep] Ton calls
‘human-centered operations strategies,’ … Paying employees middle-class wages
allows the company to get the most out of them … They can solve problems by
themselves. They make merchandising decisions for their own stores … costs
everywhere else in the operation go down.”
Sen.
Warren tries to block WH pick for SEC. Politico: “President Barack Obama was
planning to nominate corporate attorney Keir Gumbs … But now that’s on hold at
least until August after activist groups aligned with Warren raised an outcry
over Gumbs’ work, including his advice to companies on how to dodge scrutiny
from shareholder activists.”
WH
to announce program for low-income families to get solar power. NYT: “The
administration will announce that it intends to triple the capacity of solar and
other renewable energy systems it installs in federally subsidized housing by
2020, make it easier for homeowners to borrow money for solar improvements and
start a nationwide program to help renters gain access to solar
energy…”
Progressive
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