MORNING MESSAGE
The
NAACP’s “Journey for Justice” began in Selma, Ala., on August 1. The march is
scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C. on September 15, followed by an
“advocacy day” at the Capitol on September 16. NAACP national president Cornell
Brooks has walked much of the first 330 miles himself, inspiring hundreds to
join in the march for at least a day. The journey is designed to focus on four
key issue areas – our votes, lives, jobs and schools. On one level the Journey’s
goals are modest – reenactment of the Voting Rights Act, criminal justice reform
that addresses the killings of unarmed African Americans, full and sustainable
employment, and a commitment to good public education at all levels. But in
today’s America, much like that of 50 years ago, these modest goals require both
a mass movement and massive reform of our democracy.
Markets Face Shaky Comeback
Signs,
Long Unheeded, Now Point to Risks in U.S. Economy. NY Times: “As investors
scramble to make sense of the wild market swings in recent days, a number of
financial experts argue that, for more than a year now, signs pointing to an
equity crisis were there for all to see. The data points range from the obvious
to the obscure, encompassing stock market and credit bubbles in China, the
strength of the dollar relative to emerging market currencies, a commodity rout
and a sudden halt to global earnings growth.”
World
markets stage mixed comeback. USA Today: “Battered world financial markets
attempted to reclaim lost territory Wednesday with mixed success. Tokyo’s
benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 570.13 points, or 3.20%, closing at 18,376.83.
The broader Topix index finished with a 3.23% gain. While stocks in China ended
the trading session lower, the losses were not as dramatic as seen in recent
days. The Shanghai composite index — now down over 40% since mid-June — climbed
nearly 3% in afternoon trading before closing down 1.3% at 2, 927.29. In Europe,
the major regional benchmarks were all down about 2% in early market activity.
U.S. stock futures pointed modestly higher.”
Trump Ramps Up Media Feuds
Trump
Starts New Media Feud With Univision Anchor Ramos. ABC News: “Republican
presidential candidate Donald Trump has opened up a new media feud, taking on
another popular TV news personality even as his appearances continue to draw big
ratings. Trump engaged in a prolonged confrontation Tuesday with Jorge Ramos,
the Miami-based anchor for Univision, during a news conference in Dubuque, Iowa.
Ramos stood and began to ask Trump about his immigration proposal, which
includes ending automatic citizenship for infants born in the United States to
parents in the country illegally. As Ramos began to speak, Trump interrupted
him, saying he hadn’t called on Ramos before repeatedly telling him to’”sit
down’ and then saying, ‘Go back to Univision.’”
Trump
Reignites Feud with Fox News Host Megyn Kelly. NBC News: “The feud between
Donald Trump and Fox News reignited Tuesday with the GOP frontrunner quoting a
fan who called host Megyn Kelly a ”bimbo,“ and Fox News head Roger Ailes saying
Trump should apologize. The confrontation began after the first Republican
presidential debate earlier this month, where Trump felt like he was treated
unfairly both in the questions he received and in the analysis after the event.
Trump said in an interview that Kelly ‘had blood coming out of her eyes, blood
coming out of her wherever’ while co-moderating the debate.”
Donald
Trump insults Megyn Kelly: Is belligerence the core of his appeal? Christian
Science Monitor: “For a presidential candidate, Donald Trump takes personal
feuds to an extreme. But is that belligerence the very core of his appeal?
That’s a question that arises out of the latest Trump imbroglio. He’s attacking
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly again, weeks after she questioned him sharply about
his descriptions of women at the first Republican presidential debate.”
Democratic Race
Joe
Biden Expected to Announce Run for President. Voice of America: “U.S. Vice
President Joe Biden is widely expected to announce his intention to run for the
Democratic presidential nomination. His Republican opponents as well as fellow
Democrats welcome the seasoned politician into the race, but for now few see him
as a serious competitor. On the Republican side, billionaire Donald Trump
continues to dictate the political agenda with former Florida governor Jeb Bush
making an effort to catch up. ”
Bernie
Sanders’s Success in Attracting Small Donors Tests Importance of ‘Super
PACs’. NY Times: “Unlike almost all of the other major Democratic and
Republican candidates this year, Mr. Sanders has refused to accept support from
super PACs, relying instead on supporters … The average donation, according to
campaign officials, is $31.30. The result is a campaign built on populist issues
like income inequality that appears to be drawing even more rank-and-file
support than Mr. Obama did in 2008, when he used a network of smaller donors to
win the White House.
Progressives
pressure Hillary Clinton on Wall Street bonuses. Reuters: “Eight groups
representing the U.S. Democratic Party’s progressive wing planned to call on
Hillary Clinton on Wednesday to disavow the controversial practice of Wall
Street firms paying bonuses to executives who leave for government jobs. The
groups is also asking in a letter that Clinton, the favorite to win the party’s
nomination for the 2016 presidential election, endorse a proposed federal law
that would ban ”golden parachutes“, as the bonuses are sometimes known.”
Join
the #NoWarWithIran Thunderclap. On Wednesday, August 26, MoveOn and
allies are hosting a national day of action for diplomacy with Iran. In addition
to more than 200 events across the country, organizers are hosting a Thunderclap
to make sure public support for the Iran deal trends nationally. You can sign up
your Twitter and Facebook accounts using the following link. And on August 26,
follow #NoWarWithIran: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/30444-nowarwithiran.
Progressive
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