Progressive Breakfast: Demands Increase For Investigating Exxon's Funding Of Climate Denial

MORNING MESSAGE

Exxon and other fossil fuel companies may have committed a crime of enormous proportions, and more and more elected officials and others are demanding an investigation. The charge is that Exxon scientists and management knew since the late 1970s that the company’s product was helping cause our planet to warm “catastrophically,” but management responded by covering this up and disseminating disinformation – joining with other companies to commit an enormous fraud on the public for profit.

Ryan Close To Speakership

Rep. Paul Ryan appears to have the votes for Speaker. The Hill: “About two-thirds of the [House Freedom Caucus] backs Ryan for the Speakership … ‘My guess is he could still get 230-plus votes, and in this environment that is remarkable,’ [said] Rep. Luke Messer … [But] HFC members said they did not accede to one of Ryan’s key demands: watering down a procedural tactic that allows members to call for a vote to oust a sitting Speaker.”
Sen. Harry Reid backs Ryan, in Time oped: “Democrats need responsible Republican negotiating partners if, together, we are going to avoid the twin challenges facing us in the coming weeks: avoiding the first-ever default of the full faith and credit of the U.S., and preventing another government shutdown.”
Ryan demands work-life balance for himself, not for others. Jezebel: “[He is] insisting that time … with his family not be sacrificed …That’s nice. If only he believed that other Americans deserved the same. In 2009, Ryan voted against a bill that would have given federal employees four weeks of paid paternity leave.”
Ex-Im Bank roils Congress. The Hill: “Supporters of the besieged bank enraged conservatives earlier this month by deploying a rarely used legislative tactic to force a vote in the House — expected next week … [Sen. Mitch] has been reluctant to move legislation in the busy upper chamber, even as Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) used another procedural tool, known as Rule 14, to bring a reauthorization bill to the floor … Sources in the business community believe McConnell would prefer Ex-Im supporters to attach a rider renewing the bank’s charter to legislation that extends the federal highway transportation fund…”

Hillary To Testify Today

W. Post’s Harold Meyerson makes the case for Sanders’ college plan: “… Sanders wants to make tuition-free education at these colleges a universal right, while Clinton wants to exclude students from affluent families … means-tested programs [are] politically vulnerable and consequently can be scaled back to the point where they’re ineffective.”
Hispanic conservatives organize against Trump and Cruz. W. Post: “The activists plan to meet on Oct. 27 in Boulder, Colo., the day before [the next debate.] the group plans to hold a news conference to ‘identify several candidates that will not have our support…'”
Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast is a project of the Campaign for America's Future. more »