MORNING MESSAGE
The
candidates discussed “trade” for a few minutes during the first presidential
debate on Monday. Once again the opportunity for a meaningful dialogue on an
important issue slipped away. Where do we go from here? That was the subject of
a teleconference Wednesday night between activists from around the country and
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) ... Sen. Merkley said that we have to “stop this
gigantic trade deal, we have to stop it dead in its tracks.”
SANDERS PRAISES CLINTON
Sanders
touts Clinton’s college affordability plan in joint NH appearance. The Hill:
“Sanders promised that in his role on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee, he’d do everything possible to help ferry Clinton’s legislation
through the Senate … ‘We are going to end the federal government making money
off of lending money to students to get an education,’ Clinton said.”
Clinton
gets pushback from college administrators. NYT: “Although the prospect of
free public college sounds enticing for many, private institutions — which
account for about a quarter of the higher education landscape in America — are
starting to fret. Vast subsidies to public universities would most likely lure
students away, forcing private colleges to alter their business models to
survive … Clinton campaign officials are aware that some details still need to
be worked out, but they insist that private institutions and schools that cater
to minorities would not be left out.”
Democrats
try to convince millennials to reject third-parties. NYT: “[Michelle Obama]
had blunt words for anyone thinking about voting for a third party. ‘If you vote
for someone other than Hillary, or if you don’t vote at all,’ she said, ‘then
you are helping to elect Hillary’s opponent.’ … The stubborn popularity of the
third-party candidates has become a concern to Mrs. Clinton and her allies. So
far, the support for them has not softened, as it often does in the fall.”
Progressive
groups eye 2018 primary challenges. American Prospect: “A clear focus not
just of Our Revolution but also of such groups as the Working Families Party and
People’s Action is to mount primary challenges, beginning in 2018, against
congressional Democrats who oppose such reforms as a new Glass-Steagall … says
George Goehl, People’s Action’s co-executive director[,] ‘I’m most encouraged
about the number of people doing grown-up politics, preparing serious efforts to
primary corporate Democrats.'”
CLEAN POWER PLAN IN COURT'S HANDS
Both
sides predict victory in Clean Power Plan case. The Hill: “The nearly seven
hours of oral arguments showed little sign of consensus among the judges. But
six of them were appointed by Democratic presidents and four by Republicans, and
no judge appeared to stray significantly from the party line in court … Elbert
Lin, the [West Virginia] solicitor general [said] ‘You had judges, I think both
Democratic and Republican appointees, who were saying that they understood that
this was qualitatively different from what’s been done before,’ … environmental
groups that helped the EPA were equally optimistic … David Doniger, the climate
program director with the Natural Resources Defense Council [said,] ‘The
questioning from the court was very skeptical of many of the arguments from
opponents,’…”
“
Opponents of CPP should complain to Congress, not courts, says Bloomberg edit board: “Congress’s refusal since 2010 to consider any climate policy at all forced the EPA to look for alternatives … A far simpler and more effective way to cut emissions would be for Congress to impose a tax on carbon … Until Congress acts, however, the EPA is obligated to use what tools are available.”
“
Opponents of CPP should complain to Congress, not courts, says Bloomberg edit board: “Congress’s refusal since 2010 to consider any climate policy at all forced the EPA to look for alternatives … A far simpler and more effective way to cut emissions would be for Congress to impose a tax on carbon … Until Congress acts, however, the EPA is obligated to use what tools are available.”
Renewable
energy production jumps. The Hill: “The Department of Energy study concluded
that the cost of five clean energy technologies — from wind and solar power to
LED lighting — has declined between 40 percent and 94 percent, depending on the
technology, since 2008. Wind and solar power, the report found, accounted for
two-thirds of new electricity capacity installed last year, and together produce
enough electricity to power 19 million homes.”
WEALTHIEST GET MOST TAX BREAKS
Top
1% get most tax breaks. Bloomberg: “The top 1 percent of Americans as
measured by income rake in 17 percent of all U.S. income on an annual
basis—before taxes [and] gets 27 percent of the tax breaks doled out by the
federal government … the lowest-income households get just about 4 percent of
federal tax breaks.”
CA
Treasurer suspends ties with Wells Fargo. NYT: “The state treasurer, John
Chiang, said he was suspending Wells Fargo’s ‘most highly profitable business
relationships’ with the state for at least a year, including the lucrative
business of underwriting certain California municipal bonds … ‘How can I
continue to entrust the public’s money to an organization which has shown such
little regard for the legions of Californians who placed their financial
well-being in its care?’ Mr. Chiang wrote … [Chiang] is running for governor in
2018…”
House
votes to block Labor Dept. rule expanding overtime pay. The Hill: “The
Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools and Nonprofits Act passed mostly
along party lines by a vote of 246-177, delaying for six months the rule that
makes 4.2 million Americans eligible for overtime pay … President Obama has
threatened to veto the bill.”
Progressive
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