Progressive Breakfast: Meet the "People's Action 22": Candidates Fighting For All Of Us

MORNING MESSAGE

George Goehl & LeeAnn Hall
Meet the “People’s Action 22”: Candidates Fighting For All Of Us
In the final weeks of a dispiriting presidential election, hope is on the horizon – and it’s down-ballot. That’s where you will find more and more everyday people deciding to challenge neoliberal politics and build a bottom-up movement that fights for fairness in our economy and democracy for all people. We are proud to announce the first slate of progressive candidates endorsed by People’s Action, a national organization of more than a million people in affiliated groups across 29 states ... [The] “People’s Action 22” will help build on the progressive political revolution ignited by Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. They are grassroots leaders committed to fighting for people instead of corporate profits.

TRUMP MAKES UP IMMIGRANT CONSPIRACY

Trump concocts fantastical vote-rigging conspiracy. WSJ: “Mr. Trump pointed to North Carolina, where he said ‘it is possible’ that illegal votes from people who lacked U.S. citizenship could have won Mr. Obama the state. ‘It could have provided his margin of victory,’ … He didn’t mention that Mr. Obama already had enough electoral votes to secure the 2008 election without winning North Carolina … There is no evidence that significant voter fraud was committed in North Carolina in that race, and Mr. Trump cited no new evidence.”
Trump attacks Paul Ryan. Politico: “…the real estate mogul insinuated that Ryan may be looking forward to Trump’s defeat — either so he can run in 2020 or because the former vice presidential nominee doesn’t know how to win …”
Republican Super PACs aim to protect House. Politico: “They’re dropping $500,000 on TV ads in deep-red Utah to protect Rep. Mia Love, whose Mormon-heavy district has recoiled from Trump’s vulgar comments about women. They’re spending another $700,000 in Tucson, Arizona, to protect freshman Rep. Martha McSally, a retired Air Force colonel who has comfortably led her Democratic challenger all year. And they’re working to shore up conservative-leaning districts in the Central Valley of California, western Colorado, upstate New York and Michigan.”
Sen. John McCain pledges indefinite blockade of SCOTUS nominations if Clinton wins. NPR: “‘I promise you that we will be united against any Supreme Court nominee that Hillary Clinton, if she were president, would put up,’ he declared. McCain said that’s why it is so important that Republicans retain control of the Senate.”
Enviros press Clinton not to consider CO Gov. John Hickenlooper for Interior Secretary. The Hill: “Hickenlooper twice opposed efforts to put local fracking bans and new fracking restrictions on the Colorado ballot … The groups [said] a potential Clinton administration instead needs ‘leaders who will champion the protection of human health and the environment.'”

SILICON VALLEY BUYS WASHINGTON

Silicon Valley outspending Wall Street on lobbying. Bloomberg: “…as the Valley steps up its lobbying efforts, with a wish-list that ranges from immigration to rules for driverless cars, some critics warn that similar traps lie in wait: It’s not easy for the government to police an industry from which it poaches talent and solicits help with writing laws … The [five largest] tech firms spent $49 million on Washington lobbyists last year, while the five largest banks shelled out $19.7 million…”
Manufacturing job openings linger. WSJ: “As factory floors become more automated and data-driven, companies … need computer engineers but often find themselves outgunned by Silicon Valley tech firms … manufacturers at times can’t compete with the pay and benefits tech companies offer…”
Americans work more than Europeans. Bloomberg: “U.S. workers not only put in more hours than workers do almost anywhere else. They’re also increasingly retiring later and taking fewer vacation days … The average person in Europe works 19 percent less than the average person in the U.S. That’s about 258 fewer hours per year … labor unions, along with other worker protections, are much stronger in Europe than in the U.S.”

BREAKFAST SIDES

Top police chief apologizes for historic mistreatment of people of color. NYT: “The apology by Terrence M. Cunningham, who leads the International Association of Chiefs of Police, came during a speech in San Diego at the group’s annual conference … For law enforcement officials to regain the trust of minorities, they must begin ‘to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color,’ said Chief Cunningham … Critics said Chief Cunningham undercut his message by failing to recognize racism among present-day police forces … ‘Such appeasement of the violent anti-police movement is just one more nail in the coffin of American law enforcement,’ said William Johnson, the executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations…”
Judge rejects case against Amy Goodman for reporting on Dakota Access Pipeline protests. NYT: “…District Judge John Grinsteiner declined to sign the charging document, bringing the case to a stop — at least for now … Ladd Erickson, a state prosecutor who is assisting the Morton County state’s attorney’s office in the case, said other charges were possible … ‘She’s a protester, basically,’ he said. ‘Everything she reported on was from the position of justifying the protest actions.'”
Obamacare to offer no-deductible insurance plans. NYT: “…consumers have complained that they were getting little benefit beyond coverage for catastrophic problems. The new standardized options are meant to address that concern … But the new plans could still be costly. While the federal government specifies deductibles, co-payments and other out-of-pocket costs for the standardized options, it does not limit premiums, which in most cases are still regulated by state insurance commissioners.”

Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's Action. more »