MORNING MESSAGE
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
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