Month: May 2018

view in browser MORNING MESSAGE Richard Eskow Mnuchin Flips Tax-Scam Grift, Hopes Nobody Notices Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s rule seems to be If they don’t believe one lie, tell another. After months of claiming tax cuts would benefit workers, he’s now faced with proof that companies prefer to reward their investors first. So what does Steve do? He flips the script, and now claims stock buybacks are a way to reinvest in the economy? Does this make sense to you? Not to me. WV, IN, NC, OH Head To Primaries GOP looks for midterm hope in key primaries. Politico: “Ten Republicans will challenge Democrats in Trump states this November. In addition to West Virginia, Republicans will also choose two other Senate nominees Tuesday in crucial races: Indiana and Ohio — states Trump carried decisively. And each of those three primary campaigns has turned more pitched and acrimonious in the run-up to the vote, an early sign of ugly midterm fights ahead in states that will help determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years. Republicans on Tuesday will also hold closely watched congressional primaries in North Carolina and Ohio that will shed light on the party’s posture going into the midterms, while Democrats’ efforts to mount a comeback in the nation’s statehouses begins Tuesday with a critical primary for Ohio governor. But it’s the West Virginia Senate contest that has roiled the national landscape — in large part because of establishment Republicans’ efforts to derail Blankenship’s campaign, and Blankenship’s inflammatory and at times racially charged rhetoric in response.” ‘Dirty Ops’ Firm Sought To Discredit Iran Nuclear Deal Spy firm hired to find ‘dirt’ on Obama officials, possibly by Trump allies. NYM: “Aa private Israeli intelligence agency was hired to run ‘dirty ops’ against two former Obama administration officials in an attempt to discredit the Iran nuclear deal, according to a wild report in The Observer. It appears the agency was Black Cube, the same firm that disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein hired to go after women who accused him of sexual assault. Even more stunning: The Observer reported that the firm was hired by unknown persons associated with the Trump administration, which would mean people close to the current president were attempting to ‘get dirt’ on former White House aides in an effort to sabotage an international agreement.” DOL Seeks To Squash Ethical Investing DOL claims do-good investments are Not Always ‘prudent’. Bloomberg: “The Department of Labor, which oversees retirement-plan funds, published guidelines on Monday that said investments based on environmental, social and governance issues aren’t always a ‘prudent choice’ and that such factors shouldn’t ‘too readily’ be considered as economically relevant by fiduciaries. That differs from 2016 guidance from the Obama administration, which said such plans could consider ESG factors without violating their fiduciary duty, opening the way for more retirees to pursue socially-responsible investment strategies… Under the latest guidelines, fiduciaries must ‘always put first the economic interests of the plan’ and make financial factors the main consideration when evaluating investments. They also require managers to make sure any shareholder-engagement activities are likely to enhance economic value of their investments.” EPA Clamps Down On Public Scrutiny EPA clamping down on public records requests related to Scott Pruitt. ThinkProgress: “Political appointees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are screening public records requests related to administrator Scott Pruitt at an alarming rate, slowing the release of documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), according to internal emails obtained by POLITICO. Pruitt’s political appointees review documents collected for nearly all FOIA requests. Past administrations gave political aides a similar courtesy, but experts told POLITICO the level of vetting has increased markedly in the Trump administration. These so-called ‘awareness reviews’ or ‘senior management reviews’ also occurred under the Obama administration when staff thought the requested information would generate news. But now, the EPA chief of Staff Ryan Jackson and other appointees request to review any and all information related to Pruitt. Emails also showed that political aides reprimand career staff for releasing documents about Pruitt before they’ve screened the information first.” Kochs Take Aim At Higher Ed Why the Koch brothers find higher education worth the money. CPI: “Newly released documents show that at George Mason University, the Charles Koch Foundation was given a say in hiring and firing professors, according to published reports. The records were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by a group called “UnKoch My Campus,” which seeks to expose the influence of billionaire investors Charles and David Koch over colleges and universities. What makes higher education a worthwhile investment for the Kochs, who are known for bankrolling conservative causes and Republican campaign vehicles? Essentially, to inculcate the next generation with a philosophy like their own: As we’ve reported throughout this decade, education grants from the Koch brothers’ network of foundations routinely support academic programs or centers that teach theories and principles aligned with the Kochs’ convictions about economics and public policy.” 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. Please consider a donation of any size to support our work: DONATE NOW Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progressive Breakfast, please click here.

view in browser MORNING MESSAGE Jeff Bryant The Right Lashes Out at Uprising Teachers Teacher uprisings are spreading from Arizona and Colorado to North Carolina, and rightwing politicians and their operatives are crafting ways to strike back. Even during the walkouts, Republican lawmakers and their supporters have tried to intimidate and silence teachers. But these teacher uprisings have a widely accepted moral standing that will be very difficult for their opponents to undermine, despite the big money aimed at opposing them. Teacher Of the Year Challenges Trump On Immigration Teacher of the Year hands Trump messages from young immigrants. WaPo: “Mandy Manning only had a moment with President Trump, but it was all she needed. Manning, the 2018 National Teacher of the Year recipient, had brought with her from Spokane, Wash., a stack of letters that her immigrant and refugee students wrote ahead of her trip to the White House, where she accepted the award Wednesday. The letters were addressed to the president, and all Manning wanted to do was give them to him. Some chronicled their experiences coming to the United States — from Syria, Iraq, Uganda, Burma, El Salvador — because they ‘felt it was important for the president to understand the really rigorous and difficult process and length of time it takes to come to the United States as a refugee,’ Manning said.” Zinke, Alexander Want Drilling in National Parks Zinke and Lamar Alexander’s big plan? We wust kill the planet to save the national parks. Common Dreams: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke joined with U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to argue that the best way to fix the national parks is by pillaging public lands for fossil fuels. Their CNN op-ed published Wednesday focuses on the $11.6 billion repair backlog the parks face—’our parks are being loved to death,’ they write. They say revenue to address the infrastructure repairs can come through their proposed legislation, the National Park Restoration Act (S.2509). Lamar is the sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, which he introduced at the behest of Zinke, and as the Interior Department noted in a press release, it ‘follows the blueprint laid out in Secretary Zinke and President Trump’s budget proposal, the Public Lands Infrastructure Fund.'” Disgraced Banker Resigns As EPA Superfund Chief EPA Superfund chief Kelly resigns amid ethics allegations. The Intercept: “Albert Kelly, a ALBERT KELLY, A senior adviser to Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency, resigned Tuesday. Kelly, who was overseeing the agency’s Superfund program, left amid questions about his banking career. Pasquale “Nino” Perrotta, Pruitt’s head of security, also abruptly resigned, leading many to question whether Pruitt would be next. As The Intercept reported in December, Kelly was the chair of SpiritBank in Bristow, Oklahoma, until he was banned for life from the banking industry by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Kelly, or ‘Kell’ as he’s known by his friends, had provided several loans to Pruitt, including mortgages and funding for his share of a Triple-A baseball team, the Oklahoma City RedHawks. While Kelly was its chairman, SpiritBank became financially unstable and unable to pay back most of $30 million it received from the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program.” NC Launches Environmental Review Board North Carolina is launching an environmental justice advisory board. ThinkProgress: “North Carolina is hoping to grapple with its long history of environmental injustices with the formation of an Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board, which will advise the state’s Department of Environmental Quality on issues related to environmental justice. ‘I am excited to kick off a very important endeavor,’ North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan told ThinkProgress via an emailed statement. ‘One that we hope will change the way North Carolina strategically approaches and integrates environmental protection and social justice to ensure no North Carolinian is overlooked or left behind as we tackle the environmental challenges of the day.'” U.S. Scientists Join France’s “Make Our Planet Great Again” Program Six more US scientists selected for Macron’s ‘Make Our Planet Great Again’ program. The Hill: “French President Emmanuel Macron’s climate science initiative “Make Our Planet Great Again” has attracted six more U.S.-based scientists to do their research in Europe. CNN reported Wednesday that the six U.S.-based scientists were selected as part of a larger group of 14 given grants to study climate science and biodiversity. The grant winners hail from U.S. universities like Duke, Yale, Florida State and MIT. The $70 million initiative was created last year after President Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. The joint initiative between France and Germany offers the international community an opportunity to conduct their research at European institutions. Trump said he pulled out of the international agreement because it was “unfair” to U.S. interests. The U.S. is the only country in the world that is not supporting it.” 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. Please consider a donation of any size to support our work: DONATE NOW Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progressive Breakfast, please click here.

view in browser MORNING MESSAGE Bernie Horn Our Opioid Crisis Needs More Than Crocodile Tears U.S. Senate and House committees approved competing bills that purport to address the “opioid crisis.” These are a catchall of small ideas, which is no surprise since they are consensus measures. But even if every single one of these ideas becomes law, they will still not save enough lives. If lawmakers truly want to end the opioid crisis, they’ll need to finally put their money where their mouth is and offer us solutions, not crocodile tears. Teachers Confront DeVos In Closed Session “You’re the one creating the ‘bad’ schools”: nation’s top teachers denounce Devos during closed-door session. Common Dreams: “In the midst of teacher uprisings in multiple states that over recent months have drawn hundreds of thousands of educators and their supporters into the streets to demand increased school funding, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos came face-to-face on Monday afternoon with several vocal opponents of her policies—the country’s 2018 ‘Teachers of the Year.’… many of the teachers expressed disapproval of the Secretary’s pet cause—school voucher programs and charter schools, often referred to as “school choice” by proponents—which critics say pull funding from the very public school students the Education Department is meant to support. When teachers including Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year, Jon Hazell, raised concerns over public funds and scholarships going to private education, DeVos said that ‘school choice’ simply offers students a way out of ‘low-performing public schools.’ ‘I said, ‘You’re the one creating the ‘bad’ schools by taking all the kids that can afford to get out and leaving the kids who can’t behind.'” Puerto Ricans Protest Austerity, Lack Of Aid Thousands in Puerto Rico march to protest austerity measures. AP: “Thousands of Puerto Ricans marched Tuesday to protest pension cuts, school closures and slow hurricane recovery efforts as anger grows across the U.S. territory over looming austerity measures. The Labor Day protest attracted teachers, retirees and unionized workers from both the private and public sectors, as well as the mayor of the capital of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz. Among those who marched through the city’s financial center before the protest grew violent was 56-year-old Juan de Dios del Valle, a government worker who was laid off in 2008 and has since found only occasional jobs as a gardener or janitor. ‘I’m here to support all those who are mired in poverty,’ he said. The protest remained peaceful until hundreds of young protesters, many with their faces covered, threw rocks and other objects as they clashed with police who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.” CA Sues EPA Over Auto Emissions Rollback CA challenges Trump EPA over auto-emissions rollback. Bloomberg: “California isn’t rolling over as the Trump administration moves to toss Obama-era vehicle emission standards. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said he’s filing a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s April 2 determination that the requirements for cars and light trucks are too stringent and must be revised. The EPA is now in the process of rewriting those standards that aimed to slash carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. ‘The state of California is not looking to pick a fight with the Trump administration, but we are ready for one, especially when the stakes are so high for our families, our health and the planet,’ Becerra said at a news conference announcing the move.” New EPA Skews Climate Science For Industry EPA’s new transparency rule has hidden pro-industry agenda. Science: “When Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., announced last week that the agency plans to bar regulators from considering studies that have not made their underlying data public, he said it was to ensure the quality of the research used to shape new rules… But longtime observers of EPA, including former senior agency officials, see a more troubling and targeted goal: undermining key studies that have helped justify stricter limits on air pollution. In particular, they say, the new policy is aimed at blocking EPA consideration of large epidemiological studies that have highlighted the health dangers of tiny particles of soot and other chemicals less than 2.5 microns in diameter.” EPA Exempts WI, Foxconn From Smog Regulations EPA chief Pruitt overrules agency staff, gives Wisconsin’s Walker, Foxconn big break on smog. Chicago Tribune: “The Trump administration on Tuesday exempted most of southeast Wisconsin from the latest federal limits on lung-damaging smog pollution, delivering a political victory to Gov. Scott Walker as he makes a new Foxconn Technology Group factory the centerpiece of his re-election campaign. By dramatically reducing the size of the areas required to crack down on smog, Trump EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt overruled the agency’s career staff, a move that will save Foxconn from having to make expensive improvements as it builds a sprawling new electronics plant in Racine County, just north of the Illinois border in an area with some of the state’s dirtiest air.” 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. Please consider a donation of any size to support our work: DONATE NOW Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progressive Breakfast, please click here.