Burning Issues: Understanding the Iran Nuclear Deal
Joe Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund offers a passionate defense of the deal in this Burning Issues video and he explains how presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in particular stands out as a leader who understands the value of diplomacy and restraint.
NY Campaign Intensifies
Bernie holds big Bronx rally. NY1: "As a crowd that Sanders cited as 15,000 strong listened to the candidate tick off just about every item in his policy platform ... The setting here at St Mary's Park in the black- and Latino-heavy South Bronx was no accident, as Sanders tries to chip away at Clinton's advantage with blacks - 35 points, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll..."
Bernie to stress Brooklyn roots. NYT: "His campaign strategy for New York is to focus intensely on how his upbringing in the city and his family’s financial challenges helped shape him into a candidate intent on reforming Wall Street and addressing income inequality."
Clinton in Syracuse today to tout manufacturing investment. W. Post: "Hillary Clinton will announce a proposal for $10 billion in funds for manufacturing partnerships while campaigning in Syracuse on Friday ... Clinton's focus in upstate reflects a desire to shore up support in a part of the state that may be a ripe target for Sanders."
Clinton accuses Sanders campaign of "lying about me." CNN: "Eva Resnick-Day, an activist affiliated with Greenpeace ... asked Clinton if she will 'reject fossil fuel money' ... Clinton, clearly aggravated ... responded by raising her voice ... 'I do not have, I have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies,' Clinton said. 'I'm so sick. I'm so sick of the Sanders' campaign lying about this.'"
Campaign then trade follow-up accusations. More CNN: "'The truth is that Secretary Clinton has relied heavily on funds from lobbyists working for the oil and gas industry,' [Sanders campaign spox Michael] Briggs said ... Clinton's has taken more than $300,000 from people who work for those companies, according to Greenpeace ... [Clinton spox Nick] Merrill [said] that 'by the same metric, Bernie Sanders has taken more than $50,000 on this campaign from individuals working for oil and gas companies.'"
March Bernie's best fundraising month. Politico: "Bernie Sanders broke his monthly fundraising record in March, pulling in more than $44 million ... Sanders has received more than 6.5 million individual contributions from 2 million donors
Mayor de Blasio praises both candidates in Politico interview: "I have a long history with Hillary and a real belief that she’s put forward a real vision. I very consistently note Bernie has made tremendous contributions. What he’s doing is very helpful for this country and for the party."
Vast difference in Republican and Democratic Wisconsin delegate rules. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "Wisconsin has eight U.S. House seats, and each one is worth three Republican delegates to the winner. The GOP’s other 18 delegates ... go to the winner statewide ... Democrats award their district and statewide delegates proportionally, instead of winner-take-all ... the delegate count is all but guaranteed to be closer in the Democratic contest than the Republican, no matter what the popular vote is."
Trump Holds Weak Grip On Delegates
"Trump is poised to suffer an exodus of delegates at a contested convention" reports Politico: "...more than a hundred delegates — bound by rules and laws to back Trump on a first vote at the July convention in Cleveland — are prepared to break with him on a second ballot."
Trump privately chides his team on delegate hunt, during RNC meeting. NYT: "...when [RNC Chair Reince] Priebus explained that each campaign needed to be prepared to fight for delegates at each state’s convention, Mr. Trump turned to his aides and suggested that they had not been doing what they needed to do..."
"G.O.P. Fears Donald Trump as Zombie Candidate: Damaged but Unstoppable" reports NYT: "After Wisconsin, the primary battle moves onto decidedly favorable turf for Mr. Trump: his native New York, on April 19, followed by a series of Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware, where he is expected to run strong."
NY Joins CA On Fight For $15
$15 minimum wage clears CA legislature. AP: "The legislation now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown, who says he will sign it into law Monday after previously working out the plan with labor unions."
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo strikes $15 deal. NYT: "Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state legislative leaders announced on Thursday that they had reached a budget agreement that would raise the minimum wage in New York City to $15 by the end of 2018, but initiate slower increases elsewhere ..."
Breakfast Sides
Dodd-Frank is working, says NYT's Peter Eavis: "The act has stamped out many risky practices. The largest banks are operating with substantially higher levels of capital — the financial foundation of a bank. The largest banks appear to be slowly shrinking."
Welfare reform is not. The Atlantic's Alana Semuels: "Today, in large part because of welfare reform, the safety net ... is thin and getting thinner ... On April 1, between 500,000 and one million childless adults will lose access to food stamps ... This is the belated consequence of a rule that was part of Clinton’s welfare reform, which stipulated that childless adults can only receive three months of food stamps if they aren’t employed at least 20 hours a week or in a training program. For years states received waivers for the rule, but in many states, governors have chosen not to ask for extensions for this year."
Two more Republicans will meet with Garland next week. Politico: "Sen. Susan Collins of Maine had said ... she will meet with Garland. And a spokesman for Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas said Thursday that he is planning one as well ... Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Mike Rounds of South Dakota have been in touch with White House officials, aides said. Meanwhile, the two Oklahoma Republican senators say they are both open to meetings, but the White House has not reached out to them."
