Burning Issues: The Panama Papers And How The Rich Hide Their Money
An estimated $1 trillion dollars annually is siphoned out of developing countries into hidden offshore bank accounts in tax havens around the world, says Tom Cardamone, managing director of Global Financial Integrity, in this Burning Issues video. That has grave implications for the world’s economic health and political security.
Clinton, Sanders Trade Blows
Rhetoric remains heated. Politico: "Hillary Clinton on Monday hit Bernie Sanders on immigration, she hit him on guns, and she claimed that there’s a 'growing level of anxiety' in the Vermont senator’s not-quite-so-long-shot campaign ... Sanders’ campaign was ready to return fire. His chief aide doubled down on attacks on Clinton’s fitness to be president, saying she's experienced 'on paper' but suggesting that might not be enough. And Sanders himself went after Clinton’s environmental record, an especially sore point for her."
Sanders ad highlights fracking. The Hill: "His ad asked: 'Do Washington politicians side with polluters over families? They sure do, because Big Oil pumps millions into their campaigns. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate for president who opposes fracking everywhere.' Clinton does not oppose fracking broadly, though she says there should be new regulations on the practice and local control over projects."
Clinton signals support for Congressional Black Caucus agenda. The Hill: "Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said members of the Congressional Black Caucus have spoken to Clinton about anti-poverty legislation sponsored by Rep. James Clyburn ... 'She has said that she will support that strongly' .... Clyburn’s bill would direct at least 10 percent of federal spending on discretionary programs to communities where at least 20 percent of the population has lived below the poverty line for at least the last 30 years..."
Clinton criticizes Common Core in Newsday interview: "Clinton said she continues to support the idea of a uniform national education standard ... but she said its implementation is what likely led to the widespread frustration among parents and teachers. 'I think the roll out was disastrous' ... She said some states did not adequately train teachers on using the new curriculum, or did not have materials lined up for students ... Asked if teacher evaluations should be tied to student performance on such tests, Clinton said 'Right now, I’d have to say no,' given all the questions surrounding Common Core."
Sanders aide joins Federal Reserve reform activists. The Hill: "...members of the 'Fed Up' coalition on Monday unveiled a set of reforms that would alter how the central bank does business ... the group was joined Monday by a top policy official with [Bernie] Sanders [though] the Democratic candidate was not yet ready to endorse the coalition’s proposal, needing more time to review it ... [Sanders'] plan would limit the influence of the financial sector on selecting Fed officials and require the Fed to prioritize unemployment when considering interest rates."
Progressive groups oppose HUD Secretary for VP. Politico: "...a coalition of groups—many of them backers of the Vermont senator—are launching a preemptive strike against Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, aimed at disqualifying him from consideration to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Tuesday morning, the group will be emailing petitions to several million people attacking Castro on the relatively obscure issue of his handling of mortgage sales and launching a website with an unsubtle address: DontSellOurHomesToWallStreet.org."
Triple Crisis' Gerald Epstein says "Paul Krugman Crosses The Line" in Sanders critique: "... it is highly misleading for Krugman to imply that the consensus among economists is quite the opposite of what it is in fact ... Krugman didn’t inform his readers that important economists who study shadow banking do not exclude these massive banks from key aspects of this shadow banking system."
Kasich Tries To Grab Spotlight
Kasich speech to slam Trump and Cruz, embrace trade deals. W. Post: "In a speech to Republican women in Manhattan on Tuesday, Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) will recast his campaign as the party's only way out of a 'path to darkness.' 'We have heard proposals to create a religious test for immigration, to target neighborhoods for surveillance, impose draconian tariffs which would crush trade and destroy American jobs,' Kasich will say, according to a prepared text...."
Trump embraces Ayn Rand in USA Today interview: "He said of her novel The Fountainhead, 'It relates to business (and) beauty (and) life and inner emotions. That book relates to ... everything.' He identified with Howard Roark, the novel's idealistic protagonist who designs skyscrapers and rages against the establishment."
Attack ads do damage to Trump. NYT: "Of the more than $132 million spent on negative ads by candidates and the groups supporting them, nearly $70 million has gone to commercials assailing Mr. Trump ... Compounding the risks for Mr. Trump is that he has done little to counteract the effort with his own spending."
Breakfast Sides
Grassley meets with Garland today for breakfast. NYT: "One thing apparently not on the menu is a chance that Mr. Grassley and his fellow Republicans will take up the nomination, convene hearings or hold a confirmation vote. Mr. Grassley has said that the purpose of the meeting is to explain that reality to Judge Garland in person."
Verizon workers set Wednesday strike deadline. NYT: "The unions, which represent customer service workers, installers, repairmen and other technicians for the company’s so-called wireline network, said on Monday that they had indicated they would meet Verizon more than halfway on its top priority, controlling health care costs. But they said Verizon had made few or no concessions on their biggest concern: protecting well-paying jobs and expanding the ranks of the workers who have them."
50 groups announce opposition to TPP. W. Post: "More than 50 public health, religious and labor groups — including Doctors Without Borders, the Catholic lobby group Network and the Communications Workers of America — are urging Congress to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership ... [They] argue that the intellectual property and pharmaceutical provisions in the pact would make it more difficult for people in TPP countries to access affordable medicine."
MI Gov. Synder blames staff for water crisis. Detroit Free Press: "The night before he learned about the Flint water crisis, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said he received a briefing 'telling me that there really isn't a problem in Flint. That these outside experts aren't correct.' The next day, Sept. 28, 2015, he had a conference call with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Health and Human Services. 'And I get on the call, and I push them, and they tell me, "It looks like there is a problem."'"
KY AG sues KY Gov over education cuts. AP: "Kentucky’s Democratic attorney general has sued his state’s Republican governor, saying he overstepped his authority when he ordered budget cuts for state colleges and universities without legislative approval."
