Bernie Fights On
Sanders campaign will run hard in last leg. NYT: "Advisers to Mr. Sanders said on Wednesday that he was newly resolved to remain in the race, seeing an aggressive campaign as his only chance to pressure Democrats into making fundamental changes to how presidential primaries and debates are held in the future. They said he also held out hope of capitalizing on any late stumbles by Mrs. Clinton or any damage to her candidacy, whether by scandal or by the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald J. Trump."
Democratic Senators try to squeeze Bernie. Politico: "...the Vermont senator risks frittering away [his] newfound clout, Democratic senators said Wednesday, if he doesn’t move soon to unite the party and train his fire on Donald Trump ... There is evidence Sanders is working behind the scenes to quell the concerns of Senate Democrats."
Trump Attracts More Racists
Several white nationalist party members are Trump delegates. Mother Jones: "'[H]ere is what they don't know: we have more delegates!' the American Freedom Party wrote on its Facebook page last week ... movement leaders appear torn about how much to shout from atop the Trump bandwagon versus staying in the shadows ..."
Trump allies snag party posts. Politico: "Trump’s primary run spurred a string of like-minded allies to ride his coattails into positions of power within the Republican party, including seats on the Republican National Committee ... they ... already marshal enough power within the party to change its course, whether the GOP establishment likes it or not."
Trump SCOTUS list deeply conservative. Mother Jones: "...Trump seems to have cut and pasted the names of most of his candidates ... from dream-team lists publicly drawn up previously by the the Heritage Foundation..."
Former GOP Gov. Bill Weld will be VP on Libertarian Party ticket with former Gov. Gary Johnson. WSJ: "Both men will still need to win the nominations at the Libertarian convention in Orlando next week. Together, they would form a third-party ticket composed of two popular two-term Republican governors, putting the Libertarian ticket in a stronger position in November."
Overtime Rule Announced
VP touts new overtime rule. USA Today: "The policy change, to go into effect Dec. 1, will make more than 4 million additional workers eligible to receive time-and-a-half wages ... 'It’s all basically about just being fair,' Biden told an audience of supporters ... 'when you’re asked to work more than 40 hours a week, you get compensated for more than 40 hours a week.'"
Speaker Ryan slams rule. The Hill quotes: "By mandating overtime pay at a much higher salary threshold, many small businesses and nonprofits will be unable to afford skilled workers and be forced to eliminate salaried positions, complete with benefits, altogether."
Breakfast Sides
Government agency releases pro-TPP report. WSJ: "If ratified, the 12-nation trade agreement would likely lift U.S. gross domestic product by a small amount—0.15%, or $42.7 billion, by 2032—and increase employment by a net of 128,000 full-time jobs, according to the report from the U.S. International Trade Commission ... the The ITC report and other reviews by economists show the deal’s impact of the TPP is likely to be extremely small on the overall U.S. economy and most industries. Still, the ITC study could help claw back some congressional support for Mr. Obama’s trade policy."
Bipartisan push for sentencing reform bill. NYT: "...its backers might have found a new argument to break it loose: It would save a significant amount of money. The Congressional Budget Office, in a new report, estimated that the legislation reducing mandatory minimum sentences would save the federal government $722 million over 10 years, primarily through reduced costs for housing federal prisoners. Spending on social programs to aid those released would rise $251 million over the same period."
High-speed rail delay in CA. Politico: "The first segment of California’s first-in-the-nation bullet-train project, currently scheduled for completion in 2018, will not be done until the end of 2022, according to a contract revision the Obama administration quietly approved..."
