Campaign Battle Over Child Care
NYT compares child care plans: "He proposed requiring employers to give six weeks of maternity leave ... New mothers would be paid the same amounts they would collect in unemployment benefits if they had been laid off, which is usually a small fraction of a person’s normal wages and varies enormously from state to state ... Mrs. Clinton would require employers to give workers up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a new child, guaranteeing at least two-thirds of their regular salaries. She has said she would pay for it through higher taxes on the wealthy. Her plan, unlike Mr. Trump’s, would also cover new fathers. And unlike him, she would also guarantee paid leave to care for a sick family member."
"Donald Trump’s Childcare Policy Is Perfect—For Ivanka Trump’s Friends" says Time's Belinda Luscombe: "...because all his methods for paying for childcare involve rewriting the tax code, they effectively only reward the wealthy, those who make enough to need a tax break."
Trump Challenged In Flint
Trump confronted in Flint by Michigan People's Campaign. OurFuture.org's Isaiah J. Poole: "...members of the Michigan People’s Campaign ... demand[ed] Trump answer for specific instances of racial discrimination by him and his companies ... the group was only able to get a couple of questions in before the event quickly ended ... A statement released by Michigan People’s Campaign listed several key events in which Trump has been connected to explicit acts of racial discrimination..."
Flint aid soon to clear Senate. The Hill: "The Senate on Wednesday cleared the final procedural hurdle to passing a legislative package that includes emergency funding for communities with contaminated water like Flint ... Lawmakers voted 94-3 to end debate on an amended waterways bill ... [The companion House] measure doesn’t have Flint funding ... [Rep. Peter] DeFazio sounded optimistic that lawmakers could reconcile their differences — but not until after the elections."
Plea deal for Michigan health official. AP: "The official, Corinne Miller, the former director of disease control and prevention at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ... pleaded no contest on Wednesday to a misdemeanor of willful neglect of duty in exchange for prosecutors dropping felony misconduct and conspiracy charges. The plea agreement states that Ms. Miller was aware of the Legionnaires’ cases in 2014, and reported to someone identified only as 'Suspect 2' that the outbreak 'was related to the switch in the water source' ... No explanation is given in the plea deal as to why the cases were not publicly reported."
Warren Demands Wall Street Docs
Sen. Warren wants FBI and Justice Dept. to explain why Wall Street not prosecuted. Roll Call: "...in a new letter to FBI Director James Comey, the Massachusetts Democrat is calling for the kind of transparency the bureau showed after its decision to recommend no criminal charges against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ... 'Your recent actions with regard to the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton provide a clear precedent for releasing additional information about the investigation of the parties responsible for the financial crisis,' Warren wrote..."
Economic progress leaving some communities behind. NYT: "While the economy finally is moving in the right direction, the real incomes of most American households still are smaller than in the late 1990s. And large swaths of the country — rural America, industrial centers in the Rust Belt and Appalachia — are lagging behind.
Move Toward TPP Passage In Lame Duck
Sen. Orrin Hatch predicts TPP passage. The Hill: "The Utah Republican said he is working with the Obama administration to resolve several lingering issues that could ultimately pave the way for a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership ... 'I think we're going to get it done in lame duck,' Hatch told The Hill ... [Rep. Dave] Reichert, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, said that more Democratic votes are needed ... The House would need more than 40 Democrats..."
Sen. Bernie Sanders says Clinton won't flip. The Hill: "Asked Wednesday whether Clinton will reverse course on the TPP, Sanders said, 'I don't believe it.'"
Breakfast Sides
Bill to keep government open hung up. The Hill: "Partisan clashes have erupted on everything from abortion and the Zika virus to oversight of the internet ... [But a] Republican senator said the GOP leadership is desperate to pass the stopgap bill as soon as possible to get vulnerable incumbents out of Washington and back on the trail. He predicted that GOP leaders would start dropping riders and agree to a relatively clean funding bill..."
Kochs investing in GOTV. W. Post: "The Koch political network plans to stop running television ads ... putting its focus instead on labor-intensive field efforts to turn voters out in support of GOP Senate candidates ... By this July, field staffers had reached as many voters through door-knocking and phone calls this year than they did in all of 2014 and 2015 combined..."
Obama creates first Atlantic Ocean monument. Buzzfeed: "The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument will cover 4,913 square miles off the coast of New England ... Environmental group Earthjustice said the region includes cold water corals and kelp forests which need 'permanent protection now' ... Robert Vanasse, executive director of fishing advocacy group Saving Seafood, slammed the declaration ... fishing within the monument will be phased out; red crab and lobster fisheries will have seven years before having to leave..."
Philly sued over soda tax. WSJ: "A civil complaint ... argues the tax is unlawful because such drinks already are subject to a state sales tax and that Pennsylvania law prohibits cities from imposing duplicate taxes. Plaintiffs include the American Beverage Association, the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, beverage distributors and two city residents."
