Security ... what does this word mean in relation to life as we know it today? -- Hunter S. Thompson

New Flavored E-Cigarettes Are Bad For Teens, Doctors Say In New FDA Lawsuit 

BUDGET

BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

• What’s the issue: Republicans in Congress just passed the #GOPTaxScam, adding $1.5 trillion to the deficit. Now, they want you to think they’re “serious” about budgets and deficits, and so House Republicans are planning a vote on a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. While it might sound good in theory, a balanced budget amendment would pose a number of serious threats. It would put us at risk of longer, deeper recessions; it would threaten Social Security; and it would force deep cuts to programs working families rely on.
• What to expect: Republicans are expected to hold this vote in the House the first week back from recess. It is extremely unlikely that it passes the House, let alone the Senate—where it would need 67 votes since it is a Constitutional amendment. But extreme conservatives in the House are demanding this vote be held to fulfill a promise they got from Paul Ryan in exchange for their votes on the #GOPTaxScam, when they were reluctant to support it early in the process because of how much money it added to the deficit.
• Bottom line: This vote will fail. The only reason Republicans are holding it is so they can tell you they’re still serious about the deficit, even though they just passed tax cuts for the rich and corporations that exploded it. Don’t fall for the charade. [What Could Happen on Capitol Hill in April, March 30, 2018]

Nearly 1 million people out of workforce due to opioid addiction: study 

Opioid Abuse: When Pain Relief Morphs Into Addiction VIDEO

WOMEN

New Strategies Help Women Build Career Confidence 

Commentary: The issue of women in our society

U.S. MILITARY

Joint Chiefs chair sees signs of progress in Afghan war 

Russia, China eclipse US in hypersonic missiles, prompting fears

U.S. AGRICULTURE

Focus on Farm Policy White Paper March 2018 

SOYBEAN FARMERS BRACE FOR CHINA IMPACT: Iowa's soybean growers were in the middle of a trade mission to China last week when President Donald Trump announced his decision to hit Beijing with tariffs and investment restrictions.

In meetings with buyers ranging from state-owned food processing giant COFCO to animal feed companies, there was already a sense "that things could get worse before they get better," Kirk Leeds, CEO of the Iowa Soybeans Association, said in an interview.

"They wanted to believe that for the self-interest of China and feeding Chinese consumers that the Chinese government would not bring soybeans into it," said Leeds, who was on the eight-day trip with Iowa farmers who visited four cities between Beijing and Shenzhen.

Retaliation on their minds: Leeds also said there was "no doubt" that the Chinese government was looking to retaliate against U.S. soybeans - the top U.S. ag export to China - totaling $14 billion in 2017.

"They're well aware if you look at the leading producers of soybeans by political regions of the U.S. that President Trump gained a lot of votes out of the states that happen to produce a lot of soybeans," he said. U.S. envoy and former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad told the group he was aware of the how much a trade spat would hurt U.S. farmers, Leeds said.

Sourcing questions: Leeds said Chinese buyers would be challenged, at least in the short term, to get the country's entire domestic demand from Brazil and Argentina, the other two markets that come close to competing with U.S. production.

"Longer term - with some additional acreage in Brazil - there's a lot of acres that could be brought into production, there might be some less concern about getting enough soybeans sourced from South America," Leeds said, adding that China's government policy has always been to try to diversify where it sources soybeans.

"They clearly set out to make sure that they weren't totally dependent on the United States, and I would suggest that they don't want to be totally dependent on South America either," he said. [POLITICO's Morning Agriculture, March 29, 2018]

JUSTICE SYSTEM

BEYOND THE WALLS: A Look at Girls in D.C.’s Juvenile Justice System 

U.S. Attorney Investigating Mass. Prison Officials' Treatment Of Inmates With Addictions

BERNIE SANDERS

The 2018 midterm elections will be a pivotal moment in American history. If we are successful we will be able to put an end to the disastrous Trump agenda, rebuild the declining middle class and create a Congress which stands for economic, political, racial and environmental justice.

In 2018 we have the potential to not only make great electoral gains at all levels of government, but to elect strong progressives who are prepared to take on the 1 percent and fight for an agenda that meets the needs of working families, and not just the Koch brothers and other wealthy campaign contributors.

But these victories are far from guaranteed. It is just not enough for the American people to have something to vote against, they must have something to vote for. Voters knew the myriad of problems with Donald Trump in 2016, and they still elected him. Today, despite all of his scandals and outrageous behavior, his approval ratings are close to the same levels as they were back then.

The truth is that, for a wide variety of reasons, millions of our fellow citizens have lost faith in government, hold political leaders in contempt and don't see any reason for voting. In the last midterm election, in 2014, the United States had the lowest voter turnout in 70 years – just 37 percent.

Our job in 2018 is to change all of that. Yes, we must take on Trump's authoritarianism, xenophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia and religious bigotry – but we must do more than that. We must rally the American people around an agenda that works for them, not the billionaire class. We must significantly increase voter turnout with strong, progressive candidates who are fighting for working families.

In my view, the 2018 elections present an historic opportunity to elect a new generation of candidates who will usher in an era of strong progressive change in this country. There are more candidates than ever before who support Medicare for all, free tuition at public colleges and universities, overturning Citizens United, a $15 minimum wage, common sense gun safety legislation, the transformation of our energy system away from fossil fuel and, in fact, our entire progressive agenda.

It's imperative that we support as many of these candidates as we possibly can. Because not only is that how we energize the working families of this country to come out and vote for Democrats, but it is how we can transform America.

You should know that I intend to be actively campaigning throughout this election season to energize the progressive community and support candidates who will stand by our agenda. And, by the way, that does not mean just "blue states." It means "red states" and "purple states" and states that Trump won by big margins. I look forward to seeing many of you at events from coast to coast. The bottom line is that the Democratic Party cannot continue to ignore half the states in the country. It must become a 50-state party.

But I cannot do it alone.

As you well remember, it was not long ago that many of the ideas we’ve long talked about were considered “fringe” by many in the corporate media and in Congress. Well, that's changing.

Several years ago, I introduced legislation calling for a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system. It had no co-sponsors. Too radical. Now, with a majority of Americans supporting Medicare for all, we have 16 co-sponsors. A few years ago, the idea of a $15 an hour national minimum wage seemed unthinkable. Now, we have 30 co-sponsors on our legislation. We are also seeing good progress in making public colleges and universities tuition-free, lowering the outrageous level of student debt, making child care more affordable and decriminalizing the possession of marijuana.

We have come a very long way in a short amount of time, and all of those gains are a testament to people of all backgrounds and in all communities coming together and standing up to say ENOUGH is ENOUGH! We want a government that works for all of us, and not just a handful of billionaires.

That is the political revolution.

In 2018, we can advance our cause dramatically. But it will not be easy. The financial elite and those who profit mightily from the status quo will not go down without a fight. They have obscene amounts of wealth and have used that money to protect a dysfunctional system that allows them to make billions in profits while leaving far too many Americans behind.

But if we are willing to fight for it, the time is right for our movement to make dramatic gains this year. That is what I intend to do, but I cannot do it alone:

Now IS the time for millions of working families to come together, to revitalize American democracy, to end the collapse of the American middle class, and to make certain that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a quality of life that brings them health, prosperity, security, and joy — and that once again makes the United States the leader in the world in the fight for economic and social justice, for environmental sanity, and for a world of peace.

This year, we will advance our cause further than ever before. But that will only happen if we are in this fight together.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

March 29, 2018

DONATE

READ

Real Life & Liars FICTION 

Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families

Laura and Emma FICTION

Every Patient Tells a Story

VETERANS

‘My first reaction was OMG’: Trump’s VA pick is new to all this 

Trump is winning the trade war — for now 

Trump’s trade war may miss China's plan to own the future

U.S. ambassador tells China that retaliation on soybeans would backfire

U.S. DEFENDS ITS 301 MOVES AT THE WTO: In Geneva, the U.S. offered a preview on Tuesday of how it is likely planning on defending itself against a potential WTO challenge over its new trade restrictions against China. At a meeting of the organization's Dispute Settlement Body, the U.S. delegation criticized China for sidestepping allegations over its harmful policies and instead accusing Washington of engaging in "unilateralism."

"This criticism has absolutely no validity. The United States made no findings in the Section 301 investigation that China breached its WTO obligations," the U.S. said about the results of a recent investigation that found China forces U.S. companies to hand over sensitive technology to do business there, or steals it. As a result of the probe, the U.S. said it would proceed with major new tariffs, investment restrictions and a WTO challenge against China.

China argued that the U.S. should have pursued its complaints through the WTO, rather than take unilateral action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. But the U.S. responded that its investigation largely focused on actions not covered by WTO rules. One of the four Chinese practices targeted - the application of Beijing's technology licensing policies - was "amenable" to a WTO dispute, so a request for consultations was filed accordingly, the U.S. said.

"If China wishes to inform the DSB that the three other sets of acts, policies, and practices covered in the Section 301 investigation do amount to breaches of WTO rules, it may do so now," the U.S. delegation continued. [POLITICO's Morning Trade, March 28, 2018]

SCREEN

Danny Boyle to Write Next James Bond Movie

Cate Blanchett joins stars signing open letter that calls on Australia to protect screen industry

DOT awards Cuba flights to American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United airlines 

GROUP LODGES COMPLAINT AGAINST RUSSIAN AIRLINE: Muslim Advocates filed a complaint Friday with DOT on behalf of five U.S. citizens against Russian airline Aeroflot, alleging they received “grossly discriminatory treatment” at the hands of the carrier’s employees in January 2018 as they were trying to make a connecting flight to New York from Moscow, after landing from New Delhi. The complaint describes a multi-day ordeal where the passengers, who they say were perceived to be of South Asian descent, ended up flying back to India after being denied accommodations or transit visas that would have allowed them to stay in Russia for longer than a day. “The treatment endured by the passengers and the other South Asian travelers was grossly discriminatory and violates the fundamental protections that federal law requires should be afforded to all travelers,” the group wrote. [POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, March 26, 2018]

WORK

The United States of Workaholics 

How occupational licensing matters for wages and careers

Trump Labor Board Scrambles to Avoid Pro-Worker Ruling, Lawyers Claim

MEET THE FOOD INDUSTRY'S FAIR WAGE CRUSADER

CANDIDATES

Ties to City Hall bolster Dan Koh's bid for Congress

Map locates 301 bar, restaurant and cigar lounge visits by Rep. Duncan Hunter

ACTIVISTS

George Clooney to Student Gun Control Activists: ‘You Make Me Proud of My Country Again’ 

In Wisconsin, they're not done marching. Next stop: Paul Ryan's hometown

Next Goal for Student Gun-Control Activists: Win at the Polls

BANKING

Deutsche Bank prepares to oust chief executive John Cryan 

This young lending startup just secured $70 million to lend $2 at a time 

Swiss Re Jumps as SoftBank Is Said to Eye $9.6 Billion Stake 

HEALTHCARE

Health Care Spending in the United States and Other High-Income Countries 

US spends twice as much as other wealthy countries on health care 

NOTE: The news sources here vary.  Not all sources have the same credibility, but in an effort to share some different perspectives, they are included here.  This compendium itself cannot claim to be unbiased.  Please take into consideration where these different perspectives originate in assessing their value.  Thank you

NOTE: I have no official connection to any organization from which information is shared.. Occasionally, I post informational material and/or an opportunity to donate or join as  a "community service" announcement.  These again are shared for their varying perspectives.

Any books listed are random or topic-related to something else in the post.  Think of these as a "library bookshelf" to browse.  They are shared for informational or entertainment value only, not as being recommended