NEWS ROUNDUP
Kapstone’s ‘huge mistake,’ TPP talks stall, media ‘freedom’…
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
LOCAL
► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Ballots due today for primary election
ALSO at The Stand — ‘Justice Caravan’ visits Kapstone customers to save workers’ healthcare
► In today’s Columbian — EPA: Oil terminal plan doesn’t pass muster — A plan to build the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver does not comply with the federal Clean Water Act, and should not be granted a key permit until its impacts are fully addressed, according to a letter the EPA sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week.
► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Condon sues to keep Envision’s Worker Bill of Rights off ballot — Spokane Mayor David Condon is trying to block the Worker Bill of Rights from appearing on the November ballot just a week after the City Council approved the measure for the ballot. The latest measure put forth by Envision Spokane would amend the city charter to require large employers to pay workers a “family wage,” ensure equal pay for equal work regardless of gender or race, and make it more difficult to terminate workers.
► In the P.S. Business Journal — A new outpost for jet engineers in Seattle — and it’s not Boeing — The Puget Sound region took a step beyond Boeing on Monday, with the opening of engineering offices for Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. America Inc. By the time they’re full, the new offices will house 100 U.S. engineers, plus another 50 from Japan.
STATE GOVERNMENT
► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Inslee’s carbon cap won’t happen soon — The governor directed the Department of Ecology to begin developing a hard limit on emissions using his rule-making power under existing state laws. But the man leading the effort says it could take twice as long because of the complexity and controversy enveloping the issue.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
► From Reuters — Obama administration faces criticism over human trafficking report — Several U.S. politicians sharply criticized the Obama administration on Monday over an annual global report on human trafficking in response to a Reuters article chronicling how senior U.S. diplomats had watered down rankings of more than a dozen strategically important countries.
ALSO at The Stand — Smoothing way for TPP, Obama upgrades Malaysia on slavery
► From The Hill — Shutdown talk creeps into debate over Planned Parenthood funding — Republican senators are tiptoeing around talk of a government shutdown in October after a failed vote Monday on defunding Planned Parenthood.
CAMPAIGN 2016
► From Bloomberg — Why unions aren’t uniting around Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders — “(AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka) is trying to actually do what he did in trade, and that is to keep the unions together, to use their most effective voice collectively,” National Nurses United Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro said. But given the autonomy of the individual unions, she said, “He’s got the power of persuasion — that’s the only thing he has.”
► From The Onion — Bernie Sanders clearly in pocket of high-rolling teacher who donated $300 to his campaign — “He might have the reputation of being the people’s candidate, but when your candidacy is effectively bankrolled by the multi-hundred-dollar donation of a fourth-grade teacher, it’s clear who’s really pulling the strings,” said political analyst Peter Mathews, who noted that when a check arrives with a handwritten note that says “Behind you 100 percent, Bernie!” it comes with certain expectations.
► From Think Progress — Christie wants to punch female-dominated teachers unions ‘in the face’The predominately female workforce has had many confrontations with the New Jersey governor.
► From The Hill — Trump widens lead in new national poll — Donald Trump has a more than 2-to-1 lead over the next closest contender in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a new poll. Trump takes 26% support, followed by Jeb Bush at 12%.
NATIONAL
► From AP — U.S. wage and benefit growth at slowest pace in 33 years — Wages and benefits for American workers grew in the spring at the slowest pace in 33 years, stark evidence that stronger hiring is not lifting paychecks much for most Americans. The slowdown also likely reflects a sharp drop-off in bonus and incentive pay for some workers.
► From Think Progress — The financial collapse of the private immigrant detention industryAs more immigrant detainees get released, some privately owned prisons are starting to default on their debts.
► In the LA Times — Tech industry’s persistent claim of worker shortage may be phony (by Michael Hiltzik) — The mismatch between Qualcomm’s plea to import more high-tech workers and its efforts to downsize its existing payroll hints at the phoniness of the high-tech sector’s persistent claim of a “shortage” of U.S. graduates in the “STEM” disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
MEDIA ‘FREEDOM’
► From Huffington Post — Mainstream media won’t name Koch donors, but we will (by Lauren Windsor) — Nine news outlets, including Politico and the Washington Post, have been given access to the Koch brothers donor fest on the condition that they not report on the identities of donors without their permission. The Undercurrent has been on-the-ground in Dana Point covering the retreat, and was not granted any special access. Additionally, one of Undercurrent’s photographers was threatened by a guest who did not like having his picture taken. This man got out of his car and shouted angrily, “You don’t know who you’re f*cking with!” To his point, no, we don’t, and we need your help. The Undercurrent and its sponsor, American Family Voices, are committed to doing what the mainstream media won’t: exposing Koch donors.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.