News July 5
July 5, 2011
Senator Sanders
Budget As Congress returned to the debate over deficits, Sen. Bernie Sanders told MSNBC that half of any deficit reduction must come from additional revenue from the wealthiest Americans and most profitable corporations. Sanders said more than 110,000 people so far signed his letter urging President Obama not to give into Republican demands to exclude higher taxes. VIDEO
Vermont Yankee The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has "worked hand in glove with the nuclear industry," Dan DeWalt said in a Brattleboro Reformer column. He cited Sen. Sanders' assertion that the NRC met with Vermont Yankee lawyers before taking their side in a court fight over the plant's fate. LINK
Made in America After Sen. Sanders applied pressure, an American history museum gift shop now sells only made-in-America products. A museum spokeswoman told ABC News that there is often a price difference "between a product made in America versus a product form Nicaragua or whatever." Then the reporter showed her a cheaper American-made T-shirt. AUDIO
World
NATO Feels Pressure from Libya Campaign With victory still elusive after 15 weeks of bombing, Western allies arrayed against Libyan leader Moammar Gadafi are racing to crack his regime before their own coalition fractures, the Los Angeles Times reported . LINK
Senate to Consider Libya Senate Republicans are mulling whether to block debate this week on a resolution authorizing limited U.S. military engagement in Libya, even though the measure appears to have more than enough support to pass, Congressional Quarterly reported. LINK
National
Deficit Talks Focus on Taxes Democrats have floated ideas that could raise tax revenues by some $400 billion over the next decade as they negotiate deficit reductions with Republicans, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK
Administration Offers Health Care Cuts Obama administration officials are offering to cut tens of billions of dollars from Medicare and Medicaid in negotiations to reduce the federal budget deficit, The New York Times reported. LINK
Executive Pay Way Up The median pay for top executives at 200 big companies last year was $10.8 million. That works out to a 23 percent gain from 2009, The New York Times reported. LINK
Vermont
St. Albans Challenges Census The city of St. Albans is planning to challenge a U.S. Census Bureau finding that the community lost almost 10 percent of its population and more than 4 percent of its housing units in the last decade, AP reported. LINK
Drunken Drivers Vermont is among several states that should toughen its anti-drunken driving laws, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report cited by the Burlington Free Press. LINK
