Senator Sanders

Foreign Policy When it comes to foreign policy, Sen. Bernie Sanders is “open-minded enough to consider and approve use of the US military, but authorizing the use of substantial numbers of ground troops is a completely different story," Dan DePetris of Quartz wrote. Sanders is also a staunch advocate for curtailing defense spending and reinvesting that money in the American middle-class. LINK

Climate Change Every Democratic candidate is in agreement about the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, move away from dirty fossil fuels, and invest in clean sources of energy. Sen. Sanders has made the issue one of the pillars of his campaign, saying, "The debate is over…. Climate change is real. It is caused by human activity and it is already causing devastating problems in the United States and around the world. " This strong and unified message on climate action can clear the way for more bold leadership on this issue, reported The Huffington Post. LINK

Trade Sen. Sanders has been a strong advocate against the Trans-Pacific Partnership but he hasn't done everything that he could to prevent the deal, according to The Huffington Post. "Here's one thing Bernie could do that he hasn't done: he could publish the text of the TPP," wrote Robert Naiman. LINK

LGBT Military Service The United States military has expanded its equal opportunity policy to include sexual orientation, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Tuesday, according to the International Business Times. The decision followed a letter from 23 senators, including Sen. Sanders, to Carter in May. "The absence of formal equal opportunity protections…presents an unneeded risk to national security by negatively impacting the morale and readiness of our all-volunteer force," the letter read. LINK

Wall Street Reform Democrats and some independents on Wall Street are growing increasingly nervous that the presence of Sen. Sanders could push Hillary Clinton too far to the left on financial reform for their comfort, Politico reported. “My fear is that she is just going to get pulled too far left by people who want her to just hammer the banks," said the CEO of one large Wall Street firm who declined to be identified by name. Clinton would never argue for reining in the financial industry if she didn’t absolutely have to in order to make her way to the White House, Vanity Fair said. LINK, LINK

Millennials Sen. Sanders' liberal views on education costs, inequality, youth unemployment and climate change could all help him win the support of millennials in the 2016 primaries. According to Pew Research Center, Generation-Y is extremely liberal, especially on social issues. A democratic socialist like Sanders might appeal to young folks for this reason, Elite Daily reported. LINK

World

Turkish Elections Turkish voters denied President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's A.K.P party a majority in Parliament. Yet even as Mr. Erdogan’s opponents celebrated their gains Monday, the result raised the prospect of instability in Turkey, as its political parties jockey to form coalitions, The New York Times reported. LINK

National

Climate Change Aid Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Columbia have been targeted for climate readiness assistance in the first phase of a new $34 million White House initiative in order to help developing countries prepare for results of climate change. The Obama administration will be collaborating with partners ranging from Google and the American Red Cross to the UK Government to help developing countries get ready for a warmer world, The Washington Post reported.  LINK

E.P.A. Coal Power Plant Rules A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit by the nation’s largest coal companies and 14 coal-producing states that sought to block one of President Obama’s signature climate change policies. All three circuit court judges agreed that the challenge was premature, reported The New York Times. LINK

Vermont

Gubernatorial Candidates Following Gov. Peter Shumlin’s announcement Monday that he would not seek reelection, several potential candidates have stepped forward. A potential surprise candidate emerged Monday when former Shumlin Chief of Staff Bill Lofy told the National Journal that Democratic Congressman Peter Welch “would be the prohibitive favorite” if he were to jump into the race. Democratic House Speaker Shap Smith, Google executive Matt Dunne, and former Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine have all expressed interest, reported the Rutland Herald. LINK