Senator Sanders

Family Values Calling it part of a “true family values agenda,” Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday will introduce legislation that would require 10 days of paid vacation for employees who have worked at least one year at a job, the Burlington Free Press reported. He’s also backing bills on paid family leave and sick days. "The bottom line of all of this is to bring reality to the concept of family values," Sanders said. LINK  

War Fund Sen. Bernie Sanders offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to make lawmakers offset spending on wars with new revenues. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan "were put on the nation's credit card while the president cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires at the same time," said Sanders’ office, according to The Hill. LINK  

Ex-Im Bank Supporters of the Export-Import Bank showed  on Wednesday that they have the support in the Senate needed to break a filibuster against its renewal. The Senate voted 65-31 against tabling an amendment to reauthorize the bank. Sen. Sanders joined 30 Republicans in voting against the bank, reported The Hill, Bloomberg, and The Dallas Morning News. LINK   

World

Hackers May Have Obtained Names of Chinese With Ties to U.S. Investigators say that the Chinese hackers who attacked the databases of the Office of Personnel Management may have obtained the names of Chinese relatives, friends and frequent associates of American diplomats and other government officials, information that Beijing could use for blackmail or retaliation, according to The New York Times. LINK

National

U.S. Annual Budget Deficit Smallest in Nearly Seven Years The U.S. budget deficit narrowed further in May as revenue continued to rise faster than expenses have in the past year, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The budget picture has improved this year amid higher tax revenue and stronger economic growth, even though government spending has also increased, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Cybersecurity Democrats are in an uproar over Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s surprise move to tie cybersecurity to a massive defense bill — and they’re mad enough about the GOP’s tactics that they’re willing to block bipartisan legislation to advance protections against hacking in the wake of the massive federal data breach revealed last week, Politico reported. LINK

Sen. Isakson has Parkinson’s Sen. Johnny Isakson said Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the nervous system. Isakson, 70, is in his second term and said his diagnosis will not keep him from seeking reelection in 2016, The Washington Post reported. LINK

Vermont

Renewable Energy Gov. Peter Shumlin will sign into law a bill that retools Vermont's system for promoting renewable energy. The bill also calls on utilities to expand their roles both as sources of home heating energy and as efficiency experts that help consumers save power, AP reported. 

Castleton U Officials at a state college in western Vermont are trying to rebrand it as a university. The Rutland Herald reported that administrators from Castleton State College are petitioning Thursday in front of Vermont State Colleges' long-range planning committee to change the school's name to Castleton University.