Senator Sanders

Trade and Labor AFL-CIO leaders said Tuesday that a candidate for president need not oppose fast-track trade legislation in order to win its endorsement. Politico said the labor leaders declined to signal support for Sanders, one of the most outspoken opponents of the trade package. They also said the South Carolina AFL-CIO executive board “walked back” a resolution supporting the Vermont senator. Sanders is seeking labor’s support, The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial. LINK, LINK

Social Security For the first time in generations, a large number of older Americans can expect to suffer a sharp drop in living standards in retirement. Rather than shrink Social Security, Sen. Bernie Sanders proposes expanding it, according to The New York Times. "We should not be talking about cutting Social Security benefits. We should be talking about expanding benefits to make sure that every American can retire with dignity," Sanders said recently in a statement accompanying a bill to increase Social Security benefits by $65 per month, according to U.S. News & World Report. LINK, LINK

Torture Sen. Sanders on Tuesday voted to reaffirm a U.S. prohibition on torture. The measure, passed 78-21, is meant to prevent future presidents from using "enhanced interrogation" tactics, commonly considered torture, McClatchy reported. LINK  

World

U.S. Allies in Syria Cut Islamic State Supply Line A quick and successful offensive by Kurdish fighters and allied rebels in a northern Syrian town has boosted a U.S.-backed effort to choke off Islamic State’s supply routes and offered a template for regaining territory from the extremist group, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

National

House Votes for More Time on Trade President Obama claimed a modest victory Tuesday with approval of a rule giving his congressional allies until the end of July to reconsider the stalled package of trade legislation that Democrats sabotaged last week. Setting aside initial plans to formally hold a second vote on the initiative, House Speaker John A. Boehner pushed for the new vote to give him until the end of July to revive the existing legislation, The Washington Post reported. LINK

Congress Eyes Business Taxes for Highway Fund Facing another deadline for shoring up the beleaguered federal highway trust fund this summer, key lawmakers are seeking a long-term solution that includes broad changes to corporate taxes. The negotiations promise to be difficult given the challenges of moving major tax legislation through Congress. Lawmakers may opt for a backup plan to fund the highway program through 2016 and the highly charged election season, according to The Wall Street Journal. LINK

The Pope and Climate Change As the steamy hurricane season descends on Miami, the city’s Roman Catholic archbishop is planning a summer of sermons, homilies and press events designed to highlight the threat that a warming planet. His sermons and speeches are meant to amplify the message of Pope Francis’ highly anticipated encyclical on the environment, which the Vatican is expected to unveil on Thursday, according to The New York Times. LINK

Vermont

More Trouble at Vermont Health Connect Health care providers across Vermont will be forced to repay insurers after the state's health exchange green lighted payments for patients with canceled coverage. Thousands of requests to cancel Health Connect coverage sat in limbo for months and in some cases, more than a year. Over that time, insurers unwittingly continued covering some of those people, WCAX-TV reported. LINK