Senator Sanders

Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that President Barack Obama’s health care law allows the federal government to provide nationwide tax subsidies to help poor and middle-class people buy health insurance. “The intent of Congress was pretty clear. This was not a difficult ruling,” Sanders told CNN. Sanders supports a different "single-payer" plan, but applauded the Supreme Court's decision, according to The Boston Globe. “The Affordable Care Act is now here to stay. It has provided insurance for some 16 million Americans. That is a good thing,” Sanders told Chris Hayes on MSNBC. “But I think we have got to move over a period of time, to a Medicare for all, single-payer system, guaranteed health care to all people, in a much more cost effective way.” LINK

Estate Tax Reform Sen. Sanders on Thursday introduced legislation to impose higher estate taxes on the rich. His bill would increase estate tax rates on the top three-tenths of 1 percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million, and close tax loopholes. The legislation would lower the estate tax exemption level from $5.4 million to $3.5 billion for individuals and from about $11 million to $7 million for couples, The Associated Press and WPTZ-TV reported. LINK, VIDEO

Working Families On Bloomberg’s “With All Due Respect,” Sen. Sanders discussed his proposals to help working families. Raising the minimum wage and guaranteeing equal pay for women are among proposals that would affect female voters. “We are about to unveil a childcare proposal for universal Pre-K, which I think will make working families all around the country extremely excited,” he added. LINK  

World

Severed Head Found after Suspected Terror Attack at French Chemical Factory Summary A factory in southeastern France was targeted in a terrorist attack Friday morning, leaving one person dead and two injured, French President François Hollande said. Two police officers said a severed head was found at the site of the assault, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

National

Thousands Expected for Obama's Tribute to Charleston Victims The first black president of the United States is coming to Charleston to eulogize the victims of a mass shooting at a historic African-American church - a tragedy that one civil rights activist said was a sign of "how far yet" the nation has to go to put racial tensions behind it. Attendees included South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, AP reported.

House Backs Workers Aid on Heels of Trade Bill The House passed legislation on Thursday to help workers hurt by international trade, completing another central element of the Obama administration’s sweeping trade agenda. The vote was 286-138 on the bill, which was packaged with a measure that would extend, for 10 years, a program giving trade preferences to sub-Saharan African nations. Also included was a provision backed by steel companies that would make it easier for trade-law regulators to crack down on unfair trade practices, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Vermont

Burlington Bike Path Burlington leaders are launching a campaign to raise money to invest in new projects at the city's parks. Mayor Miro Weinberger announced Thursday that the Parks Foundation of Burlington officially kicked off a $500,000 campaign to help pay for a major overhaul of the city's 8-mile bike path, AP reported.