Senator Sanders

Solar Test Center Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Peter Shumlin announced a new federally funded solar site in Williston, Vt., on Monday, Vermont Public Radio, the Burlington Free Press and The Associated Press reported. Researchers will use the center to test new ways to reduce the cost of solar energy. Shumlin credited Sanders with pushing for the center in Vermont, saying the senator had been “like a dog on a bone to ensure we get the partners together to advance these efforts.” LINK, LINK, LINK

Veterans Wait for Mental Health Care Thousands of veterans seeking help for mental health problems are waiting longer to be seen by a counselor than the two weeks that is the government's goal, according to Department of Veterans Affairs data cited by USA Today.  “It is unacceptable that even after the hiring of 1,600 new mental health staff, certain VA facilities remain unable to ... treat veterans in a timely manner,” said Sen. Sanders, who chairs the Senate veterans’ committee. LINK 

Youth Unemployment What's a bigger problem, youth unemployment or the fact that Social Security will be insolvent in 20 years? To Sen. Sanders, the answer is obvious, with unemployment rates in double digits for America's young people. “You have millions of kids out there who are never getting their feet on the ground in terms of a career…That is a crisis today,” he said in an interview with National Journal about his role as one of 22 senators on the House-Senate conference committee trying to hammer out an agreement on the federal budget. LINK

Free Credit Scores FICO, owner of the credit-scoring formula most widely used by U.S. lenders, is giving some consumers access to their credit scores for free, even before they apply for a loan. Bloomberg reported that Sen. Sanders introduced legislation in March that would provide consumers free access to credit scores that banks use to decide loans recipients and interest rates. LINK

Farm Bill No further progress was made last week when a group of lawmakers met in the capitol to find common ground on a new farm bill, the Addison Independent reported. “Congress needs to pass a new farm bill — it’s getting ridiculous,” said Jenny Nelson, the agriculture policy adviser to Sen. Sanders. LINK

Home Heating Low-income Vermonters will be getting $18.45 million in federal heating assistance funds this winter, The Associated Press reported. “Much more must be done, and we will continue to press for additional support for LIHEAP to ensure that struggling Vermonters are able to heat their homes this winter," said a joint statement issued by Sens. Sanders and Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch. LINK

Sanders Goes South If we focus on the economic calamity besetting the country, he said, suddenly our differences fall away, and common-sense solutions can be found. “I found all over the South very decent people, black and white, who want their kids to have good quality health care and education and a decent job,” Sanders told the Brattleboro Reformer in an editorial published Tuesday in the Bennington Banner. “What they told me loudly and clearly is they don’t want to be ignored any longer.” LINK

Health Care “Small businesses in Vermont and Vermonters who purchase their own health insurance have begun to enroll in insurance plans offered on Vermont Health Connect. This new and affordable way for many Vermonters to purchase insurance is the key provision of the Affordable Care Act. I was proud to be involved in the passage of this law when I worked as the health policy adviser for Sen. Sanders,” David Reynolds wrote in a column for the Burlington Free Press. LINK

World

US-Saudi Relations In the midst of complaints from Saudi officials about Washington’s policies on Syria and Iran, Secretary of State John Kerry said American ties with Saudi Arabia are "strategic and enduring", Reuters reported. LINK

Iranians Rally at Former US Embassy In the largest anti-American rally in years, thousands of Iranian demonstrators surrounded the former United States Embassy building in Tehran on Monday to commemorate the 1979 takeover, the BBC reported. Despite many Iranians wanting better US-Iran relations, demonstrators chanted hostile phrases such as “Death to America” on this 34th anniversary. LINK

National

Obama Aide Stakes Out Budget Stance The president's top economic adviser said the White House wouldn't try to dictate the shape of a possible deal to avert a set of looming across-the-board spending cuts, but he advised against taking steps that cut the deficit too quickly and could imperil the recovery. Jason Furman, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, told The Wall Street Journal that the Obama administration would like to see the cuts known as the "sequester" replaced by eliminating tax loopholes along with other spending reductions. LINK

Anti-Discrimination Bill Clears Hurdle The Senate voted 61 to 30 to advance a bill that bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, The Huffington Post reported. LINK

Maine Congressman Says He Is Gay Michael Michaud, a Democrat who represents conservative, northern Maine in Congress and is a leading candidate for governor next year, announced in a newspaper column Monday that he is gay, The New York Times reported. LINK

SAC Capital to Plead Guilty Hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen's SAC Capital has agreed to plead guilty to criminal insider-trading charges and pay a record $1.8 billion fine, federal prosecutors announced Monday, CNNMoney reported. LINK

Johnson & Johnson Pay Up In one of the largest health care fraud settlements in U.S. history, Johnson & Johnson will pay $2.2 billion to end civil and criminal investigations into kickbacks to pharmacists and the marketing of pharmaceuticals for off-label uses, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Monday, according to Reuters. LINK

Justice Eyes Cuts in US Air Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday said the government is willing to settle its antitrust lawsuit against the merger of American Airlines and US Airways if the airlines agree to broad concessions that would preserve competition. The Wall Street Journal said the airlines are prepared to give up slots at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, where US Airways is already the dominant carrier, and make some divestments at other U.S. airports. LINK, LINK

Vermont

Burlington Airport Adding Flights Mayor Miro Weinberger is going to announce increased air service for the Burlington International Airport. He is holding a news conference Tuesday at the airport. Joining him are Aviation Director Gene Richards, Transportation Secretary Brian Searles and Tom Torti, president and CEO of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, AP reported. LINK