Senator Sanders

Break 'Em Up "When it comes to understanding the real economy and the struggles of ordinary Americans, Sen. Bernie Sanders always seems to be ahead of the curve and fighting like hell for Congress to show leadership and be responsive. Now he's doing it once again with his legislation to break up the too-big-to-fail financial institutions that pose a threat to our entire economy," Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote in The Nation online. LINK

Too Big to Fail Advocates for big banks are firing a pre-emptive shot at Rep. Paul Kanjorski's amendment, which would give the government "breakup authority" over financial institutions that it believes are too big to fail. As the drumbeat to beak down the big institutions is growing louder, The New York Times also reported on its Web site that Sen. Sanders introduced legislation last week that would force the Treasury Department to break up all financial institutions whose failure could cause a major disruption to the nation's financial system. LINK

Health Care The idea that Joe Lieberman might bring down health care reform - the biggest item on the Democratic agenda - sticks in many a liberal's craw. "The overwhelming majority of the American people want a public option. If you break it down even further, over 80 percent of Democrats - and this is going to be a Democratic bill - want a public option," says Sen. Sanders, the only other independent in the Senate, according to Time magazine's Web page. LINK

Mental Health Conference Gov. Douglas warned that the state faces a difficult budget year for 2010 as he addressed a gathering of mental health advocates Thursday afternoon, but offered no clues as to how the state would fund social services in the future. Also appearing at the Vermont Association for Mental Health's annual conference in Montpelier was U.S. Sen. Bernard Sanders, who gave an update on health care reform efforts in Washington, D.C., the Vermont Press Bureau reported. LINK

International

Iran Assets Seized Federal prosecutors on Thursday moved to seize several U.S. assets allegedly controlled by entities linked to the government of Iran, including a mosque and Islamic school in Potomac, Md., and a Manhattan skyscraper. Prosecutors described an intricate web of ties allegedly connecting the properties to an Iranian bank that has been identified as a key financier of Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and possibly acts of terrorism, according to The Washington Post. LINK

National

9/11 Suspects to be Tried in New York Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, and four other men accused in the plot will be prosecuted in federal court in New York City, a federal law enforcement official said early on Friday. But Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri - the detainee accused of planning the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen - and several other detainees will be prosecuted before a military commission, the official told The New York Times. LINK

White House Counsel Out The White House counsel, Gregory B. Craig, has told associates that he intends to step down from his post on Friday, putting to rest long-running speculation about whether he would remain as President Obama's top lawyer. Craig had been at the center of controversial decisions over whether to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as revising administration policies on the interrogation and detention of prisoners, according to The New York Times. LINK

Feds Slaps Curbs on Overdraft Fees The Federal Reserve imposed rules Thursday making it harder for banks to hit customers with fees for overdrawing their accounts, in the latest crackdown from the government that could curtail a major revenue stream for financial institutions. The Fed's policy requires customers to opt in to "overdraft protection" programs, meaning they would have to agree to pay a fee any time they overdraw their accounts at automated-teller machines or using a debit card, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Hasan to Face Death Penalty Military prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for alleged Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was formally charged Thursday with 13 counts of premeditated murder, according to a senior Army officer familiar with the matter. The last execution of an active-duty serviceman took place in 1961, according to The Wall Street Journal. LINK

Vermont

Welch in Pakistan Speaking reporters by telephone from Islamabad, Rep. Peter Welch questioned the wisdom of boosting American forces in Afghanistan. Welch praised President Obama's "cautious" approach on whether to send as many as 40,000 additional U.S. troops to the region -- even as critics of the president's approach become more vocal, the Bennington Banner reported. LINK

Guard Holidays A fundraising effort to help bring Vermont National Guard troops home for the holidays so far has raised $150,000 that will be used to charter buses. About 700 troops will be training in Indiana in December and will get a week off at the holidays, but must pay for their own trips home. Adjutant General Michael Dubie requested that buses be chartered instead of planes because of logistical concerns, The Associated Press reported. LINK

Swine Flu Spreads Swine flu remains widespread and is increasing in Vermont, Health Commissioner Wendy Davis said Thursday, the same day the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a spike in deaths related to the H1N1 virus across the nation, particularly among children, the Vermont Press Bureau reported. LINK

Economy May Have Hit Bottom State revenues have stopped falling, a sign the recession may have bottomed out in Vermont, economists for the Legislature and the Douglas administration said Thursday. State revenues have been consistently and sharply downgraded for the last 18 months as the economy has plummeted. Thursday's revised projections showed a $1.6 million bump up for the general fund, according to the Vermont Press Bureau. LINK