Senator Sanders

Filibuster Reform Doesn’t Go Far Enough, Sanders Says Senators on Thursday voted to make it harder for the minority to block confirmation of the president's nominees for judges and other top posts. Sen. Bernie Sanders voted for the measure to change Senate rules so 51 votes, not an extraordinary 60 votes, are needed to end a filibuster, WCAX-TV and the Burlington Free Press reported. “We have got to move forward. This country is in trouble. The American people deserve action,” Sanders said on MSNBC. On Crossfire on CNN, Sanders was asked if the Senate may change its rules to allow majority rule on legislation, not just nominees. “Let me be very frank with you. That's exactly what I believe,” Sanders said. LINK, LINK, VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO

Single Payer The botched implementation of Obamacare has created a bittersweet moment for advocates of a universal, single-payer health care system: They saw this coming, but they can't gloat about it. Sen. Sanders, a vocal single-payer supporter, told The Huffington Post that “what's happening now just reinforces to me that what we need is a simple system focused on providing health care.” he said. Under the complex system created by the Affordable Care Act, Sanders added, “its main function is to enable insurance companies, drug companies, medical equipment suppliers to be making huge amounts of money off of the system. The more complex it is, the easier it is for them to do that.” LINK

Poor Die Younger Americans in some poor neighborhoods have lower life expectancy than those in countries like Ethiopia and Sudan, according to research presented at a Wednesday hearing held by Sen. Sanders, WCAX-TV, Times Argus, The Caledonian-Record and The Raw Story reported.  “Stress and poverty, wondering how I’m going to feed my family tomorrow, pay my bills, get the income I need to survive, takes a toll on human life,” said Sanders. LINK, LINK, LINK, VIDEO

Obama Signs Sanders Veterans COLA Bill President Obama on Thursday signed into law a measure providing a 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment to disabled veterans and their survivors. The increase takes effect Dec. 1 and will first appear in the January checks of more than 5 million beneficiaries. Sen. Sanders, who chairs the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and sponsored the 2013 COLA bill, attached a provision to the bill that has long raised complaints from veterans: The COLA is no longer rounded down to the next lower dollar as a money-saving gimmick. “These seemingly small amounts of money add up over time and will contribute to the financial stability of millions of veterans and their survivors,” Sanders said, according to Military Times. LINK

Wild and Scenic Rivers The Upper Missisquoi and Trout rivers are one step closer to a federal designation as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. On Thursday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed a bill to make the rivers the first in Vermont to receive the designation. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Sanders, The Caledonian-Record reported. LINK

Sanders, Markey Say NRC Backed Off Entergy Probe Two U.S. senators have accused the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of backing away from a probe of the worsening finances of Entergy Corp.'s nuclear plants after Entergy complained about the inquiry. Sens. Edward Markey and Sanders said in a letter to NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane that nuclear safety regulators are duty-bound to evaluate the financial fitness of plant operators. The senators expressed "grave concern" over reports that NRC staff members were told to stop asking Entergy for financial information after Entergy complained to higher-ups at the NRC, The (Syracuse, N.Y.) Post-Standard reported.

Postal Service Sen. Sanders wants to lift a financial burden off of the United States Postal Service by getting rid of a requirement that it pay billions extra in retiree health care benefits, noted Fox Business during an interview with Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. VIDEO

Broadband Progress Vermont will miss its target of statewide broadband and cellular coverage before the end of the year, Vt. Digger reported. About 3,000 homes in the state still lack high-speed service, Gov. Peter Shumlin announced this week. Federal agencies still see Vermont as ahead of the curve, says David Weinstein, a senior policy analyst for Sen. Sanders. LINK

State of the Union Sen. Sanders launched his fourth annual State of the Union essay contest today. The contest is designed to engage Vermont’s high school students on the major issues facing the country, the Bennington Banner reported.

Social Security Sen. Sanders and several colleagues support the expansion of Social Security by increasing benefits and bringing more people into the system, according the a blog on the Los Angeles Times website.  LINK

Socialist in Seattle Kshama Sawant, a self-proclaimed socialist and newly elected city council member from Seattle, had advocated a workers "take-over" of a local Boeing plant, WND reported. Sen. Sanders is considered an “independent socialist.” LINK

World

Afghan Leader Defers Pact Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that the security pact with the U.S. should be deferred until after his successor is elected, a surprise move that may upset the just-reached agreement altogether, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Tensions in Lebanon Saudi Arabia urged its citizens Thursday to leave Lebanon and exercise caution as new details emerge about the twin suicide bombings at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, The Washington Post reported. The bombings are purported to be a sign of the resurgence of al-Qaeda-inspired groups in Lebanon. LINK

Joseph Kony Central African Republic authorities said Thursday that Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony was ready to surrender, The Associated Press reported. United States officials have expressed doubt on reports that Kony would negotiate a surrender. LINK

Corporations Responsible for Climate Change A new study suggests that almost 90 companies are responsible for nearly two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions since the start of the Industrial Revolution, The Huffington Post reported. Investor-owned energy companies like BP, ExxonMobil and Shell, along with 31 state-owned companies are on the list. LINK

National

Yellen Advances Janet Yellen’s nomination to be the next Federal Reserve chief was approved by the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported. This approval and Senate Democrats’ trigger of the nuclear option for presidential nominees makes Yellen’s confirmation “a virtual lock.” LINK, LINK

Pentagon Electronic Health Records Not Ready Until 2017The Defense Department will not start deploying its modernized electronic health record until 2017, nine years after President Obama called on the Pentagon and the Veterans Affairs Department to develop a joint system. The joint effort was abandoned in February when estimated costs spiraled to $28 billion. The new Defense Department project is expected to cost between $4 billion and $5 billion over five years, based on industry estimates, the trade publication Defense One reported. LINK

Senate Vote Limits Filibusters The Senate voted on Thursday to eliminate the use of the filibuster against most presidential nominees, The New York Times reported. The rule change will prevent further obstruction of President Obama’s picks to cabinet posts and the federal judiciary, representing the most fundamental shift in Senate procedure in more than a generation. LINK

Vermont

Essex Police Facility Breaks Ground Citizens of Essex officially broke ground Thursday on new Essex Police Facility on Maple Street, the Burlington Free Press reported. The facility will be built on 5.3 acres of land purchased from IBM and is scheduled to be completed and occupied by the fall of 2014. LINK

Shipping Inmates Out of State Vermont is currently one of four states that sends its prisoners across state lines to be housed in private, for-profit institutions, the Bennington Banner reported.  LINK