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Sanders Introduces Single Payer Bill—Dems Lurch Left in Support

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The most popular politician in America is introducing legislation on Wednesday to create a single payer health care system—a previously radioactive proposal that is now drawing the support of leading Democratic politicians. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is proposing a Medicare-for-all schematic that, if implemented, would transition the entire country away from private and employer-based insurance to a universal system that mirrors Medicare. Under Sanders’ proposal, Americans would no longer pay insurance premiums. Health care would be provided, in most cases, without charge, and financed by…

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ICE Pressed for Information, Amid Cancelled Dragnet and Ramping up of Trump Nativism

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Immigrant advocates are pressing the Trump administration for information after sweeping deportation raids were postponed ahead of Hurricane Irma. Fifty organizations are filing Freedom of Information Act requests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices around the country. The initiative is designed to press ICE for details on the removal process, with a focus on how the agency skirts oversight. “We’re ready to go forward and litigate, if necessary,” Mijente Field Director Jacinta Gonzalez said Tuesday, in a conference call. Seeking information from ICE is…

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Spy Leaders Seek Permanent Extension of Controversial FISA Surveillance Authority

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The nation’s intelligence chiefs sent a letter to Congress this week calling for a “speedy enactment” of legislation to reauthorize broad foreign spying powers that often impact American citizens, too. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats asked congressional leaders on Monday for a clean extension of the spying provision. Most notably, the top officials requested that the reauthorization be permanent. At the end of the year, Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act sunsets. The law, intended to target individuals…

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Government Watchdog Questions Value of Post-9/11 Travel Security Measures

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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lacks data to demonstrate the effectiveness of several airport security measures adopted following the September 11, 2001 attacks. A report released Monday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the agency “does not have a complete understanding” of just how effective the billions of dollars spent on new security programs are in detecting and disrupting air travel threats. Although agency officials cited the lack of a major terrorist attack aboard a US airliner as proof of worth of these countermeasures, the GAO…

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Sen. Harris Opposes Resolution Equating Wikileaks to “Hostile” Spy Organization

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Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) sided with Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to vote against a resolution calling on the US government to treat WikiLeaks like a “non-state hostile intelligence service.” Harris, a rumored presidential contender, joined with Wyden, a leading civil libertarian lawmaker, to oppose the legislation in a Senate Intelligence Committee vote on annual policy legislation. Harris said the language was reckless and vague, while Wyden focused much of his ire at the legal distinction the committee is attempting to create. “[T]he ambiguity in the bill…

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Wells Fargo Malfeasance Too Big To Ignore, For Wall Street Water-Carrying Committee Chair

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The true depth of Wells Fargo’s accounts falsification scandal is forcing a top lawmaker and friend of the industry to be on alert. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) last week declined a New York Times request to comment on revelations about millions more unauthorized sales by Wells. But the Senate Banking Committee Chair promised on Thursday that he is looking into the matter, when prodded by Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). “I will keep you informed as I learn more and, as I said, your request is under…

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DEA Sex and Abuse Scandal Exposes Flaws in Accountability Structure, Watchdog Finds

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An agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was busted for giving his mistress access to an evidence room and investigatory wiretaps, but the agency’s highest rungs of leadership intervened on his behalf and allowed him to temporarily keep his job and security clearance. The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated the wrongdoing to determine if then-DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart inappropriately mediated to protect the agent, and if she then lied to Congress about her role in security clearance reviews. The watchdog didn’t…

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Driverless Cars Legislation Passes with Few Concerns for Mass Labor Displacement

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A bill that would open US roadways to hundreds of thousands of automated vehicles over the next half decade passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Almost entirely absent from consideration were the hundreds of thousands of human drivers who stand to be replaced by the burgeoning robotic fleet. Lawmakers unanimously approved of the Self Drive Act, which exempts driverless car manufacturers from certain safety regulations–like requirements forcing vehicles to have steering wheels and pedals. The bill also permits car makers to deploy 25,000 driverless…

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Fed Number Two, Critic of G.O.P. Hands-Off Approach Amid Stock Market Frenzy, to Step Down

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A top banking regulator who recently warned about the danger of Republican reform proposals and “a notable uptick in risk appetites” is stepping down. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Stanley Fischer wrote to President Trump on Wednesday, announcing his resignation “effective on or around October 13.” In his letter, released the same day by the central bank, Fisher said he was motivated to quit by “personal reasons.” “During my time on the Board [of Governors], the economy has continued to strengthen, providing millions of additional jobs…

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Sessions Announces Imminent End of DACA, Makes Dubious Claims About Child Refugees

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As expected, the Trump administration announced that it is planning on revoking the status of DREAMers—undocumented residents of the US who immigrated as children, more than a decade ago. Attorney General Jeff Sessions unveiled the decision at a press conference on Tuesday morning, stripping roughly 800,000 people of temporary protection from deportation granted by the Obama administration in 2012. Sessions noted that there would be a “wind down” period, which was previously reported as lasting a half-year. “This will enable [the Department of Homeland Security]…

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EPA Neglect of Houston During Harvey Came After Pruitt Exerted Direct Control Over Major Superfund Sites

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At least 13 environmental cleanup sites in Houston were damaged by Hurricane Harvey, creating the potential for a release of toxic waste into floodwaters, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to dispatch teams to fully survey the damage. In a statement over the weekend, the EPA said that 11 of the 13 flooded locations—known as Superfund sites—were “inaccessible for response teams.” The agency instead was relying on aerial imaging to survey the damage. The Associated Press, however, reported that its journalists have been…

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