As we continue our effort to keep you up-to-date on how money corrupts American government and politics, as well as other news of the day, we’re pleased to publish this daily digest compiled by BillMoyers.com’s Michael Winship.
Refugees in Hungary –> Once again, pictures tell the story of just how bad the situation is in Europe — in this case, photos and video of a camerawoman for a right-wing Hungarian news service kicking and then tripping refugees as they fled police. She was fired, but her actions reflect the hostility in Hungary: both the prime minister and the Catholic Church’s prelate in southern Hungary have made anti-Muslim statements, the latter despite Pope Francis’ call for the Church to give refugees shelter. BUT, in an article for Politico, Luiza Ch. Savage recounts her family’s trip to Budapest last week, their attempt to bring supplies to the railway station for those without, and the haunting ways in which the crisis conjures memories of World War II and the Communist years in eastern Europe.
AND, James Kanter in The New York Times: “The European Union’s top executive proposed a plan on Wednesday to distribute 160,000 migrants throughout the member nations, even while acknowledging that this measure alone was inadequate to the depth of the crisis.” They’ll meet on Monday. ALSO, Ivan Eland, director of the Independent Institute’s Center on Peace & Liberty at The World Post, “U.S. Response to Syrian Civil War and Refugee Crisis Is Telling.”
In California, big step forward for climate change, then a step back –> Jess Colarossi of ThinkProgress reports, “Members of the state Assembly will vote this week on California’s climate bill package, which breezed through the Senate and three separate Assembly meetings earlier this year. If the package of bills passes this next obstacle, it will be signed in to law by the governor. This bill package, which has been called “historic,” outlines aggressive action to fight climate change.”
However, last night, Chris Megerian of the Los Angeles Times reported that, “Unable to overcome fierce opposition from the oil industry and resistance from some Democrats, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they will remove a major portion of an ambitious proposal to combat climate change. A provision calling for a 50% cut in petroleum use by 2030 will be dropped from legislation that includes the governor’s environmental goals, removing what was the main political obstacle to pass the bill before the Legislature’s session ends Friday.
‘Oil has won the skirmish. But they’ve lost the bigger battle. Because I am more determined than ever,’ the governor said.”
Duck and cover –> Another government shutdown? Really? Amber Phillips at The Washington Post’s “The Fix,” writes, “… We have the Planned Parenthood debate, the Export-Import Bank, debates over military vs. domestic spending, the Iran nuclear deal and the debt limit all threatening to play a part in at least a temporary government shutdown. Oh yeah, and Congress still has to okay a fund by Oct. 29 to help pay for highways and bridges (known as the Highway Trust Fund).
“Put that all together, and it’s 70 percent likely the government will shut down for at least a day or two, Jim Manley, a former high-ranking Senate Democratic aide to then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), told The Fix. There’s simply too much to get done and too many pressure points.” ALSO, Laura Bassett at The Huffington Post, “28 Republican Men Threaten Government Shutdown Over Planned Parenthood.”
Chris Christie’s Bridgegate is back –> If you’re wondering what the firing of United Airlines’ CEO has to do with Gov. Christie and the George Washington Bridge, Brian Murphy at Talking Points Memo has an explainer for you. ALSO, Andrea Bernstein and the WNYC Data News Team at New York public radio have a most excellent timeline for the whole sloppy mess.
“What in the hell is this whole thing about anyway?” –> The inimitable Charlie Pierce of Esquire asks why anyone’s getting worked up over Hillary Clinton’s e-mail skills.
Must read –> Jason Zengerle in New York magazine: “Sheldon Adelson Is Ready to Buy the Presidency.”
AND, at TomDispatch, “Mantra for 9/11: Fourteen Years Later, Improbable World,” by Tom Engelhardt.
Ancient news –> Deep in a hard-to-reach South African cave, a new human ancestor, H. naledi, has been discovered — “1550 fossils representing more than 15 ancient members of a strange new kind of hominin,” Ann Gibbons of Science writes. “It is the largest trove of fossils of a hominin ever found in Africa—and more await excavation at the site, 50 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg.” And ICYMI, Stonehenge still has secrets to tell.
Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam is not dead yet –> Just ask him.
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