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☆ Bernie Sanders says he 'never received so much attention' as his 'weird' viral mittens meme moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sanders wrote that "it got weirder" a few days later when he started seeing memes of himself across the globe. In more than 50 years of public life, Sanders wrote that he "never received so much attention." The ever-rumpled Sanders wrote that Vermonters are "a practical and functional people" who try to stay warm. The "warm Vermont coat" that he wore to President Joe Biden's inauguration, he wrote, was the only coat he had in Washington. Sanders wrote that the photo created "a lot of smiles," but also allowed him to raise funds for organizations serving low-income Vermonters.

☆ Sen. Bernie Sanders blasts 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley's call for 'mandatory mental competency tests' for politicians over 75 as 'absurd'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bernie Sanders blasted Nikki Haley's idea of an age-based mental competency test for politicians. She's the second major Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential race, joining former President Trump, who'll turn 77 years old in June. "We'll have term limits for Congress, and mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old." "I think she should test her own mental competency," Hirono said of the presidential aspirant. "Come on, how many times has she said she's fighting Trump, and then the next thing you know, she's kissing his ring?"

☆ Elderly senators have mixed feelings about Nikki Haley's call for 'mandatory mental competency tests' for politicians over 75
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nikki Haley is calling for "mandatory mental competency tests" for politicians over the age of 75. Over a sixth of the US Senate is age 75 or older. "We'll have term limits for Congress, and mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old." "I think she should test her own mental competency," said Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who recently turned 75. Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho said he'd take a mental competency test Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSome aging lawmakers expressed general openness to taking the test.

☆ Moderna CEO to testify in senate on proposed vaccine price hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Senator Bernie Sanders said on Wednesday Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) chief executive officer Stéphane Bancel will testify next month in front of the senate on the drugmaker's plans to raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine. In January, Sanders had written to Bancel to refrain from quadrupling the price of COVID-19 vaccine, after Moderna said it was considering pricing its vaccine at $110 to $130 per dose in the United States, when it shifts from government contracting to commercial distribution. Moderna also added that uninsured patient can buy the vaccine through Moderna's patient assistance program at no cost. Sanders, chairman of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, has railed against high drug prices and backed Medicare-for-all. Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The decision, announced after financial markets closed, gives Biden a pair of trusted Washington insiders to steer economic policy as the risk of recession fades but inflation lingers. Big fights also loom with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives over raising the debt ceiling. The shakeup comes as the White House tries to tackle what officials view as a frustrating disconnect between relatively strong economic data and weak public sentiment. The White House has refused to discuss spending cuts without a debt ceiling vote first. Bernstein last week conceded that the White House's early description of inflation as "transitory" had missed the mark.

☆ How Social Security and Medicare became the latest battleground in Biden's showdown with the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Social Security and Medicare have taken the spotlight in the battle to raise the debt limit. Then came the big question of what exactly Republicans want to cut, and Social Security and Medicare entered the frame. "So, folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now. White House, Biden double down on GOP attacksThe receipts kept coming once Republicans claimed they never proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare. It noted, though, that Social Security and Medicare "are earned benefit programs that must be saved and strengthened."

☆ Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel will testify before Senate next month on Covid vaccine price hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Moderna CEO, Stephane Bancel attends 2019 Forbes Healthcare Summit at the Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 05, 2019 in New York City. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel will testify before the Senate health committee in March over the company's plans to hike the price of its Covid-19 vaccine. Sanders, in a letter to Bancel last month, slammed the proposed price hike as "outrageous" given that the vaccine was developed in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health using taxpayer money. When the federal supply runs out, uninsured adults may have to pay the full price for the shots. There is a federal free vaccine program for children whose families or caretakers can't afford the shots.

☆ Bernie Sanders hints at subpoena for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Bernie Sanders hinted that lawmakers could subpoena Howard Schultz to compel the outgoing Starbucks CEO to testify in front of a Senate panel about how the coffee chain is handling its baristas' push to unionize. "One way or another, he will be there," Sanders, a pro-union Vermont independent, told reporters on Capitol Hill. Sanders, who chairs the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement Wednesday that he intends to hold Schultz and Starbucks accountable and looks forward to seeing Schultz appear before the committee. Schultz declined an invitation from 11 senators to appear at the March 9 hearing, Reuters first reported Tuesday evening. To date, regional offices of the federal labor board have issued 76 complaints against Starbucks, alleging illegal labor practices.

☆ Howard Schultz declined Bernie Sanders’ request to testify before Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Dayun Park | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Howard Schultz has declined Bernie Sanders’ request to testify before Congress. While Starbucks Workers United has sought better pay and benefits, the company has apparently put efforts into retaliating against workers who tried to unionize. About 100 Starbucks stores across the U.S staged a three-day strike in December, following a one-day strike in November, to protest unfair labor practices. One of the main reasons Starbucks workers organized is to hold billionaire executives, like Schultz, accountable for their actions,” Starbucks Workers United said in a statement to CNN. A total of 338 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since 2021, 282 have been certified across 36 states and 56 didn’t get certified.

☆ Starbucks CEO declines to appear at U.S. Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) Chief Executive Howard Schultz declined an invitation from 11 senators to testify on March 9 on the coffee company's compliance with federal labor law, according to a letter seen by Reuters late Tuesday. Last week, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs a committee on labor issues, and 10 other members of the committee asked Schultz to answer by Feb. 14 whether he would take part. Schultz, who re-joined Starbucks as interim CEO in April 2022, will "fully transition" out of the role next month, said Starbucks acting executive vice president and general counsel Zabrina Jenkins in the letter. Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz declines to appear at U.S. Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Howard Schultz speaks onstage at The New York Times DealBook DC policy forum on June 9, 2022 in Washington. Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz declined an invitation from 11 senators to testify on March 9 on the coffee company's compliance with federal labor law, according to a letter seen by Reuters late on Tuesday. Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs a committee on labor issues, and 10 other members of the committee asked Schultz to answer by Feb. 14 whether he would take part. Schultz, who re-joined Starbucks as interim CEO in April 2022, will "fully transition" out of the role next month, said Starbucks acting executive vice president and general counsel Zabrina Jenkins in the letter. Sanders' office did not immediately comment on Starbucks' letter.

☆ Bernie Sanders says teachers should be paid at least $60,000 — and thinks that money should come from higher taxes on the wealthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bernie Sanders wants teachers to make a minimum of $60,000, and to pay for it with taxes on wealthy estates. Sanders' proposal to address that is higher pay, offset with changes to the estate tax. But one of the primary reasons is the pathetically low pay teachers receive. Sanders' plan to pay for higher teacher salaries hinges on the estate tax, which he wants to make both broader and higher. But Sanders thinks it's necessary to deal with the state of teacher pay, noting that childcare workers fare even worse, making less than doggy daycare workers.

"I think it shows Biden's support level is pretty soft," said Kyle Kondik, an elections analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. Democratic strategists expressed confidence that the party's voters would enthusiastically support Biden once he announces his run. Biden was the pick for 35% of Democrats and Trump for 43% of Republicans. 2 with 31% of registered Republicans backing him, just 12 percentage points behind Trump. By comparison, only a quarter of registered Republicans said Trump, 76, who was hospitalized with COVID-19 during his presidency, was not fit for the physical demands of the office.

Governors gathered in the nation’s capital in recent days for the National Governors Association winter meeting. And while they were focused on their jobs at hand, questions about the 2024 presidential race were unavoidable. Asked on Saturday if she would like to see Biden run again, Michigan Gov. At a Democratic Governors Association press conference on Thursday, a group of 11 governors echoed support for Biden’s potential re-election campaign. Spencer Cox also joined “Meet” and weighed in on the presidential race, saying he would like to see his party nominate a governor.

☆ Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and other Democrats are once again trying to give retirees an additional $2,400 in their Social Security checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sanders, Warren and other Democrats introduced a bill to extend Social Security solvency through 2096. Sanders, alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Val Hoyle, introduced legislation to beef up Social Security benefits and keep the program solvent through 2096. Social Security beneficiaries are currently facing down checks being cut as soon as 2035, as the program's trust fund slowly runs out. "Our job is to expand Social Security so that every senior in America can retire with the dignity that they deserve and every person with a disability can live with the security they need." Currently, only up to $162,000 is taxed for Social Security while any income above that limit is free from the tax.

☆ Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want 'immediate action' to implement a rule that would keep student-loan borrowers' debt from piling up after they graduate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Warren and Sanders joined 6 of their colleagues in calling for a strengthened gainful employment rule. The rule would cut off federal aid to schools that offer programs that leave students with more debt than their degree can pay off. Trump repealed the rule, and Biden has since delayed its timeline to reinstate it. Advocates have also pushed for the reinstatement of the rule, along with other measures to prevent schools from offering degrees that won't pay off post-grad. A department spokesperson told Insider last year that the "administration is committed to preventing a future student debt crisis by holding colleges and universities accountable if they leave students with mountains of debt or without good jobs."

☆ Biden to meet Brazil's Lula for talks on climate, democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Days later a violent movement of election-denying Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court. Biden and Lula are not expected to agree on the war in Ukraine given Brazil's neutrality. On CNN, Lula defended his decision not to provided German-made artillery ammunition sought for the West's support of Ukrainian defense. Brazil's foreign ministry said support for democracy, human rights and the environment will be at the center of Lula's agenda in Washington. Lula traveled to Washington with Environment Minister Marina Silva, who is expected to meet with Biden's climate envoy John Kerry.

☆ Biden and Lula project unity on democratic values and climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Brazil "self-marginalized itself for four years" under the former president, Lula said at the White House, without mentioning Bolsonaro by name. His world, Lula said, had "started and ended with fake news in the morning, afternoon, at night," prompting Biden to laugh and interject, "sounds familiar." Lula said the two leaders could also work together to combat inequality and climate change. Lula's visit to the White House followed a meeting with Senator Bernie Sanders and other lawmakers from Biden's Democratic Party. At the White House, Lula said the Amazon rainforest had been "invaded" under the previous administration, adding that he was committed to reaching zero deforestation by 2030.

☆ Joe Biden Is Bernie Sanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When Mr. Biden finally announces his re-election bid, he will be running as a democratic socialist. That is the clear takeaway from the more than 70 minutes Mr. Biden spent describing his plans to push federal spending and mandates into every nook of American life. What a welcome departure this is from the misrepresentation Rep. Jim Clyburn perpetrated on voters to get Mr. Biden elected as a centrist in 2020. Recall how the South Carolina congressman endorsed Mr. Biden before his state’s primary, explicitly warning on ABC’s “This Week” against the insurgent campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: “I do believe it will be an extra burden for us to have to carry. This is South Carolina, and South Carolinians are pretty leery about that title ‘socialist.’ ”

☆ Bernie Sanders, White House pressure railroads on paid sick leave for union workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

a member of the committee, demanded railroad carriers offer workers at least seven paid sick days. "If they think that those [Senate members] who voted for seven days sick pay that they forgot, they got it wrong. A House amendment that guaranteed comprehensive sick leave passed the House but failed in the Senate. After the vote, Sanders and more than 70 members sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to take action to guarantee paid sick days for rail workers. The failed vote on paid sick leave led union leaders to remind politicians that votes have election consequences.

☆ Five key economic points in Biden's 2023 State of the Union address to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., applaud. President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night, marking the halfway point of his tenure. In Tuesday's State of the Union address, Biden called on Congress to "finish the job." War on 'junk fees'Biden continued his crusade against unnecessary "junk fees" from banks, airlines, cable companies and other industries which add surprise costs to consumer bills. Congress banned excessive fees in 2009, but the Federal Reserve Board of Governors issued actions to circumvent the law.

☆ State of the Union brings brief unanimity on Social Security, Medicare. Why experts say there's still reason to worry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That would include Social Security and Medicare. The Republican Study Budget Committee, which included a host of House GOP leaders, has also suggested other changes — raising the retirement ages for both Social Security and Medicare, as well as changing the measurement for annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. More recently, former Vice President Mike Pence called for reforming Social Security with the creation of private savings accounts. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., has led a House bill that would apply reapply payroll taxes on $400,000 in earnings while also making benefits more generous. Biden similarly proposed expanding benefits and increasing payroll taxes on high earners during his presidential campaign.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX Possible U.S. debt-ceiling workarounds to avoid default
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Historians say that aimed to ensure the federal government would not repudiate its debts, as some ex-Confederate states had done. Some experts have suggested that Biden could invoke this amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own if Congress does not act. Analysts say this would leave Treasury on the hook for higher interest payments and unsettle the market for Treasury bonds, which serve as a bedrock for the global financial system. GET RID OF ITCongress could vote to abolish the debt ceiling entirely, which would eliminate the need to vote on the issue periodically but also erode Congress's authority on fiscal matters. Attempts to abolish the debt ceiling have gotten no traction in Congress in recent years.

☆ U.S. plans to stop buying Covid shots for the public this fall. Here's what that means
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

There is a federal program to provide free vaccines to children whose families or caretakers can't afford the shots. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., slammed the vaccine price hike in a letter to Moderna's CEO last month. Under the ACA, private health insurance is required to cover all immunizations recommended by the CDC at no cost to the consumer. There may be a small number of legacy private health insurance plans from before the ACA that are not required to cover Covid vaccines, Cox said. Consumers could also see their health insurance premiums increase if Pfizer and Moderna hike the price of the shots, Cox said.

☆ Factbox: Possible U.S. debt-ceiling workarounds to avoid default
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Historians say that aimed to ensure the federal government would not repudiate its debts, as some ex-Confederate states had done. Some experts have suggested that Biden could invoke this amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own if Congress does not act. That leaves only three possible dates for action in the first half of this year: March 27, May 22 and June 12. Analysts say this would leave Treasury on the hook for higher interest payments and unsettle the market for Treasury bonds, which serve as a bedrock for the global financial system. Attempts to abolish the debt ceiling have gotten no traction in Congress in recent years.

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