Moment of truth for Mr. Putin

Pressure is building on Russian President Vladimir Putin to acknowledge his government's purported role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, an event whose aftermath has revealed the scope of the Kremlin's military buildup in eastern Ukraine.

Putin's name echoed through the political talk shows Sunday as Secretary of State John Kerry and several members of Congress singled out Putin and called for him to use his influence with the rebels to ease the investigation of the crash.

Read the story here.

Rick Scott Won't Say Where He Stands on Marriage Equality

Rick Scott Won't Say Where He Stands on Marriage Equality

With CNN already moving hard right, will Fox News Control CNN

Time Warner Inc. has turned down an $80-billion (U.S.) takeover bid from Rupert Murdoch’s Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. that would have joined two of the world’s most powerful media conglomerates, but there is reason to believe Time Warner could still field further offers in the near future.

Both companies confirmed that Fox tabled a formal offer last month, responding to a Wednesday story from The New York Times. The bid was worth $85 a share with 60 per cent in stock and the remainder in cash, according to Reuters, and Mr. Murdoch predicted $1-billion in cost savings. He also planned to sell the CNN network to avoid regulatory concerns over competition.

It’s merger mania, with AT&T going after DirecTV and Comcast looking to gobble up Time Warner Cable—not to be confused with Time Warner Inc., another cable company that is now the object of Rupert Murdoch’s appetite.

The media mogul, who owns numerous cable channels, TV stations, newspapers and the most successful movie studio in Hollywood, has reportedly offered $75 billion.

Bloomberg has a source that says Fox would sell off CNN (the company already owns Fox News) to appease regulators, but that probably won’t be enough. The combined company would give Murdoch a huge negotiating advantage with content providers (the aforementioned Comcast and AT&T) and theater operators (Time Warner Inc. owns Warner Bros., the second-most successful studio this year).

Fox is expected to argue that it must gain leverage if it is to contend with even more massive cable providers, but it would be easier to just say no to all the deals on the table and let competition rule. Perhaps Murdoch’s bid is a brilliant maneuver to scuttle those other mergers.

Obama Will Sign Executive Order Targeting LGBT Job Discrimination

President Barack Obama on Monday will sign an executive order banning workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender workers of federal contractors and the federal government.

The executive order has two components: It prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity -- a move that affects 24,000 companies employing roughly 28 million workers, or about one-fifth of the nation's workforce -- and it explicitly bans discrimination against federal employees based on their gender identity.

Senior administration officials outlined details of the executive order in a Friday afternoon call.

To the relief of the LGBT community, there is no sweeping religious exemption in the executive order. Obama is simply adding the categories of sexual orientation and gender identity to an existing executive order that protects employees of federal contractors from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. President George W. Bush amended that executive order in 2002 to allow religiously affiliated federal contractors to prioritize hiring employees of their particular religion, however, and Obama is keeping that language intact.

"Obama's executive order does not modify that Bush exemption," said a senior administration official. "It stands."

The president vowed during his 2008 campaign to take action on discrimination among federal contractors, and LGBT rights groups have been urging him to do so ever since, to no avail. The White House has focused instead on pressuring Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would have much broader implications. But that bill has stalled, and in the meantime, pressure has grown on the president to act in ways that don't require legislative approval.

The piece of the executive order targeting federal employees, meanwhile, responds to what some have described as a shortcoming in existing governmental rules. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled in 2012 that the federal ban on sex discrimination covers transgender discrimination, but those affected by that rule change say the government hasn't been enforcing it and that they continue to be discriminated against.

Once Obama signs the executive order, the provision affecting federal employees takes effect immediately, per the official. The provision affecting federal contractors will take effect early next year.

Obama announced plans for both executive orders last month.

Building a 21st Century Infrastructure: Increasing Public and Private Collaboration with the Build America

Today, the President will deliver remarks at the Port of Wilmington in front of the I-495 Bridge in Delaware. With 90,000 cars moving over it per day before repairs began, this bridge is a key example of the importance of infrastructure, which keeps the economy moving, spurs innovation, and bolsters our national competitiveness. At the port – and in this Year of Action – the President will announce a new executive action to create the Build America Investment Initiative, a government-wide initiative to increase infrastructure investment and economic growth. As part of the Initiative, the Administration is launching the Build America Transportation Investment Center – housed at the Department of Transportation – to serve as a one-stop shop for cities and states seeking to use innovative financing and partnerships with the private sector to support transportation infrastructure.

The President’s visit and announcement today are a part of the Administration’s continued push to highlight the importance of investing in our nation’s infrastructure so that we can build on the progress our economy is making by creating jobs and expanding opportunity for all hardworking Americans. The steps announced today continue the momentum the President has made using his executive authority – his pen and phone – to invest in modernizing our infrastructure, including speeding up the permitting process for major infrastructure projects to create more jobs.

The President supports the steps that Congress is taking in the short-term to avoid a lapse in the Highway Trust Fund, and he will continue to push for long-term solutions for our nation’s infrastructure and the American economy.

***

Investing in a 21^st century American infrastructure is an important part of the President’s plan to build on the progress our economy is making by creating jobs and expanding opportunity for all hardworking Americans.  Modern and efficient infrastructure – whether moving goods to our harbors and ports or connecting people to services or gigabits to our offices and homes – helps small businesses to expand, manufacturers to export, investors to bring jobs to our shores, and lowers prices for goods and services for American families.

The President has been very clear that we need to do more to improve our infrastructure in order to create jobs, provide certainty to states and communities, help American businesses, and grow our economy.  He has put forth a long-term proposal that would do just that and pay for it by closing unfair tax loopholes and making commonsense reforms to our business tax system, while providing the certainty of reliable federal funding to states and communities.

And while the President is encouraged that Congress is heeding these calls by taking action in the short-term to prevent transportation projects across the country from grinding to a halt, the President will continue to act on his own to promote American economic growth where there is need or opportunity.  And right now, there is a real opportunity to put private capital to work in revitalizing U.S. infrastructure. 

That is why today, the President will sign a Presidential Memorandum to launch the Build America Investment Initiative, a government-wide initiative to increase infrastructure investment and economic growth by engaging with state and local governments and private sector investors to encourage collaboration, expand the market for public-private partnerships (PPPs) and put federal credit programs to greater use.  Starting with the transportation sector, this initiative will harness the potential of private capital to complement government funding.

Ø  As part of the Initiative, the Administration is launching the Build America Transportation Investment Center:  Housed at the Department of Transportation, this center will serve as a one-stop shop for state and local governments, public and private developers and investors seeking to utilize innovative financing strategies for transportation infrastructure projects.  Additional details are below.

Ø  Build America Interagency Working Group: To expand and increase private investment and collaboration in infrastructure beyond the transportation sector, a federal inter-agency working group, co-chaired by Cabinet Secretaries Lew and Foxx, will do a focused review with the best and the brightest from the public and private sector.  This group will work with state and local governments, project developers, investors and others to address barriers to private investments and partnerships in areas including municipal water, ports, harbors, broadband, and the electrical grid. The effort will include a particular focus on improving coordination to accelerate financing and completion of projects of regional and national significance, particularly those that cross state boundaries.

Ø  Infrastructure Investment Summit:  As part of the drive toward innovative infrastructure solutions and to highlight the opportunities for infrastructure investment, the Treasury Department will host a summit on Infrastructure Investment in the U.S. on September 9, 2014.  This session will bring together leading project developers and institutional investors with state and local officials and their Federal counterparts, and will focus on innovative financing approaches to infrastructure, and highlight other resources that support project development.

***

Build America Transportation Investment Center: Housed at the Department of Transportation, this center will serve as a one-stop shop for state and local governments, public and private developers and investors seeking to utilize innovative financing strategies for transportation infrastructure projects. This center will provide:

Ø  ‘Navigator Service’ for the Public and Private Sector: Through hands-on support, advice and expertise, the center will make DOT credit programs more understandable and accessible to states and local governments and leverage both public and private funding to support ambitious projects.  The center will also provide private sector developers and infrastructure investors with tools and resources to identify and execute successful PPPs.

Ø  Improved Access to DOT Credit Programs: The center will encourage awareness and efficient use of existing resources at the Department, including the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program.  TIFIA provides long-term, flexible financing to highway and transit projects that feature dedicated revenue sources.  Each dollar of Federal TIFIA funding can support about $10 in loans, loan guarantees or lines of credit.  In many cases, the lower cost of capital and flexible terms offered by TIFIA are critical factors in determining whether a PPP is a viable and cost-effective option for a project. The center will also focus on the use of key DOT programs including the Private Activity Bond program (PABs), and the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program (RRIF). 

Ø  Technical Assistance: The center will share best practices from states that are leading the way on private investment to states that have not yet adopted innovative financing strategies, encouraging a more robust national market. Today, the top six states for PPPs have nearly two-thirds the value of all U.S. PPP projects. Twenty states have no PPPs in transportation at all. The center will provide technical assistance to help remove barriers to ensure the public and private sector can come together to complete projects that make sense. Through a website and on-demand technical assistance, the center will provide information about DOT credit programs, case studies of successful projects and examples of deal structures, standard operating procedures for PPP projects and analytical toolkits. It will also help interested investors better understand how DOT credit and grant programs can be used together to support project development.

Ø  Information to Reduce Uncertainty and Delays: The center will work in partnership with the interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement center to provide visibility for local and state governments, project sponsors and investors on the permitting process. 

Case Studies and Additional Background

The Build America Investment Initiative taps into the opportunity to increase the pipeline of effective public-private-partnerships and other innovative financing mechanisms:

Ø  High Demand: Institutional investors, both domestic and international, recognize the strength of our economy and want to invest in America. In 2013, the U.S. was the top destination for foreign direct investment with over $230 billion.  The global investment community has over $83 trillion dollars with a growing appetite for infrastructure. That is potentially hundreds of billions of dollars to fund the building of U.S. public-private infrastructure.

Ø  Proven Approaches: Some states and communities have established successful PPPs and have developed strong institutional knowledge of how these projects are best structured and managed.  Expanding that know-how to other states has the potential to increase the flow of capital by tens of billions of dollars over the next few years. Today, for example, the top five states in PPPs have nearly twice the per-capita value of projects as the next 20 best states – and if those states caught up, it could mean up to $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects.

Building on Models of Success: Some states and localities across the country have developed successful track records utilizing PPPs and other innovative financing approaches for infrastructure projects.  The Build America Transportation Investment center will use the lessons-learned from these leaders to help other communities and private project sponsors understand and better use federal financing programs and to structure deals that incorporate best practices and avoid pitfalls.

Case Study: Colorado FasTracks Project Denver, Colorado is a community that has shown how transformative, multi-modal public infrastructure projects can be brought to fruition by integrating multiple financing sources.  Denver was able to utilize a PPP as part of the FasTracks development – combining light rail, bus rapid transit, development of Denver Union Station, parking, and other improvements – alongside state and federal funding.  The FasTracks Eagle project in Denver is a $2.2 billion public-private partnership to construct two new commuter rail lines.  The project combined several DOT funding and financing mechanisms – Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts, Private Activity Bonds, and a TIFIA loan – in addition to other Federal, State, and local resources and private investment.  The Eagle project is using a “design-build-finance-operate-maintain” contract under a 34-year concession.  Denver will retain ownership of the assets, set fares and fare policies, and keep all project revenues.  Denver will make payments to the private investor and operator (“concessionaire”) based on performance metrics.

Case Study: Florida Florida has been leading the way on PPPs since 2001. In 2007, the State of Florida established the Office of Public-Private Partnerships; since then the state has completed over $6 billion in innovative projects. Florida is now using a public-private partnership to complete the $1.1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel Project that will link the Port of Miami with the MacArthur Causeway and I-395 on the mainland. The project, like many PPPs around the country, took advantage of DOT’s TIFIA loan program for a $340 million loan, which in turn leveraged private dollars – a great example of the kinds of partnerships that the new Build America Transportation Investment center will bolster.

THE GROW AMERICA ACT      

The Highway Trust Fund – which funds a significant portion of the construction and capital repairs of our surface transportation system – is projected to be insolvent by the end of the summer barring Congressional action.  In addition to preventing the Trust Fund from expiring in the short term, the President has clear that we need long-term action and predictable funding to provide certainty to states and communities, help American businesses, and grow our economy. 

Ø  In spring 2014, President Obama transmitted to Congress his vision for a long-term solution.  The GROW AMERICA Act, a $302 billion, four-year transportation reauthorization proposal provides increased and stable funding for our nation’s highways, bridges, transit, and rail systems, ends the cycle of short-term, manufactured funding crises and builds confidence in the public and private sector.

Ø  The Administration’s proposal is funded by supplementing current revenues with $150 billion in one-time transition revenue from pro-growth business tax reform.  In other words, the President’s proposal is fully paid for without increasing the deficit. The President’s proposal will also keep the Trust Fund solvent for four years and increase investments to meet the transportation priorities and economic needs of communities across the country. 

Ø  The proposal also contains a series of legislative proposals to improve the return on transportation spending and improve safety, including a title on improving project delivery, and the federal permitting and regulatory review process.

President at Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience Meeting

State Dining Room

2:24 P.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I want to thank everybody who has been participating in this very important task force.  We’ve got governors, we’ve got mayors, local and tribal leaders.  We’ve got Democrats and Republicans and independents from all the across the nation.  And we are here because we know that climate change is an undeniable scientific fact. 

And these leaders are here because states and communities that they represent are already dealing with the effects of climate change.  They’re seeing rising sea levels, more powerful hurricanes, more intense heatwaves, severe droughts, and wildfires out west.  So this is already happening, and these leaders understand that climate change is a threat to public safety, it’s a threat to public health and to something that we want to emphasize today -- the infrastructure upon which our economy depends.  More severe storms and increased flooding threaten roads and bridges and businesses.  Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and ports. 

So climate change poses a direct threat to the infrastructure of America that we need to stay competitive in this 21st-century economy.  That means that we should see this as an opportunity to do what we should be doing anyway, and that’s modernizing our infrastructure, modernizing our roads, modernizing our bridges, power grids, our transit systems, and making sure that they’re more resilient.  That’s going to be good for commerce and it’s obviously going to be good for communities.

As a result of this need, I’ve put forward a plan to build our transportation infrastructure and it’s a key part of our Climate Action Plan -- making sure that we’ve got a smarter, more resilient infrastructure that can withstand the effects of climate change. 

And today I’m announcing a series of new steps.  We’re going to do more, including new data and 3D maps to help state, local officials in communities understand which areas and which infrastructure are at risk as a consequence of climate change.  We’re going to help communities improve their electric grids, build stronger seawalls and natural barriers, and protect their water supplies.  We’re also going to invest in stronger and more resilient infrastructure. 

Last month, I announced a new competitive fund -- $1 billion -- to help communities do this.  Today we’re taking steps to make sure that this competition will work.  We’re going to announce the specifics about who can compete, how we can learn from communities that are rebuilding stronger from disasters like Hurricane Sandy and flooding in Colorado.  We want the best ideas to become models for the whole country.  And the idea of this competition is not just the communities that win a grant are able to improve their infrastructure but what we’re also going to be doing is hopefully lifting everybody’s game and making sure that people in their planning are thinking about these issues as they move forward.

     So the bottom line is investing in our infrastructure, protecting our communities, ensuring the health and safety of our citizens -- none of this should be a partisan issue.  This is something that Democrats, Republicans, independents all care about and the leaders who are sitting around this table prove that today and prove it every day. 

And I want you to know that you have a partner in me, you have a partner in this administration, and I’m confident that, working together, we can take some common-sense steps to make sure that America’s infrastructure is safer, stronger and more resilient for future generations.  At the same time as we are also tackling the broader problem of climate change and trying to slow the impact of that not just here but around the world.

     So I very much appreciate the wonderful participation.  I know that some great ideas have already come out of this.  And I’m looking forward to continuing to work with this group in the future.  Thank you very much.

Wisconsin appeals judge's ruling on gay marriage ban

Wisconsin's attorney general on Thursday appealed a federal judge's ruling from last month striking down the state's ban on same-sex marriages as unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled on June 6 that the ban, approved by voters in 2006, was a violation of gay couples' equal protection and due process rights. More than 500 same-sex couples got married in the state before Crabb put her ruling on hold a week later, pending the expected appeal from Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.

The case now heads to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of eight same-sex couples.

Last week it asked Crabb to lift her stay of the ruling, which would allow the marriages to resume. Crabb has not ruled on that request.

"We're disappointed to see that the state is still fighting to stop loving, committed couples from marrying," said John Knight, the lead ACLU attorney. "However, we are glad to see an end to the state's effort to put off resolution of this case."

The 7th Circuit last month ordered an expedited schedule in Indiana's case, requiring parties to file all of their briefs on motions no later than Aug. 5, with oral arguments to be scheduled a short time later.

Van Hollen had until July 21 to file an appeal, but he said in a statement that the appeals court's decision to speed up the Indiana case led him to do it sooner.

"The goal of our timing is simple: to ensure that Wisconsin is placed on equal footing with Indiana, and that our constitution and laws are given timely consideration by the appellate judges," Van Hollen said in an email.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who is seeking re-election this year and considering a run for president in 2016, was an early vocal supporter of the gay marriage ban and voted for it in 2006. But amid polls showing most Wisconsin voters support gay marriage, Walker has said his position doesn't matter because the governor plays no role in changing the constitution.

Walker is a named defendant in the lawsuit and has been supportive of Van Hollen appealing the ruling. Walker's spokeswoman Laurel Patrick did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Wisconsin's constitutional amendment was approved by 59 percent of voters in 2006. It outlawed gay marriage or anything substantially similar. The ACLU said the ban violated the constitutional rights of eight gay couples to equal protection and due process and Crabb agreed.

The victory was the 15th straight win for gay rights activists since a landmark Supreme Court ruling last summer striking down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. That ruling allowed married same-sex couples to receive the same federal benefits as other married people, but did not specifically address whether gay marriage is a constitutional right.

The Supreme Court is expected to take up the issue when it returns to work in October. On Wednesday, Utah's attorney general decided to bypass a full appeals court and take its case straight to the Supreme Court.

The high court is under no obligation to the take the case, and it could wait for rulings from one or more of the five other appellate courts with gay marriage cases pending.

Lower courts have repeatedly cited the Supreme Court's decision from last year when striking down gay marriage bans. The latest such ruling was Wednesday, when a state judge struck down Colorado's gay marriage ban. That ruling is on hold pending an appeal.

In addition to Wisconsin, judges have ruled against bans in Arkansas, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Indiana and Colorado. They have ordered Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky are scheduled to present arguments against 
recent gay marriage rulings in their states before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Aug. 6.

Gay marriage is legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Eric Boehlert Ridicules D'Souza's Theory Of Obama And Clinton Radicalization

Dinesh D'Souza, conservative author and filmmaker, on Thursday argued that while progressives seem to attack the wealthiest one percent of Americans, really they are attacking poor immigrants.
On MSNBC's "The Ed Show," Georgetown Professor Michael Eric Dyson asked D'Souza whether he thought liberals unfairly criticize wealthy Americans.

D'Souza responded with a confusing argument about how he thinks progressives have attacked immigrants.
"I think the progressive attack always pretends to be against the 1 percent, and it's against the immigrants because when you look at this critique, you stole the country from the Indians," he said. "You stole half of Mexico in the Mexican war. Wait a minute, that wasn't the top 1 percent. And they were living in handsome mansions and cottages, and it's poor settlers who went out West and they defeated the Indians and the Mexican war."
D'Souza has been on the interview circuit to promote his movie "America: Imagine A World Without Her," which is based on his book.
In June, D'Souza pled guilty to violating campaign finance law by using straw donors to contribute $20,000 to the campaign of a Republican attorney.

Video Of MSNBC Ed Show Below:

 

A Florida Circut Court has struck down the state's congressional map

A Florida Circut County Court has struck down the state's congressional map and ordered a redrawing of district lines.

Judge Terry Lewis

In his 41-page ruling issued Thursday evening, Judge Terry Lewis writes that the map drawn by the GOP-controlled legislature for the 2012 elections violated the state constitution's Fair Districts Amendments, specifically in regard to the Rep. Corrine Brown's (D) Jacksonville-based 5th District and Rep. Daniel Webster's (R) Orlando-area 10th District.

Passed by voters in 2010, the amendment prohibited state legislators from drawing new congressional lines to benefit one party or to protect incumbents. Democrats charged that GOP state legislators disregarded those new rules when drawing the new map after Florida picked up two additional districts in reapportionment.

Read the story here.


Read Ruling Here

President declared 2014 a Year of Action

Six months after the President declared 2014 a Year of Action, the White House will release an updated Progress Report today detailing the more than 40 actions the President and his administration have taken since January to build real, lasting economic security for the middle class and expand opportunities in order for every hardworking American to get ahead. A copy of that report is attached.

Today in Austin, the President will discuss these actions and update the American people on the progress we’ve made, working with all who are willing to be a part of the solution – including state and local officials, companies large and small and ordinary citizens.

While Republicans in Congress – the least productive Congress in recent history – continue to block votes on key issues like raising the minimum wage and cutting student loan interest rates, and waste time and taxpayer dollars on political stunts like Speaker Boehner’s plan to sue the President for doing his job, the President will continue to do everything in his power to expand economic opportunity for all Americans.

That’s why the President will keep visiting with folks from across the country, to hear directly from them about what matters most and how we can continue to help their families get ahead. Today in Austin the President will meet with Kinsey, a student at the University of Texas, who took the time to write him about her family’s struggle to lead a middle class life.

Thanks to the grit and resilience of the American people, the American economy has come a long way since the President took office. But, there is much more progress to be made and the President won’t let Congress stand in the way. From helping to create new manufacturing jobs, to supporting workplace flexibility and equal pay, to cutting carbon pollution, and rallying support to raise the minimum wage in states across the country, the President is doing right by hardworking Americans.

The President’s taken the actions detailed in today’s report to help the folks for whom Washington should be working, Americans from all across the country – people like Kinsey and her family – who ask for nothing but a fair shot at their own American Dream, but often feel the system is rigged against them.

Read Report Here

Stay Up To Date