CNN Tried to Derail Sanders and Warren Last Night. It Failed.

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 [CNN Tried to Derail Sanders and Warren Last Night. It Failed.]( William Rivers Pitt, Truthout Tuesday night's Democratic debate was a CNN-engineered center-right ambush of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren that was so ham-fisted in its conception and execution, it could have been drawn up by Donald Trump himself. It did not work out the way CNN hoped. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [United, Warren and Sanders Show What a Left-Wing Democratic Party Looks Like]( John Knefel, Truthout Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren spent their second debate working in tandem to articulate a vision for a humane future, even as they were forced to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously: against corporate Democrats, dismissive and misleading media coverage, and the industries to which they pose a very real threat. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [States Are Thwarting Cities' Attempts to Govern Themselves]( Ben Price, Truthout Blocking local democracy for the benefit of corporations has become common practice for state lawmakers, say advocates of local governance. A recent federal court ruling in favor of a cellphone radiation disclosure law for the City of Berkeley highlights this tug-of-war between states and municipalities. Across the U.S., states unilaterally define their own regulations as the legal ceiling that local governments cannot surpass even when it goes against local interests. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Truthout is funded by readers -- not by corporations, advertisers or lobbyists. To support our independent reporting and analysis, make a tax-deductible donation. [Donate Now →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sanders Calls Out CNN for Airing Pharma Commercials During 2020 Debate]( Jake Johnson, Common Dreams During the Democratic debate's commercial breaks, ads by pharmaceutical giants and industry-backed organizations dominated the airwaves. In the middle of a heated back-and-forth on Medicare for All, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out CNN for airing anti-single payer ads. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ted Cruz Urges Trump to Unilaterally Slash Taxes for the Rich]( Igor Derysh, Salon Texas Sen. Ted Cruz sent a letter signed by 20 of his Republican colleagues to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asking him to use "executive authority" to remove the "unfair" tax that primarily affects the uber-wealthy. It's quite a reversal from Cruz's previous strong criticism of the use of executive authority to bypass Congress. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ["We Don't Want Another Obama": Immigration Activist Urges Democrats to Be Bold]( Amy Goodman and Juan González, Democracy Now! Last night, Democratic presidential candidates sparred on immigration policy issues. However, progressives are emphasizing the need to reframe and extend the immigration discussion beyond the same talking points and surface-level immigration reform proposals that were being considered prior to the Obama administration. [Watch the Video and Read the Transcript →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Fracking Industry Is in Debt. Retirement Funds Are Helping Bail It Out.]( Sharon Kelly, DeSmogBlog As stock markets and banks have become increasingly unfriendly to fracking, the industry has begun to turn to investments from large pension funds. Drilling companies plan to source 40 percent of their capital for 2019 from private equity funds (including pension funds), according to a recent survey. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [On Direct Action and Trump's Immigration Agenda]( Marisa Franco, Medium We should know by now that strongly worded statements don't go far with the Trump administration. We need to revise the tactics that were effective during the Obama administration to address the reality of the moment. We should consider sustained action, spectacle and disruption. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [A Low-Income Clinic Voted to Unionize. That Was Just the Start of the Battle.]( Nan Levinson, In These Times Last summer, increasingly sour management-clinician relations led to the formation of the first labor union of professional staff at a community health clinic in Massachusetts. Supporters say the union will help protect patients, clinicians and even the health center itself. Will clinic workers around the country take note? [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In Case You Missed It --------------------------------------------------------------- [On Voting Rights, the U.S. Is Behind Much of the World]( Michael Corcoran, Truthout Despite claims of the U.S. being a shining beacon of freedom, it is well behind the rest of the Western world on the fundamental issue of voting rights. This has a lot to do with a long history of disenfranchising Black voters and a host of other problems that need to be confronted. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The 2020 Candidates Are Ignoring Guantánamo]( Adam Hudson, Truthout The only mention of the Guantánamo prison during the first Democratic primary debate was made in passing with reference to the health care the people imprisoned indefinitely there received -- people deemed "terrorists" despite never having been tried or charged. Will any of the candidates raise Guantánamo during tonight's debates? It's unlikely, given that perpetual war, Guantánamo and indefinite detention have become permanent features of U.S. foreign policy. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Like what you're reading? Support Truthout's independent news and analysis by making an automatic monthly donation. [Donate Now →]( Connect With Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Donate]( Truthout is a reader-supported, nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible. Truthout is a proud member of the Newspaper Guild/CWA, Local 36047. Please add messenger@truthout.org to ensure you receive our messages. [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](