n2doc

n2doc's Journal

January 15, 2016

Toon: Tortoise and Hare

January 14, 2016

Courting minority votes, Bernie Sanders launches tour at HBCUs

In an effort to court minority voters, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ campaign is launching a tour — officially dubbed “Feel the Bern” — of historically black colleges and universities. On the docket Thursday night: South Carolina State University in Orangeburg.

South Carolina and Nevada are holding their primaries in February, and are next up after the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

Stops on the tour include Tennessee State University in Nashville; Alabama State University in Montgomery; Jackson State University; Florida A&M University in Tallahassee; Virginia State University in Petersburg; Howard University in Washington, D.C.; the Atlanta University Center; and Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.

Though the sites were announced on his website, exact dates have not yet been confirmed. Each stop is expected to include notable members of the black community. Socialist philosopher and social justice worker Cornel West joins Sanders at his South Carolina State University event. (West previously criticized Barack Obama’s “Wall Street, drone presidency”).

more
http://college.usatoday.com/2016/01/14/feel-the-bern-college-tour/

January 14, 2016

Wisconsin ACT scores plummet

MADISON – Newly released ACT scores show a steep decline in student test results. The drop in average test score from 22.2 to 20.0 coincides with an increase in the number of Wisconsin students taking the exam and comes after several years of Republican budget cuts that have impacted public education in the state. These scores dropped Wisconsin from 2nd best to 9th worst in the nation (tied with Kentucky) among states where more than half the students took the exam.

“Local school districts have really taken it on the chin these past several years and I think these test scores are a reflection of that fact,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse). “Teachers in Wisconsin are working harder than ever, but Republican budget cuts, special interest giveaways and a misguided focus on Gov. Walker’s presidential campaign have taken a toll on our schools. This drop in ACT scores is particularly concerning given Wisconsin’s ongoing economic challenges, workforce shortages and shrinking middle class.”

In his recent presidential campaign, Gov. Walker frequently used the state’s ACT scores as a metric for his education policies. While Wisconsin has traditionally ranked above average in terms of ACT scores, these latest numbers place Wisconsin dead last in the Midwest and among the bottom ten states nationally.

“Families across Wisconsin are concerned about the direction of our state,” added Shilling. “Parents have noticed the overcrowding in classrooms, teacher shortages and increased referendums. Families I’ve heard from are concerned that Republican legislators sold out our schools to support the special interest groups behind Gov. Walker’s presidential campaign. Hopefully these ACT scores are a wake-up call to legislative leaders. As troubling as these latest numbers are, I know that we can turn things around in Wisconsin if we recommit to putting our schools and students ahead of special interests.”

more
http://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/wisconsin-act-scores-plummet/

January 14, 2016

Sanders Says 170 Experts Support His Wall Street Plan

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders releases letter signed by 170 economists and financial experts backing his Wall Street regulation plan.

Campaign says they include former Labor Sec. Robert Reich; University of Texas’ James K. Galbraith; Dean Baker of Center for Economic and Policy Research; former Rep. Brad Miller of N.C.; William K. Black of University of Missouri- Kansas City

Sanders to air TV ad on his Wall Street plan in Iowa, N.H., campaign also says

more with link to letter

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/trackers/2016-01-14/sanders-says-170-experts-support-his-wall-street-plan

January 14, 2016

Bernie Sanders is winning with the one group his rivals can't sway: voters

by Trevor Timm

As Trump continues to dominate both parties for media attention, and Hillary Clinton remains a favorite to win with Wall Street, Bernie Sanders is suddenly surging again among those who actually matter: voters. But more important than his rise in the polls is how he’s doing it.

A string of polls over the past two weeks show that the once-independent Vermont senator is tied or in the lead in the two early primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire, and all of a sudden, in striking distance of Hillary Clinton nationally. With very little fanfare, he has been leading in New Hampshire for months, with some recent ones putting his lead in the double digits.

But Iowa seemed distinctly in Clinton’s corner for the last quarter of 2015 until this week, just a month away from the primary. A Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday night showed Sanders vaulted into the lead, with a slew of others show him pulling in close to a tie.

Digging deeper into the numbers shows even more good news for Sanders: nationally, he is beating Clinton by 2-1 with voters younger than 45, and by 20 points with female voters younger than 35. In New Hampshire there is not one demographic group in which Clinton is beating Sanders. He’s also made recent gains among African Americans and Hispanics – both demographics long considered Clinton strongholds.

But perhaps more important than the news of Sanders’s gain is how it happened: by patiently hammering on his message of drawing attention to economic inequality, raising taxes on the rich, dramatically expanding Medicare and Social Security, making public universities free of charge and criminal justice reform.

more

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/14/bernie-sanders-is-winning-with-the-one-group-his-rivals-cant-sway-voters