Subject: Stitch — Obama Elevates Bathroom Access Issue, Bill Clinton's Foundation Helped Friends' Business, Bernie Team Plans to Oppose Trump
From: Jonathan Allen <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 May 2016 13:01:36 +0000
List-Id: dff5dea186e38c29c57ca6f8fmc list <dff5dea186e38c29c57ca6f8f.326717.list-id.mcsv.net>

** WHAT'S THE STITCH?
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Stitch is a morning news speed-read highlighting the work and insights of Newsmakers that is followed by a daily chat on hot political topics.

**
TODAY'S SIDEWIRE CHATS
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10 a.m. ET — SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, spokesman for Ben Carson, joins the Stitch.
11:30 a.m. ET — Sir KIM DARROCH, the British ambassador to the U.S., chats about the implications of the upcoming E.U. referendum.
2:45 p.m. ET — Democratic strategist DAVID WADE chats about Bernie Sanders and zombie candidates (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/2016-primary-campaign-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-2004-lessons-kerry-dean-edwards-gephardt-213884) .

**
OBAMA PRESSURES SCHOOLS TO ALLOW BATHROOM ACCESS TO TRANSGENDER STUDENTS
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The Obama administration is sending a letter today to every school district in the country today instructing them to ensure transgender students have access to bathrooms (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/13/us/politics/obama-administration-to-issue-decree-on-transgender-access-to-school-restrooms.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0)  used by other students that are consistent with their gender identity, as JULIE DAVIS & MATT APUZZO report for the New York Times.
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"It does not have the force of law, but it contains an implicit threat: Schools that do not abide by the Obama administration’s interpretation of the law could face lawsuits or a loss of federal aid."

—Julie Hirschfeld Davis & Matt Apuzzo / NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/13/us/politics/obama-administration-to-issue-decree-on-transgender-access-to-school-restrooms.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0)

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This is an escalation and nationalization of the fight over North Carolina's "bathroom bill," which requires people to use public lavatories that match up with the gender of their birth. News of the administration's letter was cheered by advocates for the LGBT community and some school administrators.
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"These groundbreaking guidelines not only underscore the Obama administration’s position that discriminating against transgender students is flat-out against the law, but they provide public school districts with needed and specific guidance guaranteeing that transgender students should be using facilities consistent with their gender identity.”

—Chad Griffin / Human Rights Campaign (http://www.hrc.org/blog/obama-administration-issues-guidelines-to-ensure-trans-students-appropriate)

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But it was harshly criticized by some state and school officials, at least one of whom — Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick — raised the prospect that the backlash would lead parents of means to pull their kids out of public schools.
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“This will be the beginning of the end of the public school system as we know it. ... President Obama, in the dark of the night – without consulting Congress, without consulting educators, without consulting parents – decides to issue an executive order, like this superintendent, forcing transgender policies on schools and on parents who clearly don't want it."

—Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick / NBC-5, Dallas/Ft. Worth (http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/Gov-Greg-Abbott-Lt-Gov-Dan-Patrick-to-Speak-at-GOP-Convention-in-Dallas-379193041.html?utm_campaign=Contact+SNS+For+More+Referrer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=snsanalytics)

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And GAYLE TROTTER, a conservative columnist and podcast producer, tells Stitch she sees constitutional over-reach on the part of the president.
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"President Obama has decided that advancing his political agenda yet again trumps a woman's right to privacy and security in an intimate space. This latest move is in stark contrast to this administration's refusal to enforce the federal drug laws regarding marijuana, allowing states to disregard federal law which preempts state law. President Obama has decided once more that he will disregard our constitutional system and simply avoid working to change a law he finds distasteful. It's easier for him to issue a sweeping letter wiping away the rights of millions of American women by implicitly threatening financial penalties for non-complying states. Has President Obama forgotten his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution?"

—Gayle Trotter / to Stitch

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BUT Michael Allison, president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said in a story written by the Washington Post's JULIET EILPERIN & EMMA BROWN that the guidance is a practical necessity.
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"The principal’s most important role is to create a climate and culture in which each student feels valued. ... There are countless reasons we could declare it impractical to address the needs of transgender students. None of those obstacles excuse us from doing the right thing.”

—Michael Allison / WaPo (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-administration-to-instruct-schools-to-accommodate-transgender-students/2016/05/12/0ed1c50e-18ab-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html)

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By ensuring that the issue is considered in every state, Obama upsets the strategy of conservatives who have tried to advance legislation on the use of public facilities by transgender people on a state-by-state basis.
The National Conference of State Legislatures has a handy chart (http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/-bathroom-bill-legislative-tracking635951130.aspx)  showing the status of "bathroom bills" in various states.

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**
TRIVIAL PURSUITS
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ABOUT TODAY
Ritchie Valens, who wasn't yet 18 when he died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, would have been 75 today.

ONE THING TO KNOW ABOUT SPORTS TODAY
The Oklahoma City Thunder dispatched the San Antonio Spurs last night, 113-99, to advance to a matchup with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA's Western Conference finals.

ONE THING TO KNOW ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT TODAY
Melissa McCarthy has been dropped from the CBS show "Mike & Molly" because the network believes she's too skinny for the role (http://www.tmz-web.com/g1/v1/2perf/mm-01c/inq.php?voluumdata=BASE64dmlkLi4wMDAwMDAwMS0zYTNmLTRlYjYtODAwMC0wMDAwMDAwMDAwMDBfX3ZwaWQuLjc0NWZkMDAwLTE4ZjEtMTFlNi04M2ZjLTk4NmY1MTRkODAxYl9fY2FpZC4uZmE4Yjc1YjAtZWRkOS00ZDdhLWJjN2ItNTA0YjQyMzE1NjYxX19ydC4uUl9fbGlkLi42NDIwZDA1Mi1lN2U1LTQ3OTYtYmMwYS0wOTQxNDg4MjJhMzhfX29pZDEuLjZkNDk1ZjU4LTg3NjEtNGVkZi05MDA3LWVhYjIxZWI1MTNjZF9fb2lkMi4uZjhkODg2MTAtMzAwYy00MDY4LTkyZGUtYzEwMzY2MTUzMGYwX19yZC4ucGFpZFwuXG91dGJyYWluXC5cY29tX19haWQuLl9fYWIuLl9fc2lkLi4) .

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA
DAVID MARTOSKO was the first to correctly respond that the major-party presidential candidate who died before electoral votes were cast was Horace Greeley.

TRIVIA LEADERBOARD
The standings after three days of keeping track:
David Martosko - 1
Bob Shrum - 1
Sal Weir - 1

TODAY'S TRIVIA

Courtesy of David: Who was the first president to honor an NBA championship team at the White House?

Send answers to [email-masked]. The first person to respond correctly wins a paisley unicorn and the right to pose tomorrow's trivia question.

NEWSMAKER NOTE: Congratulations to TRAVIS CONSIDINE, former aide to Rick Perry, on his new gig as a vice president at Hill & Knowlton (http://releasd-images.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/1463081497592.pdf) .

WHAT TO DO WITH NEWS TIPS, SUGGESTIONS AND CORRECTIONS
Please send them to [email-masked].

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**
BILL CLINTON'S CHARITY INTERVENED TO HELP FRIENDS' BUSINESS WIN PRIVATE, GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
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JAMES GRIMALDI of the Wall Street Journal investigated an Energy Department grant (http://www.wsj.com/articles/clinton-charity-aided-clinton-friends-1463086383)  to a company owned by friends and political allies of Bill Clinton that was also the beneficiary of a "commitment" received through the Clinton Global Initiative. Clinton personally spoke to then-Energy Secretary Stephen Chu about it, Grimaldi reports.

Grimaldi raises the question of whether the foundation's advocacy on behalf of the company creates a "private benefit" substantial enough to threaten its tax-exempt status.

BUT THE REAL REASON this story will remain a hot topic is the list of friends of Bill who had ownership stakes in the company:
* Scott Kleeb, former Democratic congressional candidate
* Jane Eckert, art gallery owner
* Andrew Tobias, DNC treasurer
* Mark Weiner, campaign paraphernalia seller
* Julie Tauber McMahon of Chappaqua, NY

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"Ms. McMahon, 56 years old, described Mr. Clinton as 'a family friend.'"

—James Grimaldi / WSJ (http://www.wsj.com/articles/clinton-charity-aided-clinton-friends-1463086383)

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The New York Post splashed pictures of Clinton and McMahon across its cover (http://nypost.com/cover/covers-for-may-13-2016/) this morning, referring to her as a "blond bombshell." If past is prologue, expect Donald Trump to talk about this story a lot.

** FORMER BERN-ERS PLAN CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT TRUMP
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GABE DEBENEDETTI at Politico scoops a nascent effort (http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/sanders-backers-plot-post-primary-war-on-trump-223100)  by Bernie Sanders staffers and supporters to organize opposition to Donald Trump after the June 7 round of Democratic primaries.
They are circulating a draft document that calls on Sanders to drop out and lead the new organization, Gabe reports.
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"Senator Sanders should proceed to lay out his plan to build an organization, completely independent of the Clinton campaign that will single-mindedly devote itself to educating Americans about the threat of right wing (some say fascist) takeover and the task of identifying and mobilizing voters to defend our democracy in November 2016 and beyond."

—document obtained by Politico (http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/sanders-backers-plot-post-primary-war-on-trump-223100)

THE BIG QUESTION

What effect will the fight over access to public facilities for transgender people have on the election?

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