Subject: Daily News Clips 3/14/14
From: "Sam Losow" <[email-masked]>
To: "undisclosed-recipients:"
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 10:16:32 -0400

*National News:*

*Senators strike a deal on renewing jobless benefits*
Senate negotiators announced on Thursday that they had reached a bipartisan
deal to restore emergency long-term unemployment benefits to more than two
million Americans. The bill would provide benefits through May, with
retroactive payments to those whose coverage lapsed in
December<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/254579/time-is-up-for-the-long-term-unemployed-what-now>.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said the House would consider the
measure, but GOP enthusiasm for it has waned as the economy improved. [*The
Wall Street Journal*<http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304914904579437611070333866?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304914904579437611070333866.html>
]
..........................................................................................

*Russia puts soldiers by Ukraine ahead of Crimea secession vote*
Russia has massed at least 10,000
troops<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/258069/speedreads-russias-troop-buildup-near-the-ukraine-border-is-making-everyone-nervous>
near
the Ukrainian border as tensions intensified ahead of Sunday's secession
vote<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/257640/speedreads-is-crimeas-vote-to-join-russia-legitimate>
in
Ukraine's Crimea region. Moscow says it is just holding military exercises.
Ukraine's interim government braced for what it said was a looming
invasion, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Russia to loosen its
grip on Crimea or face diplomatic retaliation and economic sanctions. [*The
New York Times*<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/world/europe/ukraine.html>
]
..........................................................................................

*Malaysia Airline plane might have flown undetected for hours*
U.S. officials said Thursday that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 might have
flown for up to five hours after sending its last transponder signal.
Malaysian authorities are convinced they received several "pings" from the
airliner's service data system after it
vanished<http://www.theweek.com/article/index/257720/speedreads-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-is-an-unprecedented-aviation-mystery>.
That would have given it time to fly on a new course to the Indian Ocean,
so investigators opened a vast new search area there.
[CNN<http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/13/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t1>
]
..........................................................................................

*Manhattan explosion death toll rises*
The death toll from a massive New York City explosion and fire has risen to
eight, and three people were still missing early Friday. Fifty-four others
were injured. Federal safety authorities have launched an investigation
into the blast, which reduced two five-story apartment buildings in East
Harlem to smoldering rubble. The disaster was believed to have been caused
by a gas leak. [*Daily
News*<http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/death-toll-rises-7-east-harlem-explosion-article-1.1720134>
]
..........................................................................................

*Overseas troubles drag down U.S. stocks*
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 200 points, or 1.4 percent, on
Thursday, as investors got spooked by tensions in Ukraine and an economic
slowdown in China. It was the Dow's fourth straight day of losses. The
stock index's troubles came despite encouraging economic data, including
strong retail sales and a sharper than expected drop in new claims for
unemployment benefits. [*USA
Today*<http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2014/03/13/stocks-thursday/6361469/>
]

..........................................................................................
Deal Reached on Unemployment
Benefits<http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/03/14/deal_reached_on_unemployment_benefits.html>"Five
Senate Democrats and five Republicans unveiled a deal on extending expired
unemployment insurance benefits for five months, which should be enough to
overcome a GOP filibuster and get the package out of the Senate later this
month," Roll Call<http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/unemployment-insurance-extension-deal-announced/>
 reports.

Politico<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/senate-unemployment-benefits-deal-104644.html?hp=f2>:
"The behind-the-scenes horse-trading was so furious that the deal was not
finalized until minutes before the 4:15 p.m. announcement. Many senators
were unaware that their colleagues had just struck an agreement on jobless
aid that has evaded the Senate for weeks."

..........................................................................................
U.S. Agrees to Allow BP Back Into Gulf Waters to Seek
Oil<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/business/energy-environment/epa-to-lift-suspension-of-oil-leases-for-bp.html?ref=us>Under
the agreement, BP will be allowed to bid for new leases as early as next
Wednesday, but only as long as the company passes muster on ethics,
corporate governance and safety procedures.

..........................................................................................
Understanding the latest fight over the individual
mandate<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/14/understanding-the-latest-fight-over-the-individual-mandate/>In
the latest war over Obamacare, the GOP is essentially trying to encourage
Americans everywhere to seek out an exemption from the individual mandate,
the health law provision that requires everyone to get insurance by March
31 or face a penalty.

The Obama administration says exemptions to the mandate are much more
limited than the GOP and opponents of the law would have you believe.

Separately, Republicans controlling the House vote today on a bill that
would delay the individual mandate until 2018. The impact of this
legislation would mean 13 million fewer people would have insurance in 2018
than if the mandate were kept in place, the Congressional Budget Office
said this week.

*Opinion:*

Can New York Lead on Campaign Finance
Reform?<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/opinion/can-new-york-lead-on-campaign-finance-reform.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers in New York State are tantalizingly close
to making political history by enacting a campaign-finance reform law that
not only would weaken the power of special interests and make elections
more competitive, but also could set an example for the rest of the country.

In January, Mr. Cuomo announced an excellent package of campaign reforms.
At the top of the list was the long-sought goal of public financing of
political candidates. The package is part of his 2014-15 budget proposal;
the budget must be approved by the end of March.

Public campaign financing has already worked well in New York City. It
would give state voters something they seldom have -- a real choice of
candidates on Election Day -- by providing public matching funds for smaller
contributions. This change would encourage people who aren't rich to enter
the contest for public office.

The prospect of greater competition is the reason many in Albany have tried
to stop public financing. But encouragingly, in the last few days the
Assembly included the governor's campaign finance proposal in its version
of the budget. The problem, as is often the case in Albany, is the Senate,
controlled jointly by Dean Skelos, the Republican leader, and Jeffrey
Klein, an independent Democrat. Mr. Klein has long supported public
financing. Mr. Skelos has been publicly opposed to taxpayer financing. A
full Senate verdict is expected this week.

State Republicans have often argued that taxpayer funds should not be used
for campaigns. With that in mind, advocates have suggested alternate
financing mechanisms, including funds received by the state attorney
general when he settles a big case. In reality, though, the
taxpayer-financing issue is another Republican feint and wrongheaded, too.
Taxpayers also suffer when special interests get costly bills approved.

This year's budget is the perfect moment for Mr. Cuomo to show leadership.
He has many budget issues -- schools, health, environment. But he can earn
the most credit at home and nationally if he finally makes campaign finance
reform and public financing a workable reality.

*DE News:*

*Election Law Task Force missed chance to help voters*
Like it or not, campaign finance reform is now a Democratic Party issue in
Delaware. The special election reform task force passed on campaign finance
issues despite the enormous publicity the issue got last year. Now if
anything is to be done about the "pay-for-play" culture a special
prosecutor found in Delaware politics, it will be up to the governor and
the Legislature to make things happen.

Since both are controlled by Democrats, the issue by default is now a
Democratic Party issue. If nothing is done, the next scandal that breaks
out is on them. Human nature being what it is, the smart money is on
another scandal popping up somewhere along the line.

The Election Law Task Force gave most of its attention to a proposal to
eliminate county election boards. The members proposed a single, statewide
board. Proponents of that move say the single board would provide voters
with greater transparency, while opponents wonder about taking authority
away from the counties.

However, the bigger issue in our view is the failure of the task force to
make any recommendations on campaign finance. Former Delaware Chief Justice
Norman E. Veasey and an investigative team issued a special prosecutors
report last year on the failings of the state campaign laws. The
investigation came from a scandal involving real-life examples of
"pay-for-play" episodes in the state. The scandal resulted in guilty pleas
and big fines for offenders.

However, several legislators have claimed the state does not have such a
loose campaign culture and improvements in the elections laws are not
needed. We disagree. Even if everyone inside and outside the election were
behaving perfectly - and they are not - the law still needs improving. For
example, certain basic changes should be made. All filings of campaign
expenditures should be electronic and all databases should be searchable
online. In addition, campaign contributors should be required to give their
occupations and their employer. That would make hiding donations under
employees' names harder. As we have said before, the issue is transparency.

The task force wasted an opportunity to help give voters more transparency.

The issue now moves to the very people the needed reforms are about.
History has shown legislative bodies have not always been keen on policing
themselves. However, the voters should insist the campaign finance law be
brought fully into the current century. The public has a right to know who
is giving money to candidates. They should be able to examine that
information in a clear, direct and timely manner. Otherwise, those in power
are acting against the voters' interests no matter what they say.

-- 
Sam Losow
*Finance Assistant*
Beau Biden, DE Attorney General
Office: (302) 295-8340
Cell: (202) 821-3399
[email-masked]