News July 24

Senator Sanders

Minimum Wage The push to raise the minimum wage has gained momentum across the country. Sen. Bernie Sanders, introduced a bill on Wednesday that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Mr. Sanders, more than any one else, has highlighted the subject repeatedly during his campaign, and he did so again at a rally in Washington on Wednesday where he discussed the bill, according to The New York Times. Living wage proponents have found a champion in Sanders, Vice wrote. LINK, LINK

Food Labels The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to block states from requiring labels on genetically modified food. Vermont has been a leader in labeling genetically engineered food and Attorney General Bill Sorrell told WCAX-TV that he expects Sens. Patrick Leahy and Sanders to fight for GMO labeling in the Senate. LINK

Editorial: Banks Sen. Sanders has introduced a bill to break up the largest banks. “Actually, though hardly risk-immune, the U.S. financial system has made significant progress toward being less bailout-prone since President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank law five years ago,” The Washington Post editorialized. “Better to stay the course currently being charted by the Fed; focusing on bank capital accomplishes many of Mr. Sanders’s professed goals with less upheaval, economic or political.” LINK

World

Turkey Launches Strikes against Islamic State in Syria Summary Turkish jets attacked Islamic State positions in Syria for this first time early Friday as security forces launched nationwide dawn raids against the group’s network, underscoring a major shift by Ankara to more directly confront the jihadists following deadly attacks that killed dozens of civilians and soldiers this week, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

National

Criminal Inquiry Sought in Clinton Email Account Two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether sensitive government information was mishandled in connection with the personal email account Hillary Clinton used as secretary of state, senior government officials told The New York Times on Thursday. The request follows an assessment in a June 29 memo by the inspectors general for the State Department and the intelligence agencies that Clinton’s private account contained “hundreds of potentially classified emails.” LINK

Vermont

Castleton University By unanimous vote Thursday morning by the Vermont State Colleges board of trustees, Castleton State College is now Castleton University, the Rutland Herald reported. LINK