Today is Juneteenth — a commemoration of the day that General Granger got to Galveston with his soldiers (including a Colored Regiment) troops to remind the citizens there that Lee had surrendered and that the slaves were free. It is important to remember this day — good reading on this at TPM and the NYT.
On the eve of Juneteenth, the brilliant Jon Stewart says everything that needs to be said about our attitudes towards the casual racism that shelters terrorist acts like those committed in the AME church in Charleston:
All eyes on Coons and Carper? Not really. They are in the bag for this corrupt corporate lobbyist written trade deal. Of course they brag about how great it is for American workers and how wonderful they are because they got some peanuts thrown toward “aid for workers displaced by international trade” as if that was some kind of accomplishment.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has revived President Barack Obama’s embattled trade agenda. But a potentially tough Senate battle awaits.
The House voted 218 to 208 Thursday to grant Obama “fast track” authority to send Congress trade agreements it can reject or ratify but not change.
The Republican-driven vote marks a dramatic turnabout from last week’s stunning setback dealt to Obama by House Democrats. This time fast track was separated from another matter that the Democrats had used to scuttle the whole package.
The GOP-controlled Senate could take up the issue next week. The bill needs help from about a dozen Democrats. They want assurance that Congress also will renew federal aid for workers displaced by international trade.