Sherrod Brown Caves on Tax Deal

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Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)—one of the most vocal opponents of Obama’s tax deal—has changed his mind and will now support the bill. Brown, one of the most liberal members of the Senate, was one of a small handful of Senators who voted against moving the tax bill forward on Monday. But he’s since flipped his position and will support its final passage in a vote scheduled to take place in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon, according to a press statement from his office.

Brown told the Washington Post that “he changed his mind after speaking with his minister and reading letters from constituents who are struggling to find jobs in his hard-hit home state.” His office added that Brown had “fought to improve the bill” by filing amendments that would attempt to rein in Chinese currency manipulation, provide clean energy manufacturing tax credits, and extend health care tax credits to the unemployed. It’s unclear whether Brown’s amendments stand any chance of passage, but the move gives him a means of expressing his desire to reform the legislation in light of his reversal.

On Friday, Brown had even joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during his “filibuster” of the legislation, together with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.)—who also later decided to support the legislation. He told the Post that he voted against moving the bill forward “to send a message to the House that there are allies here.” But Brown’s decision to vote for its final passage will undermine the House liberals’ already weakening hand. Even so, a handful of defiant House members are still fighting to alter and offer up amendments to major pieces of the legislation, like the estate tax and payroll tax provisions. But, as Brian Beutler reports, there are growing indications that the House Democratic leadership won’t be willing to whip up support for those changes at this point.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

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