-- Do the candidates agree that "Black Lives Matter"? What will they do to end the epidemic of African-American deaths at police hands? Do they believe that urban police forces have been overly militarized -- and should emphasize community policing instead?
-- Democratic primary candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says Jay-Z is right -- we must end the failed war on drugs. Do the candidates agree with Jay-Z and Bernie?
-- What do the candidates plan to do about mass incarceration, problems with federal and state sentencing laws and the criminalization of whole segments of our population? Will they end the use of private prisons and the privatization of services inside public prisons?
-- How would they handle victimless crimes, drug addiction, or mental illness? How would they help prisoners reintegrate into society? Do they support giving ex-felons the right to vote?
-- How will the candidates address African-American infant mortality, which is 2.5 times that of whites? How will they address differences in income, social mobility, and life expectancy?
-- Do they believe that African Americans still suffer from the after-effects of slavery -- and if so, how would they address that?
The Environment
A new report shows that we're moving toward a climate catastrophe even faster than previously thought.
The Dakota Access Pipeline is causing environmental damage, disrupting sacred lands and posing a future environmental risk to a broad swath of American geography. Native American leaders from 567 tribes will present their concerns to the White House this week in "nation-to-nation" talks.
President Obama introduced the Clean Power Plan in 2015 to reduce carbon pollution from power plants. In addition, a carbon tax and other climate measures could help slow climate change.
Environmental questions:
-- Do the candidates believe in climate science? Do they understand the urgency of climate crisis? Trump says he'll scrap the Clean Power Plan and gut the Environmental Protection Agency. How does he plan to reduce our nation's climate footprint? Will Clinton support or expand it?
-- Do the candidates support the efforts of tribal leaders to protect their lands? Do they oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline?
-- Where do the candidates stand on a carbon tax? Will the candidates impose stronger regulations to prevent future environmental disasters and degradations?
Fight of the Century
The Clinton campaign says it's worried the media will give Trump a "passing grade" even if he lies extravagantly. That's a legitimate concern. But it's part of a larger problem: a "political/media industrial complex" that leaves media more concerned about ratings than reality and politicians more worried about posturing than policies.
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