The Cafe' [Think Tank]

Most Americans think banks have grown too big, but many are uncertain about what to do about it, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. Sixty-one percent of respondents said that banks and other financial institutions have become too large and powerful, while only 17 percent said their size is appropriate. By a 38 percent to 22 percent margin, Americans were also more likely to favor than oppose a law to cap the size of banks and break the largest ones into smaller components. But another 40 percent said they were not sure about that proposal. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has said  that he will introduce legislation to split banks apart, declaring of the largest, "If an institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist." The opinion that many financial institutions have grown too big  was shared by  majorities of Democrats (68 percent), independents (61 percent) and Republicans (51 percent). But while Democrats and independents were more likely to say t

In addition to passing some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation so far this year, Republican lawmakers in North Dakota, Arkansas and Texas are now pushing bills that would defund comprehensive sex education programs for at-risk teenagers. The North Dakota legislature is currently  considering an amendment to an anti-abortion bill  that would effectively block a $1.2 million federal grant for a sex education program for teens who are homeless or in foster programs. Planned Parenthood and North Dakota State University were jointly planning to administer the program, which would have provided counseling and information about abstinence, contraception and sexually transmitted infections. But state Rep. Bette Grande (R-Fargo) proposed to kill the grant to keep Planned Parenthood out of teen sex education in North Dakota, even though the family planning provider does not operate any clinics in the state. "They're not a part of how we do business in this