WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President-elect Joe Biden announced he will nominate Katherine Tai, chief trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, as U.S. Trade Representative.
The USTR plays a crucial role by coordinating U.S. international trade policy and overseeing trade negotiations with other countries. If confirmed, Tai would be the first Asian American and first woman of color in the cabinet-level position.
Updated at 5:10 PM Central on Thursday, December 10, 2020
Kansas City, MO -- It wouldn’t be 2020 without a few curve balls.
Earlier this afternoon, thirty minutes into a coalition press conference calling for--among other things--Evergy to reinstate its utility shutoff moratorium, Evergy tweeted that it was doing just that:
The Trump administration opened bidding today in the first auction of California federal public lands to oil companies in eight years. Despite community opposition and ongoing legal disputes, the Bureau of Land Management put over 4,000 acres in Kern County up for sale for oil drilling and fracking.
Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes released the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change Report that included 55 policy recommendations to address climate change in Wisconsin. This report comes after a year of input from the Task Force, five public hearings and thousands of comments.
Former coal lobbyist, and soon to be former EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler finalized new requirements today which change how EPA calculates the costs and benefits for its clean air protections.
Kansas City, MO -- The spread of COVID-19 is raging, but utility disconnect moratoria in Kansas and Missouri have expired. While the near-term distribution of vaccines means the end of the pandemic may be in sight, in the meantime elected and utility leaders need to do everything possible to ensure the very real suffering of people is eased until the pandemic is under control.
Today, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released a proposed authorization that would allow for the harassment of threatened polar bears as part of destructive seismic testing for oil in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Much of the Arctic Refuge is designated as critical habitat for polar bears because mother bears den and nurture their cubs there during the winter.
Lansing, MI - Despite a coalition of 15 stakeholders opposing the bill, the Michigan House passed HB 6233 on Wednesday, legislation that would stifle the state’s ability to reach its climate goals by banning electric vehicle manufacturers from providing direct sales and service on their products.
The Senate is expected to consider the bill this week.
Former coal lobbyist turned EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler ignored the recommendations of EPA scientists and public health experts today by finalizing his proposal to not correct the legal limit for dangerous particulate matter pollution, also known as soot.