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Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
The New York Times lobbies up
With Katherine Long, Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI — NYT HIRES BROWNSTEIN: The New York Times has registered to lobby for the first time in more than a decade. The news giant has retained K Street heavyweight Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to represent it on a range of issues affecting the industry, from encroachments on press freedoms to the threats posed by artificial intelligence. — The Times' parent company first hired Brownstein last year, but the firm's work didn't trigger lobbying registration requirements until April, according to a spokesperson for the company and a draft disclosure filing shared with PI. More than half a dozen lobbyists are listed as working on the account for Brownstein: Republicans Marc Lampkin, Will Moschella and Greta Joynes and Democrats Al Mottur, Alice Lugo, Rob Robillard and John Menges. — One issue drawing the paper off the lobbying sidelines is the increasing ubiquity of artificial intelligence and the thorny issues it poses for news organizations. The Times, for example, introduced a suite of AI tools for internal use earlier this year. And many news outlets (including the Times, POLITICO and parent company Axel Springer) have partnered with AI companies on licensing deals and consumer-facing products. — But NYT is also one of several publishers facing off in court against ChatGPT creator OpenAI or other AI companies accused of copyright infringement for using outlets' content to train its models without permission or compensation. — In a congressional hearing on the issue last year, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) warned that AI was 'literally eating away at the lifeblood of our democracy' and contributing to an 'existential crisis' among local publishers in particular. The last Congress also mulled legislation that would require online platforms like Google and Meta to negotiate with and pay news publishers in exchange for hosting their content. — At the same time, Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger has been repeatedly sounding the alarm about threats to press freedom both around the world and from leaders in the U.S. — In a speech last month that was republished as an essay in the Times, Sulzberger took note of President Donald Trump's escalating pressure campaign against news outlets already in his second term — from curtailing access to certain mainstream outlets in favor of friendlier partisan ones to suing, seeking to defund or opening federal probes of others and calling for the jailing of reporters. — 'It takes significant time, effort, and resources to produce The New York Times's fact-based original journalism and other content. Because of that, we have for years taken steps to protect and defend our intellectual property rights and uphold its value,' a Times spokesperson told PI in a statement. — 'In line with these efforts, we have engaged a Washington, DC-based government affairs firm to ensure our rights and legal protections are clearly and accurately represented among policymakers and regulators focused on publishing, media, copyright law and press freedoms,' it added. — The Times hasn't lobbied at the federal level since 2014, when the company paid Keightley & Ashner $30,000 for three quarters of work related to a pension issue. TGIF and welcome to PI. This newsletter runs on tips, so let's hear 'em. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. ALL ABOUT AVA: A coalition of budget airlines this week launched the Association of Value Airlines, a new industry group aimed at boosting low-budget carriers in policy debates often dominated by the trade association representing major carriers, Airlines for America. AVA's founding members include Allegiant, Avelo, Frontier, Spirit and Sun Country. — Chris Brown currently serves as the group's interim executive director. He previously was vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs at larger industry trade association Airlines for America, and lobbied for low-fare airlines at the National Air Carrier Association. — In an interview with PI, Brown said the goal of AVA is to amplify the priorities of budget airlines, as larger organizations encompassing a range of air carriers often lead to competing priorities. Those priorities, Brown said, include a focus on rising costs due to the pilot shortage and the implementation of simulator training programs within the current 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots. — While the budget airlines business model thrived during the pandemic, they're now at an inflection point, Brown said. Brown attributes these airlines' success to ancillary fees, a model that other high-budget airlines have started to mirror. Southwest Airlines, for example, announced in March plans to do away with its free checked bag policy. — 'It's a critical time for our carriers, because of where they are financially and wanting to take advantage of what should be a more favorable regulatory environment with the Trump administration,' Brown said. PAUL WEISS LOSES ANOTHER BIG NAME: Another prominent lawyer has left Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison after the law firm struck a deal with the Trump administration to avoid being punished by an executive order. — Damian Williams, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, left the firm after just five months to join Jenner & Block as the co-chair of its litigation department and investigations, compliance and defense practice. — Williams served as one of the nation's top federal prosecutors during the Biden administration, securing several high-profile convictions including those of former crypto kingmaker Sam Bankman-Fried and former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). — Williams is the latest in a string of notable departures from Paul Weiss in the aftermath of its deal with the White House. Top Democratic attorney Karen Dunn and former top DOJ official Jeannie Rhee left the firm along with two other partners last month. — But Williams' landing spot is almost more notable: Jenner & Block became one of the first white shoe law firms targeted by Trump to take the president to court over his executive orders — and so far, they've been winning. OFF TARGET: 'A top Democratic organization strongly encouraged state campaigns to do much of their digital ad-buying business with a company that one of its members is set to soon join as CEO — a development that has puzzled and concerned some party insiders,' POLITICO's Holly Otterbein and Daniel report. — 'At a meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas last week, the Association of State Democratic Committees — an umbrella group for state parties — voted to recommend state races use one liberal firm, TargetSmart, for a major portion of digital ad buys, which could be worth millions.' — 'TargetSmart announced on May 7 that Liz Walters, outgoing chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, is taking over as CEO this summer. Walters, who made her departure public in a post on X, said she would leave the state party role by June 30. And until the week before the group's meeting, she was part of the ASDC's leadership team as treasurer.' — Though Walters recused herself from the TargetSmart vote, the incident is prompting fears among the party of even the appearance of a conflict of interest as Democrats struggle to find their footing. BLAST RADIUS: 'The spectacular breakup between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump threatens to leave Tesla with few political friends,' POLITICO's David Ferris reports. 'Musk has spent the past few months alienating the electric automaker's base of climate-minded car buyers by moonlighting as Trump's government-slasher-in-chief. Now, the billionaire's fixation on the GOP megabill has opened a dangerous rift with the president, who threatened Thursday to end all subsidies to Musk's companies.' — Musk's competitors in the space industry, meanwhile, are already moving to take advantage of the split, according to our Sam Skove. The SpaceX founder has long been an avid proponent of next bringing humans to Mars, rather than the moon. — But in some of the first significant pushback against Musk and SpaceX, 'a number of major space companies … are launching an ad campaign going big on the moon, according to two industry officials granted anonymity to discuss the effort.' — 'A separate letter addressed to the Senate Commerce Committee, and obtained by POLITICO, backs investments in the moon, and is signed by a lengthy slate of prominent space companies — but not SpaceX.' RELATED READ: 'What do Musk and Tesla want from the Republican megabill?' by E&E News' Kelsey Brugger. SHE MEANS BUSINESS: Casey Means, Trump's new nominee to be U.S. surgeon general, 'has repeatedly said the nation's medical, health and food systems are corrupted by special interests and people out to make a profit at the expense of Americans' health,' The Associated Press' Michelle R. Smith and Ali Swenson write. — But as Means 'has criticized scientists, medical schools and regulators for taking money from the food and pharmaceutical industries, she has promoted dozens of health and wellness products — including specialty basil seed supplements, a blood testing service and a prepared meal delivery service — in ways that put money in her own pocket.' — 'In her newsletter, on her social media accounts, on her website, in her book and during podcast appearances, the entrepreneur and influencer has at times failed to disclose that she could profit or benefit in other ways from sales of products she recommends. In some cases, she promoted companies in which she was an investor or adviser without consistently disclosing the connection, the AP found.' AI GROUP STAFFS UP: AI advocacy group Americans for Responsible Innovation is adding four new staffers to its policy team, Morning Tech reports. Brandie Nonnecke, previously an associate research professor at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, is now a senior policy director, while Rachel Hovde is joining as director of policy. She previously served as a senior advisor at the Bureau of Industry and Security. — Sarah Kessel, who worked under former Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), is now ARI's manager of government affairs, and Evan Sarnor has joined as a legislative analyst from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. CORRECTION: Thursday's edition of this newsletter gave the incorrect state for former Gov. Jim Gilmore and misidentified the division at Seven Letter that has promoted three staffers. PI regrets the error. Jobs report — Chip Kahn will step down as president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals at the end of 2025, after 24 years with the group. — Shelly O'Neill Stoneman has launched StonePoint Strategies, a strategic consulting firm. She previously was senior vice president of government affairs at Lockheed Martin. — Chelsea Blink is now legislative director for Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.). She previously was director of farm animal legislation at the ASPCA. — Gustavo Torres is retiring as executive director of CASA, after more than three decades in the role. — Jerzy Piatkowski is now counsel at Fenwick. He most recently was vice president of contracts and associate general counsel at General Dynamics Mission Systems. — Kevin Orellana will be a legislative assistant for Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.), handling his financial services portfolio. He previously was a legislative aide for Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.). New Joint Fundraisers None. New PACs Earnin PAC Activehours Inc. Fund (Earnin PAC) (PAC) Our Virginia PAC (Super PAC) RIGHT TECH PAC (Hybrid PAC) Taproot Collective Fund (PAC) Vets Against Trump PAC (Super PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Bkv Corporation Arrow Group Consulting, LLC: Pelican Reef Of St. Augustine LLC Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: Chicanos Por La Causa Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: City Of St. Pete Beach, Fl Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: National Iamerican Indian Housing Coalition Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: Significance, Inc. Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: Tampa Port Authority Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: Treatment Alternatives For Safe Communities, Inc. Bgr Government Affairs: Ameresco, Inc. Bgr Government Affairs: Exelon Business Services Company LLC Bgr Government Affairs: Galaxy Digital Holdings Lp Bgr Government Affairs: Millennium Management LLC Bgr Government Affairs: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Bgr Government Affairs: Phantom Bgr Government Affairs: St Energy Bgr Government Affairs: Welbehealth Boundary Stone Partners: Carbonbuilt Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Pc: Bright Path Labs Capital City Consulting, LLC.: Miller Strategies, LLC On Behalf Of Merchants For America, Inc. Continental Strategy, LLC: Stubhub Inc. Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Archkey Solutions Hb Strategies: Viamericas Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Estar Partners Mindset Advocacy, LLC: Mark Foods LLC Red Carr LLC: Team Hallahan (On Behalf Of City Of Cleveland) Riley Executive Government Solutions: Okeefe Industries Squire Patton Boggs: Bitcoin Policy Institute The Jackson Group, LLC: 47G The Jackson Group, LLC: Pelion Venture Partners The Nuclear Company: The Nuclear Company Todd Strategy Group: Glaxosmithkline LLC Williams And Jensen, Pllc: Dupont Law Firm New Lobbying Terminations Bgr Government Affairs: Grail, LLC Bgr Government Affairs: Sandvine Kiley Capitol Solutions, LLC: Deckard Technologies Kiley Capitol Solutions, LLC: Leading Builders Of America Kiley Capitol Solutions, LLC: Lowe Syndrome Association Walker Strategies: Alliance Of Health Care Sharing Ministries
Politico
4 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Brownstein launches a public affairs practice
With Katherine Long, Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is forming a public affairs practice, opening up one more stream of revenue for the law firm and K Street's top-earning lobbying shop. Brownstein has brought on Fora Partners co-founders Campbell Spencer and Max Hamel to lead the new practice, along with Sean Bartlett and Kristina Baum, who will be senior managers. — Spencer and Hamel founded Fora in 2019. They've both worked at some of D.C.'s biggest public affairs shops. Spencer is an alum of the Obama administration, and Hamel previously worked for Republican former West Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore. — Bartlett was most recently a deputy assistant secretary of State during the Biden administration and has served as a spokesperson for several top Democrats in Congress over the years. Baum joins from American Veterinary Medical Association, where she was director of strategic communications, and is an alum of the first Trump administration. — A growing number of D.C. lobbying firms have added in-house strategic communications or public affairs offerings in recent years — though plenty have practices already — or else hired out for big jobs. Public affairs campaigns have become a more integral part of advocacy work with the rise of social media and hyperpartisanship. — 'We're in this permanent political cycle, and that tends to reinforce the very reactive tendencies of either a closely divided Congress or state house or executive branch agencies,' Hamel told PI. 'I think the concept is very straightforward: that firms that can wage a multi-dimensional effort that combines lobbying with public affairs and communications are going to have an advantage.' — So in many ways, this was a long time coming for a firm that brought in more than $67 million in lobbying revenues last year. Nadeam Elshami, who co-chairs Brownstein's lobbying practice, said in an interview that the firm had been debating the idea of adding a public affairs group on and off for at least as long as he'd been there. But those discussions got more serious over the past three years. 'It took a while, but finding the right individuals, the right team, was paramount, and we did,' he said. — 'Brownstein's clients have really been asking for this, as have ours,' Spencer told PI. 'With the policy landscape being as fast-moving as it is, clients really want and are demanding strategic alignment across all of these advocacy verticals … and this partnership allows us to deliver that for them.' — Bringing public affairs work in-house 'completes the circle of giving our clients and prospective clients all the best ways to advance their priorities' within the Beltway and beyond, Elshami added. AFP DEFENDS MEGABILL'S PRICE TAG: As select Republicans in Congress and a certain tech mogul duke it out with the White House and party leadership over the reconciliation bill, Americans for Prosperity is working to tamp down angst over the megabill's effect on the national debt. — 'AFP fully supports efforts to root out more waste, fraud, and abuse now and in the future,' Emily Seidel, the Koch-funded conservative group's president and CEO, said in a statement. But, she argued, sinking the reconciliation bill 'because it doesn't solve our debt crisis is reckless and wrong.' — Seidel's backing of the megabill isn't new: AFP has pledged to spend $20 million getting Republicans' extension of the 2017 tax cuts, which AFP also supported, over the finish line. — But it's still a striking stand by an organization that made a name for itself in part for its demands to shrink the budget deficit. And it comes one day after a Congressional Budget Office forecast that the House-passed package would increase the debt by $2.4 trillion over a decade. — Seidel maintained that Republicans can and should get to tackling the deficit — after clearing the reconciliation bill. 'We didn't get here overnight, and Washington isn't going to fix it with one bill,' she continued, adding that 'even if this bill cuts enough spending to be fully offset, we're still on a course for bankruptcy that requires comprehensive reforms to how Congress makes spending decisions.' Happy Thursday and welcome to PI. What last-minute maneuvering are you doing over in the Senate? Which megabill lobbying battles are flying under the radar? You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. WE GOOFED: Yesterday's edition misstated which clients are joining Len Wolfson at his new firm. America's Credit Unions and DeFi Education Fund are staying with Fed Hall Policy Advisors. AUTOMAKER TROUBLES: The Alliance for Automotive Innovation has yet to present a unified public message on the Republicans' megabill, as automakers have failed to reach a consensus on the legislation, our James Bikales writes. The rift comes as the Senate considers major rollbacks to electric vehicle and manufacturing tax credits. — 'The trade group had strongly defended the credits in Democrats' climate law last year, and in recent months warned that rolling them back would threaten U.S. competitiveness and national security, given China's heavy investment in EV manufacturing.' — 'But even as the Senate has moved quickly to take up the bill, the Alliance has yet to take a public stance because its members have failed to reach consensus on changes to a key tax credit claimed by automakers for producing EV batteries, according to the four people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal dynamics.' ON THE AIRWAVES: Protect Our Jobs, a pro-clean-energy group, is running $1 million in TV and digital ads warning key Senate Republicans against following the House's plan to in some cases sunset — and in other places eviscerate — the green tax credits created by the Biden-era climate law, our friends at Inside Congress report. — 'These politicians promised to bring down our monthly costs. But cutting America's energy production will only make our costs go up,' the narrator says in the ad, which began running Monday on 'Fox & Friends' and in the D.C. area, and will on Friday move into Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina and Utah. — Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas, John Curtis of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have all urged GOP leadership not to follow through with a full-scale repeal of the credits, warning it could harm investments back home. Tillis, who faces a potentially difficult reelection fight in his purple state, expressed some cautious optimism Wednesday that Senate Republicans want to find a 'glide path' for businesses that already have projects in motion using the credits, but didn't elaborate. FLYING IN: The American Fleet Leadership Coalition, launched earlier this year to try and salvage the IRA's tax credit for commercial electric vehicles, wrapped up a two-day fly-in today aimed at rallying support for the provision. The tax credit would wind down this year under the House-passed megabill. — The coalition was slated to meet with members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee to make the case that incentivizing fleet upgrades will reduce overhead costs for businesses, nonprofits and municipalities, while boosting domestic manufacturing goals. — And health executives across the industry convened in D.C. this week for the Healthcare Leadership Council's membership meeting, where they heard from officials including CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). — On the Hill, executives met with lawmakers from both parties, including Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to press for permanently extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits and telehealth permissions, among other things. AI GOES TO WASHINGTON: Two privately held AI companies, OpenAI and Anthropic, are now ramping up their lobbying efforts and chasing contracts from the roughly $75 billion federal IT budget that largely focuses on AI, our Mohar Chatterjee writes. The two companies are increasing their Washington staff, and are among a handful of other AI companies expanding their lobbying efforts. — Scale AI, a specialist contractor with the Pentagon and other agencies, has plans to expand its lobbying teams. And AI-focused chipmaker Nvidia hired its first in-house lobbyist in late March. — 'This lobbying push aims to capitalize on a wave of support from both the Trump administration and the Republican Congress, both of which have pumped up the AI industry as a linchpin of American competitiveness and a means for shrinking the federal workforce.' DOG DAYS: Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of the more moderate House members of the Democratic party, is launching a super PAC and nonprofit to take unlimited donations, Shane Goldmacher and Reid J. Epstein write for The New York Times. — 'The new nonprofit, which has not been previously reported, will be called the Blue Dog Action Fund, with Aisha Woodward, a former chief of staff to [Rep. Jared] Golden, serving as executive director and overseeing a staff of five.' — Blue Dog's new fundraising efforts took place on the heels of WelcomeFest, a conference held Wednesday for center-left groups to discuss winning strategies for the Democratic Party. HERE COMES HYDROGEN: 'More than 200 organizations — including the regional hydrogen hub developers and major oil and gas trade groups — are pressing Republican senators to preserve the Inflation Reduction Act's hydrogen production tax credit' in the reconciliation bill, per POLITICO's Kelsey Tamborrino. — 'In a letter to Senate leaders sent on Thursday, the organizations call for the hydrogen tax credit to remain in place for projects that commence construction by Dec. 31, 2029. That timeline would provide a runway for the industry to advance projects already in multiyear development cycles, they argue. 'Anything less puts billions in committed investments — and tens of thousands of jobs — at risk,' the groups wrote on Thursday.' — The letter's signatories include the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Chemistry Council, Plug Power, Cummins and Toyota Motor North America. SPOTTED on Wednesday at an Amazon reception for the launch of the Republican Asian American Staff Association, per a tipster: Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Vince Fong (R-Calif.), RAASA co-Chairs Christopher Zhen of Rep. Jeff Hurd's (R-Colo.) office and Jinwook Hwang of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Miguel Mendoza, Julia Satin and Nate Blake of Amazon, James Min of Miller Strategies, Ashley Juhn of Rep. Bob Latta's (R-Ohio) office, Saat Alety of Federal Hall Policy Advisors, Yong Choe of YC Consulting, Neal Patel of Patel Partners, Charles Gann of Rep. Randy Fine's (R-Fla.) office, Clayton Fong of the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Stephanie Penn of Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) office, Haley Tran of Rep. Zach Nunn's (R-Iowa) office, Charli Huddleston of Heritage Action, Dylan Jeon of the National Retail Federation, Shine Lee, Jaliya Nagahawatte and Linette Choi of Kim's office, Daniel Chung of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ken Farnaso and Ninio Fetalvo of the Brunswick Group and Ayush Nallapally of Rep. Rich McCormick's (R-Ga.) office. Jobs report — Former British Prime Minister David Cameron has joined DLA Piper as a consultant. — The Clean Energy Buyer's Association is adding Rich England as senior director of government affairs. He was most recently U.S. government affairs lead at Corio Generation and is a National Ocean Industries Association and Pete Olson alum. — Josh Korn is now at Whatnot, the live shopping platform, as head of public policy, overseeing U.S. and global policy. Korn previously was tech policy head at Netflix. — GuidePost Strategies has added Kate Beaulieu and Alex Large as principals, Pam Kinsey as senior adviser, Hailey Womer as director of research, Luke Midura and Tim Frei as associates and Mya Steir as an administrative assistant. — Access Partnership has named Gordon Tempest-Hay as its new CEO. He was previously the chief executive at Lansons and is a Teneo alum. — Seven Letter has promoted Blair Taylor to partner and Aida Farah and Cate Biegun to managers. The firm's research division, Seven Letter Insight, promoted Jessa Scott-Johnson to managing director and Annie Pfifer, Macsonny Onyechefule and Robin Calleja to directors. — Caroline Farrell is joining Foley Hoag as counsel in its health care practice. She most recently was at HHS as lead counsel advising the CMS on Medicaid and Medicare policy. — Eden Alem is now deputy comms director for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Dems. She previously was national press secretary at Climate Power. — Nicole Fondots is now digital marketing director for the RNC. She previously was vice president of strategy at Techne. — Hana Tadesse is now vice president of communications for the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 local organizing committee. She previously was comms director for Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.). — Dezenhall Resources is adding Phillip Bogdan and Diane Chaaban as senior directors. Bogdan previously was director of research and comms at Reach Global Strategies. Chaaban previously was head of comms for the City of El Segundo and is a State Department and National Geographic alum. — GPS Impact is adding Mariafernanda 'Marifer' Zacarias as vice president of campaigns and Lidya Mesgna as vice president of digital mobilization. Zacarias previously was national engagement director at the DCCC and Mesgna previously was director of paid media at Voto Latino. — Courtney Rhodes is now head of news and media relations at the U.S. Travel Association, Morning Transportation reports. She was previously a spokesperson at the FDA. — Amy Hopcian is now a strategic adviser at Comella & Co. She most recently was head of state and local public affairs at CLEAR. — Allison Smith is now a vice president at Lot Sixteen. She previously was deputy assistant USTR for environment and natural resources. New Joint Fundraisers Debbie Dingell Majority Fund (Rep. Debbie Dingell, Wolverine PAC) New PACs Maryland's Future Political Action Committee (Super PAC) Technology Alliance for Green Energy Transition (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Arentfox Schiff LLP: Association Of American Railroads Balch & Bingham, LLP: Modesto Irrigation District Balch & Bingham, LLP: Turlock Irrigation District Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.: Chaldean Community Council Boom Technology, Inc.: Boom Technology, Inc. Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, L.L.C.: Society Of Behavioral Medicine Cgcn Group, LLC: Outschool, Inc. Cgcn Group, LLC: Continental Strategy, LLC: Medical Micro Instruments (Mmi, Inc.) Conventum Group, LLC: Association For The Improvement Of American Infrastructure Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Eagle Energy Metals Corp. Economic Policy Strategies: Pinterest, Inc. Hogan Lovells US LLP: Fifa World Cup Dallas 2026 Hogan Lovells US LLP: Fifa World Cup Houston 2026 Hogan Lovells US LLP: Fifa World Cup Los Angeles 2026 Hogan Lovells US LLP: Fifa World Cup Miami 2026 Hogan Lovells US LLP: Fifa World Cup New York New Jersey 2026 Hogan Lovells US LLP: Fifa World Cup San Francisco Bay Area 2026 J M Burkman & Associates: Conx-USa J M Burkman & Associates: Nextdet LLC Jti Marketing & Communications, Inc. Dba Jti, Inc.: Controltek Jti Marketing & Communications, Inc. Dba Jti, Inc.: Crane Payment Innovations Jti Marketing & Communications, Inc. Dba Jti, Inc.: Diebold Nixdorf Jti Marketing & Communications, Inc. Dba Jti, Inc.: Ncr Atleos Jti Marketing & Communications, Inc. Dba Jti, Inc.: Western Union K&L Gates, LLP: The Port Authority Of New York And New Jersey Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: Gen Digital Mehlman Consulting, Inc.: National Electrical Manufacturers Association Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Highland Community College Mgb Consulting: Beam Therapeutics Mindset Advocacy, LLC: Mark Food LLC Natural State Consulting And Strategies: Turbare Manufacturing Old North Strategies, LLC: Qualexa Healthcare, LLC Polaris Government Relations, LLC: Hartz Capital, Inc. Rubiner Strategies: Court Accountability Action (Global Impact Social Welfare Fund) Schagrin Associates: Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association Tholos Government Relations: Delta Airlines Tholos Government Relations: Medforth Global Tholos Government Relations: Ttm Technologies,Inc. New Lobbying Terminations Butterfield Evans & Associates LLC: Institute Of Cetacean Research Law Offices Of Frederick H. Graefe, Pllc: Hypatia Group, Inc.
Politico
02-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
Bernhardt hangs a shingle
With help from Katherine Long and Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI — BERNHARDT STRIKES OUT ON HIS OWN: Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is launching his own shop on K Street to help companies navigate the second Trump administration. Bernhardt, a longtime former lobbyist at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was originally tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as deputy Interior secretary before moving up to lead the department in the second half of Trump's first term. — The Bernhardt Group will primarily provide strategic advice, but the former secretary said in an interview that the firm may do some lobbying work on an as-needed basis. — 'We're at an incredibly dynamic time right now where things are moving at an incredible pace in government,' Bernhardt told PI, and people 'are really seeking the need to identify creative solutions, figure out how to navigate a pathway and then be able to execute a strategy in a way that will have a durable and meaningful result.' — Bernhardt returned to Brownstein after Trump left office in 2021, and landed back at the firm earlier this year after taking time to, among other things, help steer Trump's transition team for the department Bernhardt once led. — Also this year, he took on an expanded role as executive vice president at the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, joined the board of Trump's social media company and teamed up with former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette in an effort to promote Trump's energy agenda. — Several of his former colleagues at Brownstein will join Bernhardt as partners at the new firm. They include Bill McGrath, who also served as staff director for the House Oversight subcommittee that oversees the Interior department, Jon Hrobsky and Luke Johnson. — Kate Gonzales, who worked for former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), is joining as a vice president from Brownstein; Samantha Hebert, who worked under Bernhardt at Interior, is joining from Brownstein as a senior adviser; and Phoebe Miner, a former Sinema and Kurt Schrader alum, is joining from Brownstein as director of operations and administration. — A trio of Bernhardt alums is also coming over from RBW Group. Cole Rojewski, who is also a former chief of staff to top GOP lawmakers including former House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, is joining as a partner along with Todd Willens, who was Bernhardt's chief of staff at Interior. Faith Vander Voort, a Hill GOP, Interior and Mike Pence alum, is joining from RBW as vice president of public affairs. — Bernhardt, who wrote a book in 2023 outlining his takeaways on the 'failing administrative state,' told PI that his new team's 'tremendous expertise' on both the legislative and regulatory fronts will allow the firm to draw on various policymaking tools across the government. The goal is that the results, he said, 'will stand the test of time and potentially stand the test of administrations changing.' — 'It's very different if you've been in the room, if you've made the decision, if you know what the decision maker is going to think about,' he said. 'I think that provides a unique perspective.' — Bernhardt declined to name any of the new firm's clients. But he said its work won't be limited to natural resources policy and could encompass a number of issues the firm's staff have been involved in, from telecom and privacy to financial services and appropriations. Happy Monday and welcome to PI. We hope you had a relaxing recess — now that you're back, send all the reconciliation tips. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE ADDS TRADE LEAD: Business Roundtable has tapped Nasim Fussell to serve as vice president of trade and international policy. Fussell joins the business lobbying organization at a time of growing uncertainty and concern over Trump's tariff plans. — Fussell previously served as senior vice president at government affairs and communications firm Lot Sixteen, where she led its international trade practice. She has also served as international trade counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee. — According to Business Roundtable, Fussell will work with member CEOs to 'develop and promote trade and investment policies that support a competitive American economy.' — Fussell 'will play a critical role as we work with the Administration to advance policies that level the playing field for U.S. exporters, remove harmful tariffs and provide certainty for U.S. businesses,' Joshua Bolten, Business Roundtable's CEO, said in a press release. SCHUMER AIDE LANDS AT RESOLUTION: Resolution Public Affairs, the lobbying firm started by former Chuck Schumer aide Heather McHugh, has brought on another former longtime aide to the Senate minority leader. Meghan Taira has joined the firm as a principal after almost two decades in Schumer's office, most recently as legislative director. Before joining Schumer's office, Taira worked for Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and as a lobbyist at Arnold & Porter and Avalere Health. THE ART OF NOT MAKING A DEAL: Big law firms that struck deals with the Trump administration to avoid punishment for perceived slights — in exchange for pro bono work on Trump-friendly issues — did so to avoid the glare of the spotlight and prevent an exodus by skittish clients. But folding amid the pressure, rather than fighting Trump in court, is beginning to impact firms' bottom lines anyway, The Wall Street Journal's Erin Mulvaney, Emily Glazer, C. Ryan Barber and Josh Dawsey found. — 'At least 11 big companies are moving work away from law firms that settled with the administration or are giving—or intend to give—more business to firms that have been targeted but refused to strike deals,' including Oracle and Morgan Stanley. — 'In interviews, general counsels expressed concern about whether they could trust law firms that struck deals to fight for them in court and in negotiating big deals if they weren't willing to stand up for themselves against Trump. The general counsel of a manufacturer of medical supplies said that if firms facing White House pressure 'don't have a hard line,' they don't have any line at all.' AND YET: 'Trump's attempts to punish law firms that employed his perceived foes or handled cases he disliked have been bitingly rejected by courts, with three federal judges lambasting them as retaliatory and unconstitutional. … But the president's court losses, with a fourth case pending, are only part of the story,' per The Washington Post's Mark Berman. — 'Lawyers say both the sanctions and the negotiated deals have had a chilling effect, with some firms declining to work on issues counter to the administration's goals, including on immigration.' FLYING IN: The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association is kicking off a fly-in tomorrow, during which members will lobby for the repeal of a Biden-era rule requiring financial institutions to submit information about the race, ethnicity and gender of small-business loan recipients. The association will also push for the restoration of full expensing of capital investments, immediate deductions of research costs and full deductibility of business interest in the reconciliation bill. AFP DROPPING $4M ON MEGABILL ADS: Americans for Prosperity is dropping another seven figures on an ad blitz to contain Republican defections on the House-passed reconciliation package and steer the bill through the Senate as lawmakers return from the Memorial Day recess. — The campaign, part of a $20 million commitment from the Koch-backed group, will include 'video and digital ads that will air on cable, connected TV, and other digital platforms' with the TV ads initially slated to run in North Carolina, Louisiana, Maine, Idaho and D.C., CBS News' Hunter Woodall reports. — ''The sooner the Senate advances the bill, the sooner Americans start seeing relief where they need it most,' said Brent Gardner, the organization's chief government affairs officer in a statement. The statement also noted the group is well aware that as the process being used to fast track the bill progressed 'the hill to climb was only going to get steeper.'' TRUMP VS. LEO: Trump openly attacked Leonard Leo, former Federalist Society chair, calling him a 'real sleazebag' in a Truth social post late Thursday evening. But Trump's allies have expressed discontent with Leo and his operation, which helped place hundreds of judges across the federal judiciary and tilt courts in conservatives' favor, long before Trump's public critiques, our Hailey Fuchs and Daniel Barnes write. — 'Frustration had been growing among Trump and MAGA loyalists as a series of court rulings have hampered elements of Trump's second term agenda — including by the Supreme Court, appellate courts and district courts — and by judges Trump installed on the bench during his first term with Leo and the Federalist Society's guidance.' —'On Thursday, Leo said in a statement, 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved. There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.'' — 'Leo and the Federalist Society have been boxed out of the judicial nomination process as the second Trump White House has begun to name jurists for vacancies. But the Federalist Society had already been making moves in anticipation of some tension with Trump, given his recent rhetoric on the judiciary, said one person in conservative legal circles granted anonymity because of the sensitive dynamics.' ALL IN ON AUTONOMY: Elon Musk is working to garner support from members of Congress to clear the way for driverless vehicles, as the Tesla CEO recenters his priorities on his business empires following his departure from the Department of Government Efficiency, David Welch, Edward Ludlow and Kara Carlson write for Bloomberg. — Musk and those who work for him have been calling lawmakers in recent weeks to lobby on the effort, one that remains a large priority for electric carmaker company Tesla. He has also been weighing in on revisions to the 'Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025,' introduced May 15, which would begin implementation of a general framework for autonomous vehicles. — 'The Trump administration has said it's amenable to federal rules for AVs and Musk has used Tesla's earnings calls to advocate for a federal framework for self-driving cars.' — Musk will continue to advise Trump after his departure from DOGE. But his focus for Tesla remains largely on autonomy and robotics. — 'Tesla plans to launch its long-anticipated rideshare service in Austin on June 12, using a small fleet of existing Model Y SUVs, Bloomberg reported. Tesla also aims to add purpose-built Cybercabs, expected to reach volume production next year, to its rideshare service.' Jobs report — Monica Welt is joining the Retail Industry Leaders Association as general counsel of RILA and president of the Retail Litigation Center. Welt previously served as deputy general counsel at Big Lots. — Julia Schechter is now senior manager of policy comms at Snap. She previously was a PR manager at Apple. — Jamison Cruce is launching Cruce Capitol Consulting. He previously was vice president of government affairs at USA Rice. — Anna Newby is now director of global policy comms at Micron. She previously was director of comms at the National Nuclear Security Administration. — Justin Vail has rejoined Protect Democracy as counsel and head of coalition advocacy. He previously was special assistant to the president for democracy and civic participation in the Biden White House. — Brian Reich and Eric Hollister Williams are now senior vice presidents at One Strategy Group. Reich previously was deputy assistant secretary for strategic planning and director of speechwriting at HHS and is a Clinton White House alum. Williams previously was director of corporate communications at Apple. — Reilly McBride is now vice president of policy and advocacy communications at JPMorgan Chase. She previously was deputy communications director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and is an Invariant alum. — Philip Bednarczyk is now director of the German Marshall Fund's Warsaw office. He previously was an adviser for Europe and Eurasia for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. — Maggie Sklar has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as senior director of public policy and advocacy. Sklar was most recently a senior complex financial institutions policy specialist at the FDIC. — Christian Calvert is now press assistant for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He previously was SEC program officer for campus advancement at Young America's Foundation. — Patty Stolnacker is joining Cohesity to stand up its global government affairs team. She was previously public policy head of U.S. and Canada for Google's platforms and devices team and is a George W. Bush and Rick Santorum alum. New Joint Fundraisers None. New PACs AMERICA FIRST AGRICULTURE ACTION INC. (Super PAC) Matthews First (PAC) Solar for American Energy Dominance PAC (Super PAC) Unbound PAC (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Anndyl Policy Group, LLC: The National Association For State Community Services Programs Aquia Group, LLC: Podimetrics Ballard Partners: Can Community Health Ballard Partners: Composite Technology International, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: 3E, LLC Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Sterling Ranch, LLC Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Trajectory Energy Partners, LLC Chamber Hill Strategies: Let Lahaina Rebuild Coalition Colton Street Group: Recognition Music Group Hither Creek Strategies, LLC: Leonardo Drs, Inc Kelley Drye & Warren LLP: Ftc Modernization Coalition (Informal Coalition) K&L Gates, LLP: Federated Hermes, Inc. Miller & Chevalier, Chtd: American Staffing Assn Nestpoint Associates LLC: Anchor Hocking Company Nestpoint Associates LLC: Faraday&Future Inc. Nestpoint Associates LLC: Lawn And Garden LLC Ragnar Group LLC: Gypsum Resources Materials, LLC. Ragnar Group LLC: Redding Rancheria The Bennett Consulting Group: City Of Moab The Bennett Consulting Group: Salt Lake County The Bennett Consulting Group: Valid8 The Bennett Consulting Group: Vaquero Resources Tsg Advocates Dc, LLC: American Airlines, Inc. Tsg Advocates Dc, LLC: The Nemours Foundation New Lobbying Terminations Diroma Eck & Co. LLP: Konecranes Finland Corp. Invariant LLC: Solugen, Inc.
28-05-2025
- Health
Another COVID-19 variant is rising abroad. Doctors say there's no need to panic
Cases of the new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, a descendent of the Omicron variant, are on the rise in some parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, there are not enough cases in the United States to register in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID variant tracker. Symptoms appear to be similar to other variants of COVID-19 and the public health risk remains low, WHO information shows. The earliest sample of the NB.1.8.1 variant was collected on Jan. 22 and it was designated a variant under monitoring -- which may require prioritized attention and monitoring -- on May 23 by the WHO. Since the omicron variant was detected in 2021, new cases of COVID have been dominated by hundreds of its descendent subvariants, though none have led to the rise in cases once seen during the peak of the pandemic. As of May 18, there were 518 NB.1.8.1 cases detected from 22 countries, according to WHO. While still only comprising 10.7% of the global cases at the end of April, this is a significant rise from 2.5% four weeks prior. "Remember, we've seen summer surges. One thing that COVID has done is it's been able to surge in the summer, and it's been able to surge in the winter, and that's very different than respiratory viruses we've dealt with in the past. But we still don't know if this is going to be the virus that leads to a summer surge, it's just too early to know," Dr. Todd Ellerin, chief of infectious diseases at South Shore Health, told ABC News. While there are increases in reported cases and hospitalizations in some of the countries with the highest proportion of NB.1.8.1 circulating, there are no reports to suggest that disease severity is higher in this latest variant than other circulating variants of the virus. "With each new variant, what we've seen is severity doesn't really change so far, we're not seeing it have more severe complications," said John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and ABC News contributor. "What we know is that when a virus is more transmissible, it will ultimately infect more people and when you infect more people ... you'll have more cases of severe illness, hospitalization, and unfortunately death. " Data from China and elsewhere doesn't seem to show anything unique about the variant other than increased transmissibility, Brownstein added. Some of the variant's mutations found on the surface proteins of the virus could increase its transmissibility and potentially make it somewhat harder to treat compared to current variants in wide circulation, according to the WHO. Approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective against this variant, according to the WHO. "This is the natural path we've seen with every variant, and so the guidance doesn't really change at the end of the day," Brownstein said. "It's making sure people are up to date with their vaccines and boosters ... and then of course, those that are immunocompromised or in high-risk groups may want to layer in other types of interventions like masking or being careful about large group settings where there could be increased risk of transmission."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Another COVID-19 variant is rising abroad. Doctors say there's no need to panic
Cases of the new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, a descendent of the Omicron variant, are on the rise in some parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, there are not enough cases in the United States to register in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID variant tracker. Symptoms appear to be similar to other variants of COVID-19 and the public health risk remains low, WHO information shows. The earliest sample of the NB.1.8.1 variant was collected on Jan. 22 and it was designated a variant under monitoring -- which may require prioritized attention and monitoring -- on May 23 by the WHO. Since the omicron variant was detected in 2021, new cases of COVID have been dominated by hundreds of its descendent subvariants, though none have led to the rise in cases once seen during the peak of the pandemic. As of May 18, there were 518 NB.1.8.1 cases detected from 22 countries, according to WHO. While still only comprising 10.7% of the global cases at the end of April, this is a significant rise from 2.5% four weeks prior. MORE: RFK Jr. cuts COVID vaccine recommendation for healthy kids, pregnant women -- and why it matters "Remember, we've seen summer surges. One thing that COVID has done is it's been able to surge in the summer, and it's been able to surge in the winter, and that's very different than respiratory viruses we've dealt with in the past. But we still don't know if this is going to be the virus that leads to a summer surge, it's just too early to know," Dr. Todd Ellerin, chief of infectious diseases at South Shore Health, told ABC News. While there are increases in reported cases and hospitalizations in some of the countries with the highest proportion of NB.1.8.1 circulating, there are no reports to suggest that disease severity is higher in this latest variant than other circulating variants of the virus. "With each new variant, what we've seen is severity doesn't really change so far, we're not seeing it have more severe complications," said John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and ABC News contributor. "What we know is that when a virus is more transmissible, it will ultimately infect more people and when you infect more people ... you'll have more cases of severe illness, hospitalization, and unfortunately death. " Data from China and elsewhere doesn't seem to show anything unique about the variant other than increased transmissibility, Brownstein added. Some of the variant's mutations found on the surface proteins of the virus could increase its transmissibility and potentially make it somewhat harder to treat compared to current variants in wide circulation, according to the WHO. Approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective against this variant, according to the WHO. "This is the natural path we've seen with every variant, and so the guidance doesn't really change at the end of the day," Brownstein said. "It's making sure people are up to date with their vaccines and boosters ... and then of course, those that are immunocompromised or in high-risk groups may want to layer in other types of interventions like masking or being careful about large group settings where there could be increased risk of transmission." Niki Iranpour, MD, is an internal medicine resident at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit. Another COVID-19 variant is rising abroad. Doctors say there's no need to panic originally appeared on
