Latest news with #TheHill
The Hill
36 minutes ago
- Business
- The Hill
Sanders, Democrats push effort to kill ‘handouts' for fossil fuels in Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and other critics of the Trump administration's environmental policies are renewing a push for legislation that would end energy subsidies that the critics say will 'destroy the planet.' The proposal, dubbed the 'End Polluter Welfare Act,' is a revival of past environmental advocacy efforts from Sanders and others, but it adds in targeted responses to Trump's agenda-setting 'One Big, Beautiful Bill Act' signed into law this month after passage by GOP majorities in the House and Senate. 'Donald Trump has sold out the young people of America and future generations,' Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nominations in 2016 and 2020, said in a statement Friday. 'The fossil fuel industry, with the support of Trump, is more concerned about their short-term profits than the wellbeing of the planet.' 'No more polluter welfare for an industry that is making billions every year destroying the planet,' Sanders added. The Hill reached out to the White House, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of the Interior for comment. The latest progressive-driven proposal would cut more than $190 billion in federal subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the next decade, including $20 billion in bonuses designated for coal, oil, methane and pipeline companies through Trump's massive tax and spending overhaul. It also would also prevent the Trump administration from opening new public lands to drilling and mining. Other lawmakers who have signed onto the legislation include Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). It has more than 20 additional House backers. 'Fossil fuel companies have known for decades that their product harms the climate, but have made obscene profits while communities are left to clean up the mess,' Mahyar Sorour, a spokesperson for the environmental advocacy group Sierra Club, said in a statement. 'Taxpayers cannot afford to write a blank check to Big Oil and Gas companies through subsidies, corporate giveaways, and sweetheart deals.' Republicans, under Trump's tight control, hold majorities in the House and Senate, so it's unlikely the legislation will gain much traction ahead of the 2026 midterm election cycle. However, opponents of Trump's shift in environmental policies argue that they want to highlight potential ramifications from the administration's efforts. 'We are done letting fossil fuel executives write the rules while our communities pay the price,' Omar said in a statement on the proposed legislation. 'The End Polluter Welfare Act will finally hold polluters accountable and eliminate these harmful subsidies once and for all.' The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' is projected to significantly ding the country's efforts to reverse the effects of climate change and add more emissions that will exacerbate global warming. Climate think tank C2ES found in an independent analysis that U.S. emissions will be 8 percent higher because of the new Trump law. The most significant provisions in the Trump-driven policies repeal tax credits for green energy technologies such as wind, solar energy and electric vehicles efforts adopted in the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
The Hill
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Trump leaves Washington as more Epstein info drops
12:30 Report is The Hill's midday newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: In today's issue: Trump and Powell's awkward clash Best memes of Fed chief in hard hat Epstein book had Bill Clinton note: WSJ GOP leaders steamrolled on Epstein Gruesome Gaza starvation photos ⛳ IN THE WHITE HOUSE Off to Scotland!: President Trump is flying to Scotland on Air Force One right now for a weekend trip. What is he doing there?: He's expected to celebrate the opening of his new golf course, which has been named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was of Scottish descent. And to add some work to the trip: Trump will also meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney. These photos will live rent-free in my brain: President Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell clashed in front of the media Thursday during a rare visit by the president to the Fed. The two walked around the facility — in hard hats — to tour the multibillion-dollar renovation, which Trump and White House officials have spent weeks criticizing. The most remarkable moment came when Trump touted what he claimed were previously unknown cost overruns for the project. The president said figures had 'just come out,' retrieving a piece of paper from his suit pocket. Powell proceeded to fact-check the figures in real time. 📹 Just watch this clip of the two — Tension? Naaah. Moments later, the president was asked what things Powell could say that would get Trump to back off his fierce criticism of the Fed chief. 'Well, I'd love him to lower interest rates,' Trump said, slapping Powell on the back as they began to walk away together. 'Other than that, what can I tell you?' Trump later insisted there is 'no tension' between the two. ➤ POWELL BECOMES A MEME The Fed chair's face analyzing the paper Trump provided him while sporting a hard hat instantly went viral online. Here are some of my favorites: Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.): 'When my wife tells me we're actually saving money with Rent the Runway.' 📸 The photo White House press aide Abigail Jackson: 'My husband looking at the credit card bill after I told him I needed to go shopping for the 'necessities.'' 📸 The post Bloomberg Business's Alexandra Semenova: 'getting edits back on a story' 📸 The post X user @BeardoTrader: 'After five years of mortgage payments, you realize the principal has only decreased by $27.' 📸 The post Day 2 of Ghislaine Maxwell's sit-down: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is speaking with Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell for a second day today. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell for roughly five hours on Thursday. Will we hear what she has to say?: Blanche said the DOJ will share more information at 'the appropriate time.' 📹 See video of Maxwell returning to prison after Thursday's meeting: via WCTV A looming question — would Trump pardon Maxwell?: Before leaving for Scotland, Trump was asked whether he would pardon her. 'It's something I haven't thought about it. I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about,' Trump said. Remember: A number of Republicans, including the House Speaker, have raised concerns over whether any testimony from Maxwell could be trusted. She's serving a 20-year prison sentence, and her legal team has asked the Supreme Court to take up an appeal of her conviction. Drip, drip, drip: The Wall Street Journal dropped more information about the Jeffrey Epstein saga on Thursday. The Journal reports that former President Clinton was also among the high-profile people who wrote a message for Epstein's 50th birthday book. (Yes, the same book the Journal reported included a 'bawdy' letter from Trump.) What Clinton allegedly wrote: 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.' The Journal says a spokesperson for Clinton declined to comment on the birthday message — and reiterated that Clinton cut off ties with Epstein more than a decade before the New York financier was arrested in 2019. Tidbit about the book: 'Clinton and Trump were listed under the 'Friends' group, along with about 20 other associates such as [Wall Street billionaire Leon Black ], [media owner Mort Zuckerman ], former Victoria's Secret leader Leslie Wexner, attorney Alan Dershowitz, U.K. politician Peter Mandelson and the late Jean-Luc Brunel, who ran a modeling agency.' 🌻 ON CAPITOL HILL What a headline: ' GOP leaders submarined by Epstein uproar.' That's the latest congressional readout on the Epstein saga from The Hill's Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell. Well, when you put it that way: 'A bonanza of subpoenas for Epstein-related materials and testimony erupted in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee,' the pair write. 'A House Appropriations Committee markup was postponed amid threats of Democrats forcing more Epstein-related materials. And a rebellion on the House Rules Committee over Epstein amendments thwarted plans for House votes, prompting leaders to begin August recess one day early.' What is still looming: 'Hanging over the whirlwind of a week is a discharge petition that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is vowing to spearhead for his bipartisan resolution — co-sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — calling for the release of the Epstein files. The mechanism will not be ready for action until September, given the House's strict rules, meaning the Epstein saga will still be a live issue on Capitol Hill when lawmakers return from their August recess.' ^ By the way: Massie and Khanna will appear for a joint interview on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday. Why this matters: House GOP leaders are hoping this controversy will blow over by September. But lawmakers who want the files to be released say they have no plans to back down. This could follow them into September, when the House returns. ➤ TIDBITS: Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is set to report to prison today. He will serve more than seven years after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal last summer. HuffPost's Igor Bobic 📸 posted a photo of Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) with his young baby walking alongside Sen. Jim Justice ( at votes. 🏥 GETTING TRACTION The humanitarian situation in Gaza is really bad: The Washington Post published a shocking report Thursday about the mass starvation happening in Gaza. I've seen this report mentioned and quoted all over social media. I'll warn you, this is tough to read, and the photos are quite graphic. Excerpt: 'After four months of a near-total Israeli siege, Gaza's few remaining hospitals now have wards for the growing number of malnourished children whose tiny bodies are just the width of their bones. Doctors are famished to the point that they have dizzy spells as they make their rounds, medics say, and the journalists documenting their caseloads are often too weak to even walk to the clinics.' Doctors, relief workers and Gazans say a worst-case scenario is now happening: 'Nearly 1 in 3 people are going multiple days without eating, according to the United Nations, and hospitals are reporting rising deaths from malnutrition and starvation.' 'Relief workers say parents throughout Gaza regularly forgo meals, and sometimes days' worth of food, to feed their children.' CNN also 📸 published a series of photos of the dire situation in Gaza. Again, these are extremely graphic and heartbreaking to see. Why has there not been a formal declaration of famine?: The Associated Press explains. Essentially, Israel has limited access to Gaza, so it's hard to get the accurate information needed to assess whether Gaza has reached famine-level conditions. ➤ WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION?: These photos and reporting have been reposted all over social media. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the reports of mass starvation as beyond the world's 'worst fears.' Albanese also called for Israel to 'comply with international obligations' and allow relief organizations to 'carry out their lifesaving work safely and without hindrance.' Expect to see more reactions as the reality of this footage sets in. Coming Up The House and Senate are out. President Trump is on his way to Scotland. (All times EST) 3:20 p.m. Trump lands in Turnberry, Scotland. Sunday morning: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will all appear on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' The Hill's Emily Brooks will join the panel on NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday.' 🍨 Celebrate: Today is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day. 🚲 Why today's Tour de France competitors seem superhuman: The Atlantic's Matt Seaton writes that ' Science Is Winning the Tour de France.' It explains 'why today's competitors far surpass the cheating champions of yesteryear.' 👋 AND FINALLY… To leave you with something much lighter to get your weekend started, here's a golden retriever teaching his baby human brother how to crawl.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Bipartisan senators seek study on wildfire insurance
A pair of bipartisan senators introduced legislation this week that would seek information on how much growing wildfires are costing homeowners. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) first shared with The Hill a draft of the Wildfire Insurance Coverage Study Act. Their bill would require the U.S. Comptroller General to study the extent of growing U.S. wildfire risks and whether private companies have refused to issue new policies to homeowners because of those risks. Climate change is worsening droughts and leads to more severe wildfires. While this science has been politicized, dealing with wildfire damage can be an area of consensus. Still, it's not entirely clear if the bill will advance. 'I'm hearing from more and more New Mexicans who've seen their insurance premiums skyrocket, lost coverage entirely, or been priced out of protecting their homes. That is completely unacceptable,' Heinrich said in a written statement. 'We need a clearer picture of how worsening wildfires and climate risks are impacting insurance companies' decisions to raise insurance premiums.' 'One-third of America lives in wildfire-prone areas, and we must get our arms around this crisis, because if you can't get or afford homeowners' insurance, you can't finance your home, which means hardworking families can't achieve homeownership,' Sheehy said in a written statement.
The Hill
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump targets disaster mitigation funds, raising risks in future crises
The Trump administration appears to be drastically reducing the federal funds it offers to help states head off future natural disasters, a decision that could come under fire as the White House faces scrutiny over its response to Texas's deadly flooding. The administration has responded to criticism of its handling of the Texas floods with claims that it is 'remaking' the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to better help states. But after the deadly Independence Day floods, the administration declined to provide Texas with access to a tranche of FEMA funds aimed at heading off the next disaster — money intended to pay for things such as warning systems, tornado shelters and anti-flood measures. A review of federal documents by The Hill shows that the administration denied such 'hazard mitigation' funds to states after 16 out of 18 flood disasters during the Trump presidency, with both of the approvals coming before mid-March. In May, children in a Missouri elementary school sheltered from a tornado that shattered windows and ripped gutters off the building inside a safe room purchased with hazard mitigation money issued after the deadly 2011 Joplin tornado. Though the Trump administration approved Missouri's disaster declaration, it refused the hazard mitigation funds the state requested to buy generators and more outdoor warning sirens, state officials told The Hill. Missouri is appealing that decision. In neighboring Oklahoma, the Biden administration had in November approved hazard mitigation funding for wildfires and straight-line winds. But even as those funds went out, more wildfires, driven by straight-line winds, were raging across the Sooner State. President Trump issued a disaster declaration on the last day of the weeklong emergency — but denied hazard mitigation funding. It was the first time in at least 15 years that Oklahoma wasn't approved for requested hazard mitigation, according to state emergency management officials. This pivot — which breaks longstanding federal precedent — comes amid steep Trump cuts to FEMA, which he has also talked about eliminating entirely, as well as cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the federal forecasting and research apparatus. Veterans of these agencies told The Hill there has been appetite for reform and arguments made for shifting more responsibility to the states. 'But this is like, 'You need an appendectomy? Well, let's get the garden shears,'' said Candace Valenzuela, former HUD director for the region that includes Texas. Experts say cutting off hazard mitigation funds after floods marks a major shift in federal priorities. FEMA has traditionally given states 15 to 20 percent of the disaster response budget to help prevent future catastrophes — spending the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found pays for itself by at least $2 saved for every $1 invested. That return is even greater for flood mitigation, where the CBO found every dollar spent yields $5 to $8 in avoided damages. And that benefit is growing. Over the past decade, floods have cost the U.S. an average of $46 billion a year — or $135 annually per American — a figure expected to rise to as much as $60 billion by midcentury as the atmosphere warms and holds more moisture. A wetter atmosphere, in turn, means more extreme rainfall such as the deluge that hit Central Texas earlier this month. Former meteorologist and National Weather Service (NWS) union legislative director John Sokich said he's seen more such downpours 'in the last 10 years than I saw in my 35 years before that.' Those worsening events make proactive spending even more effective, said Chad Berginnis, head of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). 'If you have more and more extreme events in the area you've mitigated, your benefits come faster,' Berginnis said. The administration has also frozen a major flood mitigation program and clawed back funds from flood control projects nationwide that were already underway. Last week, a coalition of 20 blue and purple states sued the federal government over the clawback of funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which began under the first Trump administration. Money pulled from BRIC included funds that would have paid for an Oklahoma flood warning system, a North Texas flood control dam and $1 billion in flood control projects across the Chesapeake Bay. 'The impact of the shutdown has been devastating,' the states wrote in their suit. 'Communities across the country are being forced to delay, scale back, or cancel hundreds of mitigation projects,' many of which had cost millions and had taken years to plan and permit. 'In the meantime, Americans across the country face a higher risk of harm from natural disasters,' the suit added. The states also argued the pullback was illegal since Congress made forward-looking mitigation one of FEMA's core responsibilities in 1997. The administration did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the shift in FEMA strategy. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has said the administration is 'leading a historic, first-of-its-kind approach to disaster funding.' That approach, she said, means 'providing upfront recovery support — moving money faster than ever and jump starting recovery,' while pivoting away from 'bloated, D.C.-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force' that shifts responsibility to the states. But emergency managers say the administration is cutting off vital resources that states and municipalities need to avoid financial ruin from worsening disasters. 'Mitigation is a lifeline,' Berginnis said. 'It's a way out of a really bad cycle of disaster, damage, repair, damage that a lot of folks of modest means really can't escape.' As a state emergency manager in Ohio, he said he saw FEMA hazard mitigation funding change lives by allowing the state to buy out flood-prone properties. By contrast, FEMA's 'individual assistance' programs, which the administration continues to offer, only cover structural repairs, often for homes likely to flood again. 'When I presented a check to buy out his property, the owner said, 'This is the only chance for me and my family to get our lives back to normal,'' Berginnis recalled. In addition to dramatically cutting back funds to help states and municipalities prepare for the next flood, the administration also quietly changed FEMA standards to make it easier to build in floodplains. One thing amplifying flood danger in the United States is that the nation's builders, insurers and emergency managers often don't even know how bad the flood risk is because it has never been assessed for most of the country's creeks and streams. The deadly July 4 flooding that swept away more than two dozen children and counselors from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, for example, came when Cypress Creek burst its banks. That risk was obscured, Berginnis noted, because like two-thirds of similar waterways around the country, its floodways have never been mapped. ASFPM has estimated that a complete re-mapping project would cost about $3 billion to $12 billion — just 3 to 25 percent the annual cost of flood repair, which they say that mapping would reduce. Once that project was done, they estimated, keeping it up to date would cost $100 million to $500 million per year, or between 0.2 and 1 percent of current annual spending on flood damages. This is not money that the current administration seems eager to spend, however. Instead, it is moving away from spending on forecasting or research — including into how to best warn communities when deadly threats are coming their way. DOGE cuts have disrupted a NWS reorganization meant to centralize operations so field offices could spend more time helping local emergency managers interpret often-ambiguous forecasts, agency veterans said. That program had aimed to address the challenge that emergencies like the one in Kerr County are low-likelihood but high-impact, which can breed complacency until it's too late. Rather than pivot, NWS is 'trying to keep its head above water,' said Alan Gerard, a former NOAA warnings expert who took a buyout this year. He warned that other cuts threaten research to understand the novel weather patterns of a hotter planet — research that could one day give communities like Kerr County six hours' warning before fast-moving storms. 'That stuff is still years away — both from the physical science aspect, and the social science of helping people understand it,' he said. If the Trump cuts go through, he said, 'that would all stop.'
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Hulk Hogan Was MAGA All The Way": Trump Pays Tribute To 'Great Friend'
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) paid tribute to wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, calling him a "great friend" and praising his strength, intelligence, and cultural influence. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster.' Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way -- Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!" Trump's tribute came shortly after news broke of Hogan's passing. Professional wrestling icon and pop culture legend Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71 in Florida, The Hill reported on Thursday. Hogan, born Terry Bollea, died on Thursday, with TMZ being the first to report his death. The Hill noted that Hogan made headlines last year with a surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he publicly endorsed President Donald Trump's White House bid. His dramatic onstage moment included ripping off his shirt and energizing the crowd. "When [Trump's] back in the White House, America's gonna start winning again," Hogan exclaimed during his appearance. Tributes also came in from the professional wrestling community. The WWE paid tribute to the Hall of Famer in a post on social media. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," it said. "One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans," The Hill cited. Hogan's influence extended beyond wrestling. His signature platinum-blond mustache, vibrant bandanas, and iconic "Hulkamania" shirts made him a global wrestling sensation throughout the 1980s, as The Hill highlighted in its report. In later years, Hogan indicated a continued connection with Trump and suggested he might take on a role in a future administration. Recalling a past conversation with Trump, Hogan said during a Fox News interview, "My president said, 'You know something, you'd be great to run the President's Council on Physical Fitness.'" Representatives for Hogan have not yet responded to a request for comment, The Hill added.
