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More than any other state, Pennsylvania has a good shot at changing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate after the 2022 midterm election.

Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomeys retirement is leaving a rare power vacuum in one of the countrys swingiest swing states, and Cook Political Report analyst Jessica Taylor, who is tracking key Senate races around the country, says that has led to a genuinely unpredictable outcome.

There are only two states on the map that Republicans hold that Democrats won in the presidential race, and those are Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, she said. Of those races, Pennsylvania, I think especially given that its an open seat, is really the best opportunity that Democrats have to flip a seat.

The dynamics could change as the primary and general elections draw closer, Taylor said. But right now, she says Democrats appear to be in a slightly stronger position because Republicans are still struggling to chart a post-Trump political course.

Establishment Republicans, Taylor notes, are lining up behind Jeff Bartos, while those aligned with Trump favor Sean Parnell, whom she calls a riskier choice.

The intra-party split isnt quite as pronounced on the Democratic side of the aisle, she noted, but its still present. Its unclear if Democratic primary voters will consolidate behind a progressive candidate, like John Fetterman or Malcolm Kenyatta, or a more centrist contender like Conor Lamb or Val Arkoosh.

National mood could make personality and policy differences moot, as midterms often bring a backlash against whichever party holds the presidency.

It will matter, Taylor said, where President Bidens numbers are a year from now.

If the national environment is bad [for Democrats], having a candidate who can be problematic, like Sean Parnell, may not matter, she said.

Scroll down to read about the candidates for Pennsylvanias U.S. Senate seat. This list will be updated as new information surfaces.

Democratic candidates:

Kimberly Paynter

Malcolm Kenyatta, 31Current occupation: State representativePolitical history: Community organizer, legislative stafferHometown: North Philadelphia

Kenyatta, a two-term state representative from North Philly, is running a progressive campaign rooted largely in social justice. At 31, he would be the youngest member of the U.S. Senate.

The first openly gay Black man to serve in Pennsylvanias legislature, Kenyatta says his platform is rooted in his own experience growing up poor in Philly. He wants to reduce or eliminate student loan debt and create free higher education options, raise the federal minimum wage, and impose a wealth tax on people worth $50 million or more, among other things. Hes also the only major Senate candidate who has said hed support a moratorium on fracking.

Between his graduation from Temple University and his 2018 election to the legislature, Kenyatta worked behind the scenes in city politics and got involved in community activism.

He is a longtime ally of President Joe Biden. While many of his fellow young, urban Pennsylvania progressives supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 race, Kenyatta threw his hat in for Biden early. He became a prominent surrogate for the former vice president, getting significant airtime on cable news throughout the race, and eventually being named a rising star in the party during the 2020 DNC, alongside fellow candidate Conor Lamb.

John Fetterman, 52Current occupation: Lieutenant governorPolitical history: Braddock mayor, ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2016Hometown:Braddock

Fetterman, former mayor of the small steel town of Braddock, and current Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, has a phrase he has repeated throughout his candidacy for U.S. Senate: the union way of life is sacred.

Fetterman, a progressive who wants universal healthcare, legal weed, and an overhauled criminal justice system, is taking a stab at creating the kind of Democratic coalition long thought to be mostly extinct in Pennsylvania: where urban liberals and union workers can find a home under one umbrella.

Hes primarily trying to achieve that through energy policy. Fetterman, who lives across the street from Braddocks steel mill, has called the tension between ending reliance on fossil fuels and maintaining union energy jobs a false choice. He says he supports transitioning away from coal and natural gas, but also says doing it too quickly is unacceptable. A spokesman recently told WHYY that we cant just abandon these people, and tell them to go learn how to code.

Fetterman has easily led the early Democratic field in both fundraising and spending, and has more than $3 million on hand over $1 million more than his closest Democratic opponent.

Emma Lee

Val Arkoosh, 55Current occupation: Chair of Montgomery County CommissionersPolitical history: Ran unsuccessfully for Congress (PA-13, now PA-02) in 2014Hometown: Springfield Township

Arkoosh, a former practicing physician who now serves as the chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, is the only woman running for the Senate seat who has previously held elected office.

She has centered health care in her Senate campaign, noting that as a doctor, she has seen radically different health outcomes based on income, race, and gender. She was a prominent Affordable Care Act advocate during an unsuccessful 2014 run for Congress, and says she still thinks adjusting that program is the best bet for making health care more affordable.

The county Arkoosh currently leads is Pennsylvanias second wealthiest. It has shifted sharply left over the last decade, moving from a bastion of well-off Republicans, to one of similarly comfortable Democrats.

Many of the accomplishments she lists reflect standard Democratic policy positions raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for county workers, and giving those workers six weeks of paid parental leave while others are more specific to her constituents, like preserving farmland, restoring Montcos AAA bond rating, and maintaining relatively low property taxes.

Conor Lamb, 37Current occupation: Congressman (PA-17)Political history: Assistant U.S. AttorneyHometown: Mt. Lebanon

Lamb, a two-term US. representative from Allegheny County, is the most forthrightly moderate member of Pennsylvanias Democratic Senate field.

The former Marine and federal prosecutor has balked at big-spending proposals like single-payer health care while in Congress, and differed with the progressive wing of his party on sweeping messaging on defunding police and banning fracking, which he said alienated more conservative Democrats and independents.

Lamb is from a tricky district for Democrats, and has walked a fine political line since he flipped the seat blue in a 2018 special election. He retained it just eight months later in the general election, after being drawn into a new district and being forced to run against an incumbent Republican. He was reelected last year in a contest with a Trump-sympathetic opponent.

Lamb was a relatively late entrant to the U.S. Senate race, but has since confirmed himself to be a formidable fundraiser. After moving his congressional war chest over to the Senate campaign, he has more than $1.7 million on hand, second only to Fetterman among Democrats.

Democrats likely to join the race:

Kimberly Paynter

Sharif Street, 46Current occupation: State senator, Pennsylvania Democratic Party vice-chairPolitical history: Lawyer, Chief Democratic advisor on Senate Housing and Urban Development CommitteeHometown: North Philadelphia

A member of the Pa. Senate since 2016, Street has perhaps the most conventional political background of any candidate. His father, John Street, was mayor of Philly from 2000 to 2008, and a longtime City Council member before that.

Street grew up in the world of Philadelphia politics. Though he worked for nearly two decades as a lawyer before entering public life, he says his history factors heavily into his approach to his potential Senate bid. In April, when he filed a statement of candidacy and launched an exploratory committee, he told WHYY that hes uniquely well-connected on the ground in his city, Pennsylvanias biggest Democratic stronghold.

Hes from the same area as Malcolm Kenyatta, he noted, calling his potential opponent a great guy, but adding, When you talk to people in North Philadelphia about us, I dont think theres much debate.

Like much of the Democratic field, Street is progressive. Hes cited his key issues as being addressing gun violence, investing in education and career and technical training, and legalizing recreational marijuana.

Republican candidates:

Jeff Bartos

Jeff Bartos, 48Current occupation: Real estate developerPolitical history: 2018 lieutenant governor candidate, longtime GOP fundraiserHometown: Lower Merion

Bartos didnt formally enter electoral politics until 2018, when he joined former state Senator Scott Wagners 2018 gubernatorial bid, but hes no stranger to it.

A longtime fixture in the Pennsylvania real estate scene former jobs include a stint as a Toll Brothers division president Bartos has a long history as a GOP committeeperson and fundraiser. After his bid for lieutenant governor, during which he came off as generally affable and pragmatic beside the bombastic Wagner, Bartos was named chair of the state Republican Partys finance committee.

Thus far, Bartos has attempted to split the difference between appealing to the wing of his party eager to still ally itself with Donald Trump, and the more moderate wing attempting to distance itself from the former president.

In a video formally announcing his campaign, Bartos centered his appreciation for small businesses and talked about the nonprofit he co-founded in the midst of the pandemic, the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund, which raises money to extend forgivable grants to businesses. But he also threw a bone to the former president, noting that he thinks Trump represented someone listening to millions of Pennsylvanians who felt like no one was fighting for them.

Bartos is not, however, Trumps chosen candidate. The endorsement went to Sean Parnell, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2020 with Trumps blessing. Much of Bartoss recent campaign missives have been attacks on Parnell, highlighting now-expunged protection from abuse orders (PFAs) Parnells wife sought against him in 2017 and 2018.

Lucy Perkins

Sean Parnell, 39Current occupation: Author, Fox News contributorPolitical history: Ran unsuccessfully for Congress (PA-17) in 2020Hometown: Ohio Township

Parnell is the candidate in the GOP field who has managed to ally himself most closely with Trump and his voter base.

A decorated former Army Ranger, who earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for valor while serving in Afghanistan, Parnell has been best-known in recent years for his frequent, consistently Trump-friendly commentary on Fox News. That reputation grew as he launched his 2020 campaign for Congress in one of Pennsylvanias purplest districts, where he lost narrowly to moderate Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb.

Parnells loss didnt cool Trumps support. He got a major boost when the former president endorsed him early this September, claiming baselessly that Parnell got robbed in his congressional run in the Crime of the Century the 2020 Presidential Election Scam. Its a claim Parnell has also echoed, albeit less explicitly, in calling for a forensic audit of the 2020 election in Pa.

Parnell and competitor Jeff Bartos have repeatedly traded barbs over the PFAs Parnells wife sought in the years before his congressional bid. Bartos said they make Parnell unelectable, while Parnell said Bartoss statements have been provably false and a scheme to score political points.

Parnells campaign told City and State PA that the PFAs were indeed issued, but Parnells wife later withdrew one, and a judge dismissed the second.

Kathy Barnette

Kathy Barnette, 49Current occupation: Political commentatorPolitical history: Ran unsuccessfully for Congress (PA-04) in 2020Hometown: Huntingdon Valley

Barnette, a veteran of the U.S. Army reserves who worked in finance before entering politics, is best-known for her crusade to find evidence of fraud in the 2020 election.

After losing badly and unsurprisingly to incumbent Democrat Madeleine Dean in a congressional race in deeply blue Montgomery County, Barnette became convinced something had been amiss in the race, and in the election at large, and coordinated with several prominent election fraud evangelists in her efforts to prove those theories.

Theres no evidence of any widespread or significant fraud in the 2020 election. But Barnettes post-2020 activities have made her prominent in right-wing, Trump-sympathetic circles, and she has become a frequent commentator on far-right shows.

She has also become a fairly formidable fundraiser. As of candidates last filing deadline, at the end of June, Barnette had more than $476,000 on hand, third to Bartos and Parnell in the GOP field. Her total receipts have been even greater than Parnells.

Carla Sands

Carla Sands, 60Current occupation: CEO of investment firm Vintage CapitalPolitical history: Ambassador to Denmark under Trump, served on Trumps Economic Advisory CouncilHometown: Camp Hill, though she very recently lived in Los Angeles

Sands put two things front and center in a video announcing her candidacy: her Christian values and servants heart, and her work and personal relationship with Trump. Her message to Pennsylvania voters is that our home she moved back recently, after selling her Bel-Air, Los Angeles, house for $19.5 million in 2019 is overtaxed and overregulated, and burdened with dwindling jobs, failing schools, and rising crime.

Sands worked as a chiropractor in Pennsylvania, before relocating to California with her late husband. After his death in 2015, she took over his investment company. She supported the former president in 2016 and was a key Trump fundraiser in California, and her support eventually turned into a spot on his Economic Advisory Council, and then an ambassadorship.

Shes expected to bring her own substantial financial resources to the race, though hadnt yet reported campaign finance data as of candidates last filing deadline.

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Progressive, Centrist, Trumper? These 2022 Candidates Could Change The Balance Of Power In The U.S. Senate - 90.5 WESA

We have looked at and talked to a bunch of progressive partners around the country West Virginia did West Virginia Cant Wait, said Brown, referencing the 2020 grassroots movement to bring a pro-labor electoral infrastructure to Charleston. The co-op model is, we think, kind of a breakthrough in progressive political organizing because the candidates pay dues and that means that the co-op can provide direct services to them, everything A to Z: campaign manager, recruitment, candidate training, writing campaign plans. So its really like running a statewide, coordinated campaign for 50 candidates.

The Sunrise Movement, the youth-led climate organization, has already endorsed the slate and is out with an ad promoting the bloc of candidates.

After Gov.Gina Raimondo, a Wall Street-friendly venture capitalist, resigned to become President Joe Bidens commerce secretary in March,Lt. Gov Dan McKee, a moderate Democrat, was sworn in as governor.McKee and a handful of other Democrats are also vying for governor in 2022.

Brown challenged Raimondo in 2018but did so without a statewide network, losing in the primary 57-34 percent, or roughly 28,000 votes.

But this time, Brown has a stronger progressive network to tap. The Rhode Island Political Cooperative won 10 of its 24 races in the 2020 election cycle: two for city council, five for state Senate, and three in the House.

Those victories shook up the state legislature. The General Assembly, which had balked at a minimum wage increase for years, quickly passed a bill lifting the minimum to $15 an hour, while making additional nods in a progressive direction.

But for the insurgents, it quickly became clear that a more wholesale sweep was needed. Mendes, who had knocked off the finance chair, said that she was taken aback at the apathy and callousness on display from her Democratic colleagues. As a state Senator, I witnessed really up close and personal the apathy and negligence of our government and just how they just refuse to work on behalf of the people even in the moments of our greatest need, she said. It was one thing to intellectually understand the corruption of the state government, but it was another thing altogether to see it up close.

It was difficult, Mendes said, to deal with the ache of being in that space and realizing how much they didnt care. Mendes, a single mom and a nurse, said that the gap between her everyday life at home and her life in the statehouse was monumental. To live in a community where theres a sense of urgency that there are deep needs around us, and that we need to address them, and then go into a chamber where people are interested in going to fundraisers, and getting a headline, and getting in front of a camera its actually surreal, she said.

We just cant wait for corrupt politicians to start caring, Mendes said.

Read the original:
Rhode Island Progressives Are Coming for Political Establishment - The Intercept

With Daniel Lippman

INFRASTRUCTURE COALITION FLIES IN AHEAD OF EXPECTED HOUSE VOTE: A coalition of business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is amping up its pressure on House lawmakers to pass the bipartisan infrastructure package next week as political dynamics surrounding the measure have kept its prospects for passage murky. The groups, part of the Coalition for Bipartisan Infrastructure, launched a national day of action today, which includes a letter to House members, meetings on the Hill and a grassroots and social media push urging members to support the bill if, as Democratic leaders pledged this morning, it comes up for a vote next Monday.

A spokesperson for the Chamber said that the business lobby is doubling down on its outreach to Republicans in the House, a push that comes as a bloc of liberal Democrats threatens to torpedo the bill if its not tied to passage of a partisan $3.5 trillion social spending and climate package. Though 19 Republicans in the Senate voted for the bipartisan legislation, POLITICOs Olivia Beavers reported this morning that House leadership only has fewer than a dozen Republican votes not enough to overcome progressives opposition. The Chamber is lobbying House Republicans, highlighting the historic levels of funding that will be provided as well as the local projects that will be completed if the bill passes.

Another member of the infrastructure coalition, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, has been blanketing the Hill today as part of a sprint to Mondays deadline, focusing its lobbying efforts at this point on House Republicans almost exclusively. Out of meetings with around 60 congressional offices today and tomorrow, the vast majority have been with Republicans as the trade association urges them to not throw the baby out with the bath water, the groups top lobbyist, Kip Eideberg, told PI. After their meetings, Eideberg said AEM feels confident that anywhere from 10 to 15 Republicans will vote for the package while trusting in [Speaker Nancy Pelosi] when she tells us that she will have enough Democrats to pass the bill.

AEM is pairing its D.C. advocacy with a grassroots pushback in members districts, looking to get Republicans out to equipment manufacturing facilities while providing air cover to yes votes and nudging other lawmakers who are leaning in that direction. It's an all-out effort on House Republicans, Eideberg said.

Both trade groups joined more than 100 trade associations, business groups and unions on a letter to all House members today urging yes votes on the bipartisan bill. The letter touts the broad benefits of the bipartisan bill in each state as identified by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in addition to good-paying jobs through project construction in the short term and improved safety and mobility for people and goods for decades to come across the country. The letter was signed by other groups, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Trucking Associations, the AFL-CIO, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Got some juicy K Street or reconciliation gossip? Lets hear it: [emailprotected]. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

SLACK YOU LATER: Slack, the ubiquitous business messaging platform from Salesforce Inc., is debuting a new tool for business leaders to coordinate policy letters and outreach to Congress, the White House and other local or global policymakers, Salesforces head of global sustainability, Patrick Flynn, told POLITICO Long Games Lorraine Woellert. Were going to bring our voice together and communicate to Congress or the president or the G-20 that climate matters to us, Flynn told her. The current process involves a flurry of emails and back-channel communications, and the new feature brings those talks to a single place. Its a massive streamlining of that effort.

ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: A political strategist who was pardoned by the former president after being convicted in a 2012 campaign finance scheme is facing new charges related to an alleged 2016 plot to illegally funnel donations made by a Russian national to support then-candidate Donald Trumps White House bid, The Washington Posts Felicia Somnez and Isaac Stanley-Becker report.

Jesse Benton, 43, who was previously a top aide to former congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and later ran the pro-Trump Great America super PAC, was charged this month, according to a federal indictment in Washington unsealed Monday. Also charged is Roy Douglas Doug Wead, 75, a conservative author and former special assistant to President George H.W. Bush.

Prosecutors allege that Benton and Wead made a so-called straw-man donation, illegally soliciting a contribution from a Russian national months before the 2016 election that they then funneled into a joint fundraising committee. The pair then filed false FEC reports to conceal the true source of the funding, prosecutors say. Federal disclosures from that period make clear the donation went to support Trumps election, though the recipient is not named in the indictment. Authorities allege Benton arranged for the Russian national to attend a fundraiser and get a photograph with the candidate, in exchange for a political contribution.

Benton and Wead concealed the scheme from the candidate, federal regulators, and the public, according to the indictment. The court filing does not name Trump, but details in the indictment match a $25,000 donation that Benton made in the fall of 2016 to a committee that jointly raised money for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, campaign finance records show.

CASSIDY ADDS LONGTIME APPROPS HAND: Sarah Young has left the House Appropriations Committee, where she was the top staffer on the Military Construction-VA Subcommittee, after more than two decades to join Cassidy & Associates as a senior vice president. Young is the latest Hill aide to end up at Cassidy in recent months Samantha Swing, a former aide to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and a Harry Reid alum, joined Cassidy last month as a vice president. Earlier this year, Andrew Forbes rejoined the firm after serving as legislative director for the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), while Will Fadely joined as a vice president from The Wilderness Society.

HEARING AID MANUFACTURER LAUNCHES PUSH TO SHAPE ACCESSIBILITY RULES IN WASHINGTON: Starkey Hearing Technologies has launched a new initiative looking to shape the conversation around various legislative and regulatory pushes in D.C. aimed at making hearing aids more accessible. The new initiative, dubbed Listen Carefully, will seek to make health care professionals' voices more prominent as Democrats in Congress weigh expanding Medicare benefits to include hearing.

The companys push also looks to counter misinformation surrounding an executive order from President Joe Biden this year targeting the lack of over-the-counter hearing aids, as the industry awaits regulations from FDA that were due last year. As the push ramps up, lobbying disclosures show Starkey brought on a new outside lobbying firm at the beginning of August, retaining Robert White Associates in addition to its existing bench of lobbyists at Forbes-Tate and The Petrizzo Group.

As the largest American-owned hearing aid manufacturer, Starkey has a responsibility to share accurate information with lawmakers about hearing healthcare, to help guide informed legislative policies, Starkey President and CEO Brandon Sawalich said in a statement. Together, we will be a voice for the millions of Americans who suffer from hearing loss and are looking to officials in Washington to get OTC hearing aid regulation and Medicare expansion right.

REGULATORS MOVE TO CRACK DOWN ON STABLECOINS: The Treasury Department is moving to rein in a new class of cryptocurrencies whose popularity as a payment method is skyrocketing, POLITICOs Victoria Guida reports, citing a need to head off potential risks to consumers and to the financial system. So-called stablecoins payment tokens that differ from other cryptocurrencies because their value is often pegged to the U.S. dollar are drawing scrutiny because they have already been used in trillions of dollars worth of lightning-fast transactions and could transform the way Americans pay for things. Treasury and other regulators want to ensure that theyre reliable, even during financial panics.

The new attention is setting up a clash between the emerging crypto industry and financial regulators and is also feeding tension between the upstarts and more traditional firms like banks, which dominate the payments industry. Yet its also a sign that, even as assets like Bitcoin grab headlines as speculative investments, virtual currencies are steadily becoming more enmeshed in the U.S. financial system. There are some benefits to consumers that are worth exploring; namely, facilitation of faster payments, FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams said in an interview. But there are also risks if stablecoins are adopted more broadly.

A message from HCA Healthcare:

HCA Healthcare has treated more COVID-19 inpatients than any other health system in the U.S. By analyzing our vast repository of COVID-19 data, we have a unique ability to leverage and share learnings to improve patient outcomes and public knowledge. The insights gained from our research and collaborations with the CDC and NIH will greatly accelerate the discovery of new approaches to care. See how we show up for our patients, communities and each other.

Michele Connell has been appointed global managing partner at Squire Patton Boggs. Shell succeed Fred Nance, who will launch a newly created DEI office within the firm. Connell was previously managing partner of Squires Cleveland office and strategic adviser to its corporate clients.

Sarah Meek joined BlueCross BlueShield as its director of government affairs, where she will be responsible for developing CareFirsts advocacy strategy. Meek previously worked for Lutheran Services in America Disability Network and the Alliance for Retired Americans.

Progressive data firm TargetSmart added Jamaa Bickley-King, a veteran of New Virginia Majority and Change the Game, as chief solutions officer. Chris Brill will rejoin the firm as director of strategic consulting after advising progressive outside groups in 2020.

Anand Gopal is joining Energy Innovation as executive director of strategy and policy. He was previously an environment program officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Reana Kovalcik is joining the Organic Trade Association in October as director of public affairs. Kovalcik previously served as the associate director for communications and development at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and most recently as communications adviser on climate for American Forests.

Former Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) is joining FTI Consulting as a senior adviser in the strategic communications practice. She most recently was president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance.

Bonnie Glick is joining the Center for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue as its inaugural director. She previously was deputy administrator and COO at USAID.

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A message from HCA Healthcare:

HCA Healthcare has treated more suspected and positive COVID-19 inpatients than any other health system in the nation. We are taking the learnings and insights we have gathered from these encounters and sharing them with prominent research institutions to accelerate the discovery of new approaches to care, improve patient outcomes and, ultimately, save lives.

Our innovative partnerships with governments, technology companies and other health systems allow us to pool resources, expertise and capabilities to improve the national COVID-19 response. By collaborating with the CDC, government agencies and other healthcare organizations, HCA Healthcare is supporting hospitals and caregivers around the world not just our own in the fight against COVID-19.

Through patient-centered care, collaboration, research and innovation, we are showing up for our patients, our communities and each other. Learn more about HCA Healthcares COVID-19 response.

The rest is here:
Business groups zero in on House Republicans to save BIF as progressives waver - Politico

Five progressive organizations on Tuesday urged top congressional Democrats to exclude a carbon tax from the sweeping budget reconciliation package they aim to pass this week following reports that the policy is under consideration in the U.S. Senate.

"Carbon taxes... do not reduce emissions, they put a squeeze on working families, and they are embraced by polluters."Mitch Jones, Food & Water Watch

Given the Senate's current makeup and Democrats' refusal to abolish the filibuster, passing the Build Back Better package is considered essential to delivering on President Joe Biden's climate pledges. Backed by the latest science, progressives have repeatedly advocated against including "false solutions" that impede a just transition away from fossil fuels and exacerbate the climate emergency.

Climate Justice Alliance, Food & Water Watch, Indigenous Environmental Network, Our Revolution, and Progressive Democrats of America made their case for leaving a carbon tax out of the package in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

While applauding Democratic leaders' efforts to generate the money necessary to combat the climate emergency, the groups warn of the expected harms of such a policy and argue that repealing fossil fuel subsidies "would provide a simpler and more robust revenue stream."

The letter came amid uncertainty over the fate of both the Build Back Better package and a bipartisan infrastructure bill, and just days after Wyden confirmed to The New York Times that in the face of opposition to the party's tax plan from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Schumer instructed him to craft legislation that would put a price on carbon emissions but also align with Biden's vow not to raise taxes on households making below $400,000.

As Wyden noted to the Times, a carbon tax remains a heavy push politically even if it comes with a dividend that would return a portion of the money to consumers. Of course, the more money returned to consumers in the form of rebates, the less revenue there is to spend on other programsthe point of instituting a carbon tax.

The potential impact that such a policy could have on families with lower incomes is among the concerns detailed in the groups' letter:

The Build Back Better Act is touted as the best shot to address the climate crisis, but it is also an opportunity to address the injustice and harms that fossil fuels bring to Black, Indigenous nations, and environmental justice communities. Including a carbon tax as a pay-for in this spending plan will further our dependency on fossil fuels and undermine efforts to eliminate and reduce pollution in vulnerable communities. Furthermore, this regressive tax will also undermine a key promise of President Biden to not raise taxes on people making under $400,000 per year, an increase that will be felt hardest among low- and moderate-income households who are least equipped to make investments necessary to avoid carbon emissions and these new taxes.

The organizations explain that fossil fuel interests support carbon taxes because they not only sustain but create more dependence on the industry by making social programslike those proposed in the Democrats' packagereliant on revenue from polluters.

"This perverse relationship," the letter warns, "will cause us to choose between the health of vulnerable communities and our climate or funding government programs, a dichotomy we should avoid at all costs."

"The inclusion of a carbon tax," the letter continues, "would create an inequitable, discriminatory, ineffective, and ultimately regressive proposal that gives a green light for the biggest climate scofflaws to pay to pollute and maintain a harmful status quo."

Food & Water Watch policy director Mitch Jones echoed the letter's warnings and demands in a statement Tuesday.

"Carbon taxes have fallen out of serious climate discussions for good reasons: They do not reduce emissions, they put a squeeze on working families, and they are embraced by polluters as a ploy to look concerned about climate while continuing business as usual," he said.

"If lawmakers are really concerned about holding the costs of this spending bill," Jones added, "they should get rid of the billions of dollars we waste every year on subsidies to polluters."

Read the original post:
Progressive Groups Warn Congress Against Including Carbon Tax in Reconciliation Package - Common Dreams

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura: The four-time U.S. chess champion is a dominant player in the Blitz game variety, otherwise known as speed chess. Known for being a calm and collected player, Nakamura is also famous for singing during games and mentoring other players. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]Fabiano Caruana is the No. 2ranked chess player in the world. Fourteen years ago, he became the youngest American grandmaster, at age 14, beating a record set by chess legend Bobby Fischer. Still, the St. Louisbased Caruanawho trails Norways Magnus Carlsen by just 41 pointsinsists that hes a pretty normal guy. I like movies and sports, and Im not a genius . . . plenty of people have the same skill level or ability as me, he says. He credits his success to a strict training regimen and a strong work ethic. Heres how he keeps his mental tools sharp enough to stay one of the best in the royal game.

Five-time Canadian National Girls Champion Alexandra Botez began streaming her games while at Stanford.Now she manages the BotezLive Twitch and YouTube channels with her chess playing sister, Andrea, where they have more than 70,000 followers. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]Caruanas parents signed him up for a chess club in Park Slope, Brooklyn, when he was 5 years old. I was having some disciplinary problems at school, and they thought this could help, he says. After his coach noticed his potential, he began taking private lessons and competing in tournaments at the Marshall Chess Club, in Manhattan. Now, beginners can train on their own. Theres really great open-source software, so practicing at a high level is very accessible to people, he says, adding that the next few generations will be stronger than my generation because of that. As chess players gain a following on Twitch, he hopes that more kids will pick up the game (see below). However, he says, there are some practical skills that you get from years of playing in tournaments, like learning how to play in front of people and assess your opponent sitting in front of you, that you cant get in front of a screen. For Caruana, embracing the game involved some personal sacrifices, including being homeschooled after age 12 in order to devote more time to tournaments.

Anna Rudolf: The 33-year-old Hungarian player is an international grandmaster and woman grandmaster; she is known for her signature bright-red lipstick, which she wears while playing. Rudolf is popular with fans across the world, creating content in English, Spanish, and Hungarian. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]Prior to every match, Caruana studies the way his opponents play, looking at their moves from previous competitions on an online database. For help, he works with a chess coach, who helps me come up with a strategy for how to start my games and often offers a different perspective on how to approach a problem, which is really valuable. Caruana also relies on a coach for emotional support during tournaments. You want a coach that you click with. Its a personal thing, he says, explaining that its hard to talk about a tough chess game with friends, because they may not understand [the game] at such a high level, and they may not understand how tough it is for me emotionally. When I need to complain or talk to someone, I talk to my coach. Though he has made friends with other players and spends time with them on the circuit, he admits that it can be tough to get close to people he is constantly competing with. Outside of practicing chess, Caruana says its important for him to train physicallyhe plays tennis regularlyand decompress, which he does by watching movies. When you play chess for hours at a time, its easy to be mentally exhausted, and you actually burn a lot of calories playing. Its important to have an outlet for all the stress, and to do things where you dont think about chess at all.

Levy Rozman: The 25-year-old chess international master gained fame for breaking down the games played in the hit Netflix miniseries The Queens Gambit. A chess coach as well, he uses his content to educate viewers; he has also published full courses for players at all levels. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]According to Caruana, the difference between the very top players in the world and everyone else doesnt come down to ability or knowledge. Its a concentration thing, he says. Its having the ability and the stamina to focus for a long period of time. Although playing in front of an audience doesnt bother himhe has, after all, been competing since he was 6Caruana says that developing a winning mindset is key, especially after facing setbacks. When youre defending a bad position [on the board], its not fun. I get depressed. But you have to realize that your opponent could also make a mistake, he says. He has developed several strategies to change his outlook when hes in a tough spot. For instance, If I feel like Im fighting for something, its easier. I can decide to consider a draw a victory. I can also decide to make it as hard as possible for my opponent to finish off the game. I have to realize that I still have a chance.

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How chess champ Fabiano Caruana keeps his head in the game - Fast Company