by | Dec 3, 2024 | The Hill
Rahm Emanuel, who currently serves as U.S. ambassador to Japan, advised that Democrats should “welcome” President-elect Trump’s newly created
(DOGE).
“I would say welcome it. And I would say 100 percent ready to meet with you, so let’s go and have a full agenda that puts them on their back foot,” Emanuel told New York Times columnist Ezra Klein in an interview on Monday.
“And they have to make a choice between what they say they’re for and what their actual interests are,” he added.
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Emanuel, whose name has been
as a
in the
for Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, also referenced a quote from baseball star Yogi Berra.
“The part of a political strategy is you put people in, as Yogi Berra used to say, where you get to the fork in the road, take it,” The former Chicago mayor said, per the Times report. “And so that’s what would be my approach. Not fight it.”
“People want to reform something, change something. I’m 100 percent for it. Let’s go. Couldn’t be more excited. Ready to meet today,” Emanuel, former President Obama’s ex-chief of staff continued, adding that he would have a “full agenda, 10 items, that is proactive” prepared.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk,
to lead DOGE, have
that the panel will identify “thousands” of regulations for the president-elect to eliminate, which they argue will justify “mass head-count reductions” across government. Trump has also
that it will “provide advice and guidance” from outside of government.
Though, some experts have
that the panel could face an uphill battle given its seemingly advisory role.
Earlier in the interview, Emanuel pointed to former Vice President Gore’s 1993 commission in the Clinton administration, dubbed the
, as an example of how Democrats could approach government reform.
“It worked on reforming government. It also worked on funding public safety and other initiatives that Democrats cared about,” he said. “We should be against government rules.”
by | Dec 3, 2024 | The Hill
A consumer advocacy group wants the
(FTC) to open an investigation into whether Dr. Mehmet Oz violated
by promoting products from a wellness and supplement company across social media without appropriate disclosures.
In a letter sent to the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Tuesday, Public Citizen said Oz regularly cross-posts content for iHerb among various platforms like X, TikTok and Instagram without disclosing his financial connections to the company.
“Disguised advertisements are inherently deceptive, because consumers do not know to apply appropriate screens,” Public Citizen said in the letter. “The issue is acute with disguised ads featuring paid endorsements, where deceived consumers believe admired celebrities are making genuine, self-directed and enthusiastic endorsements of brands, not realizing that those celebrities are instead paid and may not even use the touted brand.”
Oz, who was
by President-elect Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has served as a “global advisor” for iHerb since 2023.
In an Instagram post the day before Thanksgiving, Oz
that they could reduce Thanksgiving stress “with adaptogens like ashwagandha from a trusted source like iHerb.”
Public Citizen noted Oz discloses that he is an “@iHerb Global Advisor & Stakeholder” but none of his video posts disclose his financial connections, nor does the accompanying text. The posts also lack other disclosures such as the hashtag #ad.
FTC guidelines say that advertiser disclosures should be placed with the endorsement message itself.
“The guidelines are clear that endorsement disclosures must be made in every promotion, not just generically,” the watchdog wrote. “Specifically, if a person is using their social media account to promote a product or service in exchange for compensation, they must note the paid relationship in social media post.”
Oz’s posts on TikTok do contain disclosures, which Public Citizen said are likely automated by TikTok’s content disclosure system. But it is not clear if they sufficiently disclose his interests, the group added.
by | Dec 3, 2024 | The Hill
There’s no mincing words. The forthcoming transition of United States presidential administrations is sending shockwaves through the climate advocacy community.
Many say that it highlights an almost definitive exponential increase in emissions —
; the
asserts this is an emissions trajectory we just cannot afford. This may seem alarmist if the rhetoric has not been matched with conservatives in the incoming administration calling climate change
, and claiming climate scientists
But while the polarizing language seems to leave little room for discussion, an immediate urgency for climate adaptation, investing in resilience to the impacts of climate change amidst increasing disasters, is an area of potential consensus in a divided landscape. Finding that consensus is literally a matter of life or death in the face of increasing disasters.
Below, we identify key areas of potential consensus on the actions and the value propositions for achieving climate adaptation action with the incoming administration.
It’s the Economy, Stupid
The macroeconomic implications of climate disaster must be framed apolitically, and there is a clear case for proactive federal investment in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
that 2024 is on track to be one of the most costly years for climate-related damages, with almost two dozen billion-dollar disasters so far. The U.S.
where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including Consumer Price Index adjustment to 2024).
The total cost of these 400 events exceeds $2.785 trillion. There is work to be done to carefully and convincingly link the data to climate change, but these numbers are compelling a-politically to any kind of administration.
Further, while many Republican governors have
money designated for climate mitigation, they have been moving forward with adaptation projects in disaster-battered states like
, as well as with
upskilling efforts in Texas and Ohio. This shows a willingness to at least acknowledge the increasing costs resulting from disasters and creates opportunities for climate adaptation strategies designed to prevent major economic losses.
Immigration Cannot be Solved by Security Alone
With immigration being a hot topic during the campaign, we can also expect to see early and significant action on immigration reform from the Administration as well as Congress. The Trump administration is likely to make tackling illegal immigration a top priority. And while border security will be an early topic of action, stemming the flow of migrants to the border will also be needed, of which, climate change is a major driver.
Climate-induced displacement (climate migration) is rapidly increasing due to climate change. Latin America is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change and there will be increases in cross-border migration. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that there will be
.
A key priority should be working to reduce the shocks that drive migration through foreign aid to alleviate immigration pressures overall.
, such as Mexico, can also help to keep people safely where they are. Shaping migration dynamics before it reaches the U.S. is a strategy that will reduce the increasing pressures that end up at our borders.
Climate Security is National Security
Numerous national security reports have highlighted the impacts of climate change on national security going back nearly a
. These reports, ranging from
to
, highlight direct impacts on U.S. military bases and assets domestically and abroad, increased state destabilization from climate-change pressures (e.g. crop failures) leading to increased conflict, and an increase in humanitarian related missions. There are also changes to the way the military will need to train and operate under different climatic conditions.
The Council on Strategic Risks makes clear that
; it will be important to continue to build on Defense Department investments in monitoring and responding to food insecurity within the context of climate change.
International security leadership will be just as important as domestic national security. Through agencies like USAID, the U.S. supports water, land conservation projects and early warning systems in developing countries. The U.S.
will also help in both the national security and immigration policy areas in supporting early action to prevent broader destabilizing events.
We Can’t Be Great if We Can’t Compete
The global economy and markets are rapidly shifting towards renewable energy and low-carbon technologies that also have resilience benefits, such as renewable energy and energy storage.
in solar panel and battery production. If the U.S. is to continue in the battle of global clean technology supply chains and green exports, investing in renewable energy production will give it a competitive edge.
U.S. industries must also adapt to the imposition of carbon tariffs or standards on imports; expanding exports of renewable technologies requires climate-focused innovation and leadership.
The financial landscape also
— particularly related to material and physical climate risk. This is also the case for continued climate diplomacy; removing the U.S. from global climate venues will remove the United States from the discussions where the nature of hundreds of billions of dollars of investments are being determined.
We expect that there will be many setbacks in climate action over the next four years, but it is imperative that work continues towards climate adaptation where there is an opening for consensus. The economic case for disaster preparedness is increasingly self-evident, immigration pressures will only grow more complex with climate pressures, national security cannot be separated from climate security, and investing in renewable energy is imperative to continue competing on the global stage.
With these areas of potential agreement, momentum can be built in areas where progress is possible to build resilience in a warming world.
Amy Campbell is a Fulbright Scholar in the Climate and Society Program at the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. She is a former United Kingdom United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiator and former U.K. senior Net Zero policy advisor.
Jeff Schlegelmilch is the director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia Climate School, Columbia University. He is the author of “Rethinking Readiness: A Brief Guide to 21st Century Megadisasters”, and the co-author of “Catastrophic Incentives: Why Our Approaches to Disasters Keep Falling Short.”
by | Dec 3, 2024 | The Hill
Kash Patel, President-elect Trump’s choice to
, is needed more than ever, according to veteran news anchor Bill O’Reilly.
“The FBI knew what Joe Biden did and buried it,” O’Reilly told NewsNation’s “
” while discussing Hunter Biden’s
.
“We need Kash Patel in there to blow that place up,” he added.
O’Reilly said
is nothing new in America and that if he were Biden, he would have done the same thing and
his son as well.
Patel has
and restore trust in the federal agency that he’s described as “thoroughly compromised” while facing criticism from Democrats he is not qualified for the job.
Patel
by the U.S. Senate in order to secure the role, although some Washington insiders say he will face an
in landing the job.
If confirmed, Patel would replace the FBI’s current director, Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump and whose tenure wasn’t expected to end until 2027.
NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.
