Comment on All Hollowed Out

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is in line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in the next Trump administration, is well-known for promoting conspiracy theories and vaccine skepticism in the United States,” the New York Times reports. “But Mr. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has also spent years working abroad to undermine policies that have been pillars of global health policy for a half-century, records show.” “He has done this by lending his celebrity, and the name of his nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, to a network of overseas chapters that sow distrust in vaccine safety and spread misinformation far and wide.”

New York Times: “Democrats didn’t have a competitive presidential primary race this year, the kind of contest that could have propelled state leaders to national stardom and forced a robust discussion about the direction of the party.” “But as up-and-coming Democrats blanketed the country — campaigning for the presidential ticket, promoting down-ballot candidates, working the national fund-raising and cable news circuits — many of them also managed to quietly develop bigger platforms, broader networks and a batch of new admirers across some of the country’s most politically important states.” “Such advantages will help determine who has outsize influence in the debate over the beleaguered party’s future — and who generates the most buzz in the earliest stages of the next presidential race.”

“Corporate America is unleashing an unorthodox campaign to influence Donald Trump’s agenda in the weeks leading up to his second inauguration, a period that is emerging as a key stretch for shaping the next administration,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “To break into the unusual circle of influence that surrounds Trump, chief executives are discussing whether to try to secure an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.

“As discussions intensify on Capitol Hill over reupping President-elect Donald Trump’s signature tax cuts, Republicans are headed for a massive fight over what could be a nearly $5 trillion price tag,” Politico reports. “Top House and Senate lawmakers are deeply divided over what, if anything, to do about the hit to the budget that would come by renewing the slew of tax cuts benefiting millions of Americans that are set to expire at the end of next year.”

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. On Monday, Senator Debbie Stabenow, a longtime champion of programs that support farmers and increase access to nutritious foods, introduced a new version of the farm bill, a key piece of legislation typically renewed every five years that governs much of how the agricultural industry in the US operates.  Stabenow, who is retiring next month after representing Michigan in the Senate for 24 years, has staked her career on her vision for a robust, progressive farm bill, one that, among other things, paves the way for farmers to endure the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The text of her bill comes almost two months after the 2018 farm bill, which initially expired last year and was revived thanks to a one-year extension, expired for a second time on September 30.

The recent announcement from Russia that they had launched a hypersonic missile against Ukraine reminds us of some sketchy incidents that occurred during the Obama administration.