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Sen. Ben Sasse tests positive for COVID-19

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from his office.

Communications director James Wegmann said on Thursday that Sasse tested positive on Wednesday after returning from Ukraine.

“He’s vaccinated and boosted, and is experiencing only mild symptoms,” Wegmann said in a statement. “He’ll isolate for the recommended five days — during that time, he’ll be working remotely.”

The news comes after Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to President Biden, warned this week that a new variant, BA.5, now makes up a majority of the cases in the U.S. and should be taken seriously.

The subvariant is believed to be more contagious and have a greater ability to evade vaccines. However, vaccines continue to provide protection against severe disease and death, especially among those who have received their booster shots.

Source: TEST FEED1

DHS review board says it could take years to fix government software vulnerability

A vulnerability in software that governments and companies around the world use could take years to eliminate, according to a report from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review board. 

The analysis states that a security engineer from the Alibaba Cloud Security team in China first reported the vulnerability to the Apache Software Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides support for Log4j, the software. 

The software collects and maintains information about system activity. 

The DHS’ Cyber Safety Review Board concluded that the vulnerability will be “endemic” and may remain in systems for up to a decade or more. 

The report notes that the board is not currently aware of any significant attacks on the Log4j software, and exploitation of the software happened at lower levels than expected based on the vulnerability’s severity. 

The report states that organizations spent significant resources to deal with the vulnerability, and the organizations that responded most effectively were the ones that understood their own use of the software and have the technical resources to manage assets, assess the risk that the vulnerability posed and mobilize response actions. 

The board made a series of recommendations to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for actions that should be taken in the future. 

The recommendations are categorized into four main focuses — addressing the continued risks of Log4j, adopting industry-accepted practices for managing vulnerabilities, building a more proactive model of vulnerability management and making investments for the country’s digital security in the future.

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden’s pension 'guarantee' stretches the law to bail out unions

Last Wednesday, President Biden said that the American Rescue Plan would provide a $90 billion bailout to multiemployer unions, “guaranteed” to keep eligible pension plans solvent until 2051. 

Forcing taxpayers with losses in their own retirement plans to selectively bailout severely mismanaged union plans is bad enough. But the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) rule finalized changing the statutory interest rate to increase the taxpayer funds plans receive is completely without statutory authority.  

The Supreme Court has recently been reigning in the administrative state, but PBGC’s regulation changing a rate required by statute is without any legal basis no matter the standard for agency discretion or judicial review. The rule does not pass the laugh test under the Chevron v Natural Resources Defense Council, et al ruling’s first prong, but the administration may be betting that no one will have the standing to challenge PBGC in court.

Limiting the pension bailout’s cost was politically necessary for enactment. The provisions permitting discretion for some assumptions used for calculating each plan’s bailout amount caused skepticism about the real cost. In contrast, the law clearly prohibits any changes to the interest rate, which would have increased the Congressional Budget Office’s $86 billion score. 

PBGC’s interim rule last July acknowledged the executive branch “does not have authority to provide a different rate or bifurcate the statutorily mandated interest rate.”

But Democrats led by Majority Leader Charles Schumer (NY) demanded the administration lower the interest rate, which the senators claimed, “is illogical and inconsistent … and has failure baked in the cake and repeats the very mistakes that have undermined pensions for decades.”  

The senators are correct on each of these counts. Basing the bailout amount on a high-interest rate makes it very unlikely the plans will last through 2051. And assuming even higher interest rates in order to promise pensions without adequately funding them for decades is the main reason multiemployer — and public — pension plans are so severely underfunded in the first place. 

However, the American Rescue Plan requires this interest rate, as PBGC initially admitted, because Democrats wanted to claim credit for a bailout lasting through 2051 without actually providing sufficient taxpayer funds to do so. 

Democrats refused to provide a long-term solution or impose any reforms, including the investment return assumption they acknowledge is severely problematic, thus providing every incentive for even more reckless plan governance in the expectation of future bailouts. Instead of terminating failed plans and having Treasury pay retirees, the American Rescue Plan built a house of cards under which PBGC gives plans a one-time injection of taxpayer funds to keep them solvent through 2051 — if all assumptions are met. At that point, the plans would owe retirees billions, thus requiring benefits to be virtually eliminated or another bailout. And, as Schumer noted, the house of cards is itself an illusion based on smoke and mirrors because Democrats based the bailout on unrealistic assumptions so that plans will almost certainly fail far earlier than 2051. 

Buckling to intense political pressure, the final rule lowers the statutory interest rate to funnel billions more to the plans on the justification that this is needed to give plans a chance of lasting until 2051, as if this itself provides lawful authority to do so.  

“PBGC has, after this further review of the statute, additional consultation with its Board agencies [Treasury, DOL, and, Commerce], consideration of comments, and extensive actuarial modeling, determined that an alternative interpretation… is reasonable and more likely to result in the [taxpayer funds] an eligible plan receives being sufficient for the plan to pay full benefits through 2051.” 

There is no limiting principle on the spending of taxpayer money if agencies can disregard the law with the hope no one has the standing to obtain judicial review. PBGC’s rationale that the American Rescue Plan’s goal to keep plans going through 2051 justifies overriding the statute to change the interest rate would also justify illegally pumping additional billions into plans if they run out of money before 2051, which is exactly what President Biden “guaranteed” on Wednesday. The bailout will cover only a small fraction of the $757 billion of underfunding in the plans. More than 95 percent of the system’s 11 million participants are in plans less than 60 percent funded. Why not also ignore the law’s eligibility criteria and bailout other plans?

Using a similar rationale, why couldn’t a Republican Treasury issue a regulation to lower the top tax rate from 37 percent to 35 percent on the grounds that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is intended to cut taxes?  

As Congress considers another reconciliation bill, its cost is a key consideration. Any Congressional Budget Office score of the bill would be meaningless if the Biden administration can later issue regulations changing the law to spend untold trillions in order to accomplish their policy objectives.

Aharon Friedman is a former senior advisor for tax policy at the U.S. Treasury and former senior tax counsel at the Committee on Ways & Means.

Source: TEST FEED1

It will take 132 years for men and women to be equal: report

The gender gap has struggled to make progress in the last year, as the world experienced a pandemic, skyrocketing inflation, climate change and more. A new global report has found that in 2022 the gender gap closed by 68 percent—and at that pace will take 132 years to reach full parity. 

The World Economic Forum published its Global Gender Gap Report 2022 and the results revealed that though more women around the world have moved into paid work and leadership positions— there have been plenty more setbacks. 

“The economic and social consequences of the pandemic and geopolitical conflict have paused progress and worsened outcomes for women and girls around the world – and risk creating permanent scarring in the labor market,” said Saadia Zahidi, managing director at World Economic Forum. 

The report laid out that no country out of the 146 analyzed has yet achieved full gender parity, but 10 economies have closed at least 80 percent of their gender gaps—with Iceland leading at 90.8 percent and other Scandinavian countries like Finland at 86 percent, Norway at 84.5 percent and Sweden at 82.2 percent, leading the way. 

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In comparison, North America, including the US, Canada and Mexico, has closed 76.9 percent of its gender gap—which means there are still 167 million women facing a remaining gender gap of 23.1 percent. 

That’s something the US Department of Labor also revealed, with data released in March showing women are paid on average 83 percent of what men are. Women of color are paid even less, about 57 percent of what white non-Hispanic men make. 

However, the report found that North America is the most advanced region in terms of being able to close its gender gap and could close the gap completely within its own borders in anywhere from 62 to 59 years.  

North America has also fared better when it comes to educational attainment, with both the US and Canada attaining parity in literacy rate and higher education. Both countries also reported near parity for healthy life expectancy. 

However, North America was found to have the third-widest regional gap on political empowerment—with only 33.7 percent of parity achieved in 2022. The report also noted that the US has never elected a female head of state. 

Globally, the workforce is an area that the report identified as an emerging crisis, riddled with long-standing structural barriers for women. In 2022, the gender parity in the labor force stood at 62.9 percent—the lowest level registered since the World Economic Forum began compiling its report.  

Among the workers who remained in the labor force, unemployment rates increased and has remained consistently higher for women. 

The gender parity in the labor force last year was exacerbated by the pandemic—as the majority of care work fell on women, as childcare facilities and schools closed down.  

Closing gender gaps is critical, as World Economic Forum emphasized that investing in human capital can drive national prosperity and make it easier for local populations to achieve work life balance. The report calls on world leaders to tap into their creativity and push for a strong recovery. 

Source: TEST FEED1

While SCOTUS decision limits climate action, Congress still has an ace up its sleeve

The U.S. Supreme Court recently dealt a blow to the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from power plants. This decision makes it more difficult for electric utilities to finance and plan their inevitable transition from costly, volatile fossil fuels to sources that are more affordable, reliable and cleaner.  

But the ruling will not fundamentally thwart action by state and local governments, many of our federal agencies, or in a growing list of companies — all of which are acting on the evidence that clean energy and technology investments are good for long-term economic prosperity. 

Most of us don’t need to look that far to see this investment trend playing out. Many states that made bold climate commitments in the previous election cycle are already meaningfully slashing emissions from electricity generation, buildings and transportation — while creating new sources of revenue and growing new jobs. Cities and municipalities are writing and making headway on robust climate and economic action plans, even across party lines. And American companies — including automakers, shippers and aviation companies — are renewing business strategies to invest in and deploy clean energy technology. 

Now, it is Congress’s turn to send an even stronger investment signal by passing the clean energy financial incentives proposed in the reconciliation budget. These cost-effective, proven policies will prepare our communities to fight off the harms of a changing climate, create economic resilience in the face of inflation, as well as show the world that the United States can lead in the face of crisis. 

Research shows that the proposed clean energy tax credits for the power sector would significantly slash U.S. emissions, catalyze $459 billion in capital investment and save American households over $5 billion in electricity costs every year.  

The investments in question — such as tax credits for clean energy and electric vehicles — are critical to addressing the bottlenecks that are driving up prices and contributing to the worst inflation in 40 years. Boosting domestic demand for clean energy will help drive down the costs of these technologies because producers can finance large domestic manufacturing facilities that benefit from economies of scale.

Importantly, the proposed tax credit package also includes a series of consumer tax credits that will make it easier for Americans to purchase new electric vehicles, electric bikes and heat pumps — each of which are a way to ease the burden of rising prices for gasoline, oil and natural gas.   

This package will help create resilient and reliable supply chains, providing much-needed relief at a time when constrained supplies are responsible for nearly 17 percent of headline inflation. Helping mitigate shocks in global markets — such as the significant volatility in EV battery prices in recent months — will increase the pace of domestic technological manufacturing and innovation. 

What’s more, analysts show that offshoring our manufacturing capacity to China and elsewhere has made it more difficult to innovate and more expensive to build at home. Offshoring has also contributed to manufacturing’s decline as a source of jobs, investment and opportunity in this country.  

There’s no denying that China is currently the dominant global player in the clean energy and technology supply chains. Congress can pass these incentives before it’s too late and make a strategic move to decisively recapture competitiveness in building the technologies of the future. 

These types of investments are not inherently partisan in nature — and there’s no reason they should be. After devasting oil shocks in the 1970s, the United States effectively used tools like tax credits, energy efficiency as well as onshoring incentives, and continued to do so for decades, to boost our productivity, grow our economy and bolster energy security.  

Investments are about building something new and exciting, not merely tools for avoiding worst-case climate scenarios. A strong reconciliation package is an opportunity to expand prosperity and ensure resilience across the country for years to come.  

Despite the Supreme Court’s decision, the United States still has a powerful set of tools that can help us create jobs, fight inflation and strengthen regional economies across America, all while tackling climate change. 

John Coequyt is director of U.S. government affairs at RMI, formerly Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent non-partisan, nonprofit organization working to accelerate the clean energy transition. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden given Presidential Medal of Honor in Israel

President Biden on Thursday received the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor during a reception in Jerusalem in recognition of his decades long commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“As a leader, I can say without hesitation that being known as a friend of Israel and receiving this award today is among the greatest honors of my career. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Biden said.

Biden joined Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a ceremony where the two men spoke about the importance of the ties between the U.S. and Israel, and how Biden has embraced Israel as an ally dating back to his time as a senator.

Herzog spoke about how Israeli diplomats were struck by Biden’s enthusiasm during previous meetings when he was a senator, and Herzog remarked that Biden still carries that enthusiasm with him today.

Biden used his remarks to speak about the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. He highlighted U.S. investments in Israeli defense and efforts to broker cooperation in the Middle East, which is a key focus of Biden’s visit to the region this week.

“As you know, there’s still so much more work to be done. That’s why America’s commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad, today and in the future,” Biden said. 

“That commitment is not about me or any other American president,” he continued. “It springs from a deep affinity and enduring connection between our peoples. And it’s our responsibility as leaders to nurture that bond.”

The President’s Medal of Honor is typically awarded to recognize those who have made notable contributions to the State of Israel.

Biden will spend part of his day on Friday in Jerusalem delivering remarks at a hospital before meeting with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank. He will then travel to Saudi Arabia for meetings with Kingdom leaders on Friday and Saturday before heading back to Washington, D.C.

Source: TEST FEED1

Trump says he's made up his mind about 2024, big decision is if announcement is before or after midterms

Former President Trump said in an interview published Thursday he has made a decision about whether he will run for the White House again in 2024. 

Trump told New York Magazine that he has already decided, and the “big decision” will be whether he chooses to announce it before or after the upcoming November midterm elections. 

“Do I go before or after? That will be my big decision,” he said. 

–Developing

Source: TEST FEED1

Alyssa Farah Griffin criticizes National Review story on how she's 'changed'

Former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin is pushing back on an article published this week in the conservative National Review suggesting she has changed her political positions to gain public notoriety.

“The public posture of the Alyssa Farah Griffin of 2022 is very different from the one she had while in the Trump administration,” the article, authored by journalist Nate Hochman reads. “Farah Griffin has continued to espouse some conservative positions publicly, including defending the pro-life argument on The View earlier this year. But when the topic turns to anything Trump-related, she is reading from a decidedly different playbook these days.”

Since leaving former President Trump’s White House, Farrah Griffin has inked deals with CNN and ABC to serve as a political analyst and is believed to be on the short list of candidates to replace Meghan McCain on “The View,” a program which she has guest hosted several times this year.

“I reject the premise that my fundamental views have changed. But I’m fiercely anti insurrection. I’m a conservative who believes in limited federal government and a robust national defense,” she said in a statement to the National Review. “I do, however, think that most people who have served in the highest levels of government, who hold the highest level security clearances, as I do, often become less dogmatic in their views as they learn more and are exposed to more.”

In a subsequent Twitter thread, Farrah Griffin said she did not read the National Review piece but felt the need to clarify her personal convictions and how she has reconciled those with the criticisms she has leveled against people in government who she has since painted as an existential threat to the country.

“When I got to West Wing I saw chaos. Every time I thought about returning to DOD, I couldn’t bring myself to. I could kick myself the rest of my life over that decision. But I stayed. After Trump lost and began espousing the election lies, I resigned,” she said. “I haven’t stopped using my voice since to condemn his lies & unfitness for office. I remain a conservative who believes in limited federal government & a robust national defense.”

Working in the highest levels of the executive branch “fundamentally changed how I see the world & our role in it,” Farrah Griffin continued.

“I hope I’ve evolved. I hope I do the rest my life,” she said. “I pride myself first & foremost in being a an American. The political labels will always be secondary to me.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Fox News: Corespondent injured in Ukraine recovery 'nothing short of remarkable'

Fox News corespondent Benjamin Hall is still recovering at a medical facility in Texas and is in good spirits as he eyes a return to work, according to the company.

Hall, 40, was injured earlier this year while covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an attack that also killed Fox cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and local Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova.

Ukrainian government officials have blamed Russian forces for the attack, which happened just outside the capital city of Kyiv.

“He still has a long road to full recovery but his progress over the last four months has been nothing short of remarkable,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in an internal memo first obtained by People Magazine.

Scott, Jay Wallace and other top members of Fox News leadership traveled to Texas to visit Hall ahead of his 40th birthday, she said.

Hall asked Scott to tell his coworkers at Fox is he doing well and looks forward to coming home and returning to work with them.

“We are excited for that day as well,” Scott said.

In March, a surgeon who helped evacuate Hall after he was severely injured described getting the reporter stabilized and safely out of the country.  

“When I first saw Ben, I had gone upstairs with the Ukrainian orthopedic surgeon,” Jadick said at the time. “I really can’t say enough about this guy, this orthopedic surgeon, who had one — had one ex fix, little bit of K-wire, things that you do to fix bones. And he looked at me and he said: ‘That’s all I got. And I hope it’s OK.’”

Hall is one of a number of journalists who have been injured or killed while covering the bloody conflict in Europe.

Source: TEST FEED1