What happens if Lake Powell runs out of water?
If Lake Powell recedes much further, one of the nation’s largest reservoirs could be at risk of no longer generating hydropower for the region. The lake was just under 24 percent full as of last week, and had lost 16 feet in the last year. Its depth level currently stands at around 3,530 feet. How much power does the lake generate? Northern Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam, which creates the lake, has a full capacity of 1,320 megawatts, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. However, the receding water levels have already gre
Read MoreMcConnell saw killing Manchin bill as personal
For Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), killing Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) permitting reform bill was personal. McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, looked like he’d been hoodwinked when Manchin announced a deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the Inflation Reduction Act. Sixteen Republicans had just backed a major semiconductor bill — thinking the sweeping tax, climate and health care legislation Democrats had been trying to pass for more than a year was dead. McConnell had vowed to withhold GOP support from the semiconductor legislation, a
Read MoreThe Memo: Trump’s death wish attack on McConnell sets alarm bells ringing
Former President Trump’s penchant for violent language has bubbled to the fore again in his feud with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Trump’s latest salvo was the ominous assertion that McConnell must have a “DEATH WISH” merely for supporting some legislation that was backed by Democrats. The remark, posted on the Truth Social platform Friday, has drawn some degree of condemnation beyond the ranks of liberals and Democrats. The comment will also deepen the toxicity of a political atmosphere in which many lawmakers are already taking security me
Read MoreDeSantis takes over the national conversation
No one has been at the forefront of the national conversation more in the last month than Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). DeSantis, seen as a top contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is firmly at the center of the national news cycle. He made headlines initially by choice when he had dozens of migrants flown from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, Mass., in a bid to seize attention in the fight over the border. As that controversy continued to unfold, DeSantis found himself at the center over his state’s preparations and then response to Hur
Read MoreFreedom Caucus starts to turn up the pressure on GOP leaders
The conservative House Freedom Caucus is turning up the heat on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and the rest of his leadership team, setting the stage for what could be a difficult relationship if Republicans take the House majority this fall. Past GOP Speakers have struggled to move legislation because of conservatives in their conference, and the management of the Freedom Caucus is widely seen as a huge test for McCarthy if he becomes the Speaker of the House. “[Former GOP Speaker] Paul Ryan [Wis.] used to say it's like ke
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