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Climate change will make Rocky Mountain water resources more volatile: study

Water resources will become more difficult to predict in the Northern Hemisphere’s snow-dominated regions later this century due to the impacts of climate change, a new study has found.

As snow accumulation recedes and fails to generate reliable runoff, the amount and timing of water resources in areas such as the Rocky Mountains will increasingly depend on rainfall, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.

And even in regions that continue to receive the same amount of precipitation, streamflow will become more variable and erratic, the authors determined. 

“Water managers will be at the whim of individual precipitation events instead of having four-to-six months lead time to anticipate snowmelt and runoff,” lead author William Wieder, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said in a statement.

“Water management systems in snow-dominated regions are based on the predictability of snowpack and runoff, and much of that predictability could go away with climate change,” Wieder added. 

Snowpack — the layers of packed snow that typically melt and trickle down mountains during warmer months — is melting earlier than usual and is even declining in some regions, the authors noted.

Toward the end of the century, they warned, this decline could become so pronounced that the amount of water contained in parts of the Rocky Mountain snowpack at the end of winter could plunge by almost 80 percent.

Mountain snowpack is a key contributor to the water cycle of the Western U.S., as the water stored in these layers throughout the winter is discharged as runoff in the spring and summer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Changes in runoff and streamflow could also have knock-on effects on ecosystems that rely on water from snow, the study authors warned. And the rise in snow-free days and longer growing seasons will also put stress on water resources — drying out soil and increasing fire risk, they added.

To draw their conclusions, the scientists said they used computer simulations to fill in details about the future of water resources and demonstrate the extent to which changes in temperature and precipitation would alter snow accumulation and runoff patterns.

While past research has explored the impacts of climate change on water availability, this report is unique in that it focuses on the increasingly erratic nature of this resource, the authors explained.

By the end of the century, there will be about 45 more snow-free days annually in the Northern Hemisphere on average, assuming that greenhouse gas emissions remain high, according to the study.

The biggest increases in snow-free days are likely to occur in relatively warm midlatitude regions and in high-latitude maritime regions that are affected by changes in sea ice, the authors found.

Among the regions to experience the greatest loss in predictability will be the Rocky Mountains, the Canadian Arctic, eastern North America and Eastern Europe, according to the study. This volatility will cause considerable complications in the management of freshwater resources, the scientists warned.

Co-author Flavio Lehner, a professor of earth and atmospheric science at Cornell University, described current circumstances as “a race with predictability” as scientists try to improve their forecasts through data, modeling and physical understanding. 

“But these efforts are being canceled by the rapid disappearance of our best predictor: snow,” Lehner said.

“It might be a race we’ll lose, but we’re trying to win it, and that is why we need to study these topics,” he added.

Source: TEST FEED1

Ending tariffs would curb inflation — but why ignore the main benefits?

The Biden administration is tying itself in knots as it tries to decide whether to reduce or eliminate tariffs to slow the rate of inflation.  

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen understands well the relationship between protectionism and inflation as recently explained by economists at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, so she favors cutting tariffs.   

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai prefers to keep the tariffs for leverage in hopes of eventually – albeit improbably – wringing concessions out of trading partners. 

President Biden, reluctant to be seen as doing a favor for foreign countries, remains firmly in the undecided camp.  

Yellen is right that tariffs should be rolled back. But linking that policy change to inflation seems strange. Why not focus on the far stronger arguments for curtailing U.S. protectionism?   

The first – and most important – reason for cutting tariffs is that they reduce America’s “economic welfare.” That’s economist-speak for lowering our standards of living and making us poorer.   

A nation that curtails imports always harms its own economy. The economic gains accruing to producers simply are not as large as the costs foisted onto consumers. Because costs absorbed by the broad economy are greater than the benefits, society overall will be worse off.   

Half of all imports are used by industries rather than by final consumers, so protectionism imposes particularly harmful costs on the manufacturing sector. This can be true even when import restrictions are intended to protect a specific group of manufacturers.   

Steel import restrictions, for instance, are of interest to the roughly 144,000 steel mill workers. In 2019 their output added $31 billion of value to the economy, which is equivalent to 0.15 percent of GDP. Manufacturers that buy steel and make useful things out of it, however, have a much bigger footprint. They employed 6.7 million workers and produced an economic value-add of $1.1 trillion (5.4 percent of GDP). Steel users employ 46 times more people and add 35 times more to GDP than do steel producers. And, of course, hundreds of millions of consumers buy products made with steel. 

Tariffs have put the United States in the unfortunate position of having the highest steel prices of any major country. As of late June, the market analysis service SteelBenchmarker reported the price of hot-rolled steel in America to be 40 percent higher even than in high-cost Western Europe. This is a big deal. Artificially high steel prices make U.S. manufacturers less able to withstand competition from imported finished goods produced with world-price steel.   

Reduced manufacturing competitiveness helps explain the large job losses associated with protectionism. A pre-pandemic February 2020 analysis found tariffs may have led to the addition of roughly 1,000 workers in steel mills. But they caused the elimination of 75,000 jobs at value-added manufacturers.   

Other reasons to lift trade restrictions include: 

• Tariffs exacerbate economic inequality. As Edward Gresser of the Progressive Policy Institute has written, “Because consumer goods tariffs are high for cheap goods, and low for luxuries, they single out the poor.” In other words, tariffs have the effect of lowering living standards for low-income people relatively more than for those who are middle class or affluent. 

• Tariffs are an economically expensive form of taxation. They curb economic output by piling unnecessary costs on manufacturers, thus reducing their ability to compete, prosper and pay income taxes.   

• Tariffs allow political leaders to foster cronyism by picking winners and losers.   

• Tariffs are of limited use as tools of foreign policy because they very seldom persuade other governments to change their behaviors in ways we would wish.   

• Tariffs significantly constrain individual liberty. Import restrictions are a nasty form of coercion that discourage people from buying what they most would like in favor of buying something the government prefers, thus undermining the functioning of an open, market-oriented economy. Free markets are an integral part of what makes the American people free.   

• And, on top of all that, eliminating tariffs would help curtail inflation. 

So, by all means, let’s end tariffs. And if fighting inflation serves as the justification, that’s fine.   

But Biden would do a good deed for the country by explaining both the broad damage inflicted by trade restrictions and the numerous benefits of revoking them. He should not be bashful in articulating that freer trade promotes economic growth and enhances Americans’ freedoms.  

Lifting tariffs is not about doing a favor for other countries. Rather, it is about doing a favor for ourselves. 

Dan Pearson, a former chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission, is a trade policy fellow at Americans for Prosperity. 

Source: TEST FEED1

House to vote on Respect for Marriage Act in response to Clarence Thomas opinion

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday introduced legislation to officially repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and require federal recognition for same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide.

The measure’s introduction comes in response to an opinion by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas last month following the court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to an abortion. 

Thomas wrote that the court’s “substantive due process precedents” set in cases like Obergefell v. Hodges — which legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states — should be revisited, creating widespread uncertainty and panic among same-sex married couples over whether their unions will continue to be recognized.

The Respect for Marriage Act, introduced Monday by top House and Senate Democrats, would repeal DOMA, the 1996 law that defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The Supreme Court in 2013 ruled that a section of the law preventing the government from recognizing same-sex marriages for the purposes of determining federal benefits was unconstitutional, but the remainder of the law is still technically in place, albeit unenforceable.

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The new legislation would also address a national patchwork of marriage laws by requiring states to legally recognize same-sex and interracial marriages if those marriages are valid in the states in which they were performed.

In more than 30 states, statutes or constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage remain on the books, threatening marriage equality in more than 60 percent of the country should Obergefell be overturned.

The bill is slated for a floor vote this week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Monday.

“LGBTQ Americans and those in interracial marriages deserve to have certainty that they will continue to have their right to equal marriage recognized, no matter where they live, should the Court act on Justice Thomas’ draconian suggestion,” Hoyer said.

“If Justice Thomas’s concurrence teaches anything it’s that we cannot let your guard down or the rights and freedoms that we have come to cherish will vanish into a cloud of radical ideology and dubious legal reasoning,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), one of the bill’s sponsors, said Monday in a statement. “As this Court may take aim at other fundamental rights, we cannot sit idly by as the hard-earned gains of the Equality movement are systematically eroded.”

The Respect for Marriage Act has been introduced in several previous Congresses, beginning with a 2009 bill that was also backed by Nadler.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the measure’s GOP sponsor in the Senate, said the proposed legislation builds on previous victories like the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and is “another step to promote equality, prevent discrimination, and protect the rights of all Americans.”

The Respect for Marriage Act is co-led by members of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus including Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), who despite being with his partner, Randy, for more than 30 years, has only been legally married to him for eight.

“For families like mine, the Respect for Marriage Act is a necessary step to protect our fundamental rights,” Maloney said Monday.

Source: TEST FEED1

The ‘great replacement’ theory rejects history and reality

America is struggling with its reasoning and responses to population replacement, or the “great replacement” theory. Like so many demographic issues, the composition of America’s population has become highly politicized, partisan and divisive.

Promoted by racist, antisemitic, xenophobic and white supremacist groups and spread by some media outlets, the great replacement is a conspiracy theory about changes in the composition of America’s population. The great replacement theory centers on the belief that nonwhite, non-Christian people are being brought to America for the purpose of replacing the white Christian majority population in order to establish a new political and socio-cultural agenda.  

It has moved from the fringe of racist political movements to become prominent in American politics. A recent poll found that 61 percent of Americans who voted for former President Trump agree with the idea behind the great replacement theory versus 16 percent of those who voted for President Biden.

The theory has also become a major feature of politics in Europe where many believe that white Christian Europeans are being colonized by non-white, non-Christian migrants largely from Africa and Asia, and face a threat of extinction.

The changing composition of America’s population, including shifts in the majority-minority population, is being accompanied by hateful rhetoric, open hostility and explicit discrimination. The great replacement theory has been connected to multiple racist attacks and acts of violence, including murders in Buffalo, N.Y, Charlottesville, VA, El Paso, Texas and Pittsburgh, PA.

U.S. supremacist groups are worried that white Christians will stop being a dominant majority, affecting their personal standing and influence as well as America’s future. At their gatherings and demonstrations, they often chant “You will not replace us,” and “Jews will not replace us.”

However, well before America’s founding, the composition of the North American population had undergone significant changes due to trans-Atlantic migration. Europeans arrived, then overwhelmed and replaced tens of millions indigenous people by conquest, warfare, disease and resettlement.

The composition of America’s population was also affected by enslavement and forced migration to the country. Hundreds of thousands of Africans were captured, enslaved and forcibly relocated to work in North America and subsequently in the newly established United States. 

In the first census in 1790, the Black and slave population, 92 percent being slaves, represented 19 percent of America’s total population of 3.93 million. Three racial categories were included in that census: free whites, all other free persons and slaves.

Throughout the 18th, 19th and most of the 20th centuries, America’s immigrant population was predominantly from European countries such as Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At the start of the 21st century, the top five countries had become Mexico, China, Philippines, India and Vietnam, with Mexico accounting for 30 percent of the foreign-born population. 

America is an increasingly multi-ethnic country with differing backgrounds from countries worldwide. The top ethnic group is of German ancestry, representing about 15 percent of the population, followed by Black or African American ancestry at approximately 12 percent and Mexican at 11 percent. 

America’s traditional motto is “E Pluribus Unum,” or “Out of Many, One.” The phrase reflects the goal of a single unified nation from a collection of people coming from different backgrounds, beliefs and national origins. 

Throughout the country’s history, the practice of categorizing America’s population into racial categories has continued. Those categories have undergone extensive changes and been redefined since the 1790 census. 

Currently, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires that race data be collected for a minimum of five groups: white, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Also, the Census Bureau is permitted to include a sixth category — some other race. 

The race data collected by the Census Bureau are based on self-identification. According to the 2020 census, the U.S. population is 58 percent white, 19 percent Hispanic, 12 percent Black and 6 percent Asian. 

The changing proportions from earlier censuses reflect America becoming a more diverse nation. The 2020 data confirm the expansion of the Hispanic, Black and Asian American populations as well as growing numbers of multiracial residents, who increased from 10 million to 34 million people, a 276 percent increase, between the 2010 and 2020 censuses.

America’s evolving population composition continues to contribute to its diversification. Also, over the past centuries federal laws and rules relating to immigration have been enacted that have greatly impacted the nation’s composition. For example, the 1965 landmark Immigration and Nationality Act created a new system favoring family reunification and skilled immigrants.

Following the act’s passage, America’s population began to change with increased diversity, especially with more people migrating from non-European countries. Whereas the proportion of immigrants from Europe and Canada declined from 84 percent in 1960 to 14 percent by 2013, the proportion from Latin America increased from 10 percent to 52 percent during that time period.

Many American politicians object to the population replacement conspiracy theory. Democrats, for example, have repeatedly expressed opposition to and condemnation of the great replacement theory and express support for the evolving diversity of America’s population. 

Republicans, in contrast, have generally been silent on the matter. While some Republican officials have indicated support for members of nativist groups, others have promoted the idea that America’s culture is threatened by a minority takeover. 

However, notable Republicans in the past, including the venerated 16th president and the revered 40th president set policies that reflect America is defined by ideals and institutions instead of by race. 

America’s population is continuing to evolve with increased diversity and the blending of people with differing backgrounds, ethnicities and national origins. America should acknowledge the increased diversity as a source of enrichment, innovation and advancement. 

For the nation to maintain its integrity, strength and vitality throughout the 21st century and beyond, Americans should continue to support and promote its foundation of “E Pluribus Unum.”

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division and author of numerous publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Births, Deaths, Migrations and Other Important Population Matters.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Can America beckon tourists on its summer road to recovery?

In ordinary times, the world is awash in travelers at this time of year. But these are no ordinary times. According to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, global tourism endured its worst year on record in 2020, thanks to a pandemic, widespread lockdowns and travel restrictions. International arrivals dropped by a whopping 74 percent.

Global destinations welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals that year — close to the decline that happened during the 2009 economic crisis.

Expectations are high for this summer’s travel, especially for the tourism sector. Tourism is serious business. According to the UN, tourism employs one in every 10 people in the world, boosting economies of cities, states and countries. (In 2020 alone, the travel and tourism sector globally lost $4.5 trillion and 62 million jobs.)

Tourism is also a measure of global image — how popular your country is, part of what we call its “soft power.”  

Like other nations, the United States has a marketing campaign, called Brand USA. We market ourselves as a diverse country with cultural attractions that welcome and beckon all.

But is our country ready and able to attract record numbers of tourists this summer? 

There are a few disincentives to monitor:

First, gun violence in America is almost a daily headline as evidenced by the recent shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Tragically, another message of violence was sent around the globe on July 4 as people watched video from Highland Park, Ill., where a gunman took the lives of six people and left many others injured.

And it doesn’t have to be full-scale violence that deters travel. For example, news suggests that it may not be safe to order a cup of coffee in certain American cities. That’s the message some might take from Starbucks as it closes 16 locations around the country because of safety concerns.

Second is the issue of money. High gas prices and inflation are not helping tourism in terms of the amount people spend once they get to their vacation spot. Sticker shock is a reality both for those who live here and for those who visit.

European visitors might find the exchange rate to be a disincentive. The euro has been falling for months and is almost equal to the U.S. dollar. That means less spending power for those coming from across the pond.

Third is the pesky problem of climate change. Nature tourism is a big reason why many come to America. But if our national parks are on fire, or partly closed, as is the case in Yosemite, people might think twice.  

Hiking in the summer is fun in America if it’s not too hot. But at least 10 heat records were broken in cities across the Southwest and Midwest this month. News outlets in Europe are reporting on America’s droughts and how they’re affecting lakes and tourist destinations like Nevada’s Hoover Dam.

Another deterrent for tourists visiting America’s national parks is the registration system. During COVID-19, many more American travelers sought refuge outdoors, and the parks became overwhelmed, leading to changes in rules preventing shorter booking windows. Now the industry is fighting to lift those restrictions so that long-term tourism operators can get back to booking visits.

Lastly, our airports must be welcoming and beckoning. When people read about 1,000 flight cancellations in a single day, they might just pick another destination (not that Europe is any better given the backlog of luggage at London’s Heathrow Airport).

The challenges facing America right now are both internal and external. We need to get our house in order, for ourselves and for our democracy. But we also must remain a welcoming destination — a hopeful place that others want to visit. 

Tara D. Sonenshine is the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Flights halted out of UK air base after runway melts due to heat wave

Scorching heat in Britain led officials to shut down runways at an air base and a commercial airport in London on Monday.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) halted flights to its Brize Norton Base, located about 75 miles northwest of London in Oxfordshire, while London Luton Airport also announced it would also temporarily suspend flights.

“During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan,” the Royal Air Force said in a statement. “This means there is no impact on RAF operations.”

Sky News reported that the runway at a separate RAF base in Lincolnshire had melted in the extreme heat last week.

At London Luton Airport, which largely serves low-cost carriers, airport officials said they identified a “surface defect” on the airport’s lone runway.

“Flights are temporarily suspended to allow for an essential runway repair after high surface temperatures caused a small section to lift,” the airport said in a statement.

Temperatures were forecasted to reach 41 degrees Celsius, or 106 degrees Fahrenheit, in parts of the country, which would break a 2019 record. British officials issued a “red extreme” heat warning for the first time in a large part of England.

Although the runway defects have only affected a small number of airports, the shakeup comes amid a turbulent moment for the airline industry.

This summer has seen a resurgence in demand for air travel, leaving airlines scrambling after cutting back on their staffing levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The situation has become particularly dire in Europe, where many workers have gone on strike and some airports have trimmed flight schedules. London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports were among some of the airports who recently asked airlines to cap their flight numbers.

Source: TEST FEED1

Illinois-based Catholic hospital system plans to deny LGBTQ workers fertility coverage

A Catholic hospital system operating 15 hospitals and another 132 facilities in Illinois and Michigan has adopted a policy to cover fertility treatment only for workers in opposite-sex marriages.

Illinois-based OSF HealthCare, which has more than 24,000 health care workers, changed the language of its fertility treatment policy to explicitly refer to opposite sex-couples, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg Law, meaning employees who are in same-sex marriages would not be covered.

The policy could be illegal under federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

It would also would likely run afoul of the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which ruled an employer cannot discriminate against an individual based on their sexual orientation, as it would violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

OSF HealthCare is owned by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, a Roman Catholic organization in Peoria, Ill.

Discrimination against same-sex couples and members of the LGBTQ community seeking to raise children is part of multiple ongoing civil rights battles in the U.S.

Last year, health insurance company Aetna was sued in a class-action lawsuit alleging it forces same-sex couples to pay more out-of-pocket fees than opposite-sex couples.

Under the Biden administration, the federal government has taken steps to prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ community, including an executive order last month that expands protections through federal programs.

In August, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its policies so that children born through assisted reproductive technology are considered born in wedlock, a huge step for same-sex married couples who use in vitro fertilization or surrogacy to have a child.

Source: TEST FEED1

Interior Sec. Haaland breaks leg hiking in national park

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland broke her leg Sunday while hiking in Shenandoah National Park, the Department of the Interior said Monday. 

The department said that the break to Haaland’s left fibula was confirmed during a medical evaluation on Monday morning. She’ll work virtually this afternoon. 

“She is grateful to Park staff, the U.S. Park Police, and the team at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for their excellent care,” the department said. 

The Interior department oversees the National Park Service, and Shenandoah is among the 63 national parks administered by the service.

Haaland had tested positive for COVID-19 last month. When her positive test was announced, her department said she was experiencing mild symptoms. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Lia Thomas nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year award

Lia Thomas, the former University of Pennsylvania swimmer who in March became the first transgender woman to secure a national title in Division I athletics, has been nominated for the NCAA’s Woman of the Year Award by her university, the athletic conference announced Friday.

Thomas this year rose to national prominence, drawing both passionate support and forceful criticism as her swimming success became a real-life proxy for the debate over whether transgender female athletes should be permitted to compete against cisgender ones.

Conservative lawmakers across the country have said her victories in the pool warrant greater regulation in women’s and girls’ sports to preserve their “integrity” and maintain fairness for all. 

Since 2021, 18 states have enacted legislation barring transgender student athletes from competing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity, 10 of which were passed this year.

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Thomas has also been targeted by conservative groups including Concerned Women for America (CWA), which filed a civil rights complaint against the swimmer’s school in March, arguing that cisgender female athletes have lost “opportunities afforded to them by law” because of Thomas.

In February, several of Thomas’ own teammates in an unsigned letter sent to Penn and Ivy League officials said Thomas holds an “unfair advantage” because she underwent male puberty. Thomas began her medical transition in 2019, complying with current NCAA guidelines that require transgender female athletes to complete a full year of testosterone suppressing treatment before they are able to compete on a women’s sports team.

Also in February, several members of Penn’s women’s swimming and diving team in a statement said Thomas has their “full support” in her transition.

Brooke Forde, a former Stanford swimmer who was also nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award this year, in January said she has “great respect” for Thomas. Forde raced against Thomas in the 500-yard freestyle event at the NCAA Championships in March, placing fourth.

“Social change is always a slow and difficult process and we rarely get it correct right away,” Forde said in January. “Being among the first to lead such a social change requires an enormous amount of courage, and I admire Lia for her leadership that will undoubtedly benefit many trans athletes in the future.”

As of now, that future is uncertain. Last month, the International Swimming Federation (FINA), the world governing body of elite swimming, announced that a majority of its members had approved a new policy that effectively bans transgender women from participating in elite international swimming competitions.

USA Swimming, the national governing body of elite swimming in the U.S., in February said it would, effective immediately, require transgender female athletes to prove that the concentration of testosterone in their blood has been less than 5 nanomoles per liter continuously for at least 36 months – the most restrictive of any sports governing body.

The NCAA has said it is reviewing the new USA Swimming policy but has yet to adopt it.

Thomas ended her collegiate swimming career – and her first season competing for Penn’s women’s team after three years on the university’s men’s team – as a four-time Ivy League champion and NCAA title holder.

In being nominated for the athletic association’s Woman of the Year Award, Thomas joins hundreds of other female athletes from member schools across the country representing 23 sports and all three NCAA divisions.

“As 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year program is an important opportunity to honor and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports,” the NCAA said Friday in a news release recognizing all 577 nominees.

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award recognizes graduating female student athletes that have received high marks in athletics, academics and community service throughout their college careers.

A selection committee will choose 10 student athletes from each division, determining the top 30 honorees that will be celebrated at the NCAA 2023 Convention in January in San Antonio, where the Woman of the Year winner will also be announced.

Source: TEST FEED1

Rep. Jody Hice subpoenaed in Georgia election investigation

Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) has been subpoenaed in his home state to appear before a special grand jury investigating efforts by former President Trump and his allies to overturn 2020 election results in Georgia.

Hice was one of 10 congressional Republicans who attended a December 2020 White House meeting to discuss challenging the 2020 election results, according to testimony unveiled by the House Jan. 6 select committee.

New court filings reported by CNN on Monday reveal Hice was served the subpoena last month, but don’t go into detail on what exactly Hice will be asked to testify about.

The Hill has reached out to Hice’s office for comment.

Hice posted on Twitter in December 2020: “Big meeting today with @realDonaldTrump, @VP, the President’s legal team, @freedomcaucus and other Members of Congress. I will lead an objection to Georgia’s electors on Jan 6.The courts refuse to hear the President’s legal case. We’re going to make sure the People can!”

Several key Trump allies have already been sent subpoenas by the grand jury in Fulton County, Ga., including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and conservative lawyers John Eastman, Jenna Ellis and Cleta Mitchell, as part of its investigation into criminal interference in the state’s 2020 election process.

The Associated Press reported Friday that prosecutors are also considering a subpoena for the former president.

Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) on Jan. 2, 2021 and asked the top elections official to “find” votes that would override President Biden’s victory in the state. Raffensperger rejected the request.

Hice ran a Trump-backed campaign for Georgia’s secretary of state office this year and was defeated by Raffensberger.

Source: TEST FEED1