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Energy
The New Optimism of Al Gore
NEW YORK TIMES
John Schwartz
Over the last year, however, the prophet of doom has become much more a prophet of possibility — even, perhaps, an optimist. Still an object of derision for the political right, Mr. Gore has seen support for his views rising within the business community: Investment in renewable energy sources like wind and solar is skyrocketing as their costs plummet. He has slides for that, too. Experts predicted in 2000 that wind generated power worldwide would reach 30 gigawatts; by 2010, it was 200 gigawatts, and by last year it reached nearly 370, or more than 12 times higher. Installations of solar power would add one new gigawatt per year by 2010, predictions in 2002 stated. It turned out to be 17 times that by 2010 and 48 times that amount last year.
Climate Free Speech
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Editorial
The Congressional Democrats trying to smear climate skeptics are betting that the threat of a federal investigation will muzzle academics and companies that question their climate-change agenda. So a round of applause for those pushing back, providing the bullies a public lesson in the First Amendment.
Obama denounces climate ‘shills’ on the Hill
POLITICOPRO (Subscribe)
Andrew Restuccia
“In some cases … you have elected officials who are shills for the oil companies or the fossil fuel industry and there’s a lot of money involved,” Obama said in an interview with Shane Smith, founder of the website Vice. “Typically in Congress, the committees of jurisdiction, like the energy committees, are populated by folks from places that pump a lot of oil and pump a lot of gas.”
Scott Walker denies ethanol flip-flop
POLITICO
James Hohmann
Scott Walker freely admits that he has shifted to the right on immigration over the past two years, aligning himself with the GOP base, but the Wisconsin governor was adamant Monday night that he has not also flip-flopped on ethanol. On a telephone town hall meeting sponsored by the Tea Party Patriots, the all-but-declared Republican presidential candidate insisted that, when he spoke out against ethanol mandates during his 2006 run for governor, he was specifically referring to state-level standards, not federal ones.
Iran’s Nuclear Deal Could Open Oil Flood
POLITICO
Bill Spindle and Benoît Faucon
Iranian exports in recent years have been essentially capped by Western sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran over its nuclear ambitions. A deal easing those sanctions could eventually translate into half a million barrels or more a day in Iranian crude heading into a currently glutted global market, analysts estimate.
Technology
Broad alliance emerges to fight Obama tech policies
USA TODAY
John Shinal
Some conservatives and liberals are becoming unlikely allies on what they see as the worst of the Obama administration’s technology policies. Those include the expansion of U.S. government spying on electronic communication and President Obama’s recent push to either weaken or ban encryption.
Thoughts on Gender Equality in Tech, Interrupted
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Danny Yadron
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt had a lot to say Monday about the lack of racial and gender diversity in the technology industry. In fact, Schmidt had so much to say that he often interrupted and spoke over his co-panelist, Megan Smith, the U.S.’s chief technology officer and a former Google executive. The two appeared on a panel at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Tex.
FCC chief to run gauntlet in defense of online rules
THE HILL
Julian Hattem
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman will make the first of five trips to Capitol Hill over the next two weeks to defend his decision to issue the toughest net neutrality rules the U.S. has ever seen. “This is supposed to be an independent body, so I think there will be questions asked about ‘How independent are you?’ ‘Who all are you taking your orders from?’ ” said Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), the vice chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on communications.
‘We’re close’ on cyber bill, says Intel chairman
THE HILL
Cory Bennett
The final text of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s major cybersecurity bill could be released Monday night or Tuesday morning, Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) told The Hill. “We’re real close,” he said off the Senate floor.
Finance
Court Strikes on Insider Trading, and Congress Lobs Back
NEW YORK TIMES
Peter J. Henning
Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion was that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” The response from Congress to an appeals court decision in United States v. Newman, which overturned the insider trading convictions of two hedge fund managers, is perhaps more an overreaction. Two bills would broaden the law to prohibit almost any trading on confidential information. The problem is that the proposed changes could make it even harder to recognize the line between permissible and illegal trades.
Politics
House Republican Budget Overhauls Medicare and Repeals the Health Law
NEW YORK TIMES
Jonathan Weisman
House Republicans on Tuesday will unveil a proposed budget for 2016 that partly privatizes Medicare, turns Medicaid into block grants to the states, repeals the Affordable Care Act and reaches balance in 10 years, challenging Republicans in Congress to make good on their promises to deeply cut federal spending.
GOP hopefuls rush toward starting gates
POLITICO
Alex Isenstadt and Katie Glueck
At least three Republican presidential candidates are expected to formally launch their campaigns within the next three or four weeks, due to a mix of calendar dates and deadlines that offer an ideal window for them to officially declare their intentions. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz are looking to early April as a target for their campaign announcements. Specific dates haven’t been settled on, advisers to three GOP senators said, leaving the possibility that some of the roll-outs could begin as early as the final days of March or stretch into mid-April. A fourth candidate, Hillary Clinton, also appears increasingly likely to enter the contest in April.
Jeb Bush’s $100 million problem
POLITICO
Ben White
All across Wall Street and the rest of the nation, donors who attended high-dollar Bush events are whispering that the former Florida governor could raise as much as $100 million in the first quarter of the year — and maybe $500 million by June, if not significantly more. Either feat would smash records and send shock waves through the rest of the GOP presidential field. Bush advisers are scrambling to drive these lofty expectations way down, saying both publicly and privately that such numbers are absurd and that Right to Rise won’t come anywhere near them. “The whispers in the air are not at all accurate,” Bush spokesman Tim Miller said. “The PAC’s goals are far more modest.”
Jeb Bush’s Headwinds
NATIONAL JOURNAL
Charlie Cook
While at this point I wouldn’t give any other individual GOP contender a better chance of winning the nomination than Bush, his odds don’t seem to me to be any higher than, say, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker—maybe 35 percent for each, with the remaining 30 percent spread around myriad other candidates. So if the ideological winds prove to be too much for Bush and Walker stumbles, the race could blow wide open.
Speaker Boehner’s $200 billion gamble will divide Republicans
THE HILL
Scott Wong and Peter Sullivan
Speaker John Boehner is seeking to jump-start his legislative agenda with a bipartisan gamble: a $200 billion Medicare deal that’s already dividing conservatives in his rowdy conference. The Ohio Republican sees the deal as a steppingstone to what could be a broader overhaul of the costly entitlement system. Tax and entitlement reform are two of Boehner’s biggest priorities, but they’ve languished since he took power in 2011.
Iranian Officials Ask Kerry About Republicans’ Letter
NEW YORK TIMES
Michael R. Gordon
Iranian officials questioned Secretary of State John Kerry about a letter that Tom Cotton of Arkansas and 46 other Republican senators issued last week arguing that a potential nuclear accord would not be binding unless it was approved by Congress. “The Iranians raised it,” a senior American official told reporters on Monday, after Mr. Kerry opened a critical round of talks here with his Iranian counterpart. “It was of concern.”
With a seemingly innocuous bill, Senate manages to tie itself in knots
WASHINGTON POST
Mike DeBonis
The current gridlock is due to and symbolized by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, authored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and co-sponsored by numerous Democrats. That legislation would increase penalties for those convicted of slavery, human smuggling and sexual exploitation of children and provide for additional compensation for their victims. … But by last Tuesday, the show of comity had devolved into dueling accusations and rampant finger-pointing, with Democrats accusing Republicans of slipping anti-abortion language into the bill.
Obama Likely to Veto Resolution to Overturn NLRB Rule
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Melanie Trottman and Kristina Peterson
The House this week is expected to pass a GOP-led resolution to overturn a National Labor Relations Board rule that would streamline union-organizing elections, setting up what is likely to be the fourth veto by President Barack Obama since he took office.
‘Right-to-work’ trend bolsters individual rights
USA TODAY
Editorial
Unions have important roles in fighting for better wages and working conditions. In right-to-work states, they just have to try harder to prove their worth to prospective members.
Right-to-work laws lower your pay
USA TODAY
Richard Trumka
Responsible leaders know some things are bigger than politics, like your safety on the job and the prospects of your family down the road. A few politicians will be just irresponsible enough to take the corporate right’s bad ideas and run with them. Right-to-work is wrong. It’s backward. It’ll cut your pay. That’s the point.
