Podcasts about modernization act

✈ A quick note: I will be traveling through the middle of the month and will be posting a bit less than usual and perhaps a bit shorter than usual.After decades of resistance to nuclear power, growing concern over climate change, rising electricity needs, and a desire for greater energy independence are spurring renewed public interest in a future powered by atomic fission (perhaps fusion, too). Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk to Dr. Mike Goff about the state of US nuclear power, the developing advancements in nuclear technology, and what it will take to reach our vast potential.Goff is the acting assistant secretary and the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. He previously spent over 30 years at Idaho National Laboratory, including a major advisory and management role. He has written over 70 publications on the nuclear fuel cycle.In This Episode* Atomic Age 2.0 (1:31)* Major concerns (7:37)* Out of practice (11:04)* Next-generation policy (17:38)* Human capital (21:48)* Fusion forecast (23:12)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversationAtomic Age 2.0 (1:31)The Energy Secretary recently spoke about adding a lot more nuclear capacity, tripling it, I think, by 2050 or so. And before we get into whether that's possible, I wanted to ask you: As you understand it, what is the current consensus explanation for why the Nuclear and Atomic Age of the '50s and '60s, why that kind of ended? Because when the secretary spoke about building more capacity, I thought about the — and this is something maybe a lot of people are unaware of, that President Nixon had a plan to build a lot of more nuclear reactors in this country back in the '70s during the oil crisis; that didn't happen, and we all know about Three Mile Island. But is there a consensus as to why Atomic Age 1.0 came to an end? Obviously we still get a lot of energy from nuclear, but not what people had imagined 40 years ago.There are a variety of reasons. We did build a lot at one point, and we were building 10 plants a year, pretty extensive builds out there. We did then have Three Mile Island in the late '70s, and then we got costs started going up, and schedules started increasing on the builds, and we ended up not having a lot of energy growth, in fact, we went for a long period where we weren't having a lot of energy growth, and we had a lot of other energy sources, natural gas, coal, and all. We had a lot of other energy sources out there as well. So yeah, we became pretty stagnated around 20 percent of the electricity. But now, like you say, yeah, there's been a big change in what we think the needs are for nuclear going forward, for a variety of reasons.My background is journalism, and as a journalist I've written, I know, multiple stories in my life about a Nuclear Renaissance. So I'm wondering why this time looks to be different. You suggested in your previous answer that there might be some reasons. What are those reasons that we may be entering a new age where we will see an expansion in the nuclear sector?I do think we will see that expansion, and, in fact, I think we have to see that expansion, and it's because of a lot of the positive attributes of nuclear right now. Obviously there's a lot of focus on trying to get more clean energy out there, and nuclear is a large base load source of clean energy. And it's not just CO2 emission, but it doesn't emit particulates and all, as well, so it's good air, good quality of life. So it has those key attributes. But there are other clean energy sources as well: renewables, hydro, and all that. But I think the recognition that, if you are going to go toward decarbonization, you need still base load electricity too. You need base load electricity to help intermittent sources like renewables to be able to expand more as well. So nuclear is very good at enabling decarbonization, not just by adding clean electricity to the grid, but enabling you to expand out other renewables like wind and solar and all, as well.Additionally, nuclear is very reliable. Of the energy sources, it has the highest capacity factor of any of the energy sources. In the United States, we run 93 percent of the time, so the existing fleet that we have out there of 94 plants, they're producing a 100 percent of the power 93 percent of the time, which dwarfs what any other energy source does out there as well.Nuclear is safe. At times people are concerned about safety, but, in reality, it's actually one of the safest energy sources out there and continues to demonstrate that.It's resilient for different weather-related events. It can still produce electricity out there as well. It also has a lot of energy security. And as we've learned, unfortunately, from Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, we recognize energy security is national security, so nuclear really does help us on that national security front. It provides an energy source that we can largely on-source from us and our allies. We've got assured fuel supplies, and provides that long-term power. You can put fuel in it and it can last for two years or so.And I guess one other thing I'll add out there as well, is it's a job creator. Of the different energy sources, the amount of jobs associated with nuclear are some of the highest on the amount of electricity produced. And when you actually start building nuclear, like we saw in Vogtle in Georgia where they were building the two plants, it creates huge amounts of jobs. In fact, I heard a stat recently that 35,000 union workers were trained as part of the construction of the Vogtle power plant, so it's a good job creator in all, as well. And again, the power density is great, it doesn't take up a lot of space, and with the advanced technologies that we've developed in the United States, you've continued to increase in the safety, you can have plants of a variety of different sizes that can be easily deployed to, say, retiring coal plants. It just has a lot of flexibility that it hasn't had in the past, but also it's that key recognition of its clean energy attributes, but its energy security attributes as well.Major concerns (7:37)I did not major in nuclear science, I majored in history and political science, but I remember I took a class as an undergraduate at Northwestern University on the nuclear fuel cycle, and I remember to this day that my professor — of course, this was obviously a while ago, and I think what most of the students knew about nuclear energy was probably Three Mile Island — and I remember to this day distinctly the professor saying, “If they wanted to build a nuclear reactor in my backyard, I would be totally fine with it.” He had zero fear on the safety issue. Now when you give that rap that you just gave me about the wonders of nuclear energy before regular people, what is their response? Do they worry about the nuclear waste? Do they worry about safety? Are they immediately sold, or what are the concerns that typically get raised to you?You brought them up. I mean, safety is brought up because you do see these high profile accidents like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima, which were accidents. They weren't good things that you want to have happen, but the industry's also a very learning industry. The improvements that come out of those events have just made the industry even safer and safer. And again, it's still safer than most any other electricity-producing industry out there as well.Waste does get brought up. We have not implemented a final disposal solution for the spent fuel from our reactors, but we have safely stored and managed the spent fuel over the last six decades, and the amount of fuel that's generated, I think the stat that gets tossed around, you could fit it all in a Walmart parking lot. This is not a lot of material because it's a high energy-density fuel. It's not a lot of material, and again, we safely manage that and store that. We have countries now that are moving forward with geological repositories, which we need to be doing in the United States. In fact, just last week, I went and visited the repository that hopefully will be operating next year in Finland for disposing of their spent fuel. We can do that, it's not a technical issue, so we can safely manage the spent fuel.The other issue that always comes up is still cost. We do have to demonstrate now that we can build these plants safely, and efficiently, and at a reasonable cost. On the Vogtle plant there were cost overruns and schedule overruns, but between Vogtle Unit 3 and Unit 4, there was about a 30 percent reduction in costs between those plants, so we are starting to get to where we can be deploying nth-of-a-kind cost plants out there as well. And hopefully with some of the small modular reactor designs and all that are going to rely more on modular construction, we can even get to nth-of-a-kind cost even quicker. It still takes some pushing and understanding to make sure that people do understand the advancements that have been made on nuclear technology, that it's not our parents' nuclear technology, there's a new round of technology out there.Out of practice (11:04)You raised two good points there. The cost issue, and that's a great stat about the Vogtle plant and the reduction between the two reactors. Is it your sense that the fact that we haven't been consistently building reactors and learning from the previous build, and having trained people who've worked on multiple reactors, that each one has become like this bespoke mega project? It's my sense, and it seems logical, at least to me, that that has been a cost driver, that we haven't been able to churn these out like 10 a year, every year, decade after decade, because clearly, if that was the case, I don't see how we don't learn how to build them better, faster, and more efficiently. But that's not what we've been doing, obviously.That's right. It's not. Even when I say with Vogtle, you had to stand back up the whole supply chain, you had to retrain the workforce, so there was a lot of learning in that process, even though, too, we did recognize on that plant you need to have designs very well finalized and standardized as well. One of the problems we realized from the buildout of the 90-something plants that we have now is no two plants were ever that similar. Everyone wanted to make a tweak in their plant, so we never got to where we had standardized designs. So I think now that we're getting that trained workforce, getting the supply chain up there, and our vendors are really saying, “We're doing standardized plants. If someone else wants to make a tweak on this plant, they have to go somewhere else,” that people are going to go with standardized designs so we can really replicate these and get that cost benefit from it. The challenges that you brought up, we have to overcome, and I think we're set up now to be able to overcome that. I appreciate all the effort that went into building Units 3 and 4 at Vogtle. We've got enough benefit from that learning there and hopefully build very soon here.There's a world where we have tripled our nuclear generating capacity, as Secretary Granholm said. Can that be a world where we get all our nuclear power from light water nuclear reactors, or must there be different kinds of reactors? You mentioned the small modular reactors, and I've interviewed startups doing microreactors, I don't know, maybe they'll be used to power data centers, but can that world of greatly increased nuclear generation, even with improvements in light water reactors, must there be different kinds of reactors?I wouldn't say “must.” I think there will be. I think we will have that variability. I think we will still have large plants being built. I think maybe five years ago you wouldn't hear that people were talking about building gigawatt-sizes plants again. I think we'll have the gigawatt-size plants, we'll have the small modular reactors that are water-cooled, but I think we will get some of those advanced reactors out there: the Generation IV reactors, the sodium-cooled fast reactors that have the capacity to be able to burn waste better and also increase the sustainability of the amount of fuel they use. I think you'll also have the high-temperature gas reactors that are helium-cooled, that use TRISO fuel. You'll have those because we need to not only decarbonize the electricity sector, we've got to decarbonize the industrial sector. That's much more challenging, and the high temperatures that can be provided from those reactors will help us in that decarbonization process. So I think we will have a mixture out there. There are cases where the Gen IV systems are going to be better than the gigawatt-sized plants for the needs that are out there, but large power plants are going to be needed as well. Especially, like you say, you bring up the data centers, the amount of growth that we're hearing for electricity right now, I think again, we'll see gigawatt-sized plants will be needed to be able to meet that growth.Yeah, I tell you, nothing frustrates me more than reading about what AI could perhaps do for our economy and then having people say, “Well, but we know we can't do it because we can't supply the power” or “We can't supply enough clean power,” I mean, well then it'd be sure great to have more nuclear energy. And I wonder, as you sort of tick off some of the potential advances and new kinds of reactors, maybe I look backward too much, but I can't help but wonder what nuclear reactors would be like today, where we would be today, maybe we would already have fusion reactors had we proceeded with this kind of momentum every decade since 1980. It drives me crazy, and you're a nuclear engineer, that must drive you crazy.It does, I've been doing this . . . my first job in the nuclear industry was almost 40 years ago when I was still in college, and there have definitely been ups and downs in funding. In fact, there were some periods where there was almost zero research and development dollars spent in the government on nuclear energy. Luckily, though, the thing that we have is, under the four presidential administrations, there's been a real steady climb in the recognition of the importance of nuclear, and the funding to support it. So I'm happy that we have had this period that goes back to the early 2000s that's been really steady growth in recognition of nuclear. If we would've not had some of those laws in the late '80s and '90s, yeah, we could probably be further ahead, especially on some of the advanced technologies. Because yes, some of those advanced technologies started on research that was back in the '50s, '60s and '70s: the sodium-cooled fast reactor, the molten salt reactor, all of those were based on R&D that we did back in the early days, as well.Next-generation policy (17:38)Which leads me to this question: You work for the government. I work for a public policy think tank, so of course I'm going to think about: Given where we are today, what government needs to do going forward, both on the R&D front and on the regulatory front, are we doing enough basic research for whatever the next, or the next next generation of nuclear is, and do we now have the kind regulatory framework we need for that next generation of reactors?I'll go to the research one first—and I should note, my background is, I'm an R&D person, I came out of the national labs, so of course we always need more research and development. But that said, we have been blessed by funding from Congress and the administration that there's a significant amount of money for research and development in the United States. And I'll say that's good, because the one thing I will note, I do believe innovation in the US, as far as the nuclear technology, we are the best. The technologies that we're developing and our vendors are deploying it, really, it is the cutting edge technology, so it's good we have that R&D, and it's important, as you know, we need to continue to have it to move forward on that next generation of technologies and continue to make improvements on the technologies out there. So I think we have a good research base.There's some infrastructure that we still need if we start deploying, say, when we mentioned that sodium-cooled fast reactor, we don't have a testing capability for that type of system. We shut down our last testing system on a fast reactor in 1994. We would probably need some additional infrastructure. But again, we have a pretty good base. And I'll say that also on the regulatory side. We do have a pretty good base as well. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is obviously focused on light water reactors throughout its history, but they've actually been doing a good job at being able to work with some of the developers. We have three entities out there that are working on Generation IV reactors. TerraPower did submit their construction authorization to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and they've accepted it, so they're working well with them, even though they have a water-based system. Hopefully X-energy, who's doing a high-temperature gas reactor, working with the government and all, as well, will be moving forward, as well. And we've had a third that's working in the molten salt space, a molten salt-cooled reactor that has already received a construction permit to go forward on a prototype reactor, a Kairos company.I'm sure there's got to be reforms still on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and make sure that we are timely and responding to license applications, but they are moving in the right direction. There's been a lot of interface with various laws, whether it's the NEICA (Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act), or NEIMA (Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act), two bills that were passed a little while back looking at reforming. And I think there still needs to be improvements and still need to be increase in the resource and capacity of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but they're heading in the right direction.We have a good regulator, and that's one of the things that helps us make sure we feel that we can deploy this technology safely here, but also helps us in exporting our technology, where we can say, “Our technology has been licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” which has such a high view externally in other countries, that helps us. So I want them to continue to be that safe regulator, but again, they are continuing to work to improve and streamline the process. Hopefully we get toward where we're standardizing, that we don't have to have a lot of interface and we don't — that'll come to the utilities, too — we don't make changes once we've got something approved, so we hopefully can speed up the process from the utility side, and all is well.Human capital (21:48)Are we going to turn out enough nuclear engineers? I imagine that, for a while, that probably seemed like a hard sell to someone who had an interest in science and engineering, to be in this industry versus some others. Probably a little easier sell; are we going to have enough people going into that to build all these reactors?We are going to need to continue to increase it. We're already seeing the uptick, though, in that area. I'll note: Our office, the office of Nuclear Energy, we've really — going back to the 2010 timeframe — really recognized that we needed to do more in that area, so we actually started investing almost 20 percent of our R&D budget to the universities to hopefully foster that next generation. And in fact, this year we just hit the mark where we've now spent $1 billion since the start of those programs on the universities to make sure we're doing R&D there and getting that next generation of folks out there. It's something that we've got to continue to focus on to make sure that we do. Because yeah, if we triple, it's going to need a lot more nuclear engineers. But I also note, the thing I'm concerned about also is making sure we have the right trades and all, as well. If we're building these plants, making sure you have the welders, the pipe fitters, and all, that's going to be a big challenge, as well, especially if we're going to start building, say, 10 plants a year. That's a lot of people out there.Fusion forecast (23:12)I'm excited about the prospects for nuclear fusion, and I've talked to people at startups, and it has probably looked as promising as it ever has. How promising is it? How should I think about it as being part of our energy solution going forward, given where we're at? In fact, there are no commercial nuclear fusion reactors right now. Obviously people at startups give a lot of optimistic forecasts. How should I even think about that as being a partial solution in the coming decades? How do you look at it, at least?I think it can be part of the solution in the coming decades. I think some of the changes that's taken place, especially over the last two years where there is more of a change to focus on, not fusion as a science program, but fusion as deployment, as an energy producer, you look at it as an applied energy. I think that's an important change that's occurred over the last two years, and the fusion programs within the Department of Energy are much more focused to that. It's similar to what's happened somewhat with fission. Fission, about 15 years ago, it was government-driven, and you pull along industry, until about 15 years ago you started having industry investing a lot of money and pulling along the government. You're now starting to see that happen in fusion, where people are doing a lot of a private investment, they're pulling along the government, and the government's working to see, how can we use the resources of the government to enable it? So I think it will happen. I don't think fusion is going to be producing electricity to the grid this decade, but I think the vision that's been put forth by the government is their bold, decade-old vision to have a fusion pilot facility sometime within the decade. I think that is feasible. So maybe before the 2050s you can start having fusion generating some of our electricity. I'm a fission person at my heart, but I think fusion is, we're getting much more focused on moving it forward as an electricity source, and that'll help it be able to be deployed sometime here in our lifetime.Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. 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Douglas Holtz-Eakin was formerly a professor of economics at Syracuse University and served as the director of the Congressional Budget Office from 2003 – 2005. He was the chief economic policy adviser to Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and is currently president of the American Action Forum, a highly respected think tank in Washington, DC. While heading the CBO, Douglas played a pivotal role in designing and implementing the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, aka the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Given his experience, in this podcast, we reflect upon how that legislation led to the rapid expansion of the U.S. innovative biopharma sector and the material risks posed by the Inflation Reduction Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a very important episode this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. At the end of march, the governor of Oklahoma signed the "License Modernization Act." This legislation drastically changes the current license structure for the state and is set to go into effect this summer. This act combines current licenses, simplifies many, and raises some costs. One change that is sure to strike up some hot conversations is how the non resident deer license has almost doubled! John walks through the act and talks about the good and the bad of what is about to take place.  This episode isn't all legislative talk however. John also talks about his recent hog hunt with the boys from up north. Two Michiganders and one Ohio native make the trek to Oklahoma to help John and his family with their hog problem, and do a pretty dang good job of it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a very important episode this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. At the end of March, the governor of Oklahoma signed the "License Modernization Act."  This legislation drastically changes the current license structure for the state and is set to go into effect this summer. This act combines current licenses, simplifies many, and raises some costs. One change that is sure to strike up some hot conversations is how the non resident deer license has almost doubled! John walks through the act and talks about the good and the bad of what is about to take place. This episode isn't all legislative talk however. John also talks about his recent hog hunt with the boys from up north. Two Michiganders and one Ohio native make the trek to Oklahoma to help John and his family with their hog problem, and do a pretty dang good job of it!

SMRs: a new horizon in Nuclear Power.This week on The Interchange: Recharged, David is joined by Ted Nordhaus, Executive Director at the Breakthrough Institute, an environmental research centre in Berkley, California. They focus on finding technological solutions to environmental problems.Achieving a net-zero emission grid by 2050, they claim, with a significant nuclear component would not only be feasible but also cost-effective compared to over-reliance on variable renewable energy sources. This approach requires substantial investment, estimated between US$150 to US$220 billion by 2035, escalating to over a trillion dollars by 2050. Together Ted and David discuss the likelihood that the private sector will drive this investment, provided that nuclear technologies are economically viable and regulatory uncertainties are addressed. They look at the Build Nuclear Now campaign, which aims to rally public support for nuclear energy and drive towards grassroots pro-nuclear advocacy. Is this a sign that public sentiment is changing?The main challenges hindering the adoption of nuclear energy include regulatory hurdles, financial barriers and ongoing concerns surrounding nuclear safety. Ted explains that regulatory reform and public sector commitment could overcome these obstacles. The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act are examples of a policy aimed at modernising the regulatory environment, to facilitate the licensing of advanced nuclear reactors.So, are SMRs the solution to everything nuclear? They're designed to produce between 50 to 300 MW of electricity per module, which is about one-third of the generation capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. NuScale's design (listen back to our episode from April last year for more on this) for instance, is for a 77 MW module, with plans to deploy modules in groups that can generate up to 924 MW. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been actively supporting SMR development, investing over US$600 million in the past decade to assist in the design, licensing and siting of new SMR technologies in the U.S. The technology seems to be there, as does the baseline investment.What's next for the nuclear industry? Listen to find out.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Customs Modernization Act was introduced, but it only focuses on enforcement. Listen for more info on today's Two Minutes in Trade. 

In part two of our foreign investment law episode with Dany Assaf, we speak about Bill C-34 – a proposed new statute that seeks to strike a balance between welcoming investment and safeguarding national security interests ✨ Read the full episode transcript HERE ✨ Learn more about the topics/cases on the Lawyered website✨ Help to declutter the law on the Lawyered crowdfunding page  

In part three of our foreign investment law episode with Dany Assaf, we discuss a new mechanism that will allow foreign investors to voluntarily notify the government about investments that could raise national security concerns. ✨ Read the full episode transcript HERE ✨ Learn more about the topics/cases on the Lawyered website✨ Help to declutter the law on the Lawyered crowdfunding page

Food and Travel Nation with Elizabeth Dougherty The TRUTH about Food and Travel Broadcast Date:  10/7/2023 In 2011, then-president Obama signed the Food Modernization and Safety Act.  That horrific piece of legislation was written largely by members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and was in direct response to a growing list of ballot initiatives and/or actions taken by various state legislatures that would have required the labeling of GMOs.  Over the years, changes have been made that have weakened the law even further.  QR codes were incorporated into food packaging label, making it even more difficult for customers to know what they were purchasing and feeding their families. Now in 2023, the USDA has spent BILLIONS to extend high-speed internet access to farmers across the country. Why? It's a part of a larger plan using QR Codes:  (1) to protect big agricultural interests (2) to monitor and track foods from the farm to the recycling center (3) to regulate small family farms out of business! And... it's the weaponization of the food supply. ### About the show:  Food And Travel Nation with Elizabeth Dougherty is the fusion of food and travel. This fresh, compelling nationally-syndicated weekend program includes information for homesteading, traveling, gardening, taste tests, and in a twist, listeners hear what restaurant servers say about customers. Each week our listeners get the very latest food and travel information We produce homemade videos of healthy, easy to make recipes We feature no-holds barred interviews in a LIVE, fast-paced, nationwide call-in show. Elizabeth Dougherty is a writer, trained chef, world traveler and now an award-winning talk show host. Food Nation Radio was on the forefront of presenting expert guests with vital information about GMOs, at a time when no one was talking about or even knew about the subject. We give our listeners, advertisers and stations a LIVE SHOW. (NO “BEST OF'S” EVER!) We present hard-hitting topics and interviews without the same old political spin. We are very social media conscious and stay in touch with our audience. (200,000 plus) We work closely with advertisers and stations to ensure their success. We are ready to deliver a fresh, tight, first-class show to your station from our digital studio utilizing Comrex Access and our own automation system. Executive Producer – Michael Serio Requests: Sammone@proton.me FOOD AND TRAVEL NATION FAST FACTS Website: Food And Travel Nation.com Social Media Sites: Facebook | Twitter 24/7 AUDIO STREAM ON iHEART RADIO

FIA President and CEO Walt Lukken discusses the history and the legacy of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, the importance of principles-based regulation, and the regulatory building blocks of the exchange-traded derivatives industry with David Greely of SmarterMarkets.

The Model Money Transmission Modernization Act, also known as the Money Transmitter Model Law, is a single set of nationwide standards and requirements created by industry and state experts. We speak with two CSBS experts on money transmission to learn how this model law came to be, what it accomplishes and how it's being implemented nationwide.GuestsMatt Lambert - Deputy General Counsel, Policy, CSBSCamille Polson - Manager, Policy Development, CSBS

House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023. The bill would update front-of-package food labeling requirements, require updates to the ingredient list on packaged foods, and apply consumer friendly labeling requirements.Among many other labeling issues, the bill would amend FALPCA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) to require that food product packaging disclose ALL gluten-containing grains. We've been down this road before with the FLMA of 2021, but we are making progress. As is stated in the press release, “Food labels play an important role in managing conditions such as celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, but they need to be complete and easier to understand.” said Senator Cardin." The press release also lists the groups currently supporting this legislation: "The Food Labeling Modernization Act is supported by Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of America, Environmental Working Group, International Fresh Produce Association, Gluten Free Watchdog, Celiac Disease Foundation, and Beyond Celiac."Stay tuned for ways to get involved by asking your representative for support.Read the full press release here: https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/pallone-and-blumenthal-introduce-food-labeling-modernization-legislation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Western Congressman Dan Newhouse says the key to getting this bill on to the President's desk… is gathering enough bipartisan support in the Senate.

Let's dive into how the election results can impact current bills that are sitting between the House and the Senate… for example, a very important one to all of agriculture, The Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Let's dive into how the election results can impact current bills that are sitting between the House and the Senate… for example, a very important one to all of agriculture, The Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Rusty Halvorson provides an update on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the impact it could have on farms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The clock is ticking for Senators to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act before the end of the lame duck session.

The clock is ticking for Senators to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act before the end of the lame duck session.

Mykel Bickham shares how they are hoping the Workforce Modernization Act can get pushed through the lame duck session. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Farm Bureau and other ag groups are urging the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and Christmas tree imports climb higher.

Let's dive into how the election results can impact current bills that are sitting between the House and the Senate… for example, a very important one to all of agriculture, The Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

On this month's Revamping Retirement, Scott Matheson and Jennifer Doss are joined by Lindsay Barnard, senior product manager at Alegeus, to discuss trends in today's Health Savings Account (HSA) industry.   The health savings account (HSA) has only been around since 2003, thanks to an amendment to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. Despite the short time on the market, these accounts can make a huge impact on a participant's retirement financial planning. In this episode of Revamping Retirement, Lindsay shares the industry trends she sees regarding HSAs for participants from her vantage point as senior product manager at Alegeus, which provides innovative software to health plan providers for programs like HSAs, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), continuation of health coverage (COBRA), and other wellness incentives. Lindsay, Scott, and Jennifer dive into questions on topics like employer HSA contributions, utilizing a spouse's HSA, and targeting amounts for healthcare needs in retirement.  Later in Minute with Mike, Mike Webb breaks down the Form 5500 filing process for plan sponsors.    Mentioned in the Podcast    How HSAs Can Help Participants Tackle Retirement Healthcare Costs (Webinar Recording)  Alegeus | SaaS-based benefit funding and payment solutions   

Passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year, the bill now awaits movement in the Senate.

Kyle sits down this week to share some facts on why the Farm Workforce Modernization Act would actually hinder current business based immigration programs. Listen for all the updates! We know, the immigration system is messy! It's complicated and confusing, especially for those looking to gain a visa or hire foreign workers. Farmer Law PC's Immigration Guy, Kyle Farmer, knows all of the tricks of the trade. The firm specializes in innovative immigration solutions, some of which you'll get to hear about on this podcast. Tune in for commentary on immigration-related news and industry insights, and The Immigration Guy's thoughts on much more!If you're interested in talking with one of our Business Relationship Developers about solving your business labor needs, click the link and fill out your contact information. We will get back to you shortly!Sign up for our free webinars using the links below:H2A: https://share.hsforms.com/1eHfHv447S_iuMUANi5jT4wbupb3H2B: https://share.hsforms.com/1KLC0MF6oQWu4hohiILWhoQbupb3TN: https://share.hsforms.com/1WYtbRWFQSK-GN8YJVcjIKgbupb3Send an email to media@farmerlawpc.com if you'd like to be featured in an episode, if you have a question Kyle can answer, or if you'd like to purchase an advertisement on the podcast.Follow Kyle Farmer on LinkedIn, here.Subscribe to our monthly Immigration Insider Newsletter, here.You can find more information about Ferris and Grass Works by clicking here. **The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available are for general informational purposes only. Listeners of this podcast should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.  No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.  Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation.  Use of, and access to, this podcast or any of the links or resources contained within the description do not create an attorney-client relationship between the listener and Kyle Farmer. **Produced & Edited By: Drew Tattam

Matt Irby joins JT to discuss Rand Paul and Tuberville to pass Bipartisan FDA Modernization Act in Senate to cut drug costs for Alabamians.

In this episode, supported by BrandTech, returning guest Rob Vries, CEO of HUB organoids (Utrecht, The Netherlands), fills us in on the advancement of 3D cell cultures and organoids over the last 2 years, starting off by documenting how the pandemic impacted their development and uptake. We also discuss how the recent FDA Modernization Act, removing the requirement for drug candidates to be tested on animals, has impacted the drive for improved models, the key techniques available to analyze them and what still needs to change for 3D cell cultures to fully replace animal models in the lab. Listen today to find out which resources can help you begin to work with 3D cell cultures, their most exciting recent applications and how issues of reproducibility are currently being addressed in the field. Contents:Intro: 00:00-00:50How COVID-19 impacted the uptake and development of 3D cell cultures: 00:50-02:05Key developments in 3D cell culture technology in the last 2 years: 02:05-03:00Intestinal organoids and the investigation of irritable bowel syndrome: 03:00-5:50Evaluating assembloids: 05:50-08:35Complexity vs clinical relevance: 08:35-10:45The impact of 3D cell cultures in precision medicine in cancer: 10:45-12:40The impact of the FDA's Modernization Act on 3D cell culture uptake: 12:40-14:45What needs to improve in organoid technologies to fully replace animal models? 14:45-16:10Changing inbuilt reliance on animal models: 16:10-18:30Key techniques to analyze organoids: 18:30-19:50Developments in imaging technology that have improved the analysis of organoids: 19:50-21:15Current challenges in 3D cell culture implementation and reproducibility: 21:15-24:15Improving access to 3D cell cultures: 24:15-25:55Resources to help people implement organoids into their work: 25:55-27:15Searching for the holy grail in 3D cell cultures: 27:15-28:00

In this episode, supported by BrandTech, returning guest Rob Vries, CEO of HUB organoids (Utrecht, The Netherlands), fills us in on the advancement of 3D cell cultures and organoids over the last 2 years, starting off by documenting how the pandemic impacted their development and uptake.We also discuss how the recent FDA Modernization Act, removing the requirement for drug candidates to be tested on animals, has impacted the drive for improved models, the key techniques available to analyze them and what still needs to change for 3D cell cultures to fully replace animal models in the lab.Listen today to find out which resources can help you begin to work with 3D cell cultures, their most exciting recent applications and how issues of reproducibility are currently being addressed in the field.Contents:Intro: 00:00-00:50How COVID-19 impacted the uptake and development of 3D cell cultures: 00:50-02:05Key developments in 3D cell culture technology in the last 2 years: 02:05-03:00Intestinal organoids and the investigation of irritable bowel syndrome: 03:00-5:50Evaluating assembloids: 05:50-08:35Complexity vs clinical relevance: 08:35-10:45The impact of 3D cell cultures in precision medicine in cancer: 10:45-12:40The impact of the FDA's Modernization Act on 3D cell culture uptake: 12:40-14:45What needs to improve in organoid technologies to fully replace animal models? 14:45-16:10Changing inbuilt reliance on animal models: 16:10-18:30Key techniques to analyze organoids: 18:30-19:50Developments in imaging technology that have improved the analysis of organoids: 19:50-21:15Current challenges in 3D cell culture implementation and reproducibility: 21:15-24:15Improving access to 3D cell cultures: 24:15-25:55Resources to help people implement organoids into their work: 25:55-27:15Searching for the holy grail in 3D cell cultures: 27:15-28:00 Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now the US Congress is weighing in on credit union boards and Chris Otey, an executive with CU 2.0 but importantly for this podcast, board chair at South Bay Credit Union in California, tells what he likes about the H. R. 6889, the Credit Union Board Modernization Act, which now has been voted out of committee and will come up for a vote in the full House.The bill has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.CUNA has indicated support. Ditto NAFCU. What would it do? It's narrowly focused legislation that would allow most credit union boards to meet six times annually rather than the currently mandated twelve. That's it.But Otey is plain that as board chair he thinks this would be a very good move. He tells why in the podcast.Remember to tell your member of Congress and US Senators how you feel about H.R. 6889.  And, by the way, this podcast is a coming home for Otey.  He was the guest in the first podcast - click here to listen.  It's not exactly as big a landmark as the first Rolling Stones album but, for credit union geeks, it may rate right up there.Listen up.

Farm Workforce Modernization Act sponsor, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse brings us up to date on why it's time for the Senate to pass this legislation.

Update from Dan Newhouse, chair of Western Caucus, on the Ag Workforce Modernization Act. Update from Erin Borror, U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President for Economic Analysis provides an update on beef exports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Webcast URL: https://knowledgewebcasts.com/know-portfolio/2022-guide-to-the-trademark-modernization-act-cle/ Important rule changes under the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA) of 2020 have been implemented in efforts to streamline key trademark procedures as well as to combat the surge of filings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The new regulations are likely to have a profound impact on several aspects of the trademark law and practice In this LIVE Webcast, leading trademark attorneys Steven D. Lustig (Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP) and Daniel I. Schloss (Greenberg Traurig, LLP) will provide an in-depth discussion of the recent significant amendments resulting from the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA) of 2020. Speakers will also offer practical strategies on how to harness the key benefits of the newly-introduced procedures. For any more information please click on the webcast URL at the top of this description.

There are many details and information involved with recent changes resulting from the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA). In this episode, Erik provides a brief tour of trademark expungement proceedings and other key details from the TMA. Listen to Podcast The post What is the Trademark Modernization Act? appeared first on Erik M Pelton & Associates, PLLC.

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says enough time has passed, let's get the Farm Workforce Modernization Act through the Senate before it's too late.

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says enough time has passed, let's get the Farm Workforce Modernization Act through the Senate before it's too late.

We begin speaking with Wayne Pacelle about pending legislation in both the House and Senate, the FDA Modernization Act, which would eliminate the animal testing mandate for development and approval of new pharmaceutical drugs for human use. Mr. Pacelle, as President of Center for a Humane Economy, Founder of Animal Wellness Action, and CEO of […]

Over the past few years, record numbers of trademark applications have been filed, causing concerns about the integrity of the U.S. trademark registry and the value of the highly-sought-after U.S. trademark registration. In response, Congress passed the Trademark Modernization Act in December of 2020, which gave the USPTO one year to implement new proceedings called "expungement" and "reexamination." These new procedures came into effect on December 18, and allow third-parties to provide evidence that a registered trademark was not in-use when the applicant said it was, thus canceling the existing registration. Our guest, Eric Perrott, is a Trademark attorney in D.C. and was the first attorney to file a "petition for expungement" against a trademark registrant that used a doctored stock image in its trademark application. We will discuss with him the implications of this development for brand owners and trademark attorneys, particularly international filers who will need to hire a U.S. based attorney to respond to these proceedings. Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations. Thank You to Our Sponsors! LawPay is a simple, secure solution that was developed specifically to help law firms streamline billings and collections. LawPay is the industry leader in legal payments, providing a cost-effective solution for more than 50,000 law firms across the country. MyCase is a top-rated, end-to-end legal case management software that helps firms run efficiently from anywhere, provide an exceptional client experience, and easily track firm performance. Streamline day-to-day firm processes in one, easy to adopt solution -- lead tracking, client intake, case management, eSignature, billing, payments and more. DC Bar members are eligible for a 10% lifetime discount. Start your free trial (no credit card required) today!

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) began implementing the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA) on December 18, 2021. Why should you care? Well, if you're a business, you should care about your brand, generally, and your mark is a visible reminder to the world of that brand: It is what separates your business from the rest of the pack. TMA makes taking care of that brand a lot easier – but it also presents potential new threats to current registrations. More on this in a moment. According to the USPTO, the purpose of TMA is to provide individuals, businesses and the USPTO new tools to remove fraudulently-acquired or unused – yet registered – trademarks from the federal trademark registry. An additional purpose of TMA is to enable the USPTO to process applications more efficiently. About Martensen IPAt the intersection of business, law and technology, Martensen understands the tools of IP. Martensen knows the business of IP. We understand the tech market, especially when the government is a customer, and we know how to plan, assess, and adjust. Patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses are our tools. Full story here https://news.kisspr.com/pr/131469https://www.martensenip.comMartensen IP Media ContactMike Martensen | Founder(719) 358-2254

Hour 2 -  Nick Reed is live on location at Scramblers Diner for another Heroes Breakfast. Here's what he covers: KY3 reports that just before Gov. Parson condemned a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter for exposing a state database flaw, records show the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was preparing to thank him for finding the glitch. Nick covers the story. 80 House Republicans voted with Democrats on Tuesday to pass the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act, which if passed by the Senate and signed into law would fund a federal vaccination database. Missouri Republicans were split on the vote. The CIA was aware that at least 10 members of its staff allegedly committed sex crimes against children. Russian state media gleefully trumpeted a gaffe by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who said in a Thursday press briefing that he hopes the Soviet Union will not soon invade Ukraine.

Now that the trade community has commented on Senator Cassidy's discussion draft of the “ModAct-21” it has become evident that many view the bill as focusing on enforcement over facilitation.  Understanding the major pain points provides a peak into the debate and deliberation that lies ahead.

Returning guest, Alex Hilton, lays out the facts involving the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, which allows the U.S. Agency for Global Media to publish deceptive, psychologically impacting lies to major media platforms in the U.S. and abroad. –– Link to Alex Hilton's Lawless Cloud of Smith-Mundt Act records: https://lawless.cloud/s/awRYQ7JEKXNTbRL

“The EU follows the precautionary principle, which means that they are not going to let a chemical onto the market until they have received a certain amount of data that it's safe. In the U.S. it's the reverse—so we have more of a philosophy that we assume something is safe until proven otherwise,” says Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney with the Environmental Working Group (EWG). In this episode of Clean Beauty School, host & beauty director Alexandra Engler discusses the state of the union on cosmetic regulation with Benesh. They discuss what's holding the FDA back in regulation, what's being done at the state level (a la California), the major problem with PFAS, and—yes—why the EU is just so much better at this than us.  Show notes: -Learn about the Senate's Personal Care Product Safety Act and the House's FDA Cosmetic Safety and Modernization Act.  -Check out regulatory bills and initiatives in California and Maryland.  -Read up on the most recent PFAS study.  -When to toss your non-stick pans.  -Visit the EWG's Skin Deep database. Comments: podcast@mindbodygreen.com Sponsorship inquiries: sales@mindbodygreen.com

The Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2021 was introduced in the House and Senate on August 9. This bill would channel funding to existing and new elder justice initiatives including long-term care workforce, Adult Protective Services and programs to address social isolation. On this episode of LeverAGE, ASA's Leanne Clark-Shirley talks with Bob Blancato and Meredith Ponder Whitmire, both of Matz Blancato & Associates, about this bill, likely next steps and how ASA members can get involved. 

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 could create a year-round variant of the H-2A visa program for workers in livestock agriculture. This would be important for dairy farmers, who don't have a year-round visa option now. Dairy Stream host Mike Austin talks with Brandon Davis, attorney at Phelps in New Orleans, Louisiana, about the requirements of H-2A, impact it has on the agricultural community and future possibilities. This episode is sponsored by Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

Dan Lennington - Deputy Counsel at Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. A group of parents seeks recall of four Mequon-Thiensville School Board members. The city claimed recall sign violated a City sign ordinance and that citations would be issued in the future. Lennington says this is unconstitutional and amounts to a violation of the First Amendment. Andre Jacque - State Senator of the 1st Senate District. Brian Schimming with the weather Dr. Rebekah Bernard on nurse practitioners push to operate stand alone clinics. Assembly Bill 396 APRN "Modernization Act 2021" The Voice of Reason in a city of chaos. Weekday afternoons on 1310 WIBA Madison.

It is impossible to listen to or read news reports concerning the VA without finding volumes of information, mostly negative, regarding the delays in the benefit system. What likely will not be found is information explaining why some of the reasons for the delays in the system are actually positives. This podcast will address the aspects of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/vet2vet/support

Intro: On today's show we're going to be talking about HSA's and how they can be used as a useful tool in your financial planning picture. We will also be talking about what we call the HSA HACK for early retirement or to supplement your retirement income. Headline of the week: Inflation speeds up in April as consumer prices leap 4.2%, fastest since 2008 - CNBC The Consumer Price Index rise for April from a year earlier was the sharpest since September 2008. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for an increase of 3.6%. What does this mean for us: A result is that goods/services are going to cost more. What can you do to protect yourself against inflation? Stay invested! Stocks provide a shelter in an inflationary environment. Main Topic In this episode we're going to be doing a deep dive on HSA's. What are they, what are some of the tricks that make this a really useful retirement tool… What is an HSA? An HSA is a health savings account that allows you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. Think of it as a bucket of money that's there to pay for anything from a medical standpoint. Instead of paying out of pocket for anything your health insurance plan doesn't cover, you can utilize the HSA account to do so. If you don't use the money in a given year, it runs over into the next year AND stays with you if you change up employers or take a new job. History of the HSA Enacted back in 2003 and were spun out of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. Put in place to help consumers start thinking more about their medical costs - goes hand in hand with the HDDP (High Deductible Health Plan) If consumers have to pay the first few thousand dollars in health care costs, they're going to think twice about what they need and where they get care - is the thinking. Link to qualified medical expenses / BIG list: https://www.hsabank.com/hsabank/learning-center/irs-qualified-medical-expenses How much can you contribute to an HSA account? In 2021 - you can contribute $3,600 for employee only and $7,200 for a family insurance policy. Investing inside of an HSA HSA's allow you to INVEST inside of them. They can be used like a brokerage account or 401k or Roth IRA. Just like a 401k at work - they have investment options you can choose inside of an HSA. We obviously recommend choosing a fund with LOW FEES that is broadly diversified, like an S&P 500 fund or a broad market mutual fund or ETF. Reimbursement You are permitted to reimburse yourself for qualified medical expenses from an HSA account as long as the expenses are incurred after the HSA was established. NO TIME LIMIT ON REIMBURSEMENT, but you must retain documentation/receipts Use the HSA as a retirement tool, and reimburse yourself in the future tax free

Host - Gil Porter, Partner and Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force, Haynes and BooneModerator - Nathan Koppel, Director of Media Relations Featured Speaker -Joseph Matal - Partner, Intellectual Property Practice Group

The reason for today’s special episode is The Farm Workforce Modernization Act that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now moving on to the Senate. This legislation is an effort to make progress on the mess that is U.S. ag labor policy. Shay Myers, a farmer who was featured on this show back in episode 178, called me to talk about the importance of this bill to U.S. farmers and their employees. In fact, over 300 agricultural organizations supported the bill. Ag labor reform like this has been attempted for decades, but has never been passed, mostly due to politics.  First, what does this bill do? Put simply, it improves the process for H-2A workers, which is the name of the visa for temporary agricultural workers. It also makes it mandatory that agricultural employers e-verify employees legal work status for employment. Finally, and perhaps most controversially, it establishes a program for agricultural workers and their families who are already in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment if they meet certain requirements. 

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has cleared one hurdle as it passes in the House of Representatives.

We talk with an epidemiologist about the prospects and effectiveness of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, as well as other vaccination effort updates. Then we discuss the potential of a bill moving through Congress that would give migrant farm workers the opportunity to apply to live in the U.S. legally.

The bill provides legal status for the current workforce and reforms the H-2A program.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has cleared one hurdle as it passes in the House of Representatives.

3-19-21 AJ DailyEfficacy vs. Safety, adapted from an article by Heather Smith Thomas, Angus Beef Bulletin. http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2021/02feb21/0221hn_B_VaccineType.htmlBeltway Beef Podcast: An Industry Perspective on the HAULS Act , adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. https://soundcloud.com/beltway-beef/an-industry-perspective-on-the-hauls-actNFU Supports Farm Workforce Modernization Act, adapted from a release by Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union.  https://nfu.org/2021/03/18/farm-workforce-modernization-act-creates-a-more-functional-compassionate-farm-labor-system/Cattle on Feed Analyst Estimates, adapted from a report by Len Steiner, Steiner Consulting Group. http://www.dailylivestockreport.com/documents/dlr%2003-17-21.pdfToday's AJ Daily was compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal. 

A House vote is expected this month on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and USDA is looking for public input on Climate-Smart Agriculture.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has been reintroduced to the House of Representatives by co-sponsors Zoe Lofgren of California and Washington state's Dan Newhouse.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has been reintroduced to the House of Representatives by co-sponsors Zoe Lofgren of California and Washington state's Dan Newhouse.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has been reintroduced to the House of Representatives by co-sponsors Zoe Lofgren of California and Washington state's Dan Newhouse.

Due to a glitch in the ACE entry system, importers, through their customs brokers, have been tendering lower than required Internal Revenue Taxes under the Craft Beverage Modernization Act (CBMA) for beer, wine and distilled spirits. CBP warns future underpayment could yield penalties.  

The VA appeals system has been completely revamped. In this episode, Robin helps answer some questions many Veterans have about the new appeals modernization act. Robin goes over what the new changes are, how these changes may benefit you, and what you need to know about the new appeals modernization act. Tune in to hear more about how the new appeals modernization act may benefit you.Visit our website to learn more about how we may be able to help you get service-connected - http://bit.ly/3dKJhOT*Podcast DisclaimerTrajector Medical does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this podcast episode. Nothing contained or provided in this podcast episode is intended to constitute advice or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a licensed healthcare provider, attorney, or agent accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist with the filling of disability claims. Any reliance you place on this information is strictly at your own risk. Always seek the advice of your qualified medical provider, attorney, or VA agent, to address individual circumstances. This podcast episode is for general information purposes only. All uses of the term "you" are for illustrative purposes regarding a hypothetical Veteran. Trajector Medical disclaims any control over, relationship with, or endorsement of the ideas expressed by viewers of this content.

Lightly-edited transcript of the blog entry: Hi, I'm Anthony Verna, managing partner, Verna Law. Let's talk a little bit about the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020. That's right. Congress passed a COVID spending bill and tucked in some other legislation. Congress, you need to stop doing that! One bill one thing, but, nope, Congress, isn't going to do that. So, the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 buried in the middle of the COVID spending bill, let's talk a little bit about that. What it does. Number one, third parties may file petitions for expungement or reexamination. That's right. The biggest change to the current USPTO procedure is that there's a new provision. There are ex parte expungement petitions against registrations for trademarks that have never been used. Ex parte means it's not really going to be a two-party procedure. It's a one-party procedure. So you, as one party who you filed to show that this trademark has never been used before, that's how we get going on, on this expungement.The third party, can petition for expungement in connection with some of the goods and services or all of the goods and services. The act specially notes that the registrant's evidence of use is not subject to the stringent rules, applied to the submissions of use specimens in the application process. Marks registered from outside the U S who obtained the registration based on a home country registration or via the international registration process may present evidence of excusable non-use to avoid that expungement. Now, why can third parties do this? We've seen a jump - a jump! - in the number of registrations that have happened internationally, mainly from China. They really aren't real, and frankly,  have never been used in commerce. So the USPTO has been asking Congress for a way to simplify the process, to get rid of registrations that actually haven't been used in the United States.A third party can also seek reexamination of a registration. If a party submits evidence that a reasonable investigation shows that a trademark was not actually in use at the time of filing based on actual use or at the time that the applicant claimed use the difference between an expungement and reexamination are a expungement, is for cases in which a Mark has never been used. Whereas re-examination is for cases in which the Mark was not in use at the time that the use was claimed and be a petition for reexamination must be filed within five years of the issuance of a registry. Number two, third-party evidence is now allowed in trademark applications. That's right, the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 authorizes the USPTO to permit third parties to submit evidence supporting a refusal to register a trademark and to collect a fee from that third party, making the filing.Let's remember our previous  video, where we talked about the amount of money that is going to be raised for the PTO in 2021, because fees are going up!  Well, here's a creation of a totally new fee, which basically does enhance the letter of protest that third parties have been able to file for many, many years. However, now, a third-party can really throw in that evidence and filed yet another fee, but it does expand the letter of protest. And it does help a third-party to submit evidence of non-use of the applied-for trademark. Number three, time periods for responses to office actions may be shorter, but extendable, right? Currently the USPTO issues an office action and reviews and registration are requiring further information or action. On behalf of the applicant, the applicant has six months to respond  The new act permits the USPTO to set a shorter response period, if it wishes.  It doesn't necessarily have to, but you can still be extendable to a total of six months. And then the USPTO is authorized to do what you guessed: It can charge a fee for the extension. So I have no doubt that change is going to be coming sometime soon. Fourth,

As Congress gets back into session, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse is hoping to get the Farm Workforce Modernization Act gets moved back to the front burner.

As Congress gets back into session, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse is hoping to get the Farm Workforce Modernization Act gets moved back to the front burner.

In a time when most of the attention is going towards the pandemic and the racial tensions across the country, many in Congress would like to see other legislation, like the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, move back to the front burner.

Medical Monopoly Musings #40 - Evil Lilly “One of the most evil pharma corporations in the world, Eli Lilly & Company. You may have heard of them. They’re evil. And I can say that because I was part of the evil.” - Dr. John Rengen Virapen who worked 35 years for Eli Lilly in many positions including as an executive. Should we believe a man who perpetrated such evil and later grew a conscious? Well, we don’t have to rely just on his words… Lilly has come under fire for their blockbuster drug, Prozac (fluoxetine). Ironically, or devilishly, depending on how you look at it, a drug made for depression leads to increases in suicide. (Not to mention homicide as covered previously in #10.) ... Medical Monopoly Musings #41 - Meet the Man Responsible for Trillion Dollar Transfer from Public Coffers to Big Pharma (and Tens of Millions into His Own Pockets) This makes me despise politicians more…and at the same time feel bad for the ones that are honest as this is what they have to deal with. Billy Tauzin was a longtime Democrat in Congress representing Louisiana starting in 1980, nicknamed the “Cagey Cajun” for his methods. But he switched to Republican in 1994 as that party took power in the House. (Clearly, a man of principle!) His salary as congressman was $162,000. He helped to craft and pass the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. One of the provisions of this bill was that the government was not able to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, nor import cheaper drugs from overseas. Taxpayers paid the full rate despite being the biggest customer by far. “The pharmaceutical lobbyists wrote the bill,” said Republican Representative Walter Jones. More importantly, see how it was passed! ... Show notes and references at https://healthsovereign.com/35

Today on the Veterans Legal Lowdown, host Robert Chisholm and guest Brad Hennings talk about the new VA benefits appeals system under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA), and some of the challenges VA is experiencing with the implementation of the new appeals system. A year after the AMA was officially signed into law, Robert and Brad dive into some of the training deficiencies and operational inconsistencies we’re seeing from VA, and what they mean for veterans and their disability claims. Follow us on social media: YouTube - http://bit.ly/CCKYTL Facebook - http://bit.ly/CCKFBL Instagram - http://bit.ly/CCKINL Twitter - http://bit.ly/CCKTL

The Appeals Modernization Act forever changed the way VA adjudicates Veterans’ claims. So, is this program yielding fast and accurate results for Veterans? CCK’s advocates break down the first year of data under the AMA, and what we think this means for the new appeals system. Follow us on social media: YouTube - http://bit.ly/CCKYTL Facebook - http://bit.ly/CCKFBL Instagram - http://bit.ly/CCKINL Twitter - http://bit.ly/CCKTL

David L. Marks - Pontificator of Common Sense and Coffee Connoisseur​.The 2020 election is drawing ever closer. The media has been giving all of the attention to the Democrat Debates or President Trump. During thisContinue ReadingThe post Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 – H.R. 5038 | Podcast 126 appeared first on David L. Marks.

Farmworker justice groups are split in terms of supporting or opposing this new piece of legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented workers, mandate farmers electronically verify worker legal status, and make changes to the H-2A guestworker program. In this episode, California writer and photojournalist David Bacon (author of In the Fields of the North) joins host Lisa Held to talk about his reporting on the proposed bill and how the history of farm workforce programs in the US provides insight into the future.Image courtesy of David Bacon.The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.  

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, co-sponsored by Washington Republican Representative Dan Newhouse, is making its way through the Senate, but could be "delayed" by impeachment proceedings.

The Bourbon Pursuit team takes a minute to look back on some of our favorite podcasts we recorded this year. We also look at all the bourbons that were released in 2019 (around 55) and Ryan and Kenny vote on their favorite while we have to wait for Fred. Then we take some time to look into 2020 with what we think is going to happen with TTB labels, marijuana, tariffs, and the 3 tier system in 2020. We wrap up the show giving our individual 2020 predictions about barrel programs, secondary markets, and other legalities. Happy New Year! Show Partners: At Barrell Craft Spirits, they spend weeks choosing barrels to create a new batch. Joe and Tripp meticulously sample every barrel to make sure the blend is absolutely perfect. Find out more at BarrellBourbon.com. Receive $25 off your first order at RackHouse Whiskey Club with code "Pursuit". Visit RackhouseWhiskeyClub.com. Show Notes: Barrel Picks: https://www.patreon.com/posts/jack-daniels-wow-32305844, https://www.patreon.com/posts/eagle-rare-with-32446056 This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about barrel char. What was your favorite episode of 2019? What was the most awkward episode? Bourbons released in 2019. What do you see on the horizon for tariffs and the export market? Do you think we will see a marijuana or CBD infused whiskey in 2020? Will TTB crackdown on new COLAs in 2020? Do you predict a shakeup in the 3 tier system? Will we see the rise of the big secondary groups in 2020? Other predictions for 2020. 0:00 You know, we weren't drinking whiskey this. I know as soon as we started I was just like, should we stop and get this? I was like, yeah, we're gonna roll let's let's actually we sounded much more cohesive, so maybe we don't drink anymore. 0:23 Everybody it is Episode 233. It is our final show of 2019. And usually during this time of the year, things are winding down, I guess except if you work in retail, then it's a bunch of last minute shoppers, but we still have some news to cover. So let's get into it. Last week, I opened the show talking about the craft beverage modernization and Tax Reform Act being in jeopardy. And we also talked about it in this week's podcast. Well, some hopes have been answered and the tax cut has been approved and extended for one additional year. It is passed in both the House and the Senate. So now, graph distillers can take advantage of one more year tax 1:00 breaks. So we'll see what's going to happen in 2020. It will be furthered again or if it's now time for craft distillers to start preparing for a 400% tax increase in 2021. If anything has the word Weller associated to it, there's bound to be some hysteria that follows. This past week, a new Weller single label that was orange hit the TTB. This caused a bunch of memes to spread like, well a pumpkin spice well or honey and even a Weller jaundice. I'm not too sure who thought of that idea, but the market needs no excitement every single week. Now, there are no public details from Sazerac on this line. So it's still yet to be determined when or even if it will ever be released. The proof and the price point. On the bourbon pursuit side, we're finishing out 2019 with a bang. For the past few weeks, we've been lucky enough to select two more single barrels for our Patreon community. Two weeks ago, we traveled down to Lynchburg, Tennessee to select a barrel proof jack daniels. And to my surprise, these whiskies they're only five years 2:00 result. But we ended up choosing a barrel that was 131 proof and just completely floored us on taste and complexity. It was also a good time just talking to a lot of folks that work there because it was truly an all encompassing experience with humble people who just love what they do. And we did our best not to getting into those is jack daniels of bourbon conversations. Anybody that works there because we knew it wasn't gonna go anywhere. And this week, or should I say last week, we traveled down to Buffalo Trace and selected our first ever Eagle rare barrel. And to keep the story short, we had our team of 10 people, along with Susanna who leads the barrel program with Joshua steely who manages the premier bourbon brands and the infamous Freddy Johnson. It was a split decision all the way to the very end, where Joshua and Freddy ended up being our tiebreakers. You can read the stories for both of these pic experiences with the link in our show notes. And these barrels will only and always be exclusively available to our Patreon community. 3:00 thank you as always to our retail partner, keg and bottle for making it happen. You can read more about them and order whiskey online and have it shipped to your door at keg the letter in bottle.com. And not only that is we're starting out 2020. with even more barrel selections, we have our first 1792 foolproof selection happening on the third of January. So go to our Patreon page, check it out to see all the single barrels that we have lined up and the ones that are be coming in. As I look back and reflect on 2019 it's been a monumental year of growth for the podcast, but it was also the launch of our whiskey quickie series. We selected 19 single barrels from various distilleries, we really 17 episodes of pursuit series, and the podcast. It reached a new milestone of 950,000 downloads in 2019. So thank you, all of you out there that listen and support this podcast. We just couldn't do it without you. We decided to celebrate this very special occasion and buy some new equipment to help you even bring 4:00 better quality in 2020. So we can't wait to start recording all new podcasts with the new gear coming in. And today's podcast is going to be more about looking back at 2019 reflections but also looking into 2020. What was our whiskey of the year? And what do we think is going to happen with things like TTB labels, marijuana tariffs, the three tier system and more in 2020 we covered all in today's podcast, but first, sit back, relax and let's listen for what Joe has to say over a barrell bourbon. And then you've got Fred minnick with above the char. 4:32 I'm Joe Beatrice, founder of barrell craft spirits, myself and our master distiller Tripp stimpson spend weeks choosing barrels to create a new batch. We meticulously sample every barrel make sure the blend is absolutely perfect. Next time ask your bartender for barrell bourbon. 4:49 I'm Fred Minnick. And this is above the char this week's idea comes from Jess or blonde ambition, on Twitter. Great handled by the way blog 5:00 invention, kind of jealous of that handle? she asked, What's the average char for a barrel. Now it's interesting, this is something that the distillers they tend to be very emphatic about their belief in the charring of the barrel. As you know, by law, every barrel has to be newly charred oak in order for it to store bourbon. And there have been a lot of experiments over the years to include buffalo traces, experiment for their experimental line that they store whiskey and in a barrel that was charged for nearly like two minutes and the barrel barely held together. So you can't really have a barrel that's charred for more than a minute, minute and a half in order to have like, decent volume come out of it. So the average char that most people use and that they found that they 6:00 derive the best flavor for them is usually about a char number four or 55 seconds, you'll also hear it called the alligator char. Now you're finding a lot of people really kind of live by the chart number three, chart number three is you know in that 45 second to 52nd range and it gets people a lot more you know, a lot more durability out of the barrel but the wood also gets, you know, when that whiskey gets deeper down there and that line, they tend to come out a little earlier. And I've seen some people do a chart number two and a chart one and to be honest with you, those whiskies tend to be a little greener, you find you find a lot of like a stringent notes and I had typically not been much of a fan of that of those. Of course all that is to say that at the end of the day charring plays, fire little or roll into the flavor of the 7:00 Whiskey then the leaving the stage outside and letting them dry age or the toasting mechanisms. So I think the charring while important, is not the most important aspect of the barrel. And that's this week's above the char Hey, if you have an idea for above the char hit me up on Twitter, Instagram or wherever the hell you want to at Fred minich just email me on my website Fred MiniK calm until next week. Cheers 7:34 Welcome back to the final episode of bourbon pursuit for 2019 Kenny Ryan and Fred down here in the I don't know is this is somewhat of a new setup for us. So we're trying to invest in some new equipment make it sound better make everything kind of work. So yeah, yeah. Wait until the very last episode. Here to get some new equipment. Well, you know, we're, I keep I keep looking at all the Fred stuff that he has and his new setup. I get jealous. 8:00 Do I get jealous and envious now? Yeah, Mike envy that little bit. It's a little bit of mine. It is at least you know how to turn it on. It took me it took me a while to figure it out to use that damn thing. Yeah, it's all right, we'll get there. But today, what we're going to do is we're going to be going over kind of like a recap of some of the favorite things that we did or we saw or a part of in 2019. Also looking into 2020 with some predictions and some kind of ideas that that I kind of have, and we'll kind of just, we'll take it from there. And you know, one thing that the certain data just originally came or just recently came out, there are now 800,000 podcasts that are out there now. And it's an astounding amount and we just want to say thank you to the listeners out there. Not all bourbon, are they out? Well, I mean, there, there's probably a new one every other day feels like it 800,000 other ones now, but you know, want to say thank you to all of our listeners out there, because we definitely appreciate it and hopefully you continue listening to us more as we go into 2020. But what's kind of one thing I want to kind of look at is kind of reflect back on 2019 a little bit 9:00 Like, you know, Fred or Ryan I'll let you kind of dive in or I'll kind of say a few of them like did you have a like an episode that you were really happy about or you're proud about or really got a lot out of you want to take this further you want me to go 9:14 you know, we had so many great ones. I really enjoyed getting Matthew Ray Walton here at English from WWE. And I, the reason why I I love that is you know, inevitably you're going to have new people come into into kind of like the media spotlight and everything for for whiskey and I I applaud that I want to see new people coming in and, and giving their opinion about whiskey and kind of like furthering the story of what we know whiskey is and who enjoys it. And to have like, someone of that caliber who's on TV like every every week and body slamming people I just think that's kind of cool. And you know, we've become pretty good friends and I just think what he has done for 10:01 Whiskey and continue to do so is is fascinating and I'm also I also it's not just because she's one of my best friends but the Peggy know Stevens episode that you and I did 10:14 notice both of those I was not a bar. 10:18 Well, we were mentioning this earlier, it's very rare that all three together it is and I think it's because, you know, it's kind of like when, when the President goes on the stage to talk, you know, you need to have one of the people in the bag, in case 10:30 too many chiefs. Yeah, there's gonna be one designated survive. Yeah. 10:35 This the Peggy no Stevens episode to me was like, you know, she revealed a lot of things there. That was, you know, she didn't have to. And, you know, I wrote the book, whiskey women, and I think she was she was a reason why I wrote it. She was a trailblazer in that in this world. 10:58 And then on the other side, Jackie's 11:00 I can whom we all three were there when was never a fun one she's always great. She's great and Campbell was great and you know I just got to tell you we had a lot of fun this year and every episode I was a part of and you know, just fantastic for me personally. Yeah, I mean for me one of the one of the ones I really enjoyed the most you know, as as Ryan I started venturing off into the our own little side business as well with pursuit spirits. But as we started really kind of like turning a new chapter for bourbon pursuit as well. Like we're, we're not just interviewing master distillers and it's not all cultural, but we're looking at even like, further behind the curtains of things. And that's when we did Episode 182 with Jeff hoffmeyer, brinda yamo and really talking about like, what's the secrets behind sourcing whiskey? Like we all knew that there were there were source whiskey out there, but not a lot of people knew the process what it takes there. I mean, got every talked about, like the whole like a counterfeit full of or a whole truckload full of like counterfeit rum potentially Right. I mean, like 12:00 There was there's a lot of things that a lot of people just didn't really know about it beforehand. Yeah, that was kind of like 12:06 that broke a little news in our world for for a broker to come out and say that there's counterfeit bourbon out there, and someone's bottled it and we don't know who you know. And as a consumer, it's kind of like, it kind of goes back to that old. That old adage, really only buy wood from people you trust and like, that's why the distilled and bottled by are like a source purveyor. Like the pursuit series. 12:32 Your best What's that? 12:35 But you know, that opened a lot of eyes, I think. And yeah, I totally agree. What about you, Ryan? Do you have a favorite one from this past year? Or maybe the most awkward one? Well? 12:49 Well, I think everyone knows which the most awkward one detail. I don't know which one you'd be referring with a counterfeiter, which, I mean, that probably is I it was awful. 13:00 Doing it at the time because it was so awkward but 13:04 as Fred and I talked about with other people and I think it did bring us three like a lot closer and you know because you know you had some people taking shots at us and questioning and all that stuff so we kind of we kind of bonded over it so that and I think a lot of people enjoyed it as well kind of shed some light on a dark subject of this hobby and hopefully deter some people from doing it but probably my most like memorable and fun one I always am in amazed by the business aspect of this and like I really enjoyed the one we did with coffee just because I've started businesses you know myself and on a much smaller scale than he had with rabbit hole and like this guy was literally leveraging his everything to make it happen and you could just tell like, you know it, it was about to come to fruition but it had yet and later we found out that you know, they were purchased by a printer card and 14:00 It was just fascinating for me to hear, you know, because I mean, it's ballsy to come into Kentucky, where you have the most you know, you have the big boys and literally that in you have no connection to the industry whatsoever. And you just start a brand and in succeed like that, it's pretty incredible. So, and I wasn't on that interview, but Kobe is someone who definitely came in and, you know, made some enemies in the process as well. And like he, and he, but he kept pushing forward and his way and so that story is fascinating. For that reason. He got like, one of these big entrepreneur organizations, you got Entrepreneur of the Year for the whole country. So like he's, he caught a lot of people's attention naturally. That's, I mean, it says impressive and, you know, speak on the business side of things like one of the ones that both you were not there for, but I was one dealing with Episode 223 with Ken Lewis, a new riff and really hearing his story of how he just 15:00 Kind of like just randomly got into the liquor business. And then he eventually sold off the the party sources that now become liquor barns in Louisville. And now he just has that one. He had that one location and said, you know what I want to get into the actual distilling process and everything like that, and then kind of talked about how when he was actually at the party source, how he bought all these barrels of MGP just saying like, hey, like, I don't know, maybe I'll do something with them one day. And you know, lo and behold, that's really what kick started everything that happened in New Earth and they did a clean cut from Okay, to their own product. There was no blending or anything like that, and they're not sourcing anything else. It's just moving towards their product and you know, they've had a strong 2019 as well even going into it from from that side, man. Think about how good their whiskey is to know you know, and they just 15:47 they just kind of came out of nowhere for a lot of people we've we've known about them for sure. But for a lot of people are just like discovering new riff and they're like, Oh my god, this is good. And so that story too, is like it's so rare and whiskey. 16:00 That we see someone who Gamble's at all, and and then their whiskies. Good. Yeah usually it's things we see most of them that that don't succeed you know we get you're like, man I'm sorry you spent your whole life savings on this and make this sorry about that but now it's it's hard for me to remember what episodes got released this year because we record some and some get released and so I'm like, you know, just thinking back because if you're not familiar with our process, we batch record I know you're familiar with it but the audience 16:32 we batch record to me, Vance and kind of release them as we go and just so the audience can know and feel sorry for Ryan and I we've just been bullied into like that we have to plan for the next quarter and right after this and it's like we have to come up with new episodes and and he's been trying to schedule it can he's been trying to schedule this with us for a long time and we have a whole syllabus of like, coming up after the show. Let me get your copies at the door. Have a seat. We're going to go over that. 17:00 what's what's your here's a question for you, Kenny. What is your? What's your favorite moment of trying to get Ryan and I to do something? Probably when I get to call y'all names I'm like, well, you bastards. Finally look at these texts. Charlie, I'm trying to get answers to plan the calendar January. I don't like, like, 17:19 I'm in Disney World Day. I'll be back home said no, but I mean, like I said, finally, like when I get those, I feel like I'm just it's it's always waiting. And then as soon as I get it, I'm like, okay, bam, I can start knocking things out, start getting everything ready. And there's there's a whole process behind it. I just got to make sure that we're gonna add like two weeks buffer, you know, when you try to get stuff done with us. Right. 17:41 But I applaud you for for the person. The Pursuit pays off. Yeah. Oh, there we go. So let's go ahead and let's start, you know, looking at to actually, you know, kind of talk about this too, because I don't want my best Bourbons of the year. I don't know, you know, I know Fred's gonna be recording his you know that we're recording this here. 18:00 About two weeks prior to this actually being released and Fred's going to be releasing his, his best Bourbons and best whiskies of 2019. You know, Ryan, I kind of want you to kind of talk about this too, but you know, I think 2019 was actually a very very good year for American whiskey and bourbon. And I'm I actually wrote down every single limited release and everyday bourbon that got released to and I'm just going to go through this really quickly because I want just to say like, just the gravity of really what went out there. And as soon as I say these things, you'd be like, Oh, yeah, that was actually just like back in February now now kind of rain. So of course you've got the antique collection and you got Van Winkle but you had Cornerstone right Elmer tealy 100th The amaranth grain of the gods four roses 2019 small mash Maker's Mark RC six angels empty cash drink knob Creek, quarter oak, double Eagle, very rare old charter oak series, angels envy Ella Rosso Bardstown bourbon company with their fusion fight for habit more. Bill need had some experimental that came out web saffle eight and Sam from GP for gateway. 19:00 Four releases this year blood oath pack five old Carter had a few Bourbons and rise. Woodford Reserve backer at addition Woodford Reserve batch proof Woodford Reserve chocolate malted, rye, peerless bourbon Weller full proof. 1792 12 year king of Kentucky 2019 Baker's 13 Wild Turkey, Cornerstone right I had on there twice, so maybe I'll take that one back. Old forester birthday bourbon Parker's heavy char rye, Kentucky, bourbon number nine Stranahan snowflake 2019. Remus volstad, reserve bourbon from MGP. And those were all the limited releases. So now we go into just the everyday releases. Old forester rye, crema Kentucky they had two releases this year for roses small batch select heaven Hill bottle and bond seven year Cooper's craft barrel reserve 100 proof Maker's Mark 100 proof uncle nearest 1884 small batch whistlepig piggyback rebel yield 100 proof Woodford Reserve week whiskey decal 13. Year bottle and bond, Jim beans legend Kentucky out confiscated Baker seven and the bullet single barrel program was also announced. And then you also had others like barrel dovetail all the barrel 20:00 releases all Bazell Hayden, Caribbean, right, you had all of the Booker's batches. I mean, when I did account, like we were saying we have options out there. It was like almost like 55 new entrants into the market this year of just limited releases. But there's also a good handful of just every other day stuff. So in my opinion, 2019 was a fantastic year for American whiskey. So there's there's two things two ways to look at this one. Yes, it was a fantastic year. The other way is is that these distilleries are getting savvy about releases Yeah, every every release is a new press release is a new story somewhere it's new and so they're not just like saying like, Okay, we got Woodford Reserve and Maker's Mark, let's go, you know, pushing that so they, they've, they've learned that the consumer base like something new, special and different. And so that's what that list tells me is that some some MBAs and the boardrooms have spotted that and it's the strategies were 21:00 Yeah, I think it also tells us that, you know, they're starting to catch up on their stocks of aging product. They're starting to, you know, you starting to see like, seven, eight year, you know, stuff getting pushed out there that, you know, finally they weren't, you know, eight years ago they didn't have and so I think they're able to catch up on and start releasing some more stuff now. I mean, this was this was just from the big guys, right like this is this doesn't even take account the other 300 craft distilleries or maybe 3000 craft distilleries there are across our nation now. Right. So there's a lot of stuff that was released. And for it, I kind of see what you're saying that this is, this could be a telling sign of what is going to come in 2020 like, yeah, we just named off maybe like 3030 to 40 kind of like, you know, big kind of things that kind of shook up that. It's because it seems like every week that there's a press release, and everybody's like, Oh, yes, I gotta go get this one. Right, right. I mean, even just last week, like pretty much everybody around here. We got 22:00 larceny barrel proof and we got the old Fitz 15 years and it's like, okay, like already gearing up for first to 2020 to go and find new bottles, right? So I guess that's just kind of the maybe that's just a new evolutionary cycle that we're going to see. And I would like to say like what the question to me is like you say that list and we know their strategy, I think what can be very telling us the pricing of each one of those as like. And the one the the big winner of that entire list to me, is the old forester rye coming in at $23. And that's just and we know that Jackie's I can kind of fight for that to be at that price point. And the other ones like you know, where what are their price points, I mean, they're hovering anywhere between 75 and 150. And so you know, a lot of these like new kind of products, they're not really pricing in, you know, the old consumers who brought them to the dance, they're, they're gone for that. That new consumer who's like thinks that $75 is too 23:01 Yeah, I mean, I could definitely see that I mean, I think Ryan and I, we we had this conversation of even before we went in the car when we were just talking about pursuit series and we're talking about like, oh, like what happens if we run out of glass and we just like kill the brand and start a new brand? Like what like what do we do here? Right so there's there's definitely even though it's very smaller scale, we have ideas and things even think about you know, even when that happens, but Ryan, what about you mean is there one of these like everyday ones that kind of like stuck out to you or anything like that is kinda like maybe one of your best whiskies of Yeah, I mean, Fred already mentioned that before sir I mean, it's frickin It's so good. 23:39 I get it in pretty much when I can every cocktail to like it's good both ways. And then the the decal bald and bond I thought was really excellent. You know, and price grade and, you know, the blind tasting of the heaven Hill, bald and bought seven year also proved that it's a very good and you know, at 40 bucks as much to your chagrin 24:00 Right, much to my chagrin, but 24:02 it's really good whiskey and it's $40. You know, like Fred said, most stuff that you got to get that quality is like 7500 bucks. So, you know, that's, you know, it was good. Yeah. And that's, I mean, I guess this will be another question for you all like going into 2020. Can you picture bigger brands trying to come out with more extensions that drive a price point even lower? Or do you think they want to create more extensions that create a higher price point to try and match some of the craft distillers, the Sorcerer's and everybody out there that can't make a price point as low as you can if you're actually distilling it you own these barrels for since they were, you know, basically born at that point? Well, we had to market leaders come out with very lowest price points. Brown Forman, and the Ico so brown Foreman's old Forester, Ryan Diaz, you would be George decal, bottle, the bond and those two kind of like under, you know, let's say $30 or 25:00 $40 price points. 25:03 You know, that was very telling to me, and then you saw beam do that as well, like they're not pricing on collection. Yeah, they're not pricing high. So I do think that there is a little bit of an effort to kind of make us think that they are pricing in that direction, like larceny still like 25 bucks for for the most part most places you go. But then there 25:27 you know there are other things are like 150. So that I think that what you're seeing is, is that you're seeing that they're going to always have something under $30. But they're going to start stacking the chips toward that hundred and $50 market and I think we might start seeing the price go up more because the demand is there in the high affluent areas that places like 25:51 I mean Hollywood, places like Wall Street. So there's like a desire to have this and they and they and that crowd just won't drink it. 26:00 $30 whiskey, they just won't it's timin that's cheap. They're too good for that. And so if if the bourbon industry does not price themselves to be competitive to scotch for those money people, then they won't get them and then so that's kind of like their rationale behind a lot of it. Yeah, I mean, you are seeing a lot of things that are pushing that hundred $50 price point and I can definitely see exactly why they would want to do it too. I mean, you've got to you have to push to kind of get those affluent people I mean, we see it all the time. I mean, we've I always say for myself that I don't have a drinking problem I've got a buying problem and I will always be able to go and if I find any limited edition bottle like even if it's hundred 50 bucks I'll be like, Yeah, go ahead and get it like it. I just don't know i mean, i i have a I have a bad urge. always buy stuff, right? That's, that's just me but at the same exact time, there's always going to be a lot of people out there in the bourbon world that are never going to pass up anything that a price point that is limited or anything like that, too. So I don't know. We'll 27:00 We'll kind of see how that plays out in 2020. So we're kind of moving on a little bit here. So looking into 2020. So one of the things that kind of happened even recently, as even as of today, it's still kind of unfolding, as we talked about that. In 2019. There's been a trade war, we've had tariffs, we've had a lot of things going on that has really hurt bourbon in export interest. And we've talked about it plenty of times of how the export market is really where a lot of growth can be, as soon as you start getting all the scotch drinkers around the world to actually start seeing bourbon as a first class citizen form. And so there's been things have already kind of progressed a little bit today. There's been some stuff with China. We're not going to get too into politics here, but I kind of want to figure out like, 27:45 what do you all see on the roadmap or their horizon for this in 2020? This is very scary as we record this right now. I mean, there might have been, there might have been something that came to fruition, but at the moment in 28:00 In Washington, DC, the craft Modernization Act is on the table to be renewed. And if it is not renewed in craft distillers, I think we'll talk first, what is the craft Modernization Act to because I know I've heard about before I read it, but for everybody, I have no idea what it is. So, basically, this was a so you got a lemonade stand, they give you $5 now, so to keep it to kind of keep it 28:25 to basically to give you like, the the easy version is that a couple years ago, they passed a craft Modernization Act, they basically gave craft distillers as defined by you know, the the government or we AC essays qualifications, 28:42 that they would get less they would pay less taxes, then then the big guys and it gave them kind of a competitive advantage. This was very, very important to them, especially as these terrorists were coming on and they were losing those like foreign markets because they couldn't afford to, you know, to eat the 20 years. 29:00 25% tariff that they were going to go overseas and so there was sunshine clause in that which means that when it's when this period is up, you know, they're going to cut it and or they're going to re evaluate it and that period is up and so now you have craft distillers who are looking who've been you know, taking advantage of this tax and investing it back into their you know, there's like a paying taxes on certain areas and they've been investing it back into their company. And when if that goes away, then they have to you know, there's like a 200 400% tax increase like right away on on like excise taxes and that puts them at a competitive disadvantage. You know, some of these guys have like big corporate support like you know, wouldn't build those now and rabbit hole and people like that, but for the most part, this is very dangerous, very dangerous and and from what I can tell, it is not good. 30:00 Going to may not pass and the other thing is too is that also defined a lot of things in in spirits 30:08 like or in drinks like a define Mead and gave like some definitions to meet and there's also another thing that's happening kind of on the federal level is that they're trying to define what a barrel is and with that would eliminate the basically the smaller barrels and the craft distillers have you know love them or hate them for it but they've kind of defined their ways with those smaller barrels. And so I've always felt like there's a lot of like 30:34 backdoor Washington stuff going on with the big boys you know, the trend kind of cut out is squash some of the little things and because that means you take away those smaller barrels, I mean, he basically eliminate probably a quarter to half of of the craft whiskey distillers 30:51 I guess I kind of like a follow on question to that is, 30:55 you know, you talked about investing into the business, you talked about being able to 31:00 A lot of that money means is dc dc if if this doesn't pass like is 2020 going to be like the year of either sink or swim for a lot of these craft distillers than I do. I mean, I think 2020 is a very telling year. 31:14 And if you don't have money if you're if you're cash flow short, this is this is going to be a bad year. And then the other thing too is like, just what you're starting to see. You're starting to see and you guys are a part of this and a little bit. You're starting to see like independent bottlers come in and they are relieving a little pressure by going to the smaller distillers and buying barrels. So what you're seeing is is like anybody who has some solid craft whiskey, they're actually putting stuff out on the market. So they're getting kind of kind of a band aid effect. They're not helping their brand, but they're getting cash flow by selling 15 barrels to last lantern or 15 barrels to bourbon pursuit to bottle 32:00 Are pursued series to bottle for for upcoming line. And so that that's 111 positive for these guys is that there there's there's a business model there that can help them. But you know if they're new and they're little cash strapped they don't have aged whiskey man I want to be in their shoes tough What about you? Rami? What do you see something that happened with the export market like here? Do you think it's going to get better or worse? 32:33 Well, I mean, I guess it all really it's so hard to predict with the election coming and everything there's so much in the air like 32:40 nobody knows what's going to happen and the dude know we're all going to need a drink. 32:46 Yeah, exact. We're all for that one. It's just so you know, the waters are so unsettled there in Washington, you know, on both sides, and so it's hard to predict anything on with anything with what we have going on. 33:00 In 2020, it's just like, let's all just be nice, you know, in 2020, let's just we're all bourbon brothers, you know, not let the politics divide is but as far as exports, I have no idea because it's, you know, I'm sure a lot of people are sitting back to waiting to see what happens. Yeah, I would think that something in a trade war needs to that sound like an educator responded said a very educated who will let it will let it pass. But I mean, for me, I kind of see this as I would like to see something change. You know, we we talked about it before, I've seen the export market as as the could be the future of bourbon growth. And you don't want another whiskey glut era to say that, you know, a bottle of bullet here in Kentucky or in the United States is $35. And then you go across the seas, and then it's $75 when there's a bottle of scotch for 50. Nobody's going to go Yeah, by the bullet, right. I mean, so well, and I think right now, like Remember, our young said with he said, Well, even though we have issues with exports over there, we can fill a need here and domestically. So you know, I think the need here domestically, still as 34:00 So, so much that it's not really going to affect too many people except for like jack daniels who relies heavily on exports. Yeah, and that is true and they're losing like 120 $5 million. Which, but still for them that's like, that's like one day I revenue probably. But 34:18 it matters. It matters because the world stage the conversation is, is like it kind of goes back to really, you know, the 1950s when these bourbon distilleries were fighting to make bourbon a unique product to the United States and get exports overseas as they were always coming up against the Battle of like foreign governments saying like, you're not whiskey, you're not you're not whiskey. scotch is whiskey. And so so all a lot of this is is a kind of, 34:51 it's kind of an international battle that just hasn't stopped in, you know, scotch and bourbon brands that they're very closely knit and everything but 35:00 You know, scotch is dominant is dominant and it is known as whiskey and bourbon is just like a, like a fraction of what they get. And and, and I don't think that the bourbon brands will ever fully admit this. But they're jealous of scotch and what they have done internationally. It's like Kenny with your MC. Yeah. 35:24 Pretty much 35:27 and they do it with us bourbon barrels. And so they're like, you got our dirty second sloppy seconds. Right? And, 35:35 and so they want they want a piece of that. And as then that's all there is to it, but they're also not in a position to do it. And so like, you know, Al is very smart to say like, we can't do it overseas, which, so let's focus on domestic markets. I mean, that's the it's the right move. I mean, I I'd venture to say places like Boise, Idaho and Bismarck, South Dakota is not right that South Dakota riders and 36:01 South Dakota I left my Atlas upstairs. So I'd venture to say that places like that, you know, you might go into a random place and there's five Bourbons, you know, why not make it 20 36:13 All right, Ryan, I'll talk to you a little softball here right because one of the great conversations that we did have this year we talked about marijuana and whiskey and whether they were going to have an impact on one another or anything like that, but this was actually something that Chris Hart had actually posted out on one of the forums and says, Do you think we will see a marijuana or CBD infused whiskey in 2020 36:36 I mean especially with with all the states that are going to opening up legalization to like it's it's there is a trickle effect happening cbds and everything so I mean, you drive around here and Kentucky I see signs like on every gas station every like I think I saw like a mechanic shops that we sell CBD here or something, you know, it's like 36:55 diversify, diversify. bound. Oh, I guess I mean, if they look if it's legal that you 37:00 I think they will because people, I've talked to people and they'd really seem whether it's a placebo or not, they really think the CBD like works for them and whatever element they're trying to deal with. But uh, you know, I mean char Bay's pretty close to doing it anyway, so I'm not a hobby ever whiskey. And I'm not sure that it will taste good, but maybe, I don't know what to say. Yeah, I mean, for me, I mean, it can't be called bourbon, right? Maybe I don't really know. But can it be called bourbon? If he doesn't if he can't, because it's not really low what unless you're distilling with it right. One of the things that has been done is they take the seeds and they distill it in a in a like, qualifies as a grain under the hemp rather qualifies as a grain as a seed on like some kind of USDA code. And so there have been people who have mashed it and cooked it and fermented it and y'all know me Romans one 38:00 of those that had done that previous previously and then from here's the thing about this, I've talked to a lot of, you know, marijuana people and they don't really want this, it seems to me like, and I'm sure there definitely are people who you know, within the weed business who want to see like infused alcohol. But most of the people that I talked to who are kind of like in the, you know, the luxury lifestyle of marijuana, like trying to like make it be like its own thing, they're like, you know, pair it, but don't, don't combine it they want they would like to see you know, marijuana become like a, like a luxury good as something that you would enjoy recreationally like we do bourbon, and they don't like that a lot of them don't like the idea of combining it with alcohol because that perpetuates like a stoner or a drunken kind of, it's hard to like persona, you know, it interacts with somebody so differently, you know, right. And then you interact you have the two and it's like, well, how do you dose it you know, correctly say, one shot for somebody might like 39:00 I'm trip out and like call the ambulance on themselves or something, whereas somebody else needs like four. And so I don't know, it just seems like it'd be tricky to combine the two were because you can't really dose it out as well. But constellation invested billions into the business for a reason. And they're studying like how how to get it to metabolize the same way as alcohol because, you know, weed metabolizes differently than alcohol, and they're trying to figure out how to make it work. So someone's going to do it eventually. Next Best gummy. 39:31 I mean, so there's, there's, there's eventually it's going to happen. I mean, who knows? Who knows? I mean, I could see it happening. I mean, they're there today, they're already infusing different kinds of sports drinks or anything like that with it. But you know, alcohol is a, as we all know, a very heavy, heavy regulated kind of sector here. So pick up again and get shipping much less and 39:54 using it using it with Oh, gosh, you know, so, you know, this is the other thing 40:00 That I kind of got wind of this. We had a Patreon community person actually sent us a sample of this. And it was called it was from heritage distilling and it's called BSB 103. And it stands for brown sugar bourbon, and it says this high altitude bourbon is flavored with natural brown sugar and cinnamon for flavor kick that will sure wake you up whiskey aficionados looking to try something new. Also, it was only 60 proof and not 80. And this originally just kind of just went through the TTP went through the whole approval process like didn't really say much about it right? Is it is it labeled as like your flavored whiskey or it says it's like the fanciful name is BSB 103. Okay, underneath it and say brown sugar, but it says no, it says like brown sugar, bourbon and like letters and all around. It's what it says everything that it was originally just called brown sugar. bourbon is what originally called they had to rename it to be sb 103. And so we know that this isn't the first time right there's plenty of other instances where we've seen things 41:00 Just a slip through the cracks and yeah there's a bottle and bond like flavored whiskey few years ago. I mean it happens this is what keeps Wade interesting, right? is what keeps him like, you know really like metal. So I guess, do you do you all think that the TTB and just in 2020 in general, do you think it's gonna even get more relaxed or more strict 41:23 with the careers of master distiller spanning almost 50 years, as well as Kentucky bourbon Hall of Famer and having over 100 million people taste his products. Steve nalli is a legend of bourbon who for years made Maker's Mark with expertise and precision. His latest project is with Bardstown bourbon company, a state of the art distillery in the heart of the bourbon capital of the world. They're known for the popular fusion series, however, they're adding something new in 2020 with a release named the prisoner. It starts as a nine year old Tennessee bourbon that has been finished in the prisoner wine companies French oak barrels for 18 months. The good news is, you don't have to wait till next year to try it. Steve and the team at Bardstown 42:00 company have teamed up with rackhouse whiskey club rackhouse whiskey club is a whiskey the Month Club on a mission to uncover the best flavors and stories that craft distilleries across the US have to offer. Their December box features a full size bottle of Bardstown suffusion series, and a 200 milliliter bottle of the prisoner. There's also some cool merchant side. And as always, with this membership, shipping is free. Get your hands on some early release Bardstown bourbon, by signing up at rackhouse whiskey club.com. Use code pursuit for $25 off your first box. 42:34 Do you do you all think that the TTB and just in 2020 in general, do you think it's gonna even get more relaxed or more strict? I mean, I know there's other laws that are on the books but what he kind of sees the head turner patron are going to happen here. I mean, it's with any government agency, its resources like you know that they probably just have limited resources and it's like, you know, with us when we apply for any federal thing for personal 43:00 series like whereas the transfer and bond or state ABC, you like submit it, and you check back three weeks later, like, oh, we're still looking at stuff from six months ago that submit and you're like, what? Like, stuff just moves slow just because they only have like two people working in the office doing everything. So they're probably overworked, overwhelmed. So things just slip there. I think they'll follow the laws as best they can. But there's human error when you know you have that. So there's definitely not a whole lot of automation takes place, even though I will say the TTB did start a new new registering and cola system in 2019. It did happen. So they have a new like portal and stuff like that. But I think the backend work is still very manual process read, do you read to say something? You know, I think for the most part, they do a good job considering that they have like five people, you know, looking at all those labels and God that can't be easy, and everyone gets frustrated with them. And they're an easy target. But 43:53 I always like to go back to the person who creates the label. What are you doing? You know, I mean, you you've been 44:00 agreed to not protect yourself. And if you put that through as as bourbon on your application, then you're in violation of the law. And so, you know, I think we sometimes beat up on the TTP, and rightfully so often. But here it's like 44:19 put, I put the blame entirely on, on on the applicant. Well, and it's, I noticed this other day, you kind of mentioned it like separating, you know, bourbon from whiskey category, like in, I never really thought it was that big a deal until I went to the liquor store. And you go look at the bourbon section, and it's huge. And then the American whiskey center is like really tiny, and it's off to the side. And it's like not, it's not visible, you know, from everything else. And so I can see why someone would work so hard to get that 44:52 slip by just to get that designation because if you're right there, in the midst of what everybody else is buying, versus being kinda off to the side of the marriage. 45:00 Whiskey category I can see where it's worth it. Yeah, I mean, we've we've, we see it all the time. I mean, whether you're coming out with like a wheat whiskey or an American whiskey, something like that, and yet you're not gonna have the eyeballs because it doesn't say bourbon on the label. Yeah, I mean I think that's that's one of the big issues that we do see and probably why there is so much entrance into the market 45:19 then you've got people playing with all kinds of different experimentations I I think I just saw an email this morning about 100% corn, bourbon, I'm like, Okay, I guess it technically is it's bourbon right? But it's just like it's like we're just we're playing with all different variations of this category to try in make sure that everything is still hitting that that Big B word on the label at the end of the day. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's funny what like once upon a time there was like a limit on like, how much corn you could put in for bourbon. But then that went away a long time ago, but that would not have been considered bourbon back in the day. Oh, I love listening old Fred stories over here. It's like another thing too. I don't think he was around. 45:58 This is like, is like 46:00 barrel entry proof if we if we were to go back to like 1955 more than half of the Bourbons on the shelf today would not be considered bourbon. No. Because it was what like one oh wait a second 115 or something was 110 was the was the legal maximum limit difference for for barrel entry proof and that changed in 62 inches Do you think the reason success of new roof and wilderness trail and others you know because well I guess well as they have a higher Berlin troopers, do you think lower barrel entry proof makes 1,000% I really do. I mean, and here's the thing is it is it is really good. In certain what I have noticed is that's really really good between like three and five years old, and like anything after like eight but that but that six to eight years old, it can be really, really, really flat. 46:50 The the higher barrel entry proof can be fantastic up to 12 years old after 12 years old. That clock is ticking because that it's like it seems somehow absorbed. 47:00 more wood. And Andrew Wilson from Victor's is the best person to talk about this. She talks she breaks it down from a chemical aspect and everything and as you know, makers is going in the barrel of 103 proof which is the lowest in the industry. And it to me it's one of it's one of the more enjoyable conversations to have about whiskey because 47:22 I feel I feel that not enough attention is paid to it but yet the Pete there are a lot more people paying attention to it. And willness Trail and new riff and those little barrel entry proofs Absolutely. Making making nice whiskey. Yeah, I mean, they're definitely making waves when you when you have that because somebody tastes it and you're like, holy crap, this is a four year old bourbon like this is actually really good. Now the one thing that you know, you say you really like it, I say one of the one of the downsides to it. It doesn't have and maybe this is just because, you know, you think of like the stags, the stag, juniors of the world, stuff like that. It doesn't have like that, that link 48:00 Green very long finish where something has like that hard spice to it or anything like that. Like this Like creamy delicate today that's that's exactly right. So you're basically looking at a style and a preference here like do you like that butter style dripping down your jaw line or do you want to feel that? You know, that's punch in the face punch in the face 48:20 cinnamon or something in the here's the thing. I like all of them. And it's like how does how does that one feel on my palate and you kind of like it's just like it's like football you know? They're they're running backs who will run you over in our amazing and then there are running backs who will go left to right, you can't tackle them and they spin and then there are running backs, who all they're good for is catching a pass and blog. There's the Barry Sanders and the Jerome Bettis is the That's exactly right. So like that on a T shirt. They're all great. It's just like what is your preference for your offense or for your palate in that moment? Yeah, yeah, I mean, there's there's definitely times when I'm like oh yeah. 49:00 I'd like to do like, like something that's, you know, if I'm just sitting there on the couch and I just want to do something that's like, yeah, like you said, caramella, very buttery, sometimes I'll reach for dusty and that kind of aspect. And then there's sometimes I'm like, All right, we're going hundred and 20 proof and above right now. So yeah, there's definitely the kind of situational context for it to write on. So one of the things that we talked about a lot in 2019, is we talked about the three tier system, we talked about shipping, we've talked about all these things. And this is and you know, the the Supreme Court case of the state of Tennessee with total wine and some other ones that were kind of envelope in there, and how this is potentially going to open up the market for some change. Here, maybe in 2020. So I kind of want to get your take on what is there going to be a shake up in the three tier system, can you foresee it happening? Are there too many lobbyists? Will the will the people revolt like what do you all kind of see, I think it's always way I would that, you know, you asked me this six months ago 50:00 I thought we were close. And I just feel as the more I get into it, the more and more the big. The big players involved are just digging in, and they're digging in hard and they're not going to let this happen. I just, I just feel like we got a ways to go on it. I always go back to this and this was in one of my above the chars A while back 46 state attorneys general signed a letter and made it like kind of like their mission for 2020 this DOP secondary sales on Craigslist, 50:35 I just can't even believe that would be on the radar. And you know, and then putting the efforts in the that just shows me that they're like sticking in hard to the three system. It's not. I mean, it's not like they just like put out a press release. I mean, they were doing media, they were putting out detailed plans. They were setting up meetings with the social media entities. And I'm just thinking to myself, I'm scared to death of my 51:00 five year old getting kidnapped in target when my wife is going and Christmas shopping with him. And he's like stuck there by like trying to get in there because that's where human traffickers are there like in places like that. Why are we focusing on that? And yes, is it is there a potential that you know, there can be some kind of like poisoned alcohol out there? Yeah, there is. It's called in the heels of like Appalachian places where people are making illegal whiskey. No one is getting or illegal moonshine. No one is getting that in these like consumer facing forums, and the fact that they are using, they're actually coming out and they're citing Pappy Van Winkle right now. They're citing Pappy Van Winkle in these conversations. And the fact that they are doing that tells me that they don't get it. They don't understand that this is actually a consumer base that is really just supporting one another and not trying to, you know, for the most part not making money 52:00 People who are like saying they're in Maine or they're in Idaho and and they got a buddy in Kentucky and said, Hey, we have no Henry McKenna here. 52:10 Can you give me a bottle, you know, something like that. And there's no effort whatsoever to support the consumer base from the brands from the government from the distributors or anything like that. And that's that's my biggest problem here is like if you want to take off if you want to go after the secondary markets, fine. Okay, that's your that's your Hill. But what about what about like consumers who are really have fallen in love with this? 52:38 With this world, this bourbon world, we get an email every day from someone who just finds bourbon, they listen to the podcast, they want to learn more, they want to find more bottles, and what can we do for them now? And maybe there's not much there's not a whole lot we can do about that. Like, Hey, I read about this great whiskey but you can never get it because you live in Boise, Idaho. I know. Yeah. I mean, I really 53:00 I really want to shake up to happen. And I guess one question I'll point to you back there. Fred is, you know, we talked about these attorney generals, do you think that this is, this is somebody planting that that seed in their head like this has got to be a lobbyist that's happening for the distribution system? Or maybe some of the major manufacturers out there that they're they're planting the seed in their head, and they're kind of distracting them from really what they're, they're putting forth their agenda, not maybe the agenda of, of the people that are actually the consumers, they really care about this. Yeah. And there was also there was an op ed in the local courier journal 53:41 that was published on repeal day from a distributor here that said, 53:47 happy reptil they think a distributor So you started to see like, some like and he had a whole lot better about why distributors are important and they help you. Basically they age gate, make sure alcohol doesn't get in the hands. 54:00 of kids and stuff. And I'm glad they put it in a newspaper. Yeah. 54:06 So only like 10 people are going to read it. Fantastic. Hey, now, come on now, don't be hitting up newspapers where I got my start. 54:15 But you know, so you're seeing you very much singing offensive, whether it's a coordinated thing. I mean, I can't tell you that. But I do know that. These are some of the same efforts. That kind of took down a lot of the tobacco industry in the 90s. Meanwhile, while you have this going on, you also have you have this entirely you have a new group coming out saying like, drinking is bad. Advertising alcohol is bad. And so you have a growing movement of kind of like these consumer protectionist groups that are trying to ban things like advertising, they want to you know, we're just now seeing it on like YouTube, they're wanting to like rip down a lot of 54:56 alcohol related things and social media. 55:00 And so this is also a case of like, a lot of the things that affect our lives are not government related. They're they're company related that we have really, you know, we're really connected in. And so like, if Facebook makes a policy and says no more alcohol sites that in no way is violation of anything and the government, that's Facebook making a decision, and they could do it. So I guess, if you if you're a senator, and you listen, this podcast or your congressman, you want us to kind of you know, we'll we'll have we'll have the team go there. And we'll we'll get in front of Congress will talk about the real issues here. So make sure that so here's here's the thing is that congressman Yarmuth would be very, very open to having a discussion with us. Mayor Fischer, I know his yard I'll talk to him about 55:53 but I mean, these are these are people who really, really would stand up for it, you know, and what you know 56:00 Because it impacts our state. Yep. I agree. You know, and for me, I've said it before being in tech, being able to see the transition of industries that just get disrupted because they rest on their laurels or they tried to defend everything. You know, don't be a Kodak Don't be a blockbuster Don't be one of these companies that just tries to try to maintain the status quo. And when you've got people and you've got companies that are out there that are figuring out ways that they can get around this, they can get around the distribution system, they can ship across states, they can do these things. all it's going to do is have a bigger trickle effect later on, and more people are going to catch on to it. I mean, you know, we're all good friends with Blake over at seal box and I think he's done an amazing job of how he has grown and matured the business a lot more in 2019 to the point where it's, it's running like a very well oiled machine now. And we talked to a lot of companies 57:00 And they're like, how do you do it? Like, what do you do? I'm like, oh, like we knew this, like early on, like we weren't able to get to all 50 states. So we looked at Blake and he can get to more states than we could ever even try to do it the, you know, filing paperwork and waiting for things to come through and opening distribution and then losing our ass on half the product because we had to pay 25% to somebody else, right? And so now people are like, Oh, well, that's how you did it. So now like we're giving Blake a lot more business because a lot of people also Now see, this is how they can do it. Right. And I think some of the even the people that are already there and distributed and now he can't actually do it. Because the way that the way the law technically works is that he necessarily can't buy direct from somebody and sell it unless it's already if it's not already distributed with inside of DC. And so you know, you've got other brands that said like, Oh, shit, we were there too early, and now we kind of like lost our percentage that we could have got out of this business model as well. Yeah, it's just you know, it's it's tough because it is alcohol and yes 58:00 We want to say let's open up shipping, let's do a secondary, but there is a lot of things that need to be well thought out and laps and limited. And so like, 58:08 we just need, we just need some way for, like, let's work towards it versus like holding our ground either one way or the other. Like, let's like right, say that shipping, we have to do it all that way, or we have to know it. There's got to be a middle ground that we can make it work. And one of the reasons why you may never see a middle ground is because you have like these large distribution companies, and that would require them working together in some ways, you know, and that 58:36 they may not want that get on a zoom call figure it out. But here's the here's the the truth of the matter is that eventually, someone brings up the will How can you guarantee that a 16 year old kid is not going to get the bottle off of the doorstep or whatever. And they're in it doesn't matter. Like you can have people sign for it. You can have anything. The minute that 59:00 shipped alcohol or something outside of the three tier system gets into a child's hands. And something happens. It's over. I know, you're telling me like you never had a fake ID growing up. That's just it is like, I will not confirm nor. 59:17 But I'm just saying that that is they're all as always the go to argument, always. And they're like, you know, we protect that. And here's the thing is that they do to a small percentage, but let's go to you can go to any college bar, any college bar and you will find like under age people getting served almost all the time. And any high schooler whose cousin, you know, goes and buys them. So those and they made in the parking lot and so here's a way tech guy, let's get a thumbprint on every bottle of alcohol that you have to guarantee that you're an adult or something like that. Yeah, one open 59:56 or it explodes your hand. Yeah, not not that's gonna be a tough one. 1:00:00 Neil and the other thing that we kind of also, as we're talking on the shipping topic, as well, as you know, even Kentucky and the KDA, they fought to get shipping at a lot of the distilleries that are around here where people can go and they can have their stuff they want to be able to ship out but they don't want stuff coming in. That's nominates the as a kind of oxymoron. But I also don't know exactly like, what the the stats of the details of it like how much is it actually us? considering we can only ship to like, six states or something, right? I mean, it's been ridiculously low. Yeah, there, there's only 6% Okay, so it's like, I know, a couple disorders don't even do it because they're like, I'm not gonna waste my time on six states, you know, or have a shipping package send, right? Exactly, have set up all those resources to be able to just fulfill six, you know, states, but I know it's just surprising. Like, I'm kind of confused. Like, on one side, we're embracing, you know, the vintage law and all this stuff, you know, and then on the other side, where, you know, control 1:00:59 limits you 1:01:00 Being in secondary so it's all just like it's it's it's hypocritical Yeah, all of these laws basically they start out in one place someone opposes it and then it gets compromised and something gives up and so that that law where they could be shipped in it seems like all the laws are just geared it's more favorable for the businesses and other consumers like I'm all for like distillers being able to serve more alcohol ship sell more bottles on property, all that. Okay, that's great for them. But what about consumers, you know, who wants to buy across? 1:01:33 There's not a I mean, there's not a you know, if there was it'd be small but there's not a bourbon advocacy out there. us maybe right. And, but we're not I don't I'm not signing checks or sending checks that you know, to gain whatever pass but there's, there's so many there's so many lobby groups in the distilling business, you know, and there's that there's the a DI there's a CSA, there's distilled spirits Council. There's a 1:02:00 presidents forum this Kentucky distillers Association, there's Texas whiskey association with, on and on and on, and on and on. And they all tell their story and get what they want, try to get what they want. And, 1:02:12 you know, it's not necessarily always what the consumer wants. Yep, absolutely. So as we start rounding this out, you know, there's, there's one thing that I want us to do is like, what is your big prediction for 2020? Right? And I know, and I'll go first, and I'll kind of kind of set the ground and you can kind of pick what you want. And it could be it coul

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would give undocumented farmworkers a path towards legal status. The bill now heads to the Senate. PCUN Executive Director Reyna Lopez was in Washington D.C. last week to lobby for the bill.

For 38 years, the United States government has been trying to figure out what to do with the radioactive nuclear waste that was created when the Defense Department developed nuclear weapons and the nuclear waste that continues to be created by nuclear power generation. In this episode, learn the history of this on-going dilemma and listen in on the debate as it currently rages in the 116th Congress.  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Articles/Documents Article: Proposed nuclear storage consent bill excludes Yucca Mountain by John Sadler, Las Vegas Sun, November 23, 2019 Article: Fukushima operator accused of cover-up over 'contaminated' water set to be poured into the Pacific by Julian Ryall, The Telegraph, November 19, 2019 Article: On Your Side: Is nuclear right for Nevada? by Cassie Wilson, News 4 On Your Side, November 14, 2019 Article: Japan plans to flush Fukushima water 'containing radioactive material above permitted levels' into the ocean by Julian Ryall, The Telegraph, October 16, 2019 Article: Japan will have to dump radioactive water into Pacific as Fukushima runs out of storage tanks, minister says by Julian Ryall, The Telegraph, September 10, 2019 Article: Nevada's veto power a sticking point in congressional negotiations on Yucca Mountain by Humberto Sanchez, The Nevada Independent, August 5, 2019 Article: All spent nuclear fuel in the U.S. will soon end up in one place by Sammy Feldblum, National Geographic, July 30, 2019 Article: Finding a repository for San Onofre plant’s nuclear waste is a difficult task by Rob Nikolewski, Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2019 Article: Why Yucca Mountain rattles us should be no surprise by Brian Greenspun, Las Vegas Sun, July 14, 2019 Article: Nation’s most ambitious project to clean up nuclear weapons waste has stalled at Hanford by Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times, June 4, 2019 Article: 'It will poison everything.' Native Americans protest Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste site by Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette Journal, May 24, 2019 Audit Report: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S QUALITY ASSURANCE: COMMERCIAL GRADE DEDICATION OF ITEMS RELIED ON FOR SAFETY by Teri L. Donaldson, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Energy, May, 2019 Document: Public Law 115–439 - 115th Congress Authenticated U.S. Government Information, GPO, January 14, 2019 Article: Average US Wind Price Falls to $20 per Megawatt-Hour by Emma Foehringer Merchant, gtm, August 24, 2018 Article: One simple chart shows why an energy revolution is coming — and who is likely to come out on top by Jeremy Berke, Business Insider, May 8, 2018 Article: Which Utilities Are Most Exposed to Troubled Nuclear Generation? by Vineet Kulkarni, Market Realist, July 14, 2017 Document: Yucca Mountain Transportation Issues by Fred C. Dilger, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, February 19, 2015 Article: The 10 states that run on nuclear power by Brian Zajac, NBC News, February 23, 2012 Document: Fukushima Nuclear Disaster by Mark Holt, Richard J. Campbell, and Mary Beth Nikitin, Congressional Research Service, January 18, 2012 Article: Experts Had Long Criticized Potential Weakness in Design of Stricken Reactor by Tom Zeller Jr., The New York Times, March 15, 2011 Article: Nuclear experts weigh in on GE containment system by Jia Lynn Yang, The Washington Post, March 14, 2011 Press Release: SPENCER ABRAHAM APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF AREVA INC. by Charles Hufnagel and Patrick Germain, March 1, 2006 Additional Resources S.903 — 116th Congress (2019-2020): Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, Congress.Gov, September 24, 2019 S.1234 — 116th Congress (2019-2020): Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2019, Congress.Gov, April 30, 2019 S.512 — 115th Congress (2017-2018): Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, Congress.Gov, January 14, 2019 About & Timeline: TerraPower TerraPower, A nuclear innovation company Glossary: Decommissioning, Independent Statistics & Analysis, U.S. Energy Information Administration Index: NS Energy: Projects NS Energy Leadership Spotlight: Maria G. Korsnick: President and Chief Executive Officer Nuclear Energy Institute Linkedin Profile: Maria Korsnick, Linkedin Linkedin Profile: Christopher Kouts, Linkedin nrg: Nuclear Nuclear Explained: U.S. nuclear industry, Independent Statistics & Analysis, U.S. Energy Information Administration Nuclear Waste, Nuclear Energy Institute Online Encyclopedia: Nuclear Exclusion Zones by John P. Rafferty, Encyclopaedia Britannica Project Summary: Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning NS Energy Project Overview: HANFORD WASTE TREATMENT PLANT, WASHINGTON, USA Bechtel Report: Report to the Secretary of Energy Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Future, January 2012 Scientific and Technical Concerns State of Nevada, Nuclear Waste Project Office Stock: Uranium Energy Corp., MarketWatch The Abraham Group Uranium Energy Corp U.S. Code >> Development and Control of Atomic Energy 42 U.S. Code § 2214.NRC user fees and annual charges Legal Information Institute Witness Disclosure Requirement: Christopher Kouts, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives Image: Potentially Riskier U.S. Nuclear Plants, The New York Times Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Nuclear Waste Storage, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, June 27, 2019.   Watch on C-SPAN Witnesses: Maria Korsnick - President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute Steven Nesbit - Nuclear Waste Policy Task Force Chair at the American Nuclear Society Geoffrey Fettus - Senir Attorney at the National Resources Defense Council John Wagner - Associate Director at the Idaho National Labratory’s Nuclear Science & Technology Directorate Watch on YouTube Transcript: 0:50 Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK): Beginning with the passage of the Nuclear Waste policy Act in 1982, congress has attempted several times to address the back end of the fuel cycle. In an effort to resolve an earlier stalemate, the federal government was supposed to begin taking title to use fuel and moving it to our pository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, beginning in 1998. Manchin waste must be buried.aiff 5:30 Sen. Joe Manchin (WV):Since the National Academy of Sciences 1957 report recommending deep geologic disposal for highly radioactive waste, it is clear what we need to do with the nuclear waste. The prudent and responsible thing to do is to bury this waste deep in the earth, to protect the environment and public for generations to come. Unfortunately, the path to achieve this is not entirely clear. 7:45 Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): Failing to act means the federal government is racking up more liability to be paid to the utilities to store this waste in their own private storage facilities adjacent to the reactors. So the taxpayer is on the hook here to the tune of about $2 million a day with an estimated overall liability of $34.1 billion. 11:15 Maria Korsnick: Currently 97 commercial nuclear power plants in 29 states provide nearly 20% of the America's electricity and more than half of the emissions free electricity. 12:00 Maria Korsnick: The US nuclear industry has upheld its end of the bargain at sites in 35 states around the country. Commercial used fuel is safely stored and managed awaiting pickup by the federal government, which was scheduled for 1998. 13:00 Maria Korsnick:But let me be clear. Congressional action is necessary and three important points must be addressed. First, we need to answer on the Yucca Mountain license application. DOE submitted the application to the NRC more than a decade ago, and Congress directed the NRC to issue a decision in 2012. This deadline, like too many was missed because DOE without basis, shut down the Yucca mountain project for the sake of the communities holding stranded used fuel wishing to redevelop their sites. We must move forward and allow Nevada's concerns with Yucca mountain to be heard by NRC'S, independent administrative judges. This will allow a licensing decision to be determined based on its scientific merits rather than politics. 13:50 Maria Korsnick: Second, as a licensing process of Yucca mountain moves forward, interim storage can play an important role in helping move spent fuel away from reactor sites. Moving interim storage in parallel with the Yucca Mountain project helps to alleviate state and local concerns that interim storage will become a defacto disposal facility. 14:30 Maria Korsnick: And finally, the nuclear industry and electricity consumers around the country have paid their fair share to address the back end of the fuel cycle. But as 1234 was originally drafted prior to the court mandated prohibition on the fee, and I want to strongly convey the importance of not prematurely reimposing the nuclear waste fee, especially given the substantial balance and large investment interest, which accrues annually. 24:30 Steven NesbitIn addition, the money from the nuclear waste fund, the federal government has many means for providing infrastructure improvements, federal land, educational opportunities, and other means of support to states and communities interested in exploring a partnership on the management of nuclear material. Make those potential benefits abundantly clear from the beginning. 27:45 Geoffrey Fettus: The years of wrangling over what standards should be set for cleanup and are massively contaminated nuclear weapon's sites, such as those in Washington or South Carolina is made exponentially worse by DOE self regulatory status, which the Atomic Energy Act ordains with these exemptions. The same is true with commercial spent fuel, where any state that is targeted to receive nuclear waste looks to be on the hook for the entire burden of the nation's spent fuel. State consent and public acceptance of potential repository sites will never be willingly granted, unless and until power on how, when and where waste is disposed of is shared, rather than decided simply by Federal Fiat. There's only one way consent can happen consistent with our cooperative federalism. Specifically, Congress can finally remove the Atomic Energy Acts. Anachronistic exemptions from our bedrock environmental laws are hazardous waste and clean water laws must include full authority over radioactivity and nuclear waste facilities, so that EPA and most importantly, the states can assert direct regulatory authority. Removing these exemptions will not magically solve this puzzle and create a final repository. But I think it can work faster than what we have now, because it will open a path forward that respects each state rather than offering up the latest one for sacrifice. The Texas and New Mexico events of the last several weeks demonstrate this. 33:15 John Wagner: First and foremost, I want to be clear from a technical standpoint. Spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation is safe as evidenced by more than 50 years of safe and secure operations by the public and private sectors. We do not have a spent nuclear fuel safety crisis in this country. 46:35 Geoffrey Fettus:The actual waste issue, honestly Senator, has not, and is not what is holding up nuclear powers ability to compete in the market. What is holding up nuclear powers ability to compete in the market are it's gigantic upfront capital costs. The South Carolina reactors that are now a $9 billion hole in the ground at summer and Vogel now, I think is now pushing 28 billion for two new units. The likelihood of building new nuclear power is vanishingly unlikely in this [inaudible]. 47:40 Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): We're decommissioning some nuclear plants? Maria Korsnick: That's correct. Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): Are they-, have they run their life cycle? Maria Korsnick: Not all of them. No. Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): Could they be-... Maria Korsnick: They're being shutdown, because in the marketplace right now, the marketplace does not recognize the carbon free attribute of nuclear. It's competing.... Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): So there's no value to carbon free nuclear? Maria Korsnick: Not in the marketplace there's not. There should be. And that would help. And-... Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): Are any of these plants in basically controlled PSE's, or basically they're all merchant? Maria Korsnick: The ones that are shutting down for the most part are merchant, not all, but for the most part. 50:40 Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN): Yeah, we have four places that we could-, four tracks we could follow to do something. We could have a Yucca mountain open, we could build a new Yucca Mountain, we could have a public interim site, or we could approve a private interim site. 54:05 Geoffrey Fettus: Texas and New Mexico would both be barred from the consent process. Clearly by the terms of the bill. Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN): And I assume from your testimony, you think they should be? Geoffrey Fettus: We think that would put us in precisely the same stalemate. It's put us here for-... 54:20 Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN):Your testimony, you thought the private sites are because of the promise they have ought to have priority, is that correct? Maria Korsnick: We do think they should have priority. The challenge with the private sites right now, is they don't want to be the defacto longterm storage, which keeps it connected to a long term storage answer. 59:00 Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM): What should consent look like? Geoffrey Fettus: Consent should look like regulatory authority, as simple as that. To the extent that there has been acceptance in New Mexico of the WHIP-... Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM): right... Geoffrey Fettus: ...Transuranic Geologic Repository, the only operating one in the world. Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM): Why do we have that? Why do we have consent for-... Geoffrey Fettus: The only consent-, Well, it's a little complicated and it's not nearly the consent that needs to be there and it's not the full regulatory authority-... Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM): But the state has.... Geoffrey Fettus: But the state has hazardous waste permitting authority, and that state can shut the place down and set terms by which it can operate after it had a fire and an explosion that shut it down and contaminated it for several years. Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM): And we reopened that facility, which I will repeat, is the only, only deep geological repository, um, that's been successfully built that I'm aware of in this country, because of the state's involvement. 1:02:35 Sen. Mike Lee (UT): Dr. Wagner mentioned several small reactors. How much more efficiently would these smaller reactors use fuel than reactors in past decades, and could you describe how these new forms of generating nuclear energy could possibly change our need for nuclear waste storage going forward? Maria Korsnick: Yeah, so, I guess as you look forward, there's a variety of different types of small modular reactors that can be built, but some of the types of small modular reactors that can be built would actually be interested in using a different type of fuel. And some of that fuel could be in fact what we consider used fuel today. So in any solution set that we put in, we should remind ourselves that we want it to be retrievable. There's 95% still good energy in what we call used fuel. It's just in a different form. And some of these reactors that are being looked at for tomorrow, will be able to harvest that energy. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): And will be able to use it far below that 95% threshold that you described? Maria Korsnick: That's correct. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): How low would they go? Maria Korsnick: They should be able to use the majority of that good energy. I would say, you know, you'll be down to maybe the four to 5%, that's left, that would then need to be stored. 1:04:40 Maria Korsnick: Sort of goes back to when we said there's 95% still good energy in the, what we call, used fuel. It's transformed, and so instead of being, say, uranium 235, it's turned into uranium 238, or it's turned into plutonium 239. So those isotopes can still release energy, but they, not in the current way in our current lightwater reactors. So in recycling, what you do is you essentially take the fuel apart and you isolate what's good and can be used again. So that uranium, that plutonium,- it can then be mixed and you can use it in current reactors, that's called "Mox" fuel, or you can use it for other types of reactors. So, again, it sort of closes the fuel cycle, if you will. You're left with a very small amount that is not useful in a fuel. And France as an example, reprocesses their fuel, they turn that into a glass and then you store that inert glass. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): So the glass is inert? It's not [inaudible] at that moment. It's not emitting?... Maria Korsnick: It's radioactive, but it's not useful for fuel. So it's stored in accordance with,-. It would it be in a deep geologic situation, but it will be a very small amount. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): No, it reduces the overall volume of what's produced. Maria Korsnick: That's correct. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): So why wouldn't we do that? Maria Korsnick: So in the United States, we've chosen not to. We've chosen the fact that, and this was made in the Carter Administration, days that the fact of reprocessing, they look at it as a potential proliferation, even though there are many processes and things you could put in place to ensure that it's done, without any kind of proliferation concerns. But that's why the United States doesn't currently go for reprocessing today. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): So if that decision was made in the Carter administration, when we're talking about 40 years ago or more... Maria Korsnick: That's correct. Sen. Mike Lee (UT): What has changed since then that might cause us to need to reconsider that? Has the technology changed in such a way that, you know, what was perceived as dangerous would no longer necessarily be deemed, made dangerous? Maria Korsnick: Well, I mean, I think we've proven on a lot of fronts that we are, we have the capability of managing a significant things. The government manages plutonium on a regular basis, so it obviously can be done and can be done safely. 1:07:45 Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): In 1987, I believe it was, Tennessee was able to successfully remove the Oak Ridge facility as an interim storage facility changed the law. And now in this bill, Tennessee has equally, the opportunity to say no, like every other state, except Nevada. That's all I'm looking for in my state, is those similar opportunities. 1:08:25 Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): Section 306E requires a potential host state to veto or approve a site before they are fully informed of a site's local impacts, prior to initiating a review licensing process. That essentially leaves Yucca mountain as the default sole repository. Section 506A gives parody to all other states, yet allows Yucca Mountain and other states in New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to be kept on the list without requiring their consent. And section 509 eliminates the legal 70,000 metric ton limit of waste to be stored at a repository, so if no state wants to be a host, this guarantees all the waste goes to Yucca Mountain. 1:11:00 Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): Under this act, would the NEI support this act if the NWA walked away, and walked away from the Yucca Mountain project and demonstrated that a new repository project could be done more efficiently and rapidly than Yucca Mountain, would you support that? Maria Korsnick: I don't see how another process could be done more rapidly with all of the analysis that's already been done on Yucca. But if you found such magic place, yes, we could be supplying.... Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): Well, I, DOE studies have shown that walking away from Yucca Mountain and starting over with a repository in salt or shell could save billions of dollars over the life of the facility. So, and this is the challenge I've had, we've had a stalemate over the last 32 years and we have offered the opportunity to come in and work with us and find a solution for it, and I think you have that today. But unfortunately, what I see from the industry is this same old playbook and not willing to even admit there's an opportunity to move forward. There's not even a willingness to talk about potential new technology that can be utilized to address this safe storage, and that is my concern. 1:23:55 Sen. Angus King (ME): But if the main Yankee site is safe, why not a larger similar site that has the same technology? You're telling me everybody says it's safe. As an interim step until we've figure out what, what the best pr-, I don't understand why we have to go from 80 temporary to permanent? Um, isn't there a step in between that with technological.... Maria Korsnick: Well, that's what consolidated interim storage is. Sen. Angus King (ME): That's what I'm talking.... Maria Korsnick: Yeah, and the challenge is nobody wants to sign up for consolidated interim storage. You mentioned New Mexico. The governor just recently wrote a letter. The last New Mexico governor was in support of interim storage. The current New Mexico governor not, and the challenge is because they don't want to become the long-term repository, and until there is an idea of a long-term repository, anybody that raises their hands for that consolidated interim storage is defacto the long,-term... Sen. Angus King (ME): I think that's a good point because are these temporary sites are now the defacto long-term sites. 1:27:55 Maria Korsnick: If you decided today on a long term repository site, by the time you license it, let's just select Yucca since we've talked about it, that would still be another three to five years just to license it today, cause all of the analysis has been done and there's additional hearings that have to happen. Nevada has to have their say..... Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): Well, if we're not capacity, why would we have an interim site? If you just want to carry three to five years.... Maria Korsnick: That's just to get your license. It's going to be another decade to build it. Alright, so you're already talking, you have 15 years if you were on "go" today. 35 billion is what your obligation is today and in 15 years it's going to be closer to 50 billion. So you have to manage the liability that you are building on a daily basis and the best way to help manage that liability is that interim storage, because once you start taking that fuel off site, eventually that judgment fund comes down because you don't have to pay the judgment fee because you've taken the fuel in an interim state. Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): How far along are we on permitting the interim sites? Maria Korsnick: You're nowhere. Sen. Joe Manchin (WV): So, whether we started today with interim or permanent, it's the same timetable? Sen. John Barrasso (WY): There's two sites that have applications in, but you know, whether they will actually go forward and construct those sites, is an open question. 1:34:40 Sen. John Barrasso (WY): American rate payers have now paid about 12, I'm sorry, $15 billion, to site, to study and to design a repository for the Yucca Mountain site and thus funding $200 million that was paid to the state of Nevada to develop their own scientific and technical analysis. So, Ms. Korsnick, why is it important for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to complete the independent safety review of the proposed Yucca mountain repository? Maria Korsnick: Well, you just mentioned the significant money that has been expended. We should have a fair hearing and quite frankly, give Nevada a chance to have their hearing. The process will require that it goes through the judges, et cetera, through the licensing process and for all this money that has been expended. Let's understand the science and the licensing process and work ourselves through it. In the future, we might need another long-term repository. So let's learn everything that we can and understand the science and the licensing process for the one that's so far along. 1:45:10 Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): I think we should learn from the science from Yucca Mountain because there are no natural barriers or manmade barriers that make it safe. But we keep hearing that all the time. So let me ask you this, if we were to learn from the science of Yucca Mountain, which would require still 40 more miles to, of tunnel to be, to dig the tunnel, to bury the canisters, which, by the way, the same canisters that are utilized for Yucca Mountain in the study can't be utilized because the industry doesn't use the same type of canisters. But what I'm told, it is so hot once it's stored, and it leaks like a sieve because the hydrology shows already in the exploratory tunnel that it leaks like a sieve, that once the canisters are there, titanium drip shields will have to be created to put over the canisters. And by the way, those titanium drip shields would not be placed in that facility once the canisters here till 90 years later, and it cannot be placed by man in there, so you have to build the robotics to put the pipe Titanium drip shields to protect the water that goes down into the canisters that would go into the aquifer below. Is that the science that you're saying that you would learn from that you should not have in any other repository? Steven Nesbit: What I was referring to senator, was completing the licensing process and having the concerns such as you just expressed evaluated by a panel of experts and ruled on in a manner that we can learn from them, if indeed we go on to develop other repositories elsewhere. That's all I talked about... Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): We already have the information, and that's my point..... Steven Nesbit: Well Senator, I don't agree with your terms.... Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): You spent $19 billion on a five mile exploratory tunnel to study the geology and hydrology. We know that because it's a volcanic tuff and there's fractures through the rock, that it's going to leak, so that's why the titanium drip shields are part of your plan for the canisters that will be placed there. So that's why I'm saying we've already had the information that shows it's not safe, so why are we going to waste another 30 years with 218 contentions by the state and lawsuits that I know I was part of, this attorney general against your department or, excuse me, against the Department of Energy, and instead of looking forward in a comprehensive approach and utilizing the science to help us understand, and moving forward, and the new technology that is out there, that's all I'm looking for, and I'd love the industry to come to the table and work with us on that, so thank you. Steven Nesbit: The key question at Yucca Mountain is not whether it's built in volcanic tuff, but whether it can or cannot comply with the very conservative environmental standards that were laid down to protect the health and safety of the public, and that's the question that would be resolved in a licensing hearing before fair, impartial and qualified judges. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV): I disagree, but now that I have more time, let me add a little bit more to this. Because I think, for purposes of science, we really are. And I would ask the scientists here, isn't the intent here to decrease any type of unexpected opportunities with respect to science? So you want an, you want a place that is safe, that you are going to decrease any vulnerabilities with respect to that deep geologic site, instead of adding to those vulnerabilities by manmade, alleged safety barriers or natural safety periods, you're going to decrease those kinds of vulnerabilities. And isn't that what you're really looking for, for any type of site, a deep, geologic site and, maybe Mr. Fettus, I don't know if you have a response to that? Geoffrey Fettus: I couldn't agree more Senator Cortez Masto. The idea behind any geological repositories to find geologic media that can isolate the waste for that length of time, it's dangerous. And the problem that the Yucca Mountain project has repeatedly run into is, whenever it ran into the technical challenges that you so accurately described, the response was to weaken the standards, to allow the site to be licensed. So we don't look at the upcoming atomic safety and licensing board proceeding, if it were to ever go forward as as a full exercise and having the state have a fair say. Advanced Nuclear Technology: Protecting U.S. Leadership and Expanding Opportunities for Licensing New Nuclear Energy Technologies, Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, June 4, 2019 Witnesses: Chris Levesque - CEO at TerraPower William Magwood - Director General at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Transcript: 26:35 William Magwood: About 30 companies around the world are vying to develop game changing technologies, most of them working in gen four concepts. While ithere is great hope and enthusiasm at each of these companies, it's important to note that developing a new light water technology and shepherding it through regulatory approval costs at least a billion and a half. Generation four technologies will cost substantially more, and this is before billions are spent on demonstration facilities. The typical company working to develop an innovative nuclear technology today has perhaps a dozen engineers and scientists devoted to the technology efforts and access to tens of millions of dollars. In comparison, I recently visited the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, which is developing a molten salt reactor technology. Molton salt reactors are a gen four technology that is high interest to several private sector companies because it represents the path of extraordinarily safe and efficient nuclear reactors. They have the potential as consume waste rather than generate it. The project in China has currently over 400 scientist and engineers hard at work developing this technology with plans to build a demonstration reactor the next decade. 31:20 Chris Levesque: Demonstrating new nuclear technologies is the most important step to jumpstart an advanced U.S.nNuclear industry and compete globally. No company can commercialize advanced nuclear technology until it is demonstrated. Federal supportive demonstration efforts has driven down costs for technologies like solar, wind, and hydraulic fracturing. We need a similarly ambitious effort to demonstrate a portfolio of advanced nuclear reactors. This will take increased public private cooperation, and we need to start this now. 54:00 Chris Levesque: One thing the government and specifically this committee has done very right, I think, is the passage of NIMA because that really empowers our safety regulator to entertain these advanced reactor designs. So thank you for that support. And one area where improvement is needed, I think, and the committee has already focusing on this is with NELA, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act. We really need a demonstration project. We need multiple demonstration projects in the U.S. where we actually design, build, and demonstrate advanced technologies. Otherwise this will all be talk and we won't realize this, this new technology in the United States. 59:00 Sen. Mike Braun (IN): So you mentioned computer modeling as a difference. Give me some other differences so I can easily understand what generation one and two is then what this miracle might be if we ever see it. Chris Levesque: Yeah. So this is leading to some of the benefits of advanced reactors. And this applies to many of the technologies. These are now low pressure systems. They're systems that have inherent safety, meaning we don't need a lot of extra mechanical and electrical systems.Sen. Mike Braun (IN): Can they store fuel onsite when it's spent? Chris Levesque: Well, they do require onsite fuel storage and some of them require a future geological repository which the U.S. government is working on. But many of these technologies like Terra Power's also because of the computer modeling, they have very advanced physics to the core that generate much lower waste at the end of the fuel cycle, up to an 80% reduction in that waste. And so that's why China and Russia, even though they're building plants that are much like what we developed in the U.S, they have their eyes on these advanced reactor designs and really the U.S, because of our national lab complex and our legacy from those plants I mentioned... Sen. Mike Braun (IN): But they're not built yet? They're still in the developmental stage? Chris Levesque: We are really the best poised... The U S has a leadership opportunity here that if we don't take it, China and Russia will. But we are best situated today to take leadership on advanced reactors. And if we don't, China and Russia will in a very short period of time. The time to act is now, as in this year, we need to begin work on demonstration of advanced reactors. 1:05:30 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI): And Mr. Levesque, one of my earliest exposures to Terra Power involved the proposition that the technology had the promise of allowing us to go back through the currently just sitting there, nuclear waste stockpiles that we have for which we have no plan and actually be able to utilize that and repurpose it as fuel and turn, as I said in my opening remarks, a liability into an asset. Is that still a focus of Terra Power? Will it remain a focus of Terra Power? Is that a focus of the industry? And what can we do to help make sure it remains the focus of the next gen or gen four industry? Chris Levesque: Senator, you're pointing to a very, a major capability of, of advanced reactors. Today's reactors only use about 5% of the fissile material before the reactor has to be shut down and the fuel is removed. It's just the way the physics work. Advanced reactors, including Terra Power's design, much more completely uses that fuel. Now, Terra Power's designs today plan on using depleted uranium, which is the waste product of the enrichment process. We can use either depleted uranium or natural uranium to fuel the traveling wave reactor. hHowever, this entire new family of advanced reactors does offer the potential to go and look at spent fuel. Of course, we, you know, we're waiting for the U S to develop a geologic repository for spent fuel. But advanced nuclear technologies do allow you the opportunity to go look at what amount of fissile material is remaining in that spent fuel and is there a way to utilize more of it? So that's yet another benefit of advanced reactors. 1:07:30 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI): If I may make a comment, Mr. Chairman, I know that you made from a very strong business background and if we were running United States incorporated, the liability of all that nuclear waste we have stockpiled all around the country and dozens of sites would show up when your auditors came and when you did your financial reporting to your shareholders, they would say here on the debit side of the column is this liability that you have for having to deal with this nuclear waste at some point, and if it was a $500 million liability, you'd have an incentive to spend up to $499 million to clean it up. But because we're the United States of America, not the United States incorporated, there is no place where it shows up in our balance sheet and so we really don't have that persistent economic incentive that a corporation would have to deal with it as a national issue. There's a bit of a carbon price flavor to the point I'm trying to make, but there's also, this is like the reverse of it. There's this liability and there's no way in which, as I can see it, that a Terra Power or somebody else can say, okay, there's a $500 million problem, that means I can come up with a $200 million solution and then we can split the difference and we're making like $150 million and my business sense gets motivated. My innovation juices start to flow to solve that problem. Instead of just sits there and the stuff has sat there for decades and we're waiting for the magic solution to go put it in Yucca mountain or someplace. But I don't see that happening without a revolt from Nevada. So we need to, I think there's an economic solution here as well. If this was a pure business proposition, there'd be a lot more energy in solving it because there'd be this account that was dragging on our balance sheet saying, fix me, fix me, fix me. Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, June 1, 2011. Witnesses: Peter Lyons - then Assistant Energy Secretary for Nuclear Energy Gregory Friedman - then Energy Department Inspector General Martin Malsch - Attorney representing the State of Nevada. Christopher Kouts - Former Acting Director of Civilian Radioactive Waster Management at the US Department of Energy Transcript: 20:00 Rep. Shelley Berkley (NV): Thank you for inviting me to testify today. Let's get right to the point. Nevadans had been saying no to Yucca Mountain for decades and we will continue shouting "No" at the top of our lungs until this effort to shove nuclear waste down our throats is ended. I don't know who you met with, but I can tell you the latest poll polls show that 77% of the people of the state of Nevada don't want nuclear waste stored at Yucca Mountain. Why? Because we don't want our home turned into a nuclear garbage dump and we oppose more wasteful spending on a $100 billion dinosaur in the Nevada desert that should have gone extinct years ago. I know members of this committee will hear today from others who will say that Nevada's efforts to stop the dump is all political and it's nothing to do with science. Hogwash! The truth is that Nevada's opposition has always been based on the danger that Yucca mountain poses to our state and our nation. Make no mistake, the Yucca Mountain project was born of politics starting with the infamous 1987 Screw Nevada bill. And why was it politics? Because the state of Nevada had a very small delegation at that time and we were unable to protect the state from the 49 others. You want to talk about science? There's no radiation standards that currently exist because there's no way to create radiation standards to protect the public from nuclear waste with a 300,000 year half shelf-life. Originally, they were going to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, then they realized there were groundwater problems, so we were going to store it in containers with a titanium shield to protect it from the dripping water. Then they realized that wasn't enough, cause the titanium shields were going to erode. So then they were going to build concrete bunkers to contain the titanium shields that contain the canisters. And then, the last secretary of energy in the Bush administration actually said he was going to create an army of robots that were going to go down to Yucca mountain because man can't go down there, and to be able to protect us from the, the nuclear waste leakage. This legislation, the Screw Nevada bill, did away with any pretense of science when it eliminated every other site under consideration as a dump location. At the same time, the nuclear industry and its allies have worked for years to silence Nevada's criticism and to minimize the fact that the proposed dump is located smack in the middle of an active earthquake zone. This is an area that has been rocked by violent earthquakes in the recent past and we know the risks it creates. Proponents of the dump have also sought to dismiss scientific finding, showing that water will enter Yucca mountain causing rapid corrosion of waste canisters and resulting in release of dangerous radioactive materials. And dump backers have worked tirelessly to downplay the risk to millions of Americans living along the transportation routes from decades of waste shipments barreling down our nation's roads and railways, with each canister a potential terrorist target or accident waiting to happen, whether caused by human error, mechanical failure, or a deliberate 911 style strike, a massive release of these deadly materials threatens to kill or injure Americans to release radioactive contamination and to shut down major portions of our interstate highway system and rail system. When it comes to plans for Yucca Mountain, the fact remains that you can never eliminate the risks that will accompany shipping nuclear waste across more than 40 states, through communities utterly unprepared to deal with radioactive contamination. We're talking about shipments, passing homes, hospitals, schools, every single day for four decades, and even more incredible, at the end of those 40 years, there will even be more waste in the cooling ponds than there were when the shipments began, and that's because as long as the plant is operating, some amount of nuclear waste will always remain at the nuclear facility, and that is why the threat posed by Yucca Mountain must be weighed against the availability of dry cask storage as an affordable solution to this problem and it's available today. Using this method, we can secure waste at existing sites and hardened containers, where they can remain for the next hundred years until we figure out what to do with this garbage. The nuclear industry is already utilizing dry cask storage at various locations around the U.S.. There's no reason we should not require plans to begin moving waste right now from cooling pools into hardened containers. In conclusion, Nevada remains in case you don't already know, opposed to more wasteful spending on a failed $100 billion project that threatens lives, the environment and the economy of my community and others across the nation. I will lay my body down on those railroad tracks to prevent any train that has nuclear waste in it from going to Yucca Mountain. I make that pledge to you and the people I represent. Nuclear waste can remain on existing sites and dry cask storage for the next century, giving us time to find an actual solution to replace the failed Yucca Mountain project and if anybody watched what was happening in Japan, and still has the audacity to suggest this for the people of our country, shame on us all! And Germany just announced that they were ending their nuclear program because they have no way to safely store nuclear waste. If Germany can figure that out, by gosh, the United States of America should be able to figure that out too. I yield back the balance of my time. 29:00 Rep. Doc Hastings (WA): What is truly not workable is the uncertainty that faces our commercial nuclear power industry, as they look to a future that may require them to house spent nuclear fuel on a site for decades because there is no geological repository ready to accept it. 30:15 Rep. Doc Hastings (WA):My district is home to the Hanford nuclear site. Part of the top secret Manhattan project that developed and constructed the first atomic bomb. The work done at Hanford helped win WW II and later provided the nuclear deterrents that helped defeat communism and end the Cold War. Today, Hanford is the world's largest, the world's largest environmental cleanup project, and the high level defense nuclear waste at Hanford is slated to be shipped to the national repository at Yucca Mountain. Right now, the Department of Energy is building, right now, a building, a critical $12 billion plant that will treat 53 million gallons of high level defense waste currently stored in underground tanks at Hanford and turn it into safe, stable glass logs that are scheduled to be stored at Yucca Mountain. The waste treatment plant, which is a $12 billion plant, which is over halfway done, is being built to beat specifications designed to match the geological structure and makeup of Yucca Mountain. 32:00 Rep. Doc Hastings (WA): Delaying or abandoning Yucca Mountain means that Hanford will be home to high-level defense waste even longer. The federal government's legal commitment to our state won't be kept, and clean up progress at Hanford will be jeopardized. With more defense waste slated to go to Yucca mountain than any other state in the union, the stakes for my state of Washington cannot be higher and the risks could be not more, not more real. 32:30 Rep. Doc Hastings (WA): In addition, Richland, which is just south of the Hanford project, is the home to Pacific northwest only commercial nuclear power plant, the Columbia Generating Station. The spent nuclear fuel from this plant is also slated to go to Yucca mountain, but without Yucca opening, the spent fuel will have to be kept onsite for an unknown amount of time, at great expense to the taxpayers and rate payers. 1:33:00 Rep. Jay Inslee (WA): This is very disturbing on a couple of bases. One is, in my state, the state of Washington, we have people very diligently trying to follow their obligations legally and in their profession, getting this waste ready to ship to Yucca. They're going to be ready to ship 9,700 canisters to Yucca. They're doing their job, but the department's not doing its job. Now that's on a local concern, but on a national concern, I just think this situation is one of a failed state. You know, they talk about fail states around the world? This- because of the failure to follow the clear law here, this is the equivalency of a failed state. We reached a national decision. It is unpopular in one local part and a beautiful part of the country, as it will be in any part of the country that we ever have this decision made and yet we can't execute a decision. Now this, this sort of flagrant statement that social acceptance is now a legal criteria, I don't understand. I just ask Dr. Lyon, how are we ever to build anything like a nuclear waste repository anywhere in the United States if social acceptance is a mandatory criteria to build something? Dr. Peter Lyons: I use the example in my testimony of the waste isolation pilot plant in New Mexico, which has the strongest local acceptance, and I noted that there are a number of international examples where with careful education, with transparent processes, there has been strong acceptance of repository programs. 1:35:00 Rep. Jay Inslee (WA): And obviously in the decision making of the department based on the best science and geology and hydrology, we decided Nevada was the best place. But now you're telling me we're gonna maybe look for a less scientifically credible, less geologically stable, less hydrologically isolated place because we might get a little better social acceptance. That is a failed policy by a failed state and I have to just tell you, regardless who the administration is, in an abject failure to follow federal law here is most disturbing and it's unacceptable. And I don't really want to think I want to belabor you with too many more questions. I just want to tell you it's unacceptable by any administration of any party to make a decision when we're dealing with this number of curies of radiation based on social acceptance is an, is just a, not a, a winner for this country. 1:41:43 Gregory Friedman: Approximately 10% of Yucca mountain was designated as I am, as I recall, for a high level defense waste and spent nuclear-, defense spent nuclear waste. My understanding is that the current inventory of waste in that category exceeded, exceeds even the 10% of the Yucca mountain that was set, reserved for that purpose originally. 2:07:00 Martin Malsch: The original 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy act forsaw many of the problems which that now afflict the Yucca mountain program. Among other things, it sought fairness and redundancy by requiring multiple sites from which to choose ultimate locations for repositories and it's strove for regional equity by setting up site selection programs for two facilities, one in the west and one in the east. However, all this was scrapped in 1987. Congress decreed that all repository development efforts must focus now on just one site in Nevada and it did so not withstanding incomplete scientific information and the fact that now spent reactor fuel and high level waste from every region in the country would now be sent to a single western state with no nuclear power plants or high level waste generating facilities. After 1987, there was only one possible site and inevitably as more and more dollars were spent, it became progressively more difficult to admit that the selection of Yucca Mountain had been a mistake. But we know now things we did not know in 1987. We now know that groundwater will reach the wastes at the site in about 50 years, not the hundreds or thousands of years it had been originally thought. We now know the Yucca Mountain is not dry. Total of water seepage into the tunnels where the waste will be located will be as much as 130,000 kilograms per year. These and other serious problems led to even more exotic and doubtful engineering fixes. When it appeared likely that the Yucca Mountain site could not satisfy certain EPA and NRC licensing requirements, the requirements were simply eliminated. These actions by Congress and then by EPA DOE and NRC destroyed the credibility of the program. 2:18:00 Christopher Kouts: Because the development of Yucca mountain has been such a contentious and protracted process, it is being suggested that only consensual siting of these facilities should be pursued. I would submit to the subcommittee that the U.S. and international experience in this area proves otherwise. In my discussions over the years with the directors of repository programs abroad, they have consistently expressed their concerns that due to the very long time frame to repository programs take to develop, any political consensus at the beginning can evaporate with one election, just as it has in the U.S. with Yucca Mountain. At the end of the day, implementing a repository program requires steady, consistent national leadership. Nuclear Waste Storage, House Energy and Commerce Committee, April 18, 2002 Witnesses: Jim Gibbons - then Representative followed by Governor of Nevada from 2007 to 2011 Spencer Abraham - Secretary of Energy from 2001-2005 Transcript: 41:45 Rep. Jim Gibbons (NV): The disposal of the nation's high level nuclear waste has been and remains an important issue for many Americans. However, for the past 20 years it has been the single most important issue for the state of Nevada. And just as a historical note, Mr Chairman, the Nuclear Waste Policy act of 1982 as amended in 1987, selected Nevada and Yucca Mountain as the sole site to be studied for consideration of a nuclear repository. It's very important to note Mr Chairman, under this law and its subsequent amendment, a finding that the site is suitable to become a high level waste repository for the next 10,000 years would require and I repeat, would require that the site be determined "geologically sound". Mr Chairman, as the person who holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Nevada in geology, I'm probably one of the few geologists in Congress, but I can tell you having looked at this, Yucca mountain is not, nor will it ever be geologically sound. If the site is geologically sound, why so much cost on the engineering aspect of this project? The answer is, you cannot spend enough money to make a mountain geologically sound. What will the DOI, DOE realize is that they can spend enough to make the manmade engineering barrier sound? The problem is that is not what the law requires. If you look at the fine print and if you look hard enough, you'll see that the DOE has failed to prove Yucca mountain's geologic suitability and they have made promises that they cannot keep. How do I know this and how do the American people know this? Because once DOE started digging and actually studying Yucca Mountain, they realized they would have to change the rules in order to meet the suitability standards mandated by Congress in the act. And what the DOE found out was this,-one, rates of water infiltration into the mountain are on the order of 100 times higher than previously thought. Two, credible studies indicate a significant presence of Basaltic volcanism in and around Yucca Mountain. Three, with Nevada ranking third in the nation in seismic activity, it has been determined that there have been nearly 700 cases of earthquake or seismic activity of 2.5 magnitude on a Richter scale or more near Yucca Mountain since 1976, that's 700 occurrences. In fact, about 10 years ago, a 5.6 level earthquake occurred less than 10 miles from Yucca Mountain and actually caused some damage to nearby DOE facilities. So what has been the DOE response to these findings? Findings that even the DOE themselves acknowledge? They retroactively changed the rules for site suitability. They moved the goalpost. You see, the DOE cannot prove Yucca Mountain's capability of serving as a longterm high level nuclear waste repository that is geologically sound. Their response? Adopt new rules, permitting the agency to rely entirely on man-made waste packages. Mr Chairman, I ask, is this what Congress intended? I don't think so. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Congressman Mike Simpson's Farm Workforce Modernization Act may have the solution to the scarce amount of farm workers, but does making illegal immigrants legal bring anything else positive? It may not be perfect, but it just may be the best solution we have. Also, rants and raves! (11/1/19)

On this edition of MH Business Exchange, McDonald Hopkins attorney Alec Davidson joins host Mike Witzke to review some key facts about Ohio's Notary Public Modernization Act. They discuss what to expect when the act goes into effect in September of 2019, the technology required for online notarization, and how the act will impact lawyer and non-lawyer notaries.

Craft Brew News – 3/22/19(Articles brought to you by Brewbound.com)Anchor Workers Vote to UnionizeSeeking better pay and benefits, workers at San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company voted in favor of forming a union on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.The vote to organize with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union passed 31-16, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Anchor, which was acquired by Japan’s Sapporo Holdings Limited in 2017, now has 10 days to dispute the vote.The effort to unionize has been met with multiple “union-busting” tactics from Anchor management, despite a February 14 pledge to remain neutral. According to Huffpost, management “pressured the 61 brewery workers and nine staffers at Public Taps,” its neighboring taproom, to form separate bargaining units. Public Taps employees are slated to vote on whether to form a union later today, according to the AnchorUnionSF Twitter account.Additionally, Anchor management reportedly intimidated employees during private meetings and threatened years-long wage freezes. In turn, employees filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this month alleging management deployed union-busting tactics, including ordering employees to remove pro-union pins while on the job, Bloomberg reported.No, Thorn Brewing Was Not Sold to a Cannabis CompanyNext Green Wave Holdings, a vertically integrated California cannabis company, issued a press release Tuesday erroneously indicating that San Diego’s Thorn Brewing had been sold.Speaking to Brewbound, Thorn Brewing co-founder Dennis O’Connor confirmed the brewery was not a part of Next Green Wave’s $27 million transaction, which included the acquisition of more than 45 CBD and THC products.Next Wave Holdings actually purchased SD Cannabis, a company O’Connor said he has been working with independently on the development of water soluble THC and CBD products.The relationship with SD Cannabis developed after Thorn Brewing released a 4.20 percent ABV session IPA called OG HighPA, which was brewed with cannabis-derived terpenes. That product, which contained no THC or CBD, was released in 2016 and was made in collaboration with Jetty Extracts.But O’Connor was still interested in creating a cannabis supplement that could be added to various beverages, so he teamed up with SD Cannabis to research and develop a new product. “You’d buy it at a local dispensary, and mix it with your beer or your whiskey,” he said, noting that the company plans to launch the products next month, on April 20 (4/20).He also envisions mixologists experimenting with the THC and CBD mists.Beer Industry Stakeholders in Maryland Compromise on ReformMaryland’s craft brewers, wholesalers and retailers have reached an agreement on sweeping legislation that, if approved, would reform the state’s laws surrounding self-distribution, taproom sales and franchise agreements.One set of proposed bills would allow beer companies producing 20,000 barrels or less to terminate their wholesaler contracts by giving 45 days notice without showing “good cause.” The other bills would raise caps on self-distribution, taproom sales and production limits.Currently, those companies are required to give 180 days notice and show “good cause” in order to get out of their distribution agreements.A separate piece of legislation called the “Modernization Act” — would increase the self-distribution cap from 3,000 barrels to 5,000 barrels annually for breweries holding a Class 7 “Limited Beer Wholesaler License.”Wholesaler Group Opposes Texas To-Go Sales BillsIn an Austin American-Statesman op-ed titled “State beer sales laws aren’t broken. Leave them alone,” Larry Del Papa, a wealthy beer distributor, argued that allowing Texas’ manufacturing breweries to sell beer for off-premise consumption would harm independently owned grocery, convenience and liquor stores.Del Papa serves as the president of the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas (WBDT), a powerful wholesaler lobbying group that has refused to sign onto a “stakeholder agreement” reached between the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and the Beer Alliance of Texas. If passed by lawmakers, that agreement would put an end to a years-long contentious dispute over to-go-beer sales by allowing manufacturing breweries to sell beer for off-premise consumption within the state’s existing 5,000-barrel cap on direct-to-consumer sales.According to Del Papa, only 10 craft breweries would benefit from the legislation. The rest of the state’s 305 other breweries, Del Papa argued, could operate under brewpub licenses due to falling below the 10,000-barrel cap.However, Austin Beerworks co-owner Adam DeBower told Brewbound that the law change would benefit hundreds of brewers, fostering growth that could expand those companies’ production beyond the 10,000-barrel cap.Subscribe to Craft Beer Storm Podcast iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/craft-beer-storm/id1438117278?mt=2Michael Potorti is the Host of Craft Beer Storm and Founder/Brewer at Beara Brewing Co. in Portsmouth, NHMichael PotortiFounder/BrewerHost of "Craft Beer Storm" Podcastmichael@craftbeerstorm.commichael@bearairishbrew.com*** Come visit our brewery for some delicious local craft brew! ***Beara Brewing Co.2800 Lafayette RoadPortsmouth, NH 03801Tel. (857) 342-3272 www.bearairishbrew.com Like us onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearairishbrew/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearaIrishBrewingCo Twitter: https://twitter.com/BearaIrishBrew Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beara-brewing-co-30776075/**LISTEN to our Craft Beer Storm Podcast and share with a friend**Craft Beer Storm Podcast iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/craft-beer-storm/id1438117278?mt=2Craft Beer Storm You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp3PVuCGmywNWlGFh0N0ukg?view_as=subscriberCraft Beer Storm Podcast Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-center-la-2/craft-beer-stormCraft Beer Storm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craftbeerstorm/Craft Beer Storm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelpotorti/

How is the Veterans' Appeals process changing? What are the key priorities for the VA Board of Veterans' Appeals? How is the implementation of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 going? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Cheryl Mason, Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals […]

How is the Veterans' Appeals process changing? What are the key priorities for the VA Board of Veterans' Appeals? How is the implementation of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 going? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Cheryl Mason, Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

It's been a year since Congress passed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act that charged the Veterans Affairs Department with creating a new process for veterans pursuing appeals. VA has been working to stand up the new program for the past year. But veterans have an opportunity to get their claims in the door now, and faster. David McLenachen is the director of the appeals management office at the Veterans Benefits Administration. He told Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko about the options veterans currently have to pursue their appeals on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

When Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Medicare went through a huge change. Among other things, this act started the beginning of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Since Medicare Supplements can no longer be sold with prescription drug coverage, the Medicare Supplement Plan G does not offer prescription drug coverage. The supplements all use stand-alone drug plans, Medicare Part D. The great thing about using a stand-alone drug plan is that you can shop for the drug plan that is the best value and covers your medications the best. Every Part D plan is different based on the medications you're taking at that time. There is no way to list an exact cost for these plans. The good thing is you can shop these plans every year during Annual Enrollment (starting Oct. 15th and ending Dec. 7th) and we do that for our clients every year as a service to them.

What is RAMP? In November 2017, we launched RAMP with the goal of providing eligible appellants with the earliest possible resolution of their disagreement with VA's decision on their claim.RAMP is voluntary and will provide you with the opportunity to enter the new, more efficient review process outlined in the historic Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (Appeals Modernization Act), which the President signed into law on August 23, 2017.Under RAMP, you can expect to receive a review of the decision on your claim much faster than if you remain in the legacy appeals process. The program will allow participants the option to have their decisions reviewed in the Higher-Level Review or Supplemental Claim Lane outlined in the new law.RAMP will run through February 2019, when we plan to fully implement the Appeals Modernization Act. Further, we will continue to process RAMP elections as long as necessary to continue to accelerate resolution of legacy appeals.

Rose Sheet’s editorial team counts down top news items in the cosmetics and dietary supplement sectors over the past month. On the cosmetics side, we discuss the newly proposed FDA Cosmetic Safety and Modernization Act, J&J talc litigation, emerging class action threats, ISO 16128 natural/organic guidelines and EU REACH compliance costs; for dietary supplements, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals’ legal woes, Amarin’s failed omega-3 fair-trade complaint, pre-DSHEA ingredients and more.

Join T.J. O’Hara, an internationally recognized attorney, author, and speaker, for his new podcast, A Civil Assessment. This week T.J. sits down with an electoral reform advocate in Nevada and founder of Nevada Election Reform and Modernization Act, the captain of Maine’s successful Ranked Choice Voting initiative, and one of the attorneys involved in the voting rights battle neither party wants to you know about.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, starts off with the general section with news about Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin's highly anticipated Senate confirmation hearing last week. In low-income housing tax credit news, he talks about the state of the low-income housing tax credit equity market and what states like Ohio are doing to fill the equity shortfall. He also discusses implementation of the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 and expansion of HUD's Moving to Work program. He outlines President Donald Trump's suspension of a decrease in the Federal Housing Administration's mortgage insurance premium. He then talks about the 2017 poverty guidelines released by the Department of Health and Human Services, which allow HUD to calculate its income limits. In new markets tax credit news, he discusses the latest qualified equity investment issuance report and the fiscal year 2017 rounds of the CDFI program and Native CDFI program. In renewable energy tax credit news, he discusses Marathon Capital's report, "U.S. Federal Corporate Tax Reform: Potential Impact on U.S. Renewable Energy Financing." Then, he details New Mexico's recently introduced solar investment tax credit bill, HB 82.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, starts off with the general section with news about Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin's highly anticipated Senate confirmation hearing last week. In low-income housing tax credit news, he talks about the state of the low-income housing tax credit equity market and what states like Ohio are doing to fill the equity shortfall. He also discusses implementation of the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 and expansion of HUD's Moving to Work program. He outlines President Donald Trump's suspension of a decrease in the Federal Housing Administration's mortgage insurance premium. He then talks about the 2017 poverty guidelines released by the Department of Health and Human Services, which allow HUD to calculate its income limits. In new markets tax credit news, he discusses the latest qualified equity investment issuance report and the fiscal year 2017 rounds of the CDFI program and Native CDFI program. In renewable energy tax credit news, he discusses Marathon Capital's report, “U.S. Federal Corporate Tax Reform: Potential Impact on U.S. Renewable Energy Financing.” Then, he details New Mexico's recently introduced solar investment tax credit bill, HB 82.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, begins with the general section, where he talks about how Paul Ryan's bid to keep his job as speaker of the House could affect the future of tax reform. In the low-income housing tax credit section, he discusses the inflation-adjustment caps for the low-income housing tax credits and private activity bonds in 2017. He also talks about HUD's initial guidance for the Housing Opportunities through Modernization Act. In community development news, he outlines the CDFI Fund's five-year strategic plan and how it'll affect administration of CDFI Fund programs, including the new markets tax credit. In the historic tax credit section, he talks about a sign-on letter being circulated by historic preservation groups to ramp up support for the Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act. He closes with renewable energy tax credit news, where he discusses some important deadlines regarding the renewable energy investment tax credit and production tax credit.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, begins with the general section, where he talks about how Paul Ryan's bid to keep his job as speaker of the House could affect the future of tax reform. In the low-income housing tax credit section, he discusses the inflation-adjustment caps for the low-income housing tax credits and private activity bonds in 2017. He also talks about HUD's initial guidance for the Housing Opportunities through Modernization Act. In community development news, he outlines the CDFI Fund's five-year strategic plan and how it'll affect administration of CDFI Fund programs, including the new markets tax credit. In the historic tax credit section, he talks about a sign-on letter being circulated by historic preservation groups to ramp up support for the Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act. He closes with renewable energy tax credit news, where he discusses some important deadlines regarding the renewable energy investment tax credit and production tax credit.

Explaining the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 by America's Healthcare Challenge

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, starts off with the general news section where he talks about the recently approved 2016 Democrat Party platform, how it compares to the Republican platform and what those priorities could mean for affordable housing, community development and renewable energy. In the low-income housing tax credit section, he shares an update on the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 (H.R. 3700), which President Barack Obama recently signed into law and will modify several housing programs, including Section 8 and public housing. Then, he talks about a new tool released by the Urban Institute and the National Housing Conference that shows why the low-income housing tax credit is crucial to building affordable housing. In new markets tax credit news, he discusses the Rebuilding and Renewing Rural America Act (S. 3243), a recently introduced bill that would double new markets tax credit allocation authority to $7 billion annually for the next three years. In the historic tax credit section, he shares an updated resource from the National Trust that could help historic tax credit advocates illustrate how effectively the federal historic tax credit creates jobs and generates revenue in each state. And he closes out with renewable energy tax credit news, where he discusses how Louisiana's solar energy system tax credit reached its allocation cap early.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, starts off with the general news section where he talks about the recently approved 2016 Democrat Party platform, how it compares to the Republican platform and what those priorities could mean for affordable housing, community development and renewable energy. In the low-income housing tax credit section, he shares an update on the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 (H.R. 3700), which President Barack Obama recently signed into law and will modify several housing programs, including Section 8 and public housing. Then, he talks about a new tool released by the Urban Institute and the National Housing Conference that shows why the low-income housing tax credit is crucial to building affordable housing. In new markets tax credit news, he discusses the Rebuilding and Renewing Rural America Act (S. 3243), a recently introduced bill that would double new markets tax credit allocation authority to $7 billion annually for the next three years. In the historic tax credit section, he shares an updated resource from the National Trust that could help historic tax credit advocates illustrate how effectively the federal historic tax credit creates jobs and generates revenue in each state. And he closes out with renewable energy tax credit news, where he discusses how Louisiana's solar energy system tax credit reached its allocation cap early.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, starts off with the general news section, where he talks about the Republican and Democratic conventions and what each party has outlined as its priorities, as they relate to affordable housing and energy policy. He also discusses new Community Reinvestment Act regulation guidance and what one particular change could mean for the historic tax credit industry. In the low-income housing tax credit section, he shares big news on two pieces of legislation. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2016 (S. 3237) would greatly expand the low-income housing tax credit and make numerous enhancements to the program, while the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 (H.R. 3700) makes significant changes to several housing programs, especially HUD's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Then, he talks about a new housing choice voucher fee formula proposed by HUD that could make administration of vouchers more efficient. In new markets tax credit news, he discusses how new rules issued by the Department of Agriculture would align USDA's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program with new markets tax credit leverage and qualified low-income community investment loans. In the historic tax credit section, he shares news about the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's newly appointed and reappointed members. And he closes out with renewable energy tax credit news, where he outlines one federal bill (S. 3169) that would eliminate the wind production tax credit two years earlier than scheduled and the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2016 (S. 3159), which 'would create a new investment tax credit for energy storage.

In this week's Tax Credit Tuesday Podcast, Michael J. Novogradac, CPA, starts off with the general news section, where he talks about the Republican and Democratic conventions and what each party has outlined as its priorities, as they relate to affordable housing and energy policy. He also discusses new Community Reinvestment Act regulation guidance and what one particular change could mean for the historic tax credit industry. In the low-income housing tax credit section, he shares big news on two pieces of legislation. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2016 (S. 3237) would greatly expand the low-income housing tax credit and make numerous enhancements to the program, while the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 (H.R. 3700) makes significant changes to several housing programs, especially HUD's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Then, he talks about a new housing choice voucher fee formula proposed by HUD that could make administration of vouchers more efficient. In new markets tax credit news, he discusses how new rules issued by the Department of Agriculture would align USDA's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program with new markets tax credit leverage and qualified low-income community investment loans. In the historic tax credit section, he shares news about the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's newly appointed and reappointed members. And he closes out with renewable energy tax credit news, where he outlines one federal bill (S. 3169) that would eliminate the wind production tax credit two years earlier than scheduled and the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2016 (S. 3159), which  would create a new investment tax credit for energy storage.

Tune in this week to learn how the performance appraisal process is used to evaluate individual job performance connected to overall agency performance, and if it's actually working.

Tune in this week to learn how the performance appraisal process is used to evaluate individual job performance connected to overall agency performance, and if it's actually working.

In this episode, we look at the bills that passed the House of Representatives in July but haven't yet become law. Topics include tax cuts, student loans, education, Hezbollah, and pesticides in our water. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 4718 Permanent Bonus Depreciation Tax Cut Brings back a tax cut that expired on December 31, 2013 and makes it permanent. The cut they want to make permanent is for upgrading the inside of retail stores. Expands the tax cuts to include deductions for "trees and vines bearing fruits and nuts". Gives corporations more choices about how they'd like to get taxed. The effects of this bill won't be counted in the PAYGO budget. CBO Score: "Enacting H.R. 4718 would reduce revenues, thus increasing federal budget deficits, by about $287 billion over the 2014-2024 period." Article: New Estimate Puts Rising Big Dig Costs at $24.3 billion. July 2012. The bills passed the House of Representatives on July 11 by a vote of 258-160. Only two Republicans voted against it: Retiring Rep. John Campbell of Orange County, CA Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina The bill was written by Rep. Patrick Tiberi of Ohio's 12th district. H.R. 4195 Federal Register Modernization Act Says that copies of the Federal Registrar don't need to be printed on paper. CBO Score: It would have no effect on the Federal budget. Passed the House of Representatives on July 14 by a vote of 386-0. Written by Rep. Darrell Issa of southern California's 49th district H.R. 4719 America Gives More Act of 2014 Eliminates the tax deduction for donating stuffed actual animals to charity. Increases the charitable deduction limit for food donations from 10% of a person's net income to 15%. Charitable donations that exceed the cap can be carried over for five years. This would be effective for 2014 taxes. Makes permanent a tax cut that expired in 2013 for charitable contributions direct from retirement funds. Makes permanent tax credits for charitable donations towards conservation and tax credits for corporate farmers and ranchers. Allows people to claim charity deductions for a year that is over if the donation happens before tax day. Cuts the excise tax rate for private foundations investment income in half. The effects of this bill the budget will not be counted in the PAYGO budget. CBO Score: "enacting H.R. 4719 would reduce revenues, thus increasing federal budget deficits, by about $1.9 billion over the 2014-2024 period" The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 17 by a vote of 277-130. The bill was written by Rep. Tom Reed of New York's 23rd district H.R. 4450 Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 Changes the board of directors of Brand USA - a non-profit organization that advertises U.S. tourism - from being made up of travel industry specialists to one made up of entirely of executives, with five seats reserved for people with ties to multinational corporations. It eliminates the seat for the specialist in intercity passenger rail. Extends the authorization for the government to spend $100 million per year on Brand USA through 2020. Extends the Travel Promotion Fee - a $10 fee charged to people who get a visa to travel into the United States - until 2020. CBO Score: The bill would decrease the deficit by $231 million over the next ten years. Passed the House of Representatives on July 22 by a vote of 347-57 Written by Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida's 12th district H.R. 4411 Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 Prohibits United States banks from completing large financial transactions for Hezbollah. The worst penalty for completing a Hezbollah transaction can be for twice the amount of the transaction. This won't apply to "authorized intelligence activities of the United States" The bill is paid for by reducing our yearly financial gift to Pakistan by $3 million. The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 22 by a vote of 404-0. Written by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina's 11th district H.R. 3136 Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014 Authorizes a maximum of 30 "entities" to launch demonstration projects of "competency-based" education programs, which would replace credit hours as the system of measurement to get a degree. Schools that participate would be exempted all kinds of existing educational regulations. Projects that reduce the amount of time and/or money required to get a degree would be prioritized. The only restriction to make a school eligible is that it has to be in the United States. Each demonstration project would have between 50 and 3,000 students. After the program has been around awhile, that number can be increased to 5,000. The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 23 by a vote of 414-0. Written by Rep. Matt Salmon of Arizona's 5th district Representatives Quoted in This Segment Rep. John Kline of MN Rep. Matt Salmon of AZ Video Shared in This Segment H.R. 4984 Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act Mandates that schools make sure that students know and understand the terms and conditions of their Federal student loans every year by using either in-person counseling sessions or online. Students must be told that Federal loans usually have better terms and conditions than private loans. Students will get another counseling session to explain their loan status and the consequences of failing to re-pay it as they leave college. The bill passed on July 24 by a vote of 405-11. All Democrats voted yes. Written by Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky's 2nd district H.R. 3393 Student and Family Tax Simplification Act Permanently extends a tax credit for college expenses that is scheduled to expire in 2017. The tax credit and eligibility numbers would increase with inflation starting in 2018. Includes the text of H.R. 4935: The Child Tax Credit Improvement Act and prohibits the effects of that bill on the budget from being counted. The effects this would have on the budget would not be counted. CBO Score: The bill would increase the deficit by $96.5 billion over the next ten years. Passed the House of Representatives on July 24 by a vote of 227-187 Written by Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee's 6th district H.R. 4935 Child Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2014 Increases the amount of money a family is allowed to make and still claim the child tax credit. Currently, married people can make $110,000; this bill would increase that to $150,000. Single people can make $55,000, which would increase to $75,000. Increases the tax credit with inflation starting in 2015. CBO Score: The bill would increase the deficit by about $115 billion over the next 10 years. The bill passed on July 25 by a vote of 237-173 Written by Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas' 2nd district H.R. 935 Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2014 Prohibits States from requiring permits to dump pesticides into oceans and rivers as long as the pesticide is legal to sell. The bill passed on July 31 by a vote of 267-161. The bill failed to pass three days prior as an uncontroversial "suspension" bill. All Republicans voted yes. Written by Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio's 7th district.