Podcasts about senate commerce committee

Protect College Sports Act passes Senate Commerce Committee, College Football Playoff schedule talks and more.We would love to know what you think of the show and you can let us know on social media @D1ticker.If you are not subscribed to D1.ticker, you can and should subscribe at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.d1ticker.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

College sports is chaos right now. But Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington's Maria Cantwell are trying to do something about that with the Protect College Sports Act. It just passed the Senate Commerce Committee and heads to the Senate floor next. What's in the bill? And what do politicians gain when they take on this type of legislation?GuestDanny O'Neil, Seattle sportswriter and author of The Dang Apostrophe newsletterThank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Gabrielle Healy. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban testified before the Senate Commerce Committee as lawmakers debated the proposed Protect College Sports Act, a sweeping bill designed to regulate NIL, transfer portal movement, athlete compensation, eligibility, and the overall future of college athletics. The bill has support from the ACC and Big 12, but the SEC and Big Ten are already pushing back publicly.In other words...The people who broke college football are all standing in the same room arguing about how to fix it.Tonight we're taking a deep dive into the State of College Football:

Purdue and WIU AD moves, news from today's Senate Commerce Committee hearing and more.We would love to know what you think of the show and you can let us know on social media @D1ticker.If you are not subscribed to D1.ticker, you can and should subscribe at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.d1ticker.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week we talk about the Merchant Marine Act, trade routes, and incentives.We also discuss Wesley Jones, foreign competition, and artificial monopolies.Recommended Book: The Quantum Thief by Hannu RajaniemiTranscriptIn 1920, the then-Senator for the state of Washington, Wesley Jones, who was also the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the Merchant Marine Act as a method by which the American merchant marine could be sustained and remain competitive in the face of external competition, and in the wake of the destruction of a bunch of ship during WWI.The US Merchant Marine is all the commercial water-going vessels that are US flagged, and the crews of these vessels. During peacetime, these boats and ships conduct trade and other services along the United States' coasts and throughout its internal waterways, its rivers and lakes. During wartime, these vessels and their crews are tapped to help move troops and weapons and supplies for offensive or defensive military efforts.The theory of this proposed Act, then, was to ensure that the US Merchant Marine would remain well-funded and well-taken-care-of, because lacking some kind of government support, there was a good chance it would either slowly degrade, not having enough business to pay for itself, or—and this has been a persistent concern for similar pseudo-fleets of merchant vessels around the world for the past few hundred years—it would fall into disrepair because it would be outcompeted by vessels and crew coming in from elsewhere that would charge lower prices, creating unsustainable economics for the locals and thus slowly degrading this economic and military asset.When this Act was proposed, in 1920, the preservation of this asset was on the mind of many US politicians, as the world had just emerged from World War I, and in that and previous conflicts, the US Merchant Marine had been pretty vital to ensuring the US eventually came out on the right side of things. It was also fundamental to the rebuilding of the US economy following difficult conflicts, because the moving of cargo from city to city along coastlines, and throughout long expanses of rivers—getting food from place to place, getting building supplies where they need to go—has always been important, especially following periods in which there isn't a lot of building going on, and when supplies chains are reoriented toward other purposes, like fighting.So in addition to all the language the helps regulate trade within US waters and between US ports, and which says how the crew of such vessels have to be treated, this Act was also meant to provide protected status to US Merchant Marine vessels and crew, giving them a pseudo-monopoly on certain types of trade activities in the US.It was also—and this is important context—meant to give Senator Jones' state of Washington a de facto monopoly on trade with Alaska. But it was sold to the rest of Congress and the country as a means of bolstering the funds flowing into the US Merchant Marine. Section 27 of this act, often called the Jones Act, requires that all goods transported between US ports be carried by US vessels built in the US, flying the US flag, owned by US citizens and with majority US citizen and permanent US resident crews.What I'd like to talk about today are the other consequences of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, and in particular the Jones Act component of it, and why there's been renewed opposition to the Jones Act in recent months.—The logic of the Jones Act, at least on the surface, is pretty straightforward.If you're worried about foreign competition coming in and taking all the shipping jobs, swooping in from areas where crews aren't paid as much, and where ships can be built cheaper, so they can charge less than US-made and -manned ships, all you have to do is require all the ships and people on the ships are of US-origin, and you're good to go. Those foreign competitors aren't allowed to take the jobs, and that sets the standards in a different place, allowing US vessels and their crew and owners to charge whatever they need to charge to sustain themselves.This, in theory at least, should also stimulate the US ship-building industry, as that monopoly means anyone who builds new ships stands a pretty good chance of making their money back. After all, there's no dramatically cheaper competition out there, so you've got relatively little downward price pressure and seemingly plenty of customers, because there's a lot of US coast, and a lot of internal waterways that have traditionally be used for trading purposes.In practice, though—and this isn't uncommon with protectionist measures; things that seem like they should work for the intended purpose actually leading to other, less ideal outcomes—the Jones Act is often blamed for increasing prices on pretty much everything, and for increasing prices dramatically in places like Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and other US territories, like American Samoa and Guam, that are reliant on imports to survive.If open competition isn't allowed, prices don't tend to go down, and in fact they can instead go up, especially if the number of entities providing these services drops over time.That means places without other options, without the ability to ship food and electrical equipment and other such fundamentals using highways or regularly flying, large cargo planes, they are forced to pay increasingly high cargo ship prices, instead. And there's no chance that a competitor will emerge, because there just aren't enough ships available to haul all the stuff these places need at a regular, sustaining, cost-effective cadence.These higher prices are kind of built into the monopoly model, but they're made even worse by the state of the US shipbuilding industry, which for a while, from about the mid-1800s until the mid-20th century, was top of the line, producing more ships than any other country during WWII, and before that churning out some of the best and fastest ships in the world for trade purposes.But after the two world wars, and a surge in shipbuilding infrastructure that was rapidly deployed in the first half of the 20th century, US government subsidies for the industry began to dry up, many of the ships built during the war were sold to foreign countries and private owners for a quick buck, and most of that infrastructure was mothballed, the more efficient processes it developed decommissioned in favor of less-efficient, more expensive approaches.During WWI, the US churned out more then 5,000 ships at the over 100 shipyards it had operating at the time, and was able to produce more naval tonnage in three years than it had produced in the entire history of the nation's existence, up till that point.Post-WWI, though, the US was already less efficient than foreign competitors, especially European competition, and post-WWII, the emergence of overland infrastructure in the US, like the burgeoning national highway system, made shipping via trucks increasingly competitive with the previously dominant approach of shipping via internal waterways.Airline shipping became a competitor, too, around that same time. So the technological developments and new overland infrastructure of the post-World War era meant that in the US, although coastal shipping in particular remained a solid option for many types of shipping, using trucks on the nation's growing highway system usually ended up being cheaper and easier, and in some cases much faster, too, and eventually air cargo became even more competitive for some types of jobs and clientele.The oil crises of the 1970s amplified this trend, collapsing the market for oil tanker ships and seriously damaging the overall shipbuilding industry, including in the US. Even with new US government subsidies meant to support the flailing industry, building ships in the US usually just didn't make much economic sense, the cost of building on US soil costing nearly twice as much as it did in some foreign ports.During the Reagan administration, even those 1930s-era subsidies were dropped, and that led to further collapse in the US shipbuilding industry. Before the end of these subsidies, the US was producing about 20 commercial ships per year, already a catastrophic drop from the World Wars era, but after the end of the subsidies, it produced five commercial vessels in the next eight years, combined.Some new subsidies were introduced in the 90s, when the Cold War ended, but the industry was in such bad shape at that point, orders from the US military and from commercial traders often went unfulfilled, or went wildly over budget. Some ships were finished, but riddled with so many flaws that they were unusable.US shipbuilders blamed foreign government subsidies, claiming they were really bad at their jobs because other countries were giving their shipbuilding entities more money to exist, and President Bill Clinton was able to secure an agreement with many of the US's trading partners to temper these subsidies a bit, in response to those complaints. Though when US shipbuilders realized this agreement would also mean they would lose some of their subsidies, in the tradeoff, they switched to campaigning against it, and the US ultimately wasn't involved in that agreement.The US's shipbuilding efforts improved a bit in the late-90s and early 2000s, but efforts elsewhere were better, and while the US produced about 3% of all commercial shipping tonnage, of all trade-related naval vessels, basically, in the early 1970s, by 1999, that was down to 0.25% of global tonnage.At this point, following that aforementioned agreement to reduce subsidies and others like it, much of the world's shipbuilding industries are on pretty solid footing without government support, while the US's is protected by the Jones Act, and very much not in solid shape; it's completely uncompetitive and wildly unproductive, and this has led to many secondary, knock-on issues, like increased prices, especially in places like Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, but this actually reportedly costs the US economy something like 0.1 to 0.4% of its total GDP, so about $31.8 billion to $127.4 billion each year. And it's also hobbled our efforts to invest in things like offshore wind farms and other such infrastructure, because we simply don't have enough ships in operation to do that sort of thing. These ships also just cost so much to use, even when they're available, that the price of shipping and deploying things is overwhelming, especially compared to doing the same in other countries.In mid-March of 2026, the second Trump administration issued a Jones Act waiver for some types of product, including energy products, fertilizer, and related inputs, like ammonia. That means on an emergency basis, foreign-flagged, built, and staffed ships can operate in US waters, bringing these types of trade goods from US port to US port, without penalty.Within just two months of the waiver going into effect, dozens of foreign vessels entered the US trade market, reinforcing slumping trade routes and even creating new ones. The Gulf Cost to West Coast route has proved to be especially popular, seeing four times the trade activity from the Gulf to California in just those two months as we previously saw over the whole of 2025, combined, and a an entirely new route emerged, too, shipping naphtha from California to Texas.More shipping also arose between the US mainland and Puerto Rico, bringing propane to Puerto Rico in a usable volume for the first time because there are no liquified petroleum gas tankers in the Jones Act fleet; this meant that despite the large amounts of LPG produced in the US, Puerto Rico usually has to import their LPG from Chile and other foreign sources; this waiver allowed them to get it from the US mainland, instead.In April of this year, the Trump administration announced a 90-day extension of the Jones Act waiver. This waiver is intended to help moderate surging prices on all sorts of good, especially energy products, at a moment in which the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created shortages of such products on global markets. That shortage has stoked inflation, all over the place, but especially in the US, hence this effort to temper that inflation; it is an election year in the US, after all.The waiver seems to be helping, in some limited regards at least, and it's providing all sorts of data for groups that oppose it, illuminating what seems to be latent demand for such trade routes, that demand typically unmet because of the limitations of the Jones Act on waterway and coastal trade in the US; there just aren't enough US-made and created and flagged ships performing this kind of trade because of that artificial monopoly.The American Maritime Partnership, however, which is a lobbying group put together by the US domestic maritime industry, recently launched an ad campaign aimed at ending the waiver, saying, basically, that the Jones Act protects the US maritime industry from unfair foreign competition, and that it protects the US from foreign threats that might otherwise infiltrate and negatively impact US markets; the implication being that terrorists or some such might come to the US with trade vessels, and then wreak havoc by doing terrorist things via these vessels, or maybe use them to bring more drugs into the country.Given the power such lobbying groups have in the US, there's a solid possibility that when an agreement is eventually reached with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, and if global trade then returns to something like its previous default, this waiver will go away. That would be the politically expedient move by the Trump administration, because most people don't know enough about the Jones Act to care, but the maritime industry very much does, as without this artificial monopoly, they would probably be required to fundamentally change if they wanted to stay alive.There's evidence that getting rid of the Jones Act permanently might be beneficial on multiple fronts, especially in terms of inflation and overall economics, but also in terms of forcing the US maritime industry to make those costly, foundational changes. Despite the many possible benefits of doing away with this act, though, the ‘protect our borders from foreign invaders' aspect of the Jones Act might be enough to sway this administration toward fully reinstating it as soon as the conflict in Iran and inflation allows.Show Noteshttps://apnews.com/article/jones-act-trump-trade-abcac596db839bff3679b3117d2e81b2https://www.cato.org/blog/jones-act-waiver-data-reveals-universe-blocked-american-tradehttps://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2019/04/local-content-requirements-and-their-economic-effect-on-shipbuilding_f81e0027/90316781-en.pdfhttps://www.cato.org/blog/jones-act-contributes-offshore-wind-growing-painshttps://www.engine.online/news/us-maritime-group-urges-end-to-jones-act-waiver-7c1bhttps://gcaptain.com/chinese-cosco-tanker-delivers-asphalt-to-connecticut-under-jones-act-waiver/https://gcaptain.com/jones-act-waiver-reshapes-u-s-oil-trade-as-foreign-tankers-flood-domestic-routes/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/j/jonesact.asphttps://www.winston.com/en/legal-glossary/what-is-the-jones-acthttps://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/jones-act-burden-america-can-no-longer-bearhttps://www.atlasnetwork.org/articles/the-jones-act-is-costly-harmful-and-dangeroushttps://www.maritime.dot.gov/ports/domestic-shipping/domestic-shippinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marinehttps://www.cato.org/blog/jones-act-contributes-offshore-wind-growing-pains This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

What does the FTC's top leadership really think about AI, surveillance pricing, and the future of privacy enforcement—and how much of that will translate into action? In this episode, we unpack key takeaways from the Senate Commerce Committee's April 2026 oversight hearing featuring FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, where lawmakers pressed on rising concerns around personalized pricing, data-driven market practices, and the agency's role in regulating emerging technologies. With Ferguson emphasizing that the FTC is a law enforcer—not a broad economic regulator—while signaling potential guidance on pricing disclosures, continued focus on children's privacy, and possible consent decree reforms, the discussion highlights a pivotal moment for businesses navigating AI, pricing, and privacy compliance in an uncertain regulatory environment. Hosted by Simone Roach. Based on a blog post by Laura Riposo VanDruff and Joseph Cahill.

US Senator Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, joined Bloomberg TV following his participation in a panel on economic mobility at the Milken Institute Global Conference. As chairman, Cruz oversees the legislative agenda related to artificial intelligence, technology, space, transportation, and consumer protection. The discussion highlighted his influential role in shaping policies across these critical sectors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! FROM THE COCKPIT — EPISODE 247 SUMMARY: In this episode, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul tackle one of aviation's most dangerous open secrets — the mental health crisis hiding in plain sight behind every cockpit door. They break down the Mental Health in Aviation Act, which just cleared the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously, and explain why that kind of bipartisan agreement tells you everything about how serious this has become. Then the good news: fatal drug overdoses have dropped sharply across the country in one of the longest sustained declines on record, teen pregnancy just hit another historic low, and a 68-year-old Domino's driver in Boise bought a customer's Diet Coke with his own money — and walked away with $130,000 in tips. The Jet Jolt goes deep into high-G flight and what really happens when your body starts to lose the fight against G-LOC. Ray in Biloxi, Mississippi writes in with one of the most honest letters we've ever received — a 60-year-old man who wants the racism he was raised on out of his head for good. And a Wingman Story that will stay with you: "Watching May's Six." We talk about: The Mental Health in Aviation Act — what it does, why it passed unanimously, and why it matters right nowThe heartbreaking story of student pilot John Hauser — and what his letters tell us about a system that left him no safe way outWhy the pilot who asks for help is actually the safer pilotHow G-forces narrow your vision the same way stress narrows your life — and what to do about bothFatal overdoses down 20%, teen pregnancy at a historic low — the good news nobody's reportingDan the pizza delivery man, a missing Diet Coke, and $130,000 in tipsRay in Biloxi asks Commander Drew and Dr. Paul how a man rewires himself after 60 years of the wrong programmingAce's Gouge: How to build and keep a real crew of friends in your 40s, 50s, and beyondA Wingman Story about a nurse named May, a man named Marcus, and what it means to watch somebody's six when the room goes quietYour Wingman Challenge This Week: Think of one person in your orbit who seems a little off lately — quieter than usual, shorter fuse, not quite themselves. Don't wait for them to say something. Send a text. Ask a real question. Be the wingman they don't know they need yet. The best pilots in the world know when to call for help. Be that pilot. Thanks for flying with us. Your Wingmen, Commander Drew & Dr. Paul — The Wingman Show 

A neuroscientist just told Congress that classroom technology is a "failed pedagogical experiment" — and the clip went viral. But is he right?In episode 244, Josh and Will dig into Dr. Horvath's Senate Commerce Committee testimony, where he argued that Gen Z is the first generation to be less cognitively capable than their parents — and that decades of EdTech investment may be largely to blame. $30 million in laptops and tablets. 20,000+ studies reviewed. And a conclusion that's making educators, parents, and tech advocates seriously uncomfortable.We're not just reading the headlines here. We push back on the methodology, question what the research is actually measuring, and talk honestly about where we think Horvath's got it right — and where the narrative is getting away from him.--♣️Want to become a HiTech Club member, support the pod, and get all of the extras on our episodes? Head over to our Buy Me a Coffee to subscribe: buymeacoffee.com/hitechpodcast.

OMB's Russ Vought is expected to face lawmakers next week to talk budget. The Senate Commerce Committee holds a do-over on a boycotted markup. The House faces the DHS funding question again after the recess. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

In this episode, Matt Ford sits down with David Weingarden, Vice President of Concerts + Events at Z2 Entertainment, independent promoter, and chair of the Colorado Independent Venue Association, to unpack what it's really like fighting on the front lines of ticketing reform. From testifying before the U.S. Senate to experimenting with new tech stacks, David breaks down how independents can survive (and win) in a landscape dominated by monopolies and scalpers.Episode Time Stamps:(00:00) • Why This Conversation Matters(02:11) • Colorado Ticketing Bill & LobbyistsDavid's work on a Colorado bill modeled on Maine's, the governor's veto, and the lobbying imbalance: 4 on their side vs. 75 for the scalpers/secondary market.(06:36) • Getting Pulled Into DCHow David's relationships with Colorado senators and NIVA led to a last‑minute invite to testify at the Senate Commerce Committee.(08:50) • Inside the Senate HearingWho was in the room (Kid Rock, Live Nation, Ticket Policy Forum, senators), what written vs. spoken testimony looks like, and where most questions landed.(11:26) • Kid Rock, All‑In Pricing & Artist ControlHow Kid Rock helped push all‑in pricing into law, and why his focus now is artists having control over how tickets are priced and resold.(13:40) • Secondary Markets: Guardrails, Not a BanDavid/NIVA's stance: resale is fine, but the “wild west” isn't. Bots, unenforced laws, spec tickets, deceptive sites, and why fixing this at scale is hard.(16:06) • Bot Farms, Chargebacks & Who Eats the LossHow bot operations grab huge blocks of tickets, fail to move them, then charge back—leaving promoters on the hook for show costs with no clear path to recover.(21:16) • State vs Federal FixesWhy David sees more progress at the state level (Maine, Maryland, others) than in DC, and how scalper‑friendly bills keep popping up in statehouses.(25:01) • StubHub, “Just a Marketplace” & Open DistributionPushback on the “we're only a platform” line, the Aspen Live panel where StubHub took the heat, and the pros/cons of venues listing primary tickets on StubHub to undercut scalpers.(40:02) • Live Nation / Ticketmaster Monopoly TalkInitial reactions to the antitrust case update, David's view that Live Nation is a monopoly with deep vertical control, and how Ticketmaster's resale floors trap fans.(46:02) • Z2's Tech Stack & PrismWhy Z2 moved to Tixr from AXS, how Prism replaced scattered spreadsheets and calendars, and why open integrations (Tixr, ticketing, POS, Hive, etc.) matter so much to how they work.(56:55) • Prism Insights, Spotify Data & AIWhy Z2 decided to share their data into Insights, how David actually uses it (recent years, similar markets, sanity checks), and early moves into Spotify local‑listener data and AI‑driven prediction tools.(01:15:28) • The Bull Case for IndependentsOrganizing at every level: local (night mayors), state (SIVA), national (NIVA). Why showing up in policy conversations matters for a real seat at the table—and why David is still bullish on live music demand in a digital age.Please share this with anyone that might be interested in the topics, links below to subscribe and stay in the loop with the podcast and Prism:Subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Prism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@prismfm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Follow us on LinkedIn (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Meet the Podcast Host/CEO of Prism -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Ford⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Opening Music -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Banana Bread - Layton.rx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Prism engineer!)

A 1,300-pound NASA satellite is falling back to Earth today, a meteorite punched through a German roof after a dazzling European fireball, Congress wants to keep the International Space Station flying until 2032, ALMA has captured the largest-ever image of the Milky Way's core, astronomers have mapped a hidden 'sea of light' from 10 billion years ago, and Jupiter appears to reverse direction in tonight's sky. Stories Covered 1. Van Allen Probe A Falls to Earth: NASA's 600kg Van Allen Probe A — launched in 2012 to study Earth's radiation belts — is making an unplanned early return to Earth today, March 10, 2026. Deactivated in 2019 after a seven-year mission, its descent was accelerated by unexpectedly high solar activity expanding Earth's atmosphere. Most of the spacecraft will burn up on reentry; the risk of any harm to people on the ground is approximately 1 in 4,200. 2. German Meteorite Strike: On the evening of Sunday 8 March, a brilliant fireball lit up the skies over Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, attracting over 3,000 reports to the International Meteor Organization. Fragments reached the ground in Koblenz, Germany — with the largest piece punching a football-sized hole through the roof of a residential building. No one was injured. ESA's Planetary Defence team estimates the original object was just a few metres across. 3. ISS Extended to 2032: The NASA Authorization Act of 2026 has passed the Senate Commerce Committee with bipartisan support, pushing the ISS retirement date from 2030 to September 2032. The extension aims to prevent a gap in U.S. human presence in low Earth orbit while commercial successor stations are developed. The bill also rejects proposed cuts to NASA's budget and funds key programmes including the Chandra X-ray Observatory. 4. ALMA's Milky Way Mosaic: The ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey (ACES) has produced the largest ALMA image ever — a sweeping 650-light-year mosaic of the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, assembled from hundreds of observations by over 160 scientists worldwide. The image reveals a intricate web of cold gas filaments feeding star formation near supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, and detects dozens of molecules from simple silicon compounds to complex organics like methanol and ethanol. 5. 3D Map of the Early Universe: Using data from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), astronomers have created the largest 3D map yet of the universe as it appeared 9–11 billion years ago — during 'cosmic noon', the peak era of star formation. By tracking Lyman-alpha light from energised hydrogen rather than individual galaxies, the team revealed a hidden 'sea of light' filling the spaces between galaxies. The dataset comprised over 600 million spectra, with 95% still untapped for future research. 6. Jupiter's Retrograde Motion: Tonight, Jupiter begins its apparent reversal of direction against the background stars — a well-known optical illusion called retrograde motion caused by Earth overtaking the slower-moving outer planet in its orbit. Jupiter is well-placed in the evening sky and easily visible to the naked eye; binoculars will reveal its four bright Galilean moons. Links & Resources NASA Van Allen Probe A reentry update: nasa.gov/missions/van-allen-probes ESA fireball analysis: esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence ALMA ACES Survey: almaobservatory.org | ESO press release: eso.org/public/news/eso2603/ HETDEX project: hetdex.org Astronomy Daily: astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod on all platformsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Washington Post personal finance columnist, Michelle Singletary, tells the moving story of how a visit to her grade school by the Reverend Jesse Jackson inspired her life and career as described in her column, “How the Rev. Jesse Jackson Taught Me to Keep Hope Alive." Then Ralph welcomes Professor Eric S. Fish from U.C Davis School of Law to explain how grand juries are no longer rubber-stamping frivolous cases brought to them by the Trump Administration. Plus, Ralph gives us his take on Trump's marathon State of the Union speech and the Democratic response.Michelle Singletary writes the nationally-syndicated personal finance column “The Color of Money,” which appears in the Washington Post on Wednesdays and Sundays. In 2021, she won the Gerald Loeb award for commentary. She has written four personal finance books, including, What to Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide and The 21-Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom.The Trump administration's destruction of diversity, equity, and inclusion—they misunderstand what that means. It doesn't mean that you're giving jobs to people who are unqualified. It means that you recognize that the playing field wasn't even, and let's even this playing field. I liken it to a football team. You can't have a football team of all quarterbacks and win. You have to have a quarterback, a running back, a linebacker, you have to have a good kicker. It's the same thing—your team has to encompass people that represent all kinds of abilities to have a winning team. So DEI isn't a giveaway. It isn't charity. It recognizes that when you have people from different backgrounds and different perspectives and different skill levels, you have a winning team.Michelle SingletaryEric S Fish is professor of law at the UC Davis School of Law. Professor Fish's primary research is in criminal law, with particular focus on the ethical duties of participants in the criminal process, the structure of immigration crimes, and the system's emphasis on administrative efficiency. He has also served as a public defender, first with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, and later as a Federal Defender in San Diego.This has been a really remarkable series of rejections of the Trump administration's prosecutions by ordinary people serving on grand juries, and one that is largely unprecedented in modern American history. I can't think of another example of grand juries rejecting such high-profile cases (and so many of them). Nothing really comes to mind. So in a certain sense, one might say this is the grand jury's original purpose…Initially they were a democratic institution of governance. They were a local check on the colonial oppression of the British (at least in the early colonial period). They refused to indict prosecutions under the Stamp Act, under the revenue laws. They were a tool of anti-colonial resistance to British oppression, and this seems at least broadly analogous to that—local grand juries in places like Minnesota, Chicago, Washington, D.C. are rejecting the Trump administration's attempts to prosecute its political enemies and bring trumped-up charges against protesters.Eric S. FishAll in all, [the State of the Union address] was fodder for political scientists for years to come. A dictatorial serial law violator, self-enriching chronic liar, cruel, vicious to vulnerable people and people without power (which is a majority of the people) elected dictator. This speech—which went for one hour and 48 minutes, the longest State of the Union speech ever—will be analyzed for a long time with the question at the center of the analysis being: How could so many tens of millions of voters be taken in by Trump's mouth, his lies, his false statements, his fantasies, his fake promises, his lack of any kind of record, whether as a businessman where he used bankruptcies as a strategy…and his record as a politician in his first term? That's the question we have to ask ourselves. And it's too easy to say that the Trump voters couldn't stand the Democrats who abandoned them. That's not enough. They could have not voted for Trump. They could have written in a vote. They could have voted for the Green, Libertarian, or other minor parties. They can't use the Democrats as a 100% excuse for voting for Trump. And a lot of them didn't. They just liked Trump. They liked his prejudices. They liked his lies. They liked his fantasies. They liked his fake promises.Ralph NaderNews 2/27/26* Our top stories this week come to us from our southern neighbor, Mexico. First, on February 22nd, Mexican authorities announced they had successfully conducted an operation resulting in the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho,” who headed the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). In retaliation, the cartels launched a wave of violence throughout the country. Bafflingly, given the obvious enmity between the cartels and the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, Elon Musk implied that Sheinbaum is in the pocket of the very drug cartels with whom she is practically at war. Reuters reports Musk “responded to a 2025 video of Sheinbaum discussing cartel violence and alleged that she was ‘saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say.” Reuters notes that Musk did not provide further evidence. In fact, much of the strength of the Mexican cartels would actually be more accurately attributed to the United States. As USA Today writes, Mexican officials recovered a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 10 long arm [rifles], handguns, and grenades, from El Mencho's weapons stockpile. Mexican Defense Minister, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo estimated that about 80% of the recovered weapons were purchased in the United States and smuggled into Mexico. This represents just the tip of the iceberg of the so-called “iron river” of firearms flooding Mexico's black market from the U.S. As opposed to the lax gun laws in the states, gun ownership in Mexico is “tightly restricted…[and] There is only one military-run gun store in the country.”* Meanwhile, President Sheinbaum is bucking American pressure by continuing to send humanitarian aid to the tiny, embattled island nation of Cuba. AP reports that last week, “Two Mexican Navy ships laden with humanitarian aid docked in Cuba…two weeks after…President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island.” These ships carried 800 tons worth of bundles of “Made in Mexico” goods, including rice, beans, amaranth and crackers — complemented by a bottle of oil, large cans of sardines and canned peaches. Another 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans are expected to be sent to Cuba in the coming days. The U.S. has taken a more bellicose line with Cuba than it has in quite some time, even taking naval action in the waters surrounding the island, making Mexico's support that much more critical.* In another Cuba story, a diplomatic incident is unfolding this week regarding a Florida-registered speedboat. According to the island's government, the boat, carrying 10 passengers, entered Cuban territorial waters and opened fire on Cuban soldiers. The Cubans responded in kind, killing four people aboard the craft and wounding six others. According to the Cuban authorities, most of the passengers “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.” These include Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, both wanted by Cuban authorities based on their involvement in “the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of…acts of terrorism.” The Cubans also claim to have arrested one Duniel Hernández Santos, who was supposedly “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration.” They claim Hernández Santos has confessed. American authorities have so far evinced confusion more than anything else, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying “We're going to figure out exactly what happened.” This from AP.* Whatever cloak and dagger games the administration may be playing in the Caribbean, they have been pointedly unsubtle about their saber rattling regarding Iran – and the reaction from Congress has been meager. While anti-war members in the House and Senate are pushing war powers resolutions, namely Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie along with Senator Tim Kaine, not even the nominal opposition party is supporting these efforts. According to Capital & Empire, Democrats are seeking to “dampen momentum” and even “prevent the Iran war powers vote from advancing.” Democrats Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz, both arch Iran hawks, have publicly stated they will not back the war powers resolution, and many others have sought to split the difference, saying Trump should only move on Iran after consulting with Congress. As the Hill notes, the Senate did pass a war powers resolution restricting the president's use of military force against Iran without congressional approval during Trump's first term, with eight Senate Republicans backing the Democrats in support of the bill. It is hard to imagine such a bipartisan show of force this time around.* In more disappointing congressional news, on Tuesday the House voted down the bipartisan ROTOR Act, which would have beefed up aviation safety standards, NPR reports. This bill was drafted in the wake of the deadly midair collision over Washington D.C. last year. This bill, principally authored by Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees transportation, would have required wider use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast – safety technology designed to transmit an aircraft's location to other aircraft. The Senate unanimously passed the bill in December, with the support of the Defense Department – now styling itself the Department of War – but the Pentagon yanked its support just before the House vote, citing “unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks.” The final House vote was 264 in favor and 133 opposed, 132 Republicans and Democrat Lizzie Fletcher of Texas. Despite the lopsided majority in favor, the bill needed a two-thirds vote to pass and was therefore defeated by the minority.* In another aviation related story, FBI Director Kash Patel is embroiled in a new scandal based on his alleged misuse of the FBI's Gulfstream jets for personal travel. CNN reports Patel's frequent jetsetting has even caused delays or issues in high-profile investigations, such as the assassination of rightwing commentator Charlie Kirk and the Brown University shooting last December. According to a letter authored by Senator Dick Durbin, Patel's incessant misuse of the official FBI planes for personal travel “has even frustrated White House and DOJ senior staff.” This story hits particularly hard at the present moment, with images of Patel chugging beer in the locker room celebration of the Olympic men's hockey team going viral. The FBI then had to spend days running cover for Patel, claiming the director was in Italy for “long-planned official business,” which just happened to coincide with the occasion.* Our next two stories concern AI. First, a new Public Citizen report documents how the AI industry is deploying a veritable army of lobbyists on Capitol Hill, absolutely dwarfing not only their opposition, but practically every other industry as well. According to this report, more than one quarter of all federal lobbyists are now lobbying on AI issues, representing a rise in lobbyist activity on AI issues of more than 265 percent over the past three years. This report finds the Chamber of Commerce hired the most AI lobbyists in 2025 at 91, followed by Microsoft at 63, Meta at 55, Intuit at 51, and Amazon at 48. This meteoric rise in AI lobbying activity is sure to give the industry massive firepower in the halls of Congress, ensuring a favorable regulatory environment for years to come. This will be particularly critical for data centers, which have faced a rash of local opposition. Per this report, that particular subset of the AI lobbying industry has expanded by a staggering 500 percent since 2023.* For all its newfound political clout however, the AI business seems to have found itself a formidable new opponent – Pope Leo XIV. This week, Pope Leo addressed priests from the Diocese of Rome and implored them to resist “the temptation to prepare homilies with Artificial Intelligence.” The pontiff argued “Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity.” He added that “to give a true homily is to share faith,” and that AI “will never be able to share faith.” This from Vatican News.* Turning to media news, this week, Paramount submitted a new offer to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount's new bid amounted to $31 per share and, following a period of consultation with the Warner board of directors, this offer was deemed “superior” to the proposed deal with rival bidder Netflix. This triggered a clause in the Netflix merger agreement giving the streamer four days to submit a new, superior offer. However, that same day Netflix issued a statement officially declining to submit a new, higher offer, with representatives writing “the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer,” means “the deal is no longer financially attractive.” With Netflix out of the way, Paramount, led by Trump-aligned billionaire scion David Ellison, will now proceed with their acquisition of Warner Bros., including their prodigious intellectual property back catalogue and the cable news titan, CNN. A friendly relationship with the Trump administration means regulators are unlikely to hold up this deal. The Ellisons have already acquired CBS News, installing Bari Weiss as “editor-in-chief.” It seems likely they will follow a similar playbook regarding CNN.* Our final stories this week concern the continuing fallout of the Epstein scandal. This week saw the arrest of former British-U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson, joining Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) in the collection of high profile British individuals arrested in connection with the Epstein scandal. Meanwhile, at Harvard, former University President Larry Summers will resign from his academic and faculty appointments, including his University Professorship, at the Ivy League school following the conclusion of this academic year. Until then, he will remain on leave, per the Crimson. Summers regularly exchanged messages with Jeffrey Epstein about topics ranging from women, to politics, to Harvard-related matters as late as July 2019, the day before Epstein's final arrest. But the most noteworthy Epstein-related news this week came from Chappaqua, New York. On Thursday and Friday, Bill and Hillary Clinton testified about their relationships with the late financier and sexual predator. After much wrangling, these potential blockbuster hearings were held behind closed doors on the Clintons' home turf. What exactly was said remains shrouded in mystery. According to the BBC, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said he hopes to make videos of both Hillary and Bill Clinton's depositions publicly available soon. Robert Garcia, the Democratic Ranking Member on the committee, said a “new precedent” had been set by calling a former president to testify and demanded that Trump be called to testify before the committee next. We shall watch this space.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The Senate Commerce Committee is looking at the negative impacts of social media on American kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

-January's Jobs Report shows more than double the amount of jobs expected were added to the nation's economy. -NEWSMAX's Carl Higbie shares a harsh message with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for redacting certain information from the Epstein files. -Rep. Lauren Boebert joins "Rob Schmitt Tonight" to discuss the disturbing Epstein details and where some elements are still frustratingly unavailable. -The FBI releases images showing an individual tampering with the doorbell camera at the home of Nancy Guthrie on the day of her disappearance. Greg Kelly examines the evidence. -NEWSMAX CEO Christopher Ruddy provides his opening statement before the Senate Commerce Committee, discussing the TV ownership cap and opposing the Nexstar merger. Today's podcast is sponsored by : NOBLE GOLD : With precious metals hitting all-time highs and economic uncertainty everywhere you look, this is the time to educate yourself. Download Noble Gold's free Wealth Protection Kit at http://NobleGoldInvestments.com/NEWSMAX Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at ⁠http://Newsmax.com/Listen⁠ Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at ⁠http://NewsmaxPlus.com⁠ Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : ⁠http://nws.mx/shop⁠ Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: ⁠http://nws.mx/FB⁠  -X/Twitter: ⁠http://nws.mx/twitter⁠ -Instagram: ⁠http://nws.mx/IG⁠ -YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV⁠ -Rumble: ⁠https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV⁠ -TRUTH Social: ⁠https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX⁠ -GETTR: ⁠https://gettr.com/user/newsmax⁠ -Threads: ⁠http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX⁠  -Telegram: ⁠http://t.me/newsmax⁠  -BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com⁠ -Parler: ⁠http://app.parler.com/newsmax⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent attacks & immigration/vetting Ben and Senator Cruz link a shooting of National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. to failures in vetting Afghan nationals admitted under “Operation Allies Welcome,” asserting a broader pattern of violence from inadequately vetted immigrants. They cite a TikTok bomb-threat arrest in Texas and connect these incidents to Biden administration policies. Border security and terrorism risk They argue that an “open” southern border has allowed individuals on terror watch lists to enter the U.S., warning of sleeper cells and describing human trafficking and violent crime as predictable outcomes of lax enforcement. Critique of Democratic officials & protests The conversation criticizes Rep. Rashida Tlaib for not condemning “Death to America” chants reportedly heard at a Dearborn, Michigan rally, framing this as emblematic of ideological refusal to confront radical Islamic terrorism. AI: geopolitical race & domestic skepticism The senator argues the U.S. must “win” the AI race against China to ensure global AI reflects American values. They note polling shows public anxiety about AI (job loss, distrust), and discuss local resistance to data center construction, energy needs, and the prospect of white‑collar job displacement. Auto policy: CAFE standards and EV mandates Ben and the Senator praise actions attributed to “the President” (portrayed as Donald Trump) to rescind tailpipe emissions standards, zero out CAFE standards via a “one big beautiful bill,” and roll back EV mandates—arguing these moves lower car prices, improve safety (heavier/steel cars vs. “plastic”), and boost U.S. auto jobs. They reference planned Senate Commerce Committee hearings with major automakers and Tesla. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new 47-page Senate Commerce Committee staff report titled “Flight Risk” alleges that the Biden administration asked federal transportation agencies to identify airport facilities that could be used to temporarily house or process migrants.The report references verified cases at Boston Logan, Chicago O'Hare, and JFK Airport, including housing totals, recorded incidents, and cost figures such as the $779,000 expenditure at Boston Logan.In today's breakdown, we walk through:– What the report says– The verified airport impacts– Internal communications referenced by the Senate– The documented JFK security breach– The known costs to taxpayers– What Congress may do nextThis video presents the findings in a clear, fact-driven format, using only publicly verified information.☑️ GET FREE RESEARCH NOTES HERE: https://professornez.kit.com/flightriskreport▶Sign up to our Free Newsletter, so you never miss out: https://bio.site/professornez▶Support the Channel and Buy us a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professornez☑️JOIN US and Become a MEMBER of NEZNATION: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4vxhI2-CpDPt16TCUF0Tmw/join#FlightRiskReport #SenateReport #AirportSecurity #AviationNews #CurrentEvents

1. Texas Declares Muslim Brotherhood & CARE as Terrorist Organizations Action Taken: Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CARE) as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. Implications: These groups are now prohibited from acquiring real property in Texas. Governor’s Statement: Abbott cited their alleged goals of imposing Sharia law and supporting terrorism globally. Background: CARE is described as a domestic organization linked to Hamas and implicated in supporting terrorism. The Muslim Brotherhood is portrayed as an umbrella group with affiliates like Hamas. Federal Context: Senator Cruz has pushed for federal designation for over a decade. Legislative efforts have faced resistance from State Department bureaucrats. Cruz introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator John Fetterman to designate affiliates first, then the global organization. Political Dynamics: Discussion of partisan challenges and rare bipartisan cooperation. Praise for Fetterman’s independence and criticism of Democratic Party’s internal politics. 2. Gambling Crisis in Professional Sports Issue: Widespread corruption linked to prop bets (bets on specific game events rather than outcomes). Examples: NBA and MLB scandals involving players and coaches fixing aspects of games. Detailed case: Cleveland Guardians pitchers allegedly manipulated pitches for betting gains, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars. Risks: Increased vulnerability due to proliferation of sports betting. Individual players can easily influence prop bets (e.g., throwing a ball instead of a strike). Senate Investigation: Cruz launched an oversight inquiry via the Senate Commerce Committee. Letters sent to MLB and NBA requesting information on integrity measures. Concerns: Potential for corruption in college sports. Discussion on whether leagues can self-police or if Congress should intervene. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5pm: Video Guest – Alex Berenson – Author and Longtime New York times reporter // Berenson was targeted for censorship by the Biden administration for his views on the Covid-19 pandemic and testified before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing // Read Alex at Unreported Truths on Substack // Sen. Cruz: Big Tech Caved to Biden Pressure to Censure // Alex Berenson Details 'Deliberate & Relentless Campaign' By Biden Admin. To Ban Him From Twitter' // Guest John Scoles – President of The Downtown Seattle Association // Letters

The Senate Commerce Committee investigates the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for allegedly pressuring tech companies like Facebook to take down posts that were flagged as misinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our program with guest Jim Muncy covered NASA's current leadership situation and workforce challenges, including discussions about temporary administrators, potential job losses, and changes in federal government staffing policies. The conversation explored NASA's budget situation and space exploration priorities, with particular focus on the Appropriation Bill for Commerce, Justice, and Science, as well as the challenges posed by political divisions in Congress. Also discussed was the aging NASA workforce, modernization of engineering, and the need for younger innovative engineering and science. The discussion concluded with an examination of the commercial space industry's evolution and NASA's transition to new approaches for space exploration, emphasizing the need for effective leadership communication and bipartisanship in space policy.Jim Muncy discussed NASA's current leadership situation, explaining that NASA has had a temporary administrator since January and that Jarod Isaacman was nominated but not yet confirmed as administrator. He highlighted Jackie Jester's role as an excellent leader in legislative affairs and deputy chief of staff, noting her previous experience with Relativity and the Senate Commerce Committee. Jim also mentioned that NASA is currently dealing with uncertainty around 2,100 potential job losses, though he did not elaborate on this point other than pointing out the aging workforce and why plus the need for innovative engineering and science to be competitive with the private sector.Jim did spend time discussing the proposed changes in federal government staffing under the current administration, noting a reduction in the overall number of employees. He explained the implementation of a deferred retirement program that allows employees to announce their resignation in March, work remotely until September, and then officially retire. Jim also mentioned the administration's requirement for federal employees to return to in-office work, which has been met with resistance from some employees who had become accustomed to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guest highlighted these NASA workforce challenges, noting that many employees are eligible for retirement and the agency has traditionally attracted long-term workers. He emphasized the contrast between NASA's older, more static workforce and the younger, more diverse nature of commercial industry, explaining that the Trump administration has shifted away from specific diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, resulting in some staff reductions. He suggested that changes in program priorities and funding may lead to some employees leaving NASA, but he did not anticipate mass departures or the closure of NASA centers.Jim mentioned the leadership changes at NASA, noting that Secretary Duffy was appointed as the interim administrator to provide political direction, while Janet Petro previously served as the acting administrator focusing on executive orders. He predicted that a new associate administrator would soon be named to serve as a general manager and oversee the implementation of the President's and Secretary's directives into actual programs. Jim expressed optimism about the shift towards an economic focus for space exploration, suggesting that someone with expertise in public-private partnerships would be ideal for the associate administrator role. He also explained the current tension between the executive and legislative branches regarding budget allocation and implementation, emphasizing the administration's belief in the executive branch's authority to manage day-to-day operations without significant legislative interference.Concerning the budget and Congress, the Appropriation Bill for Commerce, Justice, and Science stood out noting that NASA funding was planned on being maintained at last year's levels despite initial concerns about a 24.3% cut. Muncy expressed approval of the administration's approach to space exploration, which integrates human spaceflight and robotic missions, allowing for common hardware and technology across missions. Our guest criticized JPL's lack of innovation in the Mars sample return project, suggesting alternative methods and emphasizing the need for a more integrated and cost-effective approach to space exploration.Jim continued focusing on the challenges NASA faces due to political divisions in Congress, predicting a likely continuing resolution instead of a normal appropriation process. He suggested that the administration might prioritize a 4th Artemis mission using SLS without the Exploration Upper Stage and utilize existing gateway elements in a restructured approach combining commercial LEO destinations. Muncy also mentioned the possibility of using a 5-meter Centaur upper stage to replace the interim boosters and proposed a compromise where one additional SLS flight could be funded alongside commercial and space science initiatives. He emphasized that under a continuing resolution, NASA may terminate programs not prioritized by the administration, and he expressed a preference for increased funding in planetary science, lunar exploration, and astrophysics.Jim emphasized the need to transition NASA's focus from an unsustainable to an affordable and sustainable architecture for human exploration, aiming to make the moon part of Earth's economy. He suggested reducing unnecessary fixed costs and increasing public-private partnerships, commercial activities, and research in areas like mining and life support systems. In addition, he highlighted the importance of lowering the cost of keeping people alive and productive in space, enabling more economic and scientific experiments. He proposed setting clear metrics, such as the number of people living and working in space, to measure NASA's success and drive down costs further.When I asked Jim the path forward in implementing what Jim wanted as a space program, he discussed the Space Frontier Foundation's mission to promote the idea of space as a frontier for humanity, emphasizing that it is a place with unique resources like unfiltered solar energy and microgravity. He contrasted this view with the government's approach, which he sees as a program focused on national security and economic benefits. Muncy did introduce a third perspective, viewing space as an industry, which he sees as a transitional stage between government-led programs and a fully developed space economy.We discussed the evolution of the commercial space industry, highlighting its growth and competition since 2005. Our guest noted the success of multiple U.S. launch companies and the shift from a government monopoly to a competitive market, expressing hope that the current administration would support this vibrant industry, comparing it to the real estate industry in New York. He also addressed the need for congressional approval and suggested explaining the vision to both Congress and their constituents. Jim did emphasize that the industry has come a long way since 2009-2010, when there was only one operational commercial launch provider.Nearing the close of the program and in the form of a brief summary, Jim discussed the evolution of the commercial crew program and NASA's transition to new approaches for space exploration, emphasizing the need for leadership to communicate these changes effectively to Congress and the public. He highlighted the importance of selecting a change-oriented NASA administrator and suggested that former administrator Jarod Isaacman could play a key role in advocating for these shifts. He expressed cautious optimism about the current administration's space policy, noting potential improvements in commercial partnerships and licensing reform, while acknowledging that progress may be slower than desired. Jim also touched on the need for bipartisanship in space policy and criticized the lack of constructive dialogue on NASA's budget, urging a more balanced discussion of its merits and flaws.Note that Jim received two detailed and lengthy listener phone calls, one from John Hunt and the other from Dr. Kothari We also we received several email listener questions and comments. Artemis, SLS, Orion were additional topics discussed as was the use of Falcon Heavy to get us to the Moon faster and cheaper.Special thanks to our sponsors:Northrup Grumman, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.comThe Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4401 BY ZOOM: John Hunt | Tuesday 15 Jul 2025 700PM PTGuests: John HuntThis is a Zoom show. Listening instructions will be posted on the blog prior to the show. Topic: Re the UAP Matter: Our own JOHN HUNT Vs.The Wall Street Journal! Don't miss it!Broadcast 4402: Hotel Mars TBD | Wednesday 16 Jul 2025 930AM PTGuests: John Batchelor, Dr. David LivingstonHotel Mars TBDBroadcast 4403: Dr. E. Talaat, CEO of USRA | Friday 18 Jul 2025 930AM PTGuests: Dr. Elsayed R. TalaatWe present Dr. E. Talaat, CEO and President of USRABroadcast 4404: Rand Simberg | Sunday 20 Jul 2025 1200PM PTGuests: Rand SimbergRand speaks on this important and memorable day in historyLive Streaming is at https://www.thespaceshow.com/content/listen-live with the following live streaming sites:Stream Guys https://player.streamguys.com/thespaceshow/sgplayer3/player.php#FastServ https://ic2646c302.fastserv.com/stream Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

President Donald Trump says the leaked U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report suggesting Iran's nuclear program has been set back only a few months after the recent U.S. bombings is wrong, the nuclear sites have been destroyed – in his word 'obliterated' - and the reporters who published the DIA reports finding are 'bad people', 'sick' and are demeaning the hero pilots who carried out the U.S. attack; CDC Director nominee Susan Monarez says at a Senate confirmation vaccines are  "life-saving" and she has not seen evidence linking them to autism; Senate Commerce Committee approves Bryan Bedford, CEO of a regional airline, to be FAA Administrator; Claims of a Justice Dept whistleblower who says the Trump Administration planned to disregard court orders that would hinder immigrants deportations come up at several Senate hearings today, with the Attorney General Pam Bondi and former top Justice Dept official Emil Bove, nominated for a federal appeals court judgeship; Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell again points to the threat of inflation from President Trump's tariffs for not cutting interest rates; surprise win in the New York City Mayoral Democratic primary by Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1068: Congress considers sweeping reforms to EV and emissions incentives, while Toyota tightens its corporate family ties with a bold $33B buyout—cementing Akio Toyoda's hold at the top. Plus, Lowe's gets into the creator game with Mr. Beast and other social stars.Show Notes with links:Congress is fast-tracking a comprehensive budget bill before a self-imposed July 4 deadline, with proposed changes to fuel economy standards, EV tax credits, and even regulations on artificial intelligence.The Senate Commerce Committee proposes eliminating fines for automakers that fail to meet CAFE fuel economy standards.The House version of the bill would terminate the $7,500 new EV credit and other clean vehicle benefits by the end of 2025.A new tax deduction for up to $10K in auto loan interest could be introduced, applying only to U.S.-assembled vehicles and excluding commercial fleets.Proposed limits on AI regulation would block state enforcement for a decade, with critics warning this could endanger public oversight and safety.Toyota shareholders have re-elected Akio Toyoda as chairman, reinforcing support for the automaker's leadership even as a proposed $33 billion buyout of Toyota Industries—its original parent company—faces backlash from global investors.Toyota Industries, founded in 1926, originally birthed Toyota Motor Company and now focuses on manufacturing forklifts and key automotive components.Toyota Motor plans to fully acquire Toyota Industries in a ¥4.7 trillion deal that includes Akio Toyoda investing ¥1 billion of personal funds.Toyoda, the founder's grandson, was not opposed as chairman by proxy advisers this year for the first time since 2021.He is estimated to receive at least 96% of the vote—up from last year's 72%, his lowest ever.“There are many ways to achieve growth, but unity under shared values has always been Toyota's strength,” Toyoda said earlier this yearLowe's is breaking out of the hardware aisle and into the influencer economy with its new Creator Network, headlined by none other than YouTube megastar MrBeast.The network kicked off with over 17,000 beta participants and includes big names like DadSocial and Chris Loves Julia.Creators can earn commissions, access training, and build custom storefronts linking directly to Lowes.com.MrBeast will showcase his favorite tools and DIY picks via a curated storefront featuring obstacle course kits and backyard builds.Lowe's red vests are also helping construct “BeastCity” for season two of MrBeast's Beast Games on Amazon Prime.“We wanted to go even bigger and over-the-top... and we found the perfect partner to help us achieve that goal,” said Jeff Housenbold, CEO of MrBeast's brand team.Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

President Trump pauses reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, raises tariffs on China to 125%; House debates and votes on the Senate version of the Budget Resolution; Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem meets with family of victims of crimes committed by migrants in the U.S. illegally; wife of a Maryland man illegally deported to El Salvador meets with Members of Congress and pleads for his return; former Facebook employee, now a whistleblower, testifies before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Facebook's alleged dealings with the Chinese Communist Party; NASA Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman appears before the Senate Commerce Committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is expected to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs on global trading partners on Wednesday. Styled by Trump as America's “Liberation Day,” details of the tariff plans were still being formulated ahead of a White House Rose Garden announcement ceremony scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. The new duties will take effect immediately after Trump announces them, while a separate 25 percent global tariff on auto imports will take effect on April 3.The Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing on Wednesday to question Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg on the planemaker's recent safety issues and other hot-button topics. The hearing will examine the steps Boeing has taken to address production deficiencies and safety issues identified after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 lost a door plug mid-flight last year.

The Trump administration issued a pause on federal grants, loans, and assistance while the affected programs are under review. A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's order following a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first briefing. The Trump White House announced it is opening its press briefing room to independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made thousands of arrests of criminal illegal immigrants in major cities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the Bronx to join an ICE raid.The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing to examine concerns over the Panama Canal. Witnesses testified about the Chinese regime's activities around the canal, which could pose risks to U.S. trade and national security.

In this episode of Madam Policy, hosts Dee Martin and Ihna Mangundayao welcome Halie Craig, Technology Policy Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and recent nominee to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Halie shares the journey from intern to influential policy leader that led to her current nomination, discussing the intersection of trade, technology, and the power of language skills in policymaking. She also opens up about her personal story as a survivor of sexual assault, her advocacy for survivors' rights through the TAKE IT DOWN Act, and her belief in the importance of creating supportive environments for victims. Want to hear what advice technology and trade policy expert and advocate Halie Craig would give to her 50-year-old self? Then tune in!

Subscribe to Unchained's new regulatory newsletter Unregulated. With the presidential race in the spotlight, it's easy to overlook the powerful role that Congress could play in shaping crypto policy in the coming years. From committee chairs to legislative allies, crypto advocates are keenly focused on the outcome of key Congressional races. Kristin Smith of the Blockchain Association and Alex Grieve of Paradigm join us today to break down which races and committees are critical for crypto, why the industry is more visible in Washington than ever, and what the chances are for lame duck legislation this year.  Read more: How Congressional Committee Leadership Could Shake Out for Crypto This Election Show highlights: Why this election is “incredibly important” for crypto  How the presence of Fairshake is increasingly noticed by Washington Why some committees are more important than others for the industry Why the Senate Banking Committee is key Whether Alex and Kristin are concerned about Sen. Warren becoming chair of the Senate Banking Committee What could happen to the House Financial Services Committee Who is likely to take on both of the Agricultural Committees, which is in charge of the CFTC How the Senate Commerce affects the crypto industry How the members of the House Energy Committee don't have a strong stance on crypto What the stance of the Finance Committee on crypto is Why there is an opportunity in the House Ways and Means Committee Whether crypto tax legislation is in the works Who could be the SEC Chair under a Trump or Harris presidency Who could be the next Chair of the CFTC Whether Yellen will be replaced on Treasury, with many pro-crypto options on tap Why the Federal Reserve matters much more if they get to regulate stablecoins What the odds are for crypto legislation being passed this year Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Polkadot Mantle Robinhood & Arbitrum Guests: Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association Kristin's Op-ed on Unchained: In the Ongoing SAB 121 Fight, Here's How Crypto Can Move Forward With Bipartisan Support Previous appearances on Unchained: Kristin Smith on Why Crypto Legislation Could Be Passed by Year's End  Can Crypto Be a Force in the Midterms? Yes, Say Kristin Smith and Jake Chervinsky What the Crypto Industry Could See Under a Biden Administration Alexander Grieve, VP of Government Affairs at Paradigm Links Previous coverage of Unchained on the elections: With Rate Cuts and Upcoming Elections, What's the Best Play in Crypto? Why Congressman Ro Khanna Is Hopeful the Democratic Party Will Embrace Crypto Why Gary Gensler Will Likely Be Out as SEC Chair No Matter Who Wins the Election Congressman French Hill on Crypto and His Top Pick for the Next SEC Chair Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 01:55 Why this election is pivotal for crypto 04:50 How Fairshake's presence is catching Washington's eye 16:39 Which committees matter most for crypto? 22:49 Why the Senate Banking Committee is crucial 28:54 Concerns about Sen. Warren as potential chair? 38:15 Possible shifts in the House Financial Services Committee 41:47 Who could control the Agricultural Committees and CFTC oversight? 47:35 How the Senate Commerce Committee impacts crypto 51:04 House Energy Committee's stance on crypto 53:21 Finance Committee's crypto perspective 55:03 Opportunities in the House Ways and Means Committee 57:28 Is crypto tax legislation in the works? 1:01:23 Potential SEC Chairs under Trump or Harris 1:03:57 Who could be the next CFTC Chair? 1:05:46 Will Yellen be replaced with a pro-crypto Treasury option? 1:08:06 Why the Fed's role could be pivotal for stablecoin regulation 1:10:46 Odds of crypto legislation passing this year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has introduced a series of amendments aimed at scaling back the Biden administration's efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). His proposals, discussed at a recent Senate Commerce Committee markup, include repealing the AI executive order and preventing environmental impact assessments on AI systems. While some of Cruz's proposals failed to pass, an amendment to reduce federal actions preventing bias and discrimination in AI advanced. This amendment, part of a bipartisan bill to codify the AI Safety Institute, has sparked controversy and debate, with committee Democrats indicating plans to address its concerns in future legislative fixes. In other news, legislation to reform the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is making headway in the Senate after passing the House earlier this year. The Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act recently advanced out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with strong support. This bill aims to address funding challenges and ensure the TMF can continue supporting essential IT projects across the government. With backing from federal CIO Clare Martorana and GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, the bill is poised for further debate on the Senate floor. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Boeing's commercial market outlook, the AirVenture and Farnborough air shows, Airbus' A321XLR certification, funding for FAA infrastructure, Embraer's Eve flying taxi prototype, JetBlue's unpaid leave offer to flight attendants, and first officers decline to upgrade to captain. Aviation News Boeing Forecasts Demand for Nearly 44,000 New Airplanes Through 2043 as Air Travel Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Levels Boeing released its Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for 2024-2043, including an interactive dashboard. CMO forecast highlights through 2043: The global commercial fleet is projected to grow 3.2% annually. The air cargo fleet will increase by two-thirds by 2043, to support 4.1% annual air cargo traffic growth. The number of global routes served by commercial airlines has returned to 2019 levels, even though nearly 20% of them are new, illustrating the adaptability of aviation in a dynamic market. Single-aisle airplanes will make up 71% of the 2043 fleet. The global widebody fleet will more than double, with twin-aisles comprising 44% of the Middle East fleet. It's Opening Week for Two of the World's Largest Airshows EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is July 22 – July 28, 2024. EAA has about 300,000 members worldwide. AirVenture sees more than 500,000 attendees over the week-long event they call The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration®. The Farnborough International Airshow is held every two years, alternating with the Paris Air Show. This year Farnborough is July 22 – July 26, 2024, and targets the global aerospace industry. See Farnborough Air Show 2024 - Preview from the Royal Aeronautical Society. Airbus A321XLR Receives EASA Type Certification The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued Type Certification for the Airbus A321XLR powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines. Airbus has a backlog of over 500 single-aisle A321XLR orders. Iberia is the launch customer and EIS is expected in November 2024. Airbus also has orders from Qantas, Icelandair, and IAG Group. Certification for the Pratt & Whitney GTF variant is to come next. Groups Push Lawmakers To Up FAA's ATC Equipment Budget Twenty-six industry associations sent a letter to the Appropriations Committees, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asking for more ATC modernization funding. The associations represent business and general aviation, airlines, air traffic controllers and specialists, pilots and flight attendants, and manufacturers. The groups note an uncommitted balance in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) that could be used for the FAA's Facilities and Equipment (F&E) account. “We… believe more must be done to not only maintain and sustain the ATC system but also to modernize it.” The Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), also known as the Aviation Trust Fund, was established in 1970 to help finance the FAA's investments in the airport and airway system, independent of the General Fund. Embraer's Eve rolls out flying taxi prototype, cash needs covered until 2027 Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility revealed their full-scale eVTOL prototype. The fixed-wing aircraft uses eight propellers for vertical flight and an electric pusher motor. The first prototype does not have a cabin or pilot. The final aircraft will seat four passengers and a pilot. Eve was founded in 2020 and plans to obtain certification and enter service in 2026. Five conforming prototypes are planned for 2025. The company says they have letters of intent for 2,900 eVTOLs that seat four passengers and a pilot. Investors include United Airlines, BAE Systems, Thales, and Rolls-Royce. Eve eVTOL protype. JetBlue to Offer Six Months of Unpaid Leave to Flight Attendants, Trim Number of Crew Members On Transatlantic Flights A Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) memo says JetBlue is taking steps to reduce costs. Flight attendants should expect “significantly reduced” flying sched...

Tesla shareholders approved CEO Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package, the electric vehicle-maker said on Thursday, a big thumbs-up to his leadership and an enticement for keeping his focus on his biggest source of wealth.The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday the agency was too hands off in oversight of Boeing before a January mid-air emergency in a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9.FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker's comments at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing mark the first time the U.S. aviation regulator has acknowledged inadequate oversight in the Jan. 5 incident, in which a door panel blew out during the flight.The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased to a 10-month high last week, suggesting the labor market was losing momentum and keeping hopes of a September interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve alive.

In this special bonus episode of The Get Down, Cleve Mesidor interviews Rashan Colbert, Head of Policy at dYdX Trading, live at Consensus by CoinDesk. They discuss the current regulatory landscape of crypto and the challenges of achieving bipartisanship in the industry. He emphasizes the need for education and a shift in the narrative beyond just store of value. Rashan also delves into the role of DeFi and the need for a workable regulatory framework that aligns with the unique nature of decentralized finance. He shares his personal journey into the crypto industry and highlights the importance of understanding the blind spots and motivations of policymakers.Be sure to sign up for our newsletter, Chews! Rashan Colbert is the Head of Policy at dYdX Trading, where he leads the company's legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and beyond. dYdX Trading's mission is to democratize access to financial opportunity through DeFi. Before joining dYdX Trading, Rashan worked on Capitol Hill in the office of New Jersey Senator Cory Booker (D). Rashan concentrated on the Senator's work in the Senate Commerce Committee, including Technology and Telecommunications, as well as efforts on the Senate Agriculture Committee, specifically on Digital Assets. Rashan also has campaigning experience as a previous staffer for Gov. Martin O'Malley's PAC, O'Say Can You See, as well as in congressional races and two presidential campaigns–the Cory Booker (2020) and Martin O'Malley (2016) campaigns.We discuss:The current regulatory landscape of crypto is evolving, and achieving bipartisanship in the industry is a challenge.Education and a shift in the narrative beyond just store of value are essential for policymakers to understand the broader implications of blockchain technology.DeFi requires a workable regulatory framework that aligns with its unique nature, and a thoughtful approach is necessary to address the risks and tradeoffs involved.Understanding the blind spots and motivations of policymakers is crucial for advocating for a fair and balanced regulatory and policy framework in the crypto industry.Thanks for tuning in! To get the full scoop on creating a more inclusive Web3, DeFi, and Bitcoin space, make sure you catch every episode – we're packed with actionable tips and insights. If you found this episode valuable, spread the word and share it with someone who needs to hear this. Don't forget to follow, rate, and review our podcast on your favorite listening app – it helps us reach even more people who are passionate about building a better future for everyone in the crypto space.CONNECT WITH RASHAN COLBERT:XLinkedInCONNECT WITH BUTTERSCOTCH MEDIA:Check us out on our website butterscotch.media and subscribe to our newsletterFollow us on X @butterscotch360Watch our content on YouTube

When Kara first met Senator Maria Cantwell in the 90s, she was a tech executive at an early player in the streaming media industry called RealNetworks. Now, the Democrat from Washington is the chair of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, and she recently released a draft of the American Privacy Rights Act. For the first time in a long time, it looks like a tech privacy bill might have a decent shot at actually becoming law.  Senator Cantwell joins the podcast to discuss her bill, her approach to tech legislation, and the biggest (and arguably most controversial) tech bill in recent history: the TikTok divestment bill.    Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, is believed to have experienced a significant decrease in sales revenue, with estimates projecting over a billion dollar loss. This steep descent is reportedly linked to the company's collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney, a trans person who quickly became a divisive figure. Analysis of company data unveiled a plunge in the organic revenue of Anheuser-Busch by $1.4 billion in North America in the past year, as reported by reliable sources. The drop in sales revenue has been primarily attributed to the controversial marketing alliance with Mulvaney. Although perceived as strong in other global markets, Anheuser-Busch's US business performance appears to have taken a hit. In a recent company report, the narrative touched on a constrained growth situation largely due to the underperformance of its American sector. The report dedicated significant focus to Bud Light, revealing a 17.3% decline in the beer's revenue with sales to retailers (STRs) taking a 12.1% hit on account of volume decrease. The report also indicated a drop in sales to wholesalers (STWs) by 16.1%. Interestingly, stagnation in deliveries was found to be more notable compared to stock depletion towards the year-end. The beverage conglomerate recognized a lukewarm resurgence in its American beer sales. Notably, this recovery has been slow-paced. The FY23 beer sector reportedly holds its own, with an upward trend in its volumes, and beer actually gaining a greater share in the total alcohol value across off-premise outlets, as per Circana, a leading industry data analysis tool. The report conceded to a gradual improvement in Anheuser-Busch's beer market share from May last year until December. Unfortunately, while their flagship brands performed below expectations, 'above core beer megabrands' logged growth throughout the year. This indicates that not all aspects of Anheuser-Busch's operations were hampered by the decision to collaborate with Mulvaney. The sales downturn of Bud Light significantly coincided with the company's decision to partner with Mulvaney. After the partnership, there was a noteworthy right-leaning call for the company to tender an apology. The fallout spread throughout Anheuser-Busch, leading to a restructuring exercise that reportedly saw hundreds of staffers being laid off and a dismantling of their top marketing team. Embedded in this backlash against the partnership with Mulvaney was Bud Light's involvement in a very public legal challenge. The dispute centered on whether the promotion of alcohol, including beer, by Mulvaney met the standards set by the alcohol industry, given his popularity amongst younger audiences on social media. Questions began to arise, particularly around whether these promotional efforts were inadvertently targeting underage consumers. Not only are such marketing strategies generally frowned upon, but they are in direct violation of the guidelines and ethical norms of the beverage industry, creating potential legal and reputational issues for the company. Intriguingly, two prominent members of the Senate Commerce Committee, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, from Texas, and Marsha Blackburn, from Tennessee submitted a formal request on May 17, 2023. This letter solicited a thorough examination by the self-regulating entity within the beer industry, the Beer Institute, investigating whether Bud Light was indeed indirectly marketing to minors through its association with Mulvaney. Following this, there were comprehensive revisions of the beer industry's Advertising and Marketing Code. Updated policies for social media influencers were also put in place. These changes reflected a larger concern in the beer industry about the responsible use of social media influencers for marketing purposes. Of the new norms outlined, the guidelines now prescribe that social media advertisements can only be placed where a minimum of 73.8% of the audience is of drinking age – a regulation that echoes the standards required for conventional adverts. Additionally, the guidelines now mandated the leveraging of 'age-gating measures' if such features are available. All these updates point to an increasing realization within the industry about the need for responsible advertising, and the enforcement of stricter measures to ensure that content is accessed only by the appropriate age demographic. This drives the industry towards a more ethical and responsible marketing approach which, in turn, protects the image of the industry and its constituents. The experience of Anheuser-Busch in its partnership with Dylan Mulvaney demonstrates how critical it is for businesses to take into account the perceptions and expectations of their key target demographic. This is especially the case when making decisions about marketing and partnerships, as these have a direct bearing on the brand image and financial health. While the company hoped to tap into new demographics and customer bases with the partnership, the backlash demonstrates that a strategic misstep in understanding the existing customer base can have a sizable impact on a brand's image and its financial bottom line. Moving forward, the lessons from Anheuser-Busch's experience serve as a wake-up call for the alcoholic beverage industry. The situation highlights the need for continued vigilance and adaptability in marketing efforts. It reminds us that attentive consumer and market analysis are crucial for aligning marketing strategies with consumer expectations and industry standards. Real News Now Anheuser Busch Lost Over $1 Billion In Revenue After Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney Partnership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealNewsNowApp/ X Twitter: https://twitter.com/realnewsapp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realnews/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realnewsnowapp Threads: https://www.threads.net/@realnews/ Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@RealNews YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@realnewsnowapp End Wokeness: https://endthewokeness.com WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wlJ8QhiNxlk    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ronna Hauser, SVP Policy & Pharmacy Affairs with NCPA, joins Debbie Marcello on this legislative update Happier at Home PRN Podcast Episode.  From the NCPA: PCMA is out promoting their usual misinformation trying to portray PBMs as cost saving entities. We need YOU to set the record straight! We need you to let lawmakers know how PBMs really impact community pharmacy and your patients. We need you to advocate for common sense solutions. We have several pieces of priority legislation near the finish line and only your elected officials can make them a reality. We've been sending thousands of messages to Capitol Hill in the last few weeks and we need to send thousands more to make sure every single lawmaker hears from us multiple times. When they hear from us, they understand what's at stake. When they hear from you, they understand why it matters. Act now, or forever wonder if you did all you could do to ensure pharmacy's future! Tell your legislators to support the following priorities: S. 2973, the Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability (MEPA) Act (passed 26-1 out of the Senate Finance Committee)/H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (passed the House of Representatives on an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 320-71) Bans spread pricing in Medicaid managed care by requiring a fair and transparent Medicaid reimbursement to pharmacies and saves over $1 billion! S. 3430, Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act (unanimously passed the Senate Finance Committee) Includes the No PBMs Act which requires CMS to define reasonable and relevant contract terms in Medicare. S. 127, the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act (passed 18-9 out of the Senate Commerce Committee)

The age for mandatory retirement for commercial airline pilots flying under Part 121 was raised to 65 years in 2007. A recent pitch to increase the age limit to 67 was voted down recently by the Senate Commerce Committee. What implications will this have on the pilot shortage, and what's the answer?

About the Lecture Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson will discuss the interconnection between the American Civil Rights movement and international human rights yesterday and today. Jackson grew up in segregated Dallas, Texas. In 1965, he marched for Civil Rights on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. The relationship between foreign affairs and the American Civil Rights story was highlighted in an address by Secretary of State Dean Rusk in 1963 and remains true today. “As the matters stand, however, racial discrimination here at home has important effects on our foreign relations. This is not because such discrimination is unique to the United States. Discrimination on account of race, color, religion, national or tribal origin may be found in many countries. But the United States is widely regarded as the home of democracy and the leader of the struggle for freedom, for human rights and human dignity.” -Secretary of State Dean Rusk before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, 1963 (The Department of State Bulletin, Volume 49: “Fulfilling Our Basic Commitments as a Nation, Statement by Secretary Rusk”) About the Speaker Secretary Alphonso Jackson, former Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, has decades of experience in housing and community development. His expertise includes the development of affordable and market-rate housing, handling complex urban development issues, and housing finance. Jackson was appointed by President George W. Bush as the 13th Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in March 2004. Before being appointed Secretary, Jackson served as the Deputy Secretary of HUD, managing the daily operations of the $36 billion agency. After his government service, Jackson served as Vice Chairman of Mortgage Services with JP Morgan Chase, followed by Senior Advisor to the CEO at First Data Corporation(now Fiserv Corporation). Early in his professional career, he was president and COO of American Electric Power-Texas, a $13 billion utility company and subsidiary of American Electric Power. From 1988-1996, he was president and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas, ranked among the best-managed large-city housing agencies during his tenure. As a college student, Jackson volunteered as a student protester in Alabama on Bloody Sunday in March 1965, a civil rights protest from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Jackson serves on the United States Institute for Peace International Advisory Board and Ford's Theater Society Board of Trustees. He also recently served on the United States Department of State Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board(Chair). He is a member of The Alfalfa Club and Horatio Alger Association(Board of Directors). He has been awarded numerous civic awards and eleven honorary degrees from colleges and universities, including his alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master's in Education Administration from Truman State University. He also has a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, MO.

If you bought tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras tour last year, you probably battled bots on Ticketmaster or paid a reseller thousands over face value. Bots and scalpers don't just impact international popstars, however; artists, venues, and fans in New Hampshire are getting scammed. Now the New Hampshire Legislature is considering how – and if – the state can fight back. On January 16 the Senate Commerce Committee will host a public hearing on SB 328, a bill that takes on deceptive ticket sales. Listen as hosts Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar, of Citizens Count break it down in  $100 Plus Mileage. This podcast is produced in partnership with Citizens Count, Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.

Peter Powell has been in the Real Estate business in Lancaster NH for 50 years now and he's very well respected and talented at it. But ask him what he lives for and he will begin to spin stories of family, New Hampshire, and his community, both local and in the broader sense NH and the US, long before he gets to his business career.I think it's that focus on community that allows Peter to have been the choice of both Republican and Democratic leaders in the US and in NH as a leader they can count on to build bridges. . . and if there is anything we need desperately these days its a restoration of a sense of community. From his heartfelt call to the legendary US Senate Republican Leader Mark Hatfield at one of the most trying points of his life to simply say, I'm proud of you. Keep on." To the moment that Democratic candidate for President Fritz Hollings poked his head into a latenight bull session at a local store in Lancaster and asked "Anyone here know Peter Powell? Tell him Fritz Hollings says hello!" There followed appointments to prestigious state panels in the humanities, the Trust for NH Lands, The NH Charitable Fund and so many other state honors that it would take too much time to mention.Peter spent a few years working in Washington after college, working for Norris Cotton and the Senate Commerce Committee as well as congressman Louis Wyman before deciding he wanted the country life and making the move to Lancaster. His father Wes Powell was governor of NH for two terms and of course that invites hundreds of stories into the conversation so we are going to schedule another podcast in a month or two so we can get in a few more of those. Wes was from the rough and tumble area of Puddledock in Portsmouth which seems to play prominently into many of those stories.

Last year, the Senate Commerce Committee marked up two bipartisan bills to protect kids' privacy and safety – the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) – amidst high hopes that the bills would get a vote on the Senate floor. With comprehensive privacy legislation still tripped up over preemption and private rights of action, policymakers thought that legislation to protect kids would have the best chance of passage. The bills never made it to the floor, however, and they died in the 117th Congress. https://www.adlawaccess.com/2023/08/articles/kids-privacy-and-safety-redux-amended-kosa-and-coppa-2-0-advance-by-voice-vote/ Jessica Rich jrich@kelleydrye.com (202) 342-8580 www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Jessica-L-Rich Darby Hobbs dhobbs@kelleydrye.com (202) 342-8412 https://www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Darby-B-Hobbs Subscribe to the Ad Law Access blog - www.adlawaccess.com/subscribe/ Subscribe to the Ad Law News Newsletter - https://www.kelleydrye.com/News-Events/Publications/Newsletters/Ad-Law-News-and-Views?dlg=1 View the Advertising and Privacy Law Resource Center - https://www.kelleydrye.com/Advertising-and-Privacy-Law-Resource-Center Find all of our links here linktr.ee/KelleyDryeAdLaw Hosted by Simone Roach

 In this hour, Brian Walsh from The Capitol Access Alliance explains the current efforts in Congress to change the rule and increase the number of flights allowed out of Reagan National, aiming to provide consumers with more choices and inject much-needed competition into the marketplace. Then. Anna Bolhmann presents "Whats on the Web", sharing humorous anecdotes about tipping in America vs Europe and the culture around it. The second story talks about a pizza delivery app, Slice, looking to hire a full-time pizza influencer to create content celebrating pizza and pizzeria owners for a salary of $110,000 a year.  

FreightWaves' Mike Baudendistel and Joanna Marsh discuss the Railway Safety Act of 2023, emerging doubts of an intermodal volume recovery in the second half, and CARB's push to reduce locomotive emissions. Follow the People Speaking Rail Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows

May 6, 1949. On the runway at Lindbergh Field in San Diego, a scrappy upstart called Pacific Southwest Airlines, PSA, is about to take its first flight. PSA is a budget airline—the world's first. Other jet age carriers will offer luxury in the sky, but PSA does not. It's exploiting a loophole in the American flight system to do things very differently. How did PSA manage to offer flying to ordinary people at prices they could afford? And how did it force an entire industry to reimagine itself?Special thanks to our guests: Mary Boies, former fellow on the Senate Commerce Committee, White House staffer, and general counsel to the Civil Aeronautics Board; Jim Patterson, early PSA employee, and eventually its vice president of operations; and Michael Roach, former lawyer at the Civil Aeronautics Board. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I want to remind you that how you treat people is important to the success of your business—customer service matters. I'm going to share a story that happened last month when Podcast Movement was over, and I was headed home. I had a late check out from my hotel and I was just about to leave, when I received an alert that my connecting flight from Orlando to Nashville was canceled. I immediately started scrambling to figure out flights for the next day. It reminded me of the fiasco with Southwest Airlines during Christmastime when they delayed, canceled, or pushed about 2 million flights—that resulted in a hearing with the Senate Commerce Committee to discuss the breakdown. Southwest delayed, canceled, or adjusted my flights three different times on January 31st. When I called them the first time, on the 30th, and told them I didn't think I'd be able to connect, they told me they didn't have anything else that day but offered to switch me to a flight the next day. Thankfully I was able to stay an extra day at my hotel. I was on the phone talking to my friend Tim, who had dealt with the same thing with Southwest—trying to fly to Vegas for Christmas. He even ended up on CNN because of the debacle. He likens his feelings toward Southwest now as a type of ptsd. I think the lesson with the whole situation is that it only takes one bad experience to really ruin it for someone. That's why I want you to hear that customer service matters. So, I was stuck in Orlando with my friend Justin Shank, who I've mentioned a few times. He runs a great podcast and mastermind groups with the Growth Now Movement and the Growth Now Summit. We were at Disney Springs grabbing dinner, and while I was sitting there, I got a text from Southwest that my trip had been canceled for the next day. Twenty minutes later, I got a text that they'd rescheduled me on something else, a flight that was going to Chicago where I would sit for a day and a half before heading to Philadelphia. I ended up canceling my flights with Southwest and to this day I'm still trying to get compensation for the trip I ended up taking on American Airlines. Customer service matters and to be honest, I don't know that I'll be able to fly with Southwest again. Your word matters, what you say matters. In December, the CEO of Southwest Airlines said, “We made mistakes. We will fix this. This won't happen again.” So to see it happen to a good friend in December and then to have it happen to me in January…doesn't seem like they've made changes. It makes me not trust them. I had a very bad experience with Southwest, but I want to contrast that with the amazing service I experienced at the Holiday Inn Orlando at SeaWorld. They did a great job. First of all, when I checked in on the 25th, I got in around noon and they got me into my room three hours early. When I found out my first flight was cancelled, they were able to keep me in the same room that night, and told me they would make it work out—however long I needed—when Southwest cancelled the rescheduled flight as well. They told me not to worry, that they would make it happen. I gained so much respect for them. They knew I was in a rough situation and was frustrated with the airlines. The fact that they were willing to be kind and gracious to me made a big impression. I felt cared for and valued by the hotel and felt like to Southwest, I didn't matter. Not once did Southwest apologize for the extra hotel expenses, extra dining costs—I didn't matter. I hope you take this cautionary tale and apply it to your real estate business. You want to give out great service—you want to care about and value people. If you make mistakes, like Southwest Airlines did, fix it. Customer service matters and mistakes that you don't take care of—that news travels and those are the things people remember. Think about whether you are creating great customer service experiences with your clients. If you are making mistakes, are you fixing...

After his dramatic takeover, Elon Musk aims to name a successor at Twitter before the end of 2023. Musk has also announced that thousands of Tesla's chargers will soon open all other EVs. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard is leaving her post to become President Biden's top economic advisor. She's replacing White House powerhouse Brian Deese, who speaks with Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin for an exit interview. Deese discusses his legacy at the National Economic Council, President Biden's push against corporate buybacks, and the administration's remaining agenda. Louis Vuitton has hired designer and musician Pharrell Williams, and CNBC's Robert Frank reports that it's LVMH's biggest bet yet on mixing pop culture and luxury for the world's largest fashion brand. Plus, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has declined a Congressional invitation, and travel costs are up–alongside profits. CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports on air travel traffic and the FAA's testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee today.  In this episode:Robert Frank, @robtfrankKayla Tausche, @kaylatauschePhil Lebeau, @LebeaucarnewsJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

Nearly half of the product reviews you'll see on Amazon are fake or intentionally misleading. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) of the Senate Commerce Committee has written a letter to Amazon, calling on the company to do a better job of policing its reviews and to crack down on fakes.

We described draft legislation circulating in the Senate Commerce Committee that would have given the Federal Trade Commission almost unfettered authority to enjoin permanently any act, practice or method of competition that did not meet its approval. https://www.adlawaccess.com/2022/05/articles/senate-commerce-committee-chair-pushes-one-sided-13b-fix/  All the Commission would need to do is show that a reasonable person had fair notice that the conduct “could” violate the FTC Act. Senator Cantwell has now introduced the bill and it's more one-sided today than it was in draft form.  The need to show fair notice of even a possible violation is gone. Blog: https://www.adlawaccess.com/2022/05/articles/update-chair-cantwell-introduces-s-4145-a-one-sided-13b-fix/ John E. Villafranco jvillafranco@kelleydrye.com
 (202) 342-8423
 Bio - www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/John-E-Villafranco Maggie C. Crosswy mcrosswy@kelleydrye.com (202) 431-4760 Bio - www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Maggie-C-Crosswy Hosted by Simone Roach Produced by Jeff Scurry

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Pushes One-Sided 13(b) Fix The one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC has renewed calls for Congressional action to expand and codify the Federal Trade Commission's enforcement authority under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. Last Thursday, we wrote here about the agency's most recent open meeting, during which Commissioners heard from a key Senate staffer that Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) intended to introduce what she hoped would be a bipartisan fix. Yesterday, Chair Cantwell's bill was made public, and its terms render any hope of bipartisan support a long-shot, at best, with little likelihood of garnering the Republican support needed to clear the chamber. https://www.adlawaccess.com/2022/05/articles/senate-commerce-committee-chair-pushes-one-sided-13b-fix/#more-10502 Hosted by Simone Roach Produced by Jeff Scurry

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Matt Gress, a Republican running for the Arizona State House in Legislative District 4. Elected in 2010 as Utah's 16th Senator, Mike Lee has spent his career defending the fundamental liberties of all Americans and advocating for America's founding constitutional principles. Senator Lee serves as the Ranking Republican on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, and on the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining.In addition, Senator Lee continues to lead Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee as the Ranking Member, after spending the last two Congresses as Vice Chairman and Chairman, respectively. He also serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate's Special Committee on Aging.Lee graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Political Science, and served as BYU's Student Body President in his senior year. He graduated from BYU's Law School in 1997 and went on to serve as law clerk to Judge Dee Benson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and then with future Supreme Court Justice Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.Matt Gress is an Arizona conservative, running to represent us in the State House. Matt believes in common sense principles like small government, balanced budgets and individual liberty.From 2017 to 2021, Matt served as a Governing Board Member in the Madison Elementary School District. Where he fought to keep schools open during COVID-19, supported increased school choice and advocated for parents and taxpayers to have a seat at the table in curriculum, hiring decisions and budgeting, including expensive procurement contracts.Matt has served as a faculty associate at Arizona State University and as a budget analyst at the Arizona State Capitol, learning exactly where our tax dollars go. Currently, he serves as the state's top budget chief in the Arizona Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com