Podcasts about special presidential envoy

Can Donald Trump negotiate a peace between Ukraine and Russia? Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Lt. General Kellogg has the answers.

Great Britain's King Charles III opens the Canadian parliament in Ottawa by declaring, "As the anthem reminds us, the True North is indeed strong and free." Associated Press calls it "a speech widely viewed as a show of support in the face of annexation threats by U.S. President Donald Trump"; on Wall Streets, stocks climb after President Trump says he will delay 50 percent tariffs on the European Union; Special Presidential Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg talks about the president's frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine; State Department is asked about reported food aid riots in Gaza at a distribution center run by a new organization supported by Israel and the U.S.; Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announces a run for governor instead of reelection as senator; Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) returns from El Salvador where he was not able to visit in prison with deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia; Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) outlines how the District will cut its spending by hundreds of millions of dollars this year to meet a congressional mandate; Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks at the funeral of the late Congressman Gerald Connolly (D-VA); remembering former Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), who has died at age 94. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The impediment to progress is the Russians right now." Kellogg is the Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, as appointed by President Trump, and he's right in the center of ending this war.

No pleasant introductions, or quaint toast at the end of this one folks. We may have moved past the brink, and into the abyss, but that's to discuss in later episodes....Today, three long-term USAID staffers  now retired and free to talk describe their anger over how  the foreign aid  program has been gutted and colleagues maligned, their fear about global suffering and losses that will result ,and their hope for a  come back  in the future.Francisco Bencosme was formerly the China Policy Lead for USAID, the principal advisor on issues relating to China and Taiwan. Prior to joining USAID, he was deputy to the Special Presidential Envoy for Compact of Free Association talks, helping conclude agreements with the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau in the Pacific Islands. He was at the same time senior advisor to the assistant secretary for East Asian and the Pacific Affairs.Before joining the Biden/Harris administration, he was a senior policy advisor at the Open Society Foundations covering Asia and Latin America. During his time at Amnesty International USA, Bencosme led the US human rights policy and advocacy program towards the Asia Pacific.  In 2018, he was named one of The Hill's Top Lobbyist for a campaign on Myanmar Rohingya issues. He also has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff.Ann Posner spent more than 32 years working in USAID missions in the Czech Republic, Russia, Albania, Bosnia and the West Bank-Gaza.  As a Foreign Service Executive Officer she led local administrative staffs and helped manage programs involving issues ranged from crop marketing in the Eastern Caribbean, anti-corruption and free election laws in Russia, and agricultural aid in Albania to investigation journalism and judicial reform in BosniaSusan Reichle is a retired Senior Foreign Service officer of USAID and former president and CEO of the International Youth Foundation — global non-profit working to equip and inspire young people everywhere to transform their lives. Before joining IYF, Susan spent 26 years in leadership positions at USAID missions overseas and in Washington, D.C. During her last three years at USAID, she served as the Counselor to the Agency, USAID's most Senior Foreign Service Officer, and advised the administrator and senior leadership on global development policies and management issues. She served in Haiti, Nicaragua, Russia, Colombia and her last assignment in USAID/Washington she led the Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance bureau.

THE REVERBERATING IMPACT OF THE 1929 HEBRON MASSACREHEADLINE 1: Israel will allow Syrian Druze, along with Circassians – another ethnic minority in Syria – to work in the Israeli Golan Heights. HEADLINE 2: Recent meetings in Qatar between top Hamas terrorists and Adam Boehler, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, are focused the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. HEADLINE 3: The Trump administration has followed through on its threat to cancel federal funding to Columbia University, revoking $400 million due to the institution's failure to respond to campus antisemitism.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with award-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated producer, and bestselling author Yardena Schwartz. Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Tense arguments on House floor after voting to censure Rep. Al Green (D-TX), President Trump gives one month delay on tariffs on Mexico; Senate Democrats react to reports of a pending Presidential Executive Order to close down the Education Department; Congress passes bill to reverse Biden Administration archaeological assessment regulation for offshore drilling; FDA Commissioner nominee testifies on trust in science and rules for dispensing the abortion drug mifepristone; Steve Witkoff, Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East on President Trump's "last warning" to Hamas to release hostages; Ukrainian President Zelensky meets European leaders on a military aid package. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can a mother say to the cold-blooded executioner of her son? In American Mother, the heartrending story of the murdered American journalist Jim Foley, the writer Colum McCann and Diane Foley, Foley's mother and founder of the Foley Foundation, explore this terrible dilemma. This memorable conversation with Foley and McCann explores forgiveness, faith, and the moral complexities of justice. Most of all, though, it's the conversation about a mother's remarkable love for her dead son which she maintains and even redirects to his ISIS killer.Here are the five KEEN ON takeaways from our conversation with McCann and Foley:* The Power of Forgiveness: Diane Foley's ability to forgive Alexander Kotey, one of her son Jim's killers, demonstrates extraordinary grace. Her Christian faith played a crucial role in this process, though forgiveness wasn't easy or natural - it was a conscious choice that led to meaningful human connection even in the most difficult circumstances.* Policy Impact Through Tragedy: Jim Foley's death led to significant changes in U.S. hostage policy. The Foley Foundation's work has helped bring home nearly 150 Americans since 2015, and led to the creation of a formal government structure for handling hostage situations - a direct result of the Obama administration's initial failures and subsequent reforms.* The Complexity of Justice: The case highlights nuanced views on justice and the death penalty. The Foleys advocated against the death penalty for their son's killers, arguing that life imprisonment offers a chance for reflection and potential redemption, while execution would simply perpetuate cycles of violence.* Grief's Individual Journey: Diane's experience shows how grief manifests differently for each person. While her other children needed distance from the situation to heal, she channeled her grief into activism and forgiveness. Her willingness to meet her son's killer was not shared by other family members.* The Value of Journalism: Jim Foley's story underscores the importance and dangers of conflict journalism. His commitment to telling stories of people yearning for freedom in the Middle East, even after being kidnapped once in Libya, reflects the crucial role journalists play in helping the world understand complex situations and human struggles.Diane M. Foley is President and Founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which she created in September 2014 less than a month after the public beheading by ISIS in Syria of her son James W. Foley, an American freelance conflict journalist. In 2015, she led JWFLF efforts to fund the start of Hostage US and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety, ACOS. She actively participated in the National Counterterrorism Center hostage review which culminated in the Presidential Policy Directive-30. This directive created the current US hostage enterprise consisting of an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and a White House Hostage Response Group to free innocent Americans taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. JWFLF was instrumental in the passage of the Robert Levinson Hostage Taking and Accountability Act. She has been a tireless hostage, wrongful detainee and family advocate within the US hostage enterprise, Congress, and every presidential administration since 2014. She has raised awareness of international hostage-taking and wrongful detention using the award-winning documentary, “Jim, the James Foley story”, opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today and media interviews. Diane has spoken on the power of forgiveness in various faith communities and was included in 200 Women, edited by Geoff Blackwell. She co-authored the book “American Mother” which was published in 2024 with writer Colum McCann. Diane is also the author of a chapter called, “Life For A Voice: the Work of Journalist James W. Foley through the Eyes of his Family” in Living with Precariousness, edited by Christina Lee and Susan Leong, which was published in 2023.Previously, Diane worked as a community health nurse and as a family nurse practitioner for 18 years. She received both her undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of New Hampshire. She is active in her Roman Catholic parish of St Katherine Drexel in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where she lives with her husband, Dr. John W. Foley. She is the mother of five children.Colum McCann is the internationally bestselling author of the novels Let the Great World Spin and TransAtlantic. His newest novel, Apeirogon, will appear in 2020. It has already been acclaimed as a "transformative novel" (Raja Shehadeh). He is also the author of Zoli, Dancer, This Side of Brightness, and Songdogs, as well as three critically acclaimed story collections. His fiction has been published in more than forty languages. As well as a National Book Award winner, Colum has been a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and was the inaugural winner of the Ireland Fund of Monaco Literary Award in Memory of Princess Grace. He has been named one of Esquire's "Best and Brightest," and his short film Everything in This Country Must was nominated for an Oscar in 2005. A contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Paris Review, he teaches in the Hunter College MFA Creative Writing Program. He lives in New York City with his wife and their three children.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

The international climate negotiation process stands at a critical juncture. At the recent COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, nations struggled to find common ground on financial support and carbon market strategies, all while grappling with the persistent influence of fossil fuel industries.  Industrialized countries did pledge $300 billion to help developing nations adapt to climate change, but scientists say the commitment is still far short of the trillion dollars needed to prevent catastrophic environmental impacts.  So, how can global leaders close the financing gap? And what practical approaches can ensure meaningful progress in climate negotiations amid rapidly changing political landscapes? This week host Bill Loveless talks with Elliot Diringer about the COP process and what the outcome of this year's summit means for the global energy transition. Elliot is a global fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, directing the Center's International Dialogue on Climate and Trade. He served as a senior policy advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and led the establishment of the Energy Transition Accelerator under the Biden administration. Elliot also spent more than 20 years at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, serving as the head of the international program. He has attended 26 Conference of the Parties summits, most recently attending COP29 in Azerbaijan.

During Climate Week NYC, Food Tank hosted a series of Summits to position food and agriculture as a key solution to the Climate Crisis. This episode features two conversations from these events. First, hear from John Kerry the 68th U.S. Secretary of State and former U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, moderated by John Piotti, President and CEO of American Farmland Trust. During their fireside chat, which was part of a Summit hosted by Food Tank and American Farmland Trust, they discuss the efforts to put food and agriculture front and center at the U.N. Climate Change Conference, how to hold onto current gains that support the health of the environment, and why the upcoming election is so important to the future of climate action. Then, Dani speaks with Dr. Cary Fowler, Special Envoy for Global Food Security at the U.S. Department of State, as part of an event hosted by Food Tank and the World Food Program USA. They discuss the tendency to underestimate the impacts of the climate crisis, the potential of the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils, and why we need bolder solutions. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: 6:05pm- Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss Power the Future “suing the Department of Justice (DOJ) over their systemic cover-up of the secretive Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC).” You can learn more about Power the Future here: https://powerthefuture.com/about-us/ 6:30pm- Ron DeSantis vs Kamala Harris. On Tuesday, NBC News reported that Governor Ron DeSantis has been ignoring phone calls from Vice President Kamala Harris as Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton. During a press conference, DeSantis flatly denied ever ignoring Harris's attempts to reach him and insisted “this is not a time for politics.” Meanwhile, Harris publicly accused DeSantis of not putting the people of Florida first. But on Tuesday President Joe Biden came to DeSantis's defense—applauding his performance during the crisis, saying the governor is doing a great job. So, why is Harris lying and purposefully politicizing Hurricane Milton?

Former U.S. Secretary of State and Inaugural U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry joins The Post's Jonathan Capehart from Washington Post Live's "This is Climate Summit" in New York City to discuss the climate talks between China and the United States, the role of global cooperation to meet the generational challenge of protecting our planet and what the United States needs to learn from its competitor. Conversation recorded on Monday, September 23, 2024.

At 11 years old, Roger Carstens, already an avid news consumer, was struck by stories of genocide in Cambodia. He resolved that when he grew up, he would work to alleviate human suffering. That mission took him to the Army and jobs in the non-profit sector and government, including his current role as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. In this job, Amb. Carstens works tirelessly to bring home Americans wrongfully detained across the globe. He talked with David about what keeps him up at night, the importance of entering negotiations with humility, his journey with spirituality, and his focus on the families of the hostages he works to free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FSO Chad Houghton takes us back to 2020 when John Kerry, the first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, brought the US back into the Paris agreement. Quiz: Which is worse, methane or CO2? Also, what argument won people over diplomatically (hint – not the moral or scientific angle)? And how do we work with adversaries like China to cool things down? And why would a petrostate like the UAE host a global climate conference? Join us, and see also this month's Foreign Service Journal for more. 

Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens joins The Post's Jason Rezaian to discuss the recent historic prisoner trade releasing several Americans and other individuals from Russian prisons, his ongoing work to free other U.S. citizens abroad and efforts to end the practice of hostage-taking. Conversation recorded on Monday, August 12, 2024.

Ambassador Robert O'Brien, former Trump National Security Advisor, joins Liberty & Justice with Matt Whitaker, Season 3, Episode 16.  Presented by American Cornerstone Institute.  Learn more about ACI at https://americancornerstone.org/  Watch every episode of Liberty & Justice at www.whitaker.tv. Robert O'Brien is co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies LLC. He was the 27th United States National Security Advisor from 2019 – 2021. O'Brien served as the President's principal advisor all aspects of American foreign policy and national security affairs. O'Brien brought a renewed focus to defense and industrial base issues to the NSC. A long-time advocate of a sea power and a 355 ship Navy, O'Brien visited leading shipyards during his tenure. He also spent time at defense plants and with our troops at bases around the world. During O'Brien's time as National Security Advisor, the United States orchestrated the historic Abraham Accords in the Middle East, brokered economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo, achieved significant defense spending increases among our NATO allies and increased cooperation with America's allies across the Indo-Pacific.Prior to serving as NSA, O'Brien was the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs with the personal rank of Ambassador. He was directly involved in the return of over 25 detainees and hostages to the United States. O'Brien previously served as Co-Chairman of the U.S. Department of State Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan under both Secretaries of State Rice and Clinton. O'Brien was also a presidentially appointed member of the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee from 2008-2011. In 2005, O'Brien was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a U.S. Representative to the 60th session of the UN General Assembly. Earlier in his career, O'Brien served as a Senior Legal Officer for the UN Security Council commission that decided claims against Iraq arising out of the first Gulf War. He was a Major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve. O'Brien is partner emeritus at Larson LLP in Los Angeles, a nationally recognized litigation boutique that he co-founded in 2016. Over his career, he has served as counsel and arbitrator in dozens of International proceedings. O'Brien is the recipient of the National Security Medal, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the National Defense Medal, the Legion d'honneur (chevalier) and the Kosovo Presidential Medal of Merits.  In July 2022, O'Brien was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Richard Nixon Foundation. He also serves as co-chair with Secretary Pompeo of The Nixon Seminar on Conservative Realism and National Security.O'Brien holds a J.D. from the U.C. Berkeley School of Law. He received his B.A. degree in political science, cum laude, from UCLA. Matthew G. Whitaker was acting Attorney General of the United States (2018-2019).  Prior to becoming acting Attorney General, Mr. Whitaker served as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General. He was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa by President George W. Bush, serving from 2004-2009. Whitaker was the managing partner of Des Moines-based law firm, Whitaker Hagenow & Gustoff LLP from 2009 until rejoining DOJ in 2017. He was also the Executive Director for FACT, The Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust, an ethics and accountability watchdog, between 2014 and 2017.   Mr. Whitaker is the Author of the book--Above the Law, The Inside Story of How the Justice Department Tried to Subvert President Trump.  Bu

WMAL GUEST: 8:35 AM - INTERVIEW - AMB. RIC GRENELL -  former acting Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump's Cabinet – Discuss the GOP Convention and his thoughts on Biden's foreign policy and the assassination attempt on President Trump  SOCIAL MEDIA: https://x.com/RichardGrenell L A R R Y on X: "Amb. @RichardGrenell runs circles around every single hapless member of the Biden foreign policy team and it isn't even close. And in their hearts, the media flunkies know it. That's why they ignore him. https://t.co/H6PRpvI4V5" / X Vance's 'America First' foreign policy in spotlight BIO:  Richard Grenell served as Acting Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump's Cabinet in 2020. A member of the Republican Party, Grenell served as the United States Ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020 and as the Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations from 2019 to 2021.  Grenell was a U.S. State Department spokesperson to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration. Where to find more about WMAL's morning show:  Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor,  @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc.  Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Thursday, July 18, 2024 / 8 AM Hour  O'Connor and Company is proudly presented by Veritas AcademySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 8 AM Hour: Larry O'Connor and Patrice Onwuka discussed: WMAL GUEST: 8:05 AM -  INTERVIEW - KT MCFARLAND - Former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump and author of “REVOLUTION" - shared her thoughts on the GOP convention.  SOCIAL MEDIA: https://twitter.com/realKTMcFarland Father of Hamas captive at RNC: Trump told me he ‘stands with the American hostages' The parents of Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez read the names of all 13 men and women who were killed in the attack on Abbey Gate in Afghanistan Schumer had a 'blunt' private conversation with Biden about the state of the 2024 race Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden he can't beat Trump in 2024 presidential race, would ruin Dems chances in House if he stays in: report Biden says he might quit presidential race if ‘medical condition' emerged WMAL GUEST: 8:35 AM - INTERVIEW - AMB. RIC GRENELL -  former acting Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump's Cabinet – Discuss the GOP Convention and his thoughts on Biden's foreign policy and the assassination attempt on President Trump  L A R R Y on X: "Amb. @RichardGrenell runs circles around every single hapless member of the Biden foreign policy team and it isn't even close. And in their hearts, the media flunkies know it. That's why they ignore him. https://t.co/H6PRpvI4V5" / X Vance's 'America First' foreign policy in spotlight BIO:  Richard Grenell served as Acting Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump's Cabinet in 2020. A member of the Republican Party, Grenell served as the United States Ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020 and as the Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations from 2019 to 2021.  Grenell was a U.S. State Department spokesperson to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration. Trump holds edge over Biden in Virginia: Poll Where to find more about WMAL's morning show:  Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor,  @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc.  Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Thursday, July 18, 2024 / 8 AM Hour  O'Connor and Company is proudly presented by Veritas AcademySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ric Grenell, former acting Director of National Intelligence and Ambassador to Germany, joins Liberty & Justice with Matt Whitaker, Season 3, Episode 15.  Presented by American Cornerstone Institute.  Learn more about ACI at https://americancornerstone.org/  Watch every episode of Liberty & Justice at www.whitaker.tv. Ric Grenell is not your typical Republican. He is seen by many as the embodiment of the American First agenda through his bold approach as one of the nation's top diplomats and during his transformative service as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Born in Michigan, Grenell went to Elementary school in Redwood City, California, and high school in Jenison, Michigan. He describes himself as an “imperfect follower of Christ,” who was driven into public service through his faith. He has worked for decades to advance conservative policies and candidates as a principled and consistent voice for the American people. Prior to becoming the longest serving U.S. political appointee at the United Nations, Ric served as a top advisor to San Diego Mayor Susan Golding. He has since gone on to become one of the most impactful diplomats in American history. As the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Ric advanced President Trump's America First policies, facing down international foes like Iran and Hezbollah. Ric's effectiveness earned him the ire of some in the international political establishment and among European leftists, which he relished. It was also during this period that Ambassador Grenell was appointed by President Trump to spearhead the Administration's effort to decriminalize homosexuality across the globe. Ric was the Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations, where he was able to broker an historic Economic Normalization deal. His role in the effort earned him the Presidential Medal of Merits from Kosovo President Thaçi. At the request of President Trump in 2020, Ric served as the acting Director of National Intelligence. This appointment meant Ric became the first Senate-confirmed Cabinet member who was openly gay – a reality the media has tried to ignore. Grenell received a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and his Bachelor's Degree in Government and Public Administration from Evangel College. He currently serves as a Senior fellow at Carnegie Mellon University's Institute for Politics and StrategyRic resides in Southern California with his partner, Matt, and their dog, Lola.Ric on Twitter @richardgrenellFix California on FacebookRic on Instagram Matthew G. Whitaker was acting Attorney General of the United States (2018-2019).  Prior to becoming acting Attorney General, Mr. Whitaker served as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General. He was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa by President George W. Bush, serving from 2004-2009. Whitaker was the managing partner of Des Moines-based law firm, Whitaker Hagenow & Gustoff LLP from 2009 until rejoining DOJ in 2017. He was also the Executive Director for FACT, The Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust, an ethics and accountability watchdog, between 2014 and 2017.   Mr. Whitaker is the Author of the book--Above the Law, The Inside Story of How the Justice Department Tried to Subvert President Trump.  Buy Matt's book here: https://amzn.to/3IXUOb8 Mr. Whitaker graduated with a Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor, and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa.  While

In one of his first interviews since stepping down as the inaugural Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Secretary John Kerry joins Yale President Peter Salovey for an Earth Day conversation about his environmental leadership and how to build political will for climate action.

Abroad, alone, and locked away on trumped up charges, it's the stuff of nightmares. Yet for one year that has been the reality for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being held in a Russian prison on the charges of espionage. Charges he, and everyone who knows him, deny. Now, a Moscow court has extended his detention by three more months. At the same time in Gaza, more than a hundred hostages are still held captive after being taken during the brutal October 7th attack on Israel. Negotiations to release them -and build a ceasefire- have dragged on in Qatar for months. As the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Roger Carstens is at the heart of both these crises, and he joins the program to talk about it.  Also on today's show: correspondent Melissa Bell; Annelle Sheline, resigned in protest from US State Department; Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post Reporter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jen Psaki outlines the contrasting visions of President Biden and Donald Trump as Trump's campaign attempts to portray him as a "change" candidate. Governor Tim Walz joins the show to set the stakes for November and explain why this presidential election isn't just a normal horserace. Jen is also joined by Neal Katyal and Andrew Weissmann to break down Trump's perilous financial situation, including who might be helping guarantee the bonds covering millions in legal judgements and what they may have to gain. Next, Jen explains why Sen. Katie Britt's strange SOTU rebuttal is just another example of how the MAGA fringe has taken over the Republican party. Jordan Klepper unpacks Britt's speech and reflects on his conversations with voters who say they will choose Trump over Biden despite their disapproval of the former president. Finally, Jen conducts an exit interview with John Kerry as he wraps up his term as the first ever U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Check out our social pages below:https://twitter.com/InsideWithPsakihttps://www.instagram.com/InsideWithPsaki/https://www.tiktok.com/@insidewithpsakihttps://www.msnbc.com/jen-psaki

In this episode of Capital for Good we speak with Lise Strickler '86 and Mark Gallogly '86, the co-founders of Three Cairns Group, a mission driven investment and philanthropic firm focused on the climate crisis. In the years since Columbia Business School, where they met in 1986, Mark has worked in investing, philanthropy, and public policy; as co-founder of Centerbridge Partners, an investment firm with over $30 billion of assets under management; and before at The Blackstone Group. Mark's work in public service has included two stints under President Obama, and most recently at the US State Department as an Expert Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Lise has extensive experience in the climate advocacy sector and has spent the last 20 years working with local, state, and national organizations to advance public policy and build momentum for scalable solutions to the world's climate crisis, including as a board member of the Environmental Defense Fund and co-chair of their 501(c)4 political advocacy partner, EDF Action; on the leadership council of the Yale School of the Environment; and on the advisory boards of Environmental Advocates NY, the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, Columbia University's Climate School, the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School, and the Adirondack Trail Improvement Society.  In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover a number of the challenges — and promising solutions — to the climate crisis. We begin with their respective “climate journeys,” including for both formative childhood experiences in nature and the outdoors. Lise credits her parents for “passing on the values of hard work, conservation, and leaving the world better than you found it,” and recalls how the environmental activism of the 1970s, including the passage of important legislation like the Clean Air and Water Acts, shaped her understanding of environmental issues and the potential to address them. We discuss the genesis of the Three Cairns Group, and some of its first major initiatives, each focused, in different ways, on developing ideas and climate solutions that are potentially scalable, and then working with partners across sectors and across the world to implement. For example, Three Cairns has recently launched Allied Climate Partners (ACP), a platform that has aggregated capital from philanthropy, governments, development finance institutions and the private sector to support early-stage climate projects and businesses in emerging markets, including in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Central America, Africa, and India. We also explore why Mark and Lise believe that universities, as centers of learning, “creators of new knowledge that advance civilization,” and places that produce the leaders for tomorrow are natural partners for their work on climate. We touch on various efforts they are involved in at Columbia and Yale.  Finally, Lise and Mark remind us that, while the challenges of the climate crisis are many, there are number of breakthroughs that motivate them to keep moving forward: some technological, like MethaneSat, a new $100 million methane tracking satellite, or the falling costs of renewables; some policy related, like the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, that are driving trillions of dollars into climate, or more locally the promise of congestion pricing in places like New York City that will reduce emissions and elevate the importance of public transportation as a climate and equity issue. Lise and Mark note that communicating these gains, and framing climate challenges as ones we have solutions to – and agency in – is critical to the tackling the crisis, particularly for young people “who want things to be better, and want to make them better.” Thanks for Listening! Subscribe to Capital for Good on Apple, Amazon, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Drop us a line at socialenterprise@gsb.columbia.edu.  Mentioned in this Episode Three Cairns Group Allied Climate Partners Methane Sat The Environmental Defense Fund Columbia University Yale University Inflation Reduction Act Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act CHIPS and Science Act New York Congestion Pricing

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (02/07/2024): 3:05pm The Senate's bipartisan border security/foreign aid bill failed to achieve the 60-vote threshold necessary to advance. The final vote was 49 to 50. Karoun Demirjian of The New York Times writes: “Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, changes his vote to no, which is a strategic procedural move to make sure he can raise the measure again, not a sign that he has suddenly changed his mind about the substance of the bill.” She continues: “Four Republicans voted to advance the foreign aid measure that included border security provisions: Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah. Four Democrats—Senators Alex Padilla of California, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ed Markey of Massachusetts—voted against doing so, as did Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/07/us/congress-ukraine-israel-aid/85a3b581-3ab8-527c-bb12-ee1ee4be6664?smid=url-share 3:20pm- While appearing on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) blamed Republican leadership in the Senate for helping Democrats look good by agreeing to an ineffective border bill prior to clearing it with the Republican party members. 3:25pm- Speaking to the press, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) explained why he vehemently opposes the Senate bipartisan border security/foreign aid bill. “The idea that we are committed to supporting whatever came out of this negotiation is pure, unadulterated bulls***. We supported a negotiation to bring common sense border security to this country—we did not agree to a fig leaf to send another $61 billion to Ukraine.” 3:40pm- On Tuesday, Nevada held its presidential primary. Despite basically running uncontested, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley received fewer votes than the “None of These Candidates” option on the ballot. With 88% of the vote counted Haley trails 63% to 31%. On Thursday, the Nevada Republican Party will hold its presidential caucus which Donald Trump is expected to win—and, presumably, will receive the state's 26 delegates. The Nevada primary will award no delegates. 4:05pm- On Tuesday night, Republican leadership in the House of Representatives attempted to impeach Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas but failed. The final vote was 214-216. Four Republicans joined Democrats and voted “nay”— Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Ken Buck of Colorado, Blake Moore of Utah, and Tom McClintock of California. Though, Rep. Moore switched his vote for procedural reasons to help Republicans reintroduce the article of impeachment at a later date. Why did Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) hold the vote if he didn't have the numbers? Rep. Al Green (D-TX) had recently undergone abdominal surgery and rushed to the Capitol Hill from his hospital bed—arriving in hospital garb to vote. He was not expected to be in attendance. Republican leadership plans to hold another impeachment vote when House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who is receiving treatment for cancer, is healthy enough to vote. 4:25pm- While speaking with the press, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) criticized pro-Palestine protesters advocating for a ceasefire, asking: “Why aren't you protesting to bring [the Israeli hostages] home right now? Why aren't you demanding that Hamas surrenders as well?” 4:30pm- According to a report from 6ABC, “two police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon when they responded to reports of a shooting at a home in East Lansdowne, Delaware County. Sources said an 11-year-old was shot inside the home in the unit block of Lewis Avenue. As soon as officers arrived, a person started shooting at them, sources told Action News. Two officers were hit and the suspect retreated into the home, sources said. A fire started at the home about 15 minutes after officers arrived. There were no additional shots fired, but sources said authorities fear the child and suspect may still be in the home.” You can find updates on this developing story here: https://6abc.com/east-lansdowne-house-fire-lewis-avenue-officers-shot/14396024/ 4:50pm- NBC's Chuck Todd accused conservative media of killing the Senate's bipartisan border security/foreign aid deal and of “gaslighting” the American people into believing it wasn't an effective bill. 5:05pm- While appearing on Fox News with Jesse Waters, actress Gina Carano said she is suing Disney for the “next generation” of actors and actresses who may wish to express their conservative political opinions publicly. Disney fired Carano, who at the time starred in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, in 2021. 5:10pm- Congressman Jeff Van Drew— Representative for New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss yesterday's vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Rep. Van Drew explains that as soon as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is healthy enough to return to Capitol Hill, Republican leadership will hold another impeachment vote. You can visit Rep.Van Drew's website to learn more about his policies and support his reelection campaign: https://vandrew.house.gov 5:25pm- According to a report from 6ABC, “two police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon when they responded to reports of a shooting at a home in East Lansdowne, Delaware County. Sources said an 11-year-old was shot inside the home in the unit block of Lewis Avenue. As soon as officers arrived, a person started shooting at them, sources told Action News. Two officers were hit and the suspect retreated into the home, sources said. A fire started at the home about 15 minutes after officers arrived. There were no additional shots fired, but sources said authorities fear the child and suspect may still be in the home.” You can find updates on this developing story here: https://6abc.com/east-lansdowne-house-fire-lewis-avenue-officers-shot/14396024/ 5:30pm- On Tuesday, Nevada held its presidential primary. Despite basically running uncontested, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley received fewer votes than the “None of These Candidates” option on the ballot. With 88% of the vote counted Haley trails 63% to 31%. On Thursday, the Nevada Republican Party will hold its presidential caucus which Donald Trump is expected to win—and, presumably, will receive the state's 26 delegates. The Nevada primary will award no delegates. 5:40pm- Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss Power the Future recently filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Biden Administration for failing to make public Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's paid staff. The Boston Herald reports that Kerry's 45-person staff has collectively received $4.3 million per year in taxpayer-funded salary. Turner explains: "For nearly three years, John Kerry has been jet-setting on the international climate conference circuit while sending taxpayers the bill. Today, we begin the process of teaching John Kerry and Joe Biden that they work for the taxpayers. No one should have to waste resources on litigation, but that is our only option since John Kerry thinks he can keep his office off the books. The American people are on the receiving end of countless green mandates and rules, gas stove bans and skyrocketing utility bills, with no opportunity for consent or input, and many of these decisions are hatched in John Kerry's office. That is why it is our hope that this litigation will finally bring to light the information we deserve to know: the staff names, the office goals and budgets, the outside partnerships that peddle influence on Joe Biden's green agenda." You can read more here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-sued-hiding-john-kerrys-staff-coordination-eco-groups 6:05pm- Rich is busy hosting a Speaker Series with #1 global best-selling author and film producer Terry Hayes at Main Point Books in Wayne, PA—so, Mike Opelka hosts hour 4 of the show! 6:10pm- According to a report from 6ABC, “two police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon when they responded to reports of a shooting at a home in East Lansdowne, Delaware County. Sources said an 11-year-old was shot inside the home in the unit block of Lewis Avenue. As soon as officers arrived, a person started shooting at them, sources told Action News. Two officers were hit and the suspect retreated into the home, sources said. A fire started at the home about 15 minutes after officers arrived.” The house fire is now under control. You can find updates on this developing story here: https://6abc.com/east-lansdowne-house-fire-lewis-avenue-officers-shot/14396024/ 6:15pm- The Senate's bipartisan border security/foreign aid bill failed to achieve the 60-vote threshold necessary to advance. The final vote was 49 to 50. Karoun Demirjian of The New York Times writes: “Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, changes his vote to no, which is a strategic procedural move to make sure he can raise the measure again, not a sign that he has suddenly changed his mind about the substance of the bill.” She continues: “Four Republicans voted to advance the foreign aid measure that included border security provisions: Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah. Four Democrats—Senators Alex Padilla of California, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ed Markey of Massachusetts—voted against doing so, as did Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/07/us/congress-ukraine-israel-aid/85a3b581-3ab8-527c-bb12-ee1ee4be6664?smid=url-share 6:20pm- On Tuesday night, Republican leadership in the House of Representatives attempted to impeach Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas but failed. The final vote was 214-216. Four Republicans joined Democrats and voted “nay”— Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Ken Buck of Colorado, Blake Moore of Utah, and Tom McClintock of California. Though Rep. Moore switched his vote for procedural reasons to help Republicans reintroduce the article of impeachment at a later date. Why did Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) hold the vote if he didn't have the numbers? Rep. Al Green (D-TX) had recently undergone abdominal surgery and rushed to Capitol Hill from his hospital bed—arriving in hospital garb to vote. He was not expected to be in attendance. Republican leadership plans to hold another impeachment vote when House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who is receiving treatment for cancer, is healthy enough to vote. 6:35pm- Hannah Sparks of The New York Post writes: “You can pick your nose, but you can't pick your pathogens. A review of dozens of published studies into the mechanisms behind neurological diseases has collected strong evidence that people who frequently pick their noses are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The new report, compiled and written by researchers at Western Sydney University, was published in the journal Biomolecules late last year.” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/02/04/lifestyle/nose-picking-likely-partially-to-blame-for-alzheimers-disease-scientists/

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: While appearing on Fox News with Jesse Waters, actress Gina Carano said she is suing Disney for the “next generation” of actors and actresses who may wish to express their conservative political opinions publicly. Disney fired Carano, who at the time starred in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, in 2021. Congressman Jeff Van Drew— Representative for New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss yesterday's vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Rep. Van Drew explains that as soon as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is healthy enough to return to Capitol Hill, Republican leadership will hold another impeachment vote. You can visit Rep.Van Drew's website to learn more about his policies and support his reelection campaign: https://vandrew.house.gov According to a report from 6ABC, “two police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon when they responded to reports of a shooting at a home in East Lansdowne, Delaware County. Sources said an 11-year-old was shot inside the home in the unit block of Lewis Avenue. As soon as officers arrived, a person started shooting at them, sources told Action News. Two officers were hit and the suspect retreated into the home, sources said. A fire started at the home about 15 minutes after officers arrived. There were no additional shots fired, but sources said authorities fear the child and suspect may still be in the home.” You can find updates on this developing story here: https://6abc.com/east-lansdowne-house-fire-lewis-avenue-officers-shot/14396024/ On Tuesday, Nevada held its presidential primary. Despite basically running uncontested, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley received fewer votes than the “None of These Candidates” option on the ballot. With 88% of the vote counted Haley trails 63% to 31%. On Thursday, the Nevada Republican Party will hold its presidential caucus which Donald Trump is expected to win—and, presumably, will receive the state's 26 delegates. The Nevada primary will award no delegates. Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss Power the Future recently filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Biden Administration for failing to make public Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's paid staff. The Boston Herald reports that Kerry's 45-person staff has collectively received $4.3 million per year in taxpayer-funded salary. Turner explains: "For nearly three years, John Kerry has been jet-setting on the international climate conference circuit while sending taxpayers the bill. Today, we begin the process of teaching John Kerry and Joe Biden that they work for the taxpayers. No one should have to waste resources on litigation, but that is our only option since John Kerry thinks he can keep his office off the books. The American people are on the receiving end of countless green mandates and rules, gas stove bans and skyrocketing utility bills, with no opportunity for consent or input, and many of these decisions are hatched in John Kerry's office. That is why it is our hope that this litigation will finally bring to light the information we deserve to know: the staff names, the office goals and budgets, the outside partnerships that peddle influence on Joe Biden's green agenda." You can read more here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-sued-hiding-john-kerrys-staff-coordination-eco-groups

Founder and Executive Director of Power The Future Daniel Turner joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to shed light on the Biden administration's lack of transparency over Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's taxpayer-funded staff. Jimmy reacts to President Biden's latest gaffe in which he seemed to forget the name of the Hamas terrorist organization during remarks at the White House. Host of the “Kennedy Saves The World” podcast Kennedy stops by to talk about how Biden is now like that elderly relative you have who only has one “good” hour a day. PLUS, News Editor for Townhall.com Katie Pavlich checks in to push back on Biden's claim that former President Trump is actually the one responsible for the crisis at the U.S. Southern border. [00:00:00] Another day, another Biden gaffe [00:37:48] PTF files lawsuit against State Department over details about Kerry's staff [00:50:03] Daniel Turner [00:56:13] Kennedy [01:14:35] Biden basically blames Trump for the border crisis [01:33:10] Katie Pavlich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Kerry has spent more than 40 years in public service, including several decades in the U.S. Senate, leading the U.S. Department of State from 2013 to 2017, and more recently serving as U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. In this episode, he shares the leadership lessons he learned over many years of leadership in the public sector—from influencing people to recovering from defeats, handling leadership transitions, and staying focused on important long-term goals. Key episode topics include: leadership, government, negotiation strategies, leadership transitions, resilience, focus, planning, influence, diplomacy. HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world's top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: John Kerry on Leadership, Compromise, and Change (2018)· Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org]]>

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (01/18/2024): 3:05pm- Nick Corasaniti of The New York Times writes: “Former President Donald J. Trump's resounding victory in Iowa significantly raises the stakes of next week's New Hampshire primary for Nikki Haley and the increasingly desperate contingent of Republicans who want to move on from Mr. Trump. While Iowa was largely a foregone conclusion at the top, with a spirited battle only for second place, a small but ever narrowing path still exists for Ms. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, to beat Mr. Trump in New Hampshire. It relies heavily on tens of thousands of independent voters expected to participate in the Republican primary.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/16/us/politics/haley-new-hampshire-independents-trump.html 3:15pm- Despite finishing behind former President Donald and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in Monday's Iowa caucus, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley claimed that the Republican presidential nomination is now a “two-person race” between herself and Trump. According to Real Clear Politics polling averages, Trump leads Haley 44% to 29% in New Hampshire and 52% to 22% in her home state of South Carolina. Does she have any chance of actually winning Tuesday's NH primary? 3:20pm- On a recent episode of The Journal podcast, New Hampshire voters revealed that they are changing their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican prior to the state's January 23rd primary. Because they can't vote for their preferred candidate—Joe Biden—as he won't appear on the ballot following a Democrat National Committee feud with the state over scheduling dates, many Democrat voters are now registering as Republicans in order to vote against Donald Trump, supporting rival candidates like Nikki Haley. Democrats have seemingly destroyed their own New Hampshire primary, are they impacting the Republican primary as well? 3:40pm- Rich appeared on Fox News with host Dana Perino earlier today and he won't stop mentioning. We are less than an hour into the show and he has already mentioned it seven times! Also, does he need Botox? 3:50pm- A video posted to Fox News' website documents a secret China-run lab in California—which was seemingly used to experiment on dangerous viruses and diseases including Ebola. 3:55pm- Robby Soave of Reason writes: “The World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual meeting is underway in Davos, Switzerland. Last year, disinformation stole the spotlight and was featured as a key problem for global elites to address. This year, the WEF has upped the ante, releasing a report that lists ‘misinformation and disinformation' as the No. 1 short-term risk facing the world—beating out interstate armed conflict, climate change, and lack of economic opportunity. One of the first events at this year's meeting was a panel discussion, ‘Liberating Science,' which largely focused on disinformation as it relates to the climate change agenda.” You can read his full editorial here: https://reason.com/2024/01/18/world-economic-forum-davos-science-disinformation/ 4:05pm- At the World Economic Forum, Harvard Professor Naomi Orsekes accused the social media platform X of disseminating fake information—and, when pressed, she refused to deny that she would recommend censoring the platform. During a panel discussion, Orsekes also claimed that animal agriculture is a “major driver of climate change” and called on people to drastically reduce the amount of meat they consume. 4:15pm- A video posted to Fox News' website documents a secret China-run lab in California—which was seemingly used to experiment on dangerous viruses and diseases including Ebola. Why didn't the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) take the incident more seriously? 4:30pm- During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland several speakers expressed outrage because citizens of the world no longer trust science blindly—questioning “when did the word ‘expert' become an insult?” 4:40pm- While appearing on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Rep. Jim Jordan accused the U.S. federal government—with the help of tech companies and universities—of targeting conservative voices for censorship prior to the 2020 presidential election. 4:50pm- Following Monday's results of the Iowa caucus, MSNBC host Joy Reid claimed that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley finished third because of her skin color—arguing that GOP voters could never elect a woman of color. Haley slammed Reid for her comments noting that she was elected to serve as Governor of South Carolina, and that America is not a racist country. 5:05pm- The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes: “No one escapes the climate police these days, and that includes Taylor Swift. The pop star has been criticized recently for emitting CO2 on her frequent trips on a private jet to see her beau Travis Kelce play for the Kansas City Chiefs. But not to worry. A spokesperson for the entertainer says Ms. Swift has been buying carbon offsets.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-co2-offsets-private-jet-emissions-climate-82bb7d61?mod=opinion_lead_pos1 5:20pm- While participating in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Vanessa Kerry—daughter of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry—alleged that the climate crisis is actually a “health crisis.” 5:30pm- On Thursday, Congress passed a bill that would extend government funding into March—temporarily avoiding a government shutdown. The legislation passed 77-18 in the Senate and 314-108 in the House of Representatives. In response to the deal, the House Freedom Caucus tweeted: “The House Freedom Caucus strongly opposes the proposed short-term Continuing Resolution extending government funding to March to facilitate the passage of the Johnson-Schumer agreement's appropriations bills. Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi's inflationary spending and Joe Biden's failed policies. Unfortunately, that's precisely what has been proposed in order to buy time—incredibly—to pass full-year appropriations that increase Pelosi's spending level and likely preserve Biden's policies. This is not what we promised the American people. Instead, Speaker Mike Johnson should walk away from his agreement with Senate Majority Leader Schumer and pass an appropriations package that meaningfully reduces spending year-over-year and secures our southern border. That is what winning looks like. Seven months ago, over the opposition of many conservatives, Congress raised the debt limit by roughly $4 trillion to January 2025 and, in exchange, established modest spending caps. The recent Johnson-Schumer topline agreement uses those ‘side deals' to spend past the caps by a whopping $69 billion for an unprecedented total of $1.659 trillion—without securing a single commitment on Republican policy priorities. This doesn't preserve the status quo. It makes it worse.” You can find the tweet here: https://twitter.com/freedomcaucus/status/1748077616635007478/photo/1 5:40pm- Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Argentine President Javier Milei told those in attendance “do not surrender” to socialism and to instead embrace capitalism and free markets. He explained, “collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world. Rather, they are the root cause.” Meanwhile, Kevin Roberts, the president of The Heritage Foundation, went nuclear on totalitarian elites at the forum—defending Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a protector of individual liberties. 6:05pm- Amy Gardner and Holly Bailey write: “A state judge overseeing the election interference case against former president Donald Trump in Georgia has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 15 to hear evidence regarding accusations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) and her lead prosecutor engaged in an improper relationship and mishandled public money.” You can read the full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/18/judge-orders-hearing-fani-willis-misconduct-georgia-case/ 6:20pm- On Fox News last night, Jesse Waters noted that the lead prosecutor in the Donald Trump Georgia election interference criminal case, Nathan Wade, billed Fulton County for 24-hours of work in a single day. Wade is alleged to have had an improper relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. 6:30pm- Has Rich mentioned that he was on Fox News with Dana Perino earlier today? At least 17 or 18 times, actually. 6:40pm- Why is snortable caffeine a thing? And who could have ever predicted that it isn't good for you? 6:50pm- During a House hearing, Rep. Max Frost (D-FL) drafted a bill to remove the Statue of Liberty in response to Republican demands to secure the U.S. Southern border. Rep. Frost bizarrely argued that the promise of the Statue of Liberty could not be fulfilled without open borders and unrestricted immigration.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes: “No one escapes the climate police these days, and that includes Taylor Swift. The pop star has been criticized recently for emitting CO2 on her frequent trips on a private jet to see her beau Travis Kelce play for the Kansas City Chiefs. But not to worry. A spokesperson for the entertainer says Ms. Swift has been buying carbon offsets.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-co2-offsets-private-jet-emissions-climate-82bb7d61?mod=opinion_lead_pos1 While participating in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Vanessa Kerry—daughter of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry—alleged that the climate crisis is actually a “health crisis.” On Thursday, Congress passed a bill that would extend government funding into March—temporarily avoiding a government shutdown. The legislation passed 77-18 in the Senate and 314-108 in the House of Representatives. In response to the deal, the House Freedom Caucus tweeted: “The House Freedom Caucus strongly opposes the proposed short-term Continuing Resolution extending government funding to March to facilitate the passage of the Johnson-Schumer agreement's appropriations bills. Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi's inflationary spending and Joe Biden's failed policies. Unfortunately, that's precisely what has been proposed in order to buy time - incredibly - to pass full-year appropriations that increase Pelosi's spending level and likely preserve Biden's policies. This is not what we promised the American people. Instead, Speaker Mike Johnson should walk away from his agreement with Senate Majority Leader Schumer and pass an appropriations package that meaningfully reduces spending year-over-year and secures our southern border. That is what winning looks like. Seven months ago, over the opposition of many conservatives, Congress raised the debt limit by roughly $4 trillion to January 2025 and, in exchange, established modest spending caps. The recent Johnson-Schumer topline agreement uses those "side deals" to spend past the caps by a whopping $69 billion for an unprecedented total of $1.659 trillion—without securing a single commitment on Republican policy priorities. This doesn't preserve the status quo. It makes it worse.” You can find the tweet here: https://twitter.com/freedomcaucus/status/1748077616635007478/photo/1 Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Argentine President Javier Milei told those in attendance “do not surrender” to socialism and to instead embrace capitalism and free markets. He explained, “collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world. Rather, they are the root cause.” Meanwhile, Kevin Roberts, the president of The Heritage Foundation, went nuclear on totalitarian elites at the forum—defending Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a protector of individual liberties.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: Warren P. Strobel of The Wall Street Journal writes: “Chinese researchers isolated and mapped the virus that causes Covid-19 in late December 2019, at least two weeks before Beijing revealed details of the deadly virus to the world, congressional investigators said, raising questions anew about what China knew in the pandemic's crucial early days. Documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by a House committee and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show that a Chinese researcher in Beijing uploaded a nearly complete sequence of the virus's structure to a U.S. government-run database on Dec. 28, 2019. Chinese officials at that time were still publicly describing the disease outbreak in Wuhan, China, as a viral pneumonia “of unknown cause” and had yet to close the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, site of one of the initial Covid-19 outbreaks. China only shared the virus's sequence with the World Health Organization on Jan. 11, 2020, according to U.S. government timelines of the pandemic.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/world/china/chinese-lab-mapped-deadly-coronavirus-two-weeks-before-beijing-told-the-world-documents-show-9bca8865 Katherine Donlevy of The New York Post writes: “In a Wuhan-esque study, Chinese scientists are experimenting with a mutant COVID-19 strain that is 100% lethal to ‘humanized' mice. The deadly virus—known as GX_P2V—attacked the brains of mice that were engineered to reflect genetic makeup similar to people, according to a study shared last week out of Beijing.” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/01/16/news/covid-19-strain-kills-100-of-infected-mice-in-chinese-lab-study/ Are you a psychopath? A new study indicates that if your index finger is longer than your ring finger you may be biologically more likely to be a psychopath. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry compared the fight against climate change to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II—ultimately requesting trillions of dollars per year over the next 30-years.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Argentine President Javier Milei told those in attendance “do not surrender” to socialism and to instead embrace capitalism, free markets, and individual liberties. Meanwhile, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry compared the fight against climate change to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II—ultimately requesting trillions of dollars per year over the next 30-years. At the World Economic Forum, Harvard Professor Naomi Orsekes accused the social media platform X of disseminating fake information—and, when pressed, she refused to deny that she would recommend censoring the platform. Zach Smith—Legal Fellow and Manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program in Heritage's Meese Center—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to talk about the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Department of Commerce on Wednesday. Could Chevron deference be coming to an end? Brooke Singman od Fox News writes: “Federal investigators asked banks to search and filter customer transactions by using terms like "MAGA" and "Trump" as part of an investigation into Jan. 6, warning that purchases of "religious texts" could indicate "extremism," the House Judiciary Committee revealed in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital Wednesday.” You can read the full report here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/alarming-surveillance-feds-asked-banks-search-private-transactions-terms-maga-trump

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (01/17/2024): 3:05pm- Kristen Pieffer of the Freedonia Group documents the results of a brand-new study on the impact of New Jersey's ban on single-use plastic bags. She writes: “following implementation of the New Jersey bag ban, total bag volumes declined by more than 60% to 894 million bags. However, the study also shows, following New Jersey's ban of single-use bags, the shift from plastic film to alternative bags resulted in a nearly 3x increase in plastic consumption for bags. At the same time, 6x more woven and non-woven polypropylene plastic was consumed to produce the reusable bags sold to consumers as an alternative. Most of these alternative bags are made with non-woven polypropylene, which is not widely recycled in the United States and does not typically contain any post-consumer recycled materials. This shift in material also resulted in a notable environmental impact, with the increased consumption of polypropylene bags contributing to a 500% increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to non-woven polypropylene bag production in 2015. Notably, non-woven polypropylene, NWPP, the dominant alternative bag material, consumes over 15 times more plastic and generates more than five times the amount of GHG emissions during production per bag than polyethylene plastic bags.” You can read the full report here: https://www.freedoniagroup.com/press-releases/freedonia-report-finds-new-jersey-single-use-bag-ban-boosts-alternative-bag-production,-increases-pl 3:20pm- Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Argentine President Javier Milei told those in attendance “do not surrender” to socialism and to instead embrace capitalism, free markets, and individual liberties. 3:30pm Why does Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise follow Matt on social media? Rich and Henry are baffled. 3:40pm- While speaking with CNBC from Davos, Switzerland, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon implored the Biden campaign team and members of the media to stop “scapegoating” presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his supporters. Dimon said of Trump: "Just take a step back and be honest. He was kind of right about NATO. He was kind of right about immigration. He grew the economy quite well. Tax reform worked. He was right about China." 3:45pm- While appearing on The View, Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “scared as heck” of Donald Trump and his supporters. 4:05pm- Warren P. Strobel of The Wall Street Journal writes: “Chinese researchers isolated and mapped the virus that causes Covid-19 in late December 2019, at least two weeks before Beijing revealed details of the deadly virus to the world, congressional investigators said, raising questions anew about what China knew in the pandemic's crucial early days. Documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by a House committee and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show that a Chinese researcher in Beijing uploaded a nearly complete sequence of the virus's structure to a U.S. government-run database on Dec. 28, 2019. Chinese officials at that time were still publicly describing the disease outbreak in Wuhan, China, as a viral pneumonia “of unknown cause” and had yet to close the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, site of one of the initial Covid-19 outbreaks. China only shared the virus's sequence with the World Health Organization on Jan. 11, 2020, according to U.S. government timelines of the pandemic.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/world/china/chinese-lab-mapped-deadly-coronavirus-two-weeks-before-beijing-told-the-world-documents-show-9bca8865 4:10pm- Katherine Donlevy of The New York Post writes: “In a Wuhan-esque study, Chinese scientists are experimenting with a mutant COVID-19 strain that is 100% lethal to ‘humanized' mice. The deadly virus—known as GX_P2V—attacked the brains of mice that were engineered to reflect genetic makeup similar to people, according to a study shared last week out of Beijing.” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/01/16/news/covid-19-strain-kills-100-of-infected-mice-in-chinese-lab-study/ 4:30pm- Are you a psychopath? A new study indicates that if your index finger is longer than your ring finger you may be biologically more likely to be a psychopath. 4:40pm- Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry compared the fight against climate change to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II—ultimately requesting trillions of dollars per year over the next 30-years. 5:05pm- Cliff Maloney Jr.—of The Pennsylvania Chase—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his ambition to “deploy a team of young professionals to knock on 500,000 doors to chase ballots legally” in order to generate greater Republican turnout for the 2024 election cycle. You can learn more here and sponsor a ballot chaser: www.PAChase.com 5:20pm- Jeffrey Blehar of National Review called on Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis to suspend his campaign—as there is no pathway towards victory. He writes: “DeSantis had my vote and never seriously threatened to lose it; I didn't even mind when he said or did cringeworthy things on the campaign trail (his answers on Social Security in particular were gagworthy to any honest man); certainly not when the other primary options on offer are Nikki Haley and (no, thanks, ever) Donald Trump. Having laid my cards out on the table like this, however, it's time to turn the tarot over and give the DeSantis campaign its reading: the Death card.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/there-is-no-distance-left-to-run-for-ron-desantis/ 5:40pm- Paul Dans—who served in the Trump Administration as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his work as Director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project at The Heritage Foundation. You can learn more here: https://www.project2025.org 6:05pm- Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Argentine President Javier Milei told those in attendance “do not surrender” to socialism and to instead embrace capitalism, free markets, and individual liberties. Meanwhile, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry compared the fight against climate change to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II—ultimately requesting trillions of dollars per year over the next 30-years. 6:15pm- At the World Economic Forum, Harvard Professor Naomi Orsekes accused the social media platform X of disseminating fake information—and, when pressed, she refused to deny that she would recommend censoring the platform. 6:35pm- Zach Smith—Legal Fellow and Manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program in Heritage's Meese Center—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to talk about the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Department of Commerce on Wednesday. Could Chevron deference be coming to an end? 6:50pm- Brooke Singman od Fox News writes: “Federal investigators asked banks to search and filter customer transactions by using terms like "MAGA" and "Trump" as part of an investigation into Jan. 6, warning that purchases of "religious texts" could indicate "extremism," the House Judiciary Committee revealed in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital Wednesday.” You can read the full report here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/alarming-surveillance-feds-asked-banks-search-private-transactions-terms-maga-trump

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry is reportedly planning to leave his role at the White House in the coming months... after maybe not doing the best job at uniting the country to fight climate change. Founder and Executive Chairman of the American Conservation Coalition Benji Backer joins Kennedy to explain how the U.S. climate envoy has been hyper-focused on solar, wind, and electric vehicles without focusing on investments into other practical ways to solve environmental problems such as nuclear, hydrogen, and geothermal energy.   Follow Kennedy on Twitter: @KennedyNation Kennedy Now Available on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4311mhD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The green new scam is finished the German farmers had their government back down and now the farmers are going to push so they never try something like this again.  The blue states have the highest homeless rates. Janet Yellen is telling the people the country just had a soft landing. But this is with all manipulated data, boomerang. The [DS] is now preparing for the change of batter. They have now changed the state of the union until March after super Tuesday. Trump sends messages to all of us letting us know the plan is on track. He avoided a civil war and he has studied the civil war and Abe Lincoln. Lincoln used the military to save the Republic. Trump is doing the same thing.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1743697649029517428?s=20 Comer launches investigation of climate envoy Kerry, alleges collusion with environmental groups Comer asked that Blinken provide the committee with any communications between Kerry, the State Department, and other relevant parties related to the decision to join the PPCA.  House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Friday launched a probe seeking documents related Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry's dealings with environmental activist organizations to bring the U.S. into an anti-coal bloc. "The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is continuing its investigation into the activities of the office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC). Documents produced to the Committee reveal that the State Department sought and received feedback from leftist environmental groups on the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) and enabled those groups to influence U.S. foreign policy," he wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. File Comer letter to Blinken "These documents raise significant concerns that confidential information related to U.S. foreign policy, energy policy, and national security policy, have been shared with these groups, including in off-the-record meetings with Envoy John Kerry," he continued. "In light of these concerns, we request the State Department provide a staff-level briefing and additional documents and communications regarding the U.S. decision to join the PPCA." Comer asked that Blinken provide the committee with any communications between Kerry, the State Department, and other relevant parties related to the decision to join the PPCA. He then set the deadline for submission to Jan. 19. source: justthenews.com A new tiny-home community near San Antonio is raising eyebrows for marketing pint-sized houses for over $140,000 The 96-home community is halfway sold out, a representative of the developer told BI. But skeptics online are questioning whether a tiny home priced at over $140,000 is a fair deal.   Elm Trails is the first tiny-home community built by Lennar, a home construction company based in Florida. Rhonda Ober, a Lennar representative, told Business Insider that construction started eight months ago and is expected to be completed within a year. Around half of the 96 homes in the community have already sold, Ober said. The success may come as a surprise given that local coverage of the project in the past few months has highlighted a debate over whether the price tags are too steep. The controversy resurfaced on Tuesday after a Texas-based entertainment TikTok account shared a satirical real-estate tour of an Elm Trails property priced at upwards of $140,000.

While the United States was able to negotiate the release of detained Americans in Venezuela, there are at least four Americans in Russia and approximately seven held in Gaza. The U.S. government's point person working to get them all home is Roger Carstens, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Amna Nawaz spoke with Carstens about those still held captive. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

While the United States was able to negotiate the release of detained Americans in Venezuela, there are at least four Americans in Russia and approximately seven held in Gaza. The U.S. government's point person working to get them all home is Roger Carstens, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Amna Nawaz spoke with Carstens about those still held captive. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP28) is underway and on Dec. 3 it will feature a “Day of Health.” This is the first time the world leaders on climate change will devote an entire day to how climate change is affecting our physical, mental and emotional health. Dr. Vanessa Kerry, the World Health Organization Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health, joined us with an overview of what to expect from the discussions, including ongoing efforts to reduce fossil fuels. In fact, new research shows using fossil fuels accounts for 5 million extra deaths a year worldwide. Dr. Kerry also shared with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter how she helps her dad, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, understand the urgent need to protect human health as temperatures continue to rise. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

The United States has promised to form an international coalition to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen; we hear from a leading expert on piracy and maritime terrorism. Also in the programme: U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, on COP28; and a history of colonialism told through the spread of viruses.(Photo: A view of the British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which was reported to have been captured by Houthis in the southern Red Sea, in this handout image taken near Queensland, Australia November 27, 2018. Credit: Reuters)

When the gavel came down at the global climate summit in Dubai last week, the deal struck by more than 200 hundred participants was heralded by its supporters as ground-breaking and historic. Critics of the agreement - aimed at limiting global warming to less than 1.5*C - say it's toothless and full of loopholes. U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, has told Newshour that he's focusing on putting the deal into action. But some question whether the transition the deal talks about will happen quickly enough.Also in the programme: As media mogul Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to security charges in Hong Kong -- another pro-democracy leader now in exile tells us why this trial matters; and why Chileans have rejected a second attempt to reform the country's constitution.(Photo shows John Kerry speaking at a press conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 13 December 2023. Credit: Martin Divisek/EPA)

Congress is probably going to send approximately $50 billion more, most of that for weapons, to continue the war in Ukraine. In November, high ranking officials from the State Department testified about how the Biden administration intends to use our money and why. In this episode, hear the highlights of their testimony and decide for yourself if you think their goals are worth sacrificing more American money and Ukrainian lives. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes WTF is the World Trade System? Naomi Klein. Picador: 2008. Nicole Narea. October 13, 2023. Vox. Offshore Technology. Ukraine: How We Got Here Branko Marcetic. February 7, 2022. Jacobin. Stanley Reed and Andrew E. Kramer. November 5, 2013. The New York Times. Marieke Ploegmakers. February 5, 2012. All About Feed. Arseniy Yatsenyuk Official Website. Retrieved on December 16, 2023. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. The Ukraine War, by the Map Defence Intelligence, UK Ministry of Defense. December 15, 2023. GlobalSecurity.org. Visual Journalism Team. November 16, 2023. BBC News. Josh Holder. September 28, 2023. The New York Times. @war_mapper. December 31, 2022. GlobalSecurity.org. U.S. Support for Ukraine Karoun Demirjian. December 6, 2023. The New York Times. The IMF in Ukraine Oleksandra Betliy. May 5, 2023. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. March 31, 2023. International Monetary Fund. Estelle Nilsson-Julien and Ilaria Federico. March 5, 2023. Euronews. December 21, 2022. International Monetary Fund. Diplomacy Connor Echols. December 1, 2023. Responsible Statecraft. Seymour Hersh. December 1, 2023. Seymour Hersh on Substack. Olena Roshchina. November 24, 2023. Ukrainska Pravda. The Toll of War Jonathan Landay. December 12, 2023. Reuters. John Mazerolle. December 8, 2023. CBC News. Inae Oh. November 8, 2023. Mother Jones. Oleg Sukhov. September 28, 2023. The Kyiv Independent. Israel-Palestine Ian Black. Narrated by Michael Page. Tantor Audio: 2018. Darryl Cooper. The Martyrmade Podcast. Audio Sources November 8, 2023 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: , Assistant Secretary of State, European and Eurasian Affairs , Assistant Secretary of State, Energy Resources , Assistant Administrator, Europe and Eurasia, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Clips 1:55 Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD): The supplemental funding will strengthen governance and anti-corruption systems. It will improve the resilience of our economies and our energy supply. It will support efforts to come out of the other side of this. We're ready for Ukraine to join EU and also NATO. But this investment in Ukraine goes far beyond its borders. By degrading Russia's military capabilities, we're also degrading the capabilities of those who Russia works with, like Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. 10:30 Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD): First Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien. Assistant Secretary O'Brien assumed his role just last month after serving as sanctions coordinator at the State Department. He is a former career employee of the department receiving numerous performance awards and serve to previous US administration's as Special Presidential Envoy for hostages and for the Balkans. 11:00 Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD): The next will be Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources, Jeffrey R. Pyatt. No stranger to this committee, career diplomat Assistant Secretary Pyatt has been in his current role since September 2022. He served as US Ambassador to Greece and Ukraine. He has held numerous leadership positions through out the department and has won numerous awards. 11:25 Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD): And our third witness is Assistant Administrator Erin McKee, who serves as the Assistant Administrator in the Bureau of Europe and Eurasia at USAID. Prior to this position, she was the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea and to the Solomon Islands. Prior to her Ambassador appointments, as a member of the Senior Foreign Service she served in numerous leadership roles throughout USAID and the embassies abroad. Before her US government career she developed private sector experience including throughout the former Soviet Union. 14:40 James O'Brien: This is around the Black Sea and Crimea. Ukraine has, through its own ingenuity and with weapons that have been provided, loosened Russia's grip. Russia tried to blockade the ability of Ukraine to export, but now Ukraine is starting to export more grain, more metals. And this is enabling it to pay for more of its war itself. So just a few numbers as we go through this. Ukraine is hoping to get about 8 million tons of grain and metals out through the Black Sea over the course of the next year. If it does that, it will provide about $5-6 billion more for its tax base than it has now. That helps to make up the shortfall that our supplemental will cover for the meantime. But it also then provides the employment for millions of its citizens to work within Ukraine. Now, that is a path to victory where we help Ukraine by providing assistance to have its energy grid strengthened, air defense over its employment centers, and the export routed needs so that it is able to fight this fight over the long term and to hold Russia off thereafter. 15:50 James O'Brien: The military assistance in the supplemental is about $45 billion. That goes to acquire American equipment that Ukraine will then use to pay for American service people to support Ukraine and to pay other countries to acquire American equipment after they provide equipment to Ukraine. 16:05 James O'Brien: The direct budget support that we provide to Ukraine enables Ukraine to put all of its tax dollars to support the war. Ukraine pays for about 60% of the costs of this war right now. The direct budget support pays for hundreds of thousands of educators, first responders, firefighters, and health care professionals to work within Ukraine. 16:55 James O'Brien: The next question is, who's with us? We have more than 40 countries. They provide much more assistance to Ukraine than we do. It's about $91 billion to our $70 billion so far. They've hosted 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees at a cost of around $18 billion. They are proposing another $50 billion in assistance just from the European Union. 17:30 James O'Brien: Right now, Ukrainians are willing to do this job because it's in their territory. If we abandon them, then somebody else is going to have to do this job later and it's likely to be us. So I'd rather confront Russia and its destabilizing attitudes right here, right now, and we can finish the job with the supplemental that we've proposed for your consideration. 18:45 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: For Ukraine, this coming winter promises to be even more challenging than the last. Ukraine's generation capacity has degraded about 50% since the start of the war. Ukrainian energy workers have labored day and night, often under fire, to repair, restore, and harden grid and generation facilities, often by cannibalizing parts from elsewhere. But most spare parts by now have been consumed, and Russia has recently resumed its bombardment of power plants and refineries, including just this morning in eastern Ukraine. 20:50 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: The World Bank has estimated that after last winter, Ukraine needed at least $411 billion to rebuild its infrastructure. That was eight months ago. Every day that number grows. Electricity grid damage alone amounted to $10 billion in 2022. Ukraine's economic future depends on investment by the private sector, and energy is key to unlocking that industrial recovery. 21:25 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: American energy companies like Halliburton, GE, and EQT have been active partners in this effort, providing vital equipment to Ukraine and actively exploring future commercial opportunities. We're working together to build a better future for and with Ukraine -- modern, cleaner, and with a more decentralized power sector that is fully integrated with Europe, even serving as a power exporter to the rest of the European Union. 22:10 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: After the full scale invasion, US LNG producers stepped up to surge supplies to Europe, as our allies turned away from Russia as an energy source. Since 2022, US exporters have supplied the EU with approximately 90 million tons of LNG -- three times as much as the next largest supplier. Last year, 70% of US LNG exports went to Europe. Europe's shift away from Russian energy has happened much faster than predicted, and marks a permanent shift in the International Energy map. 25:30 Erin McKee: In response to the immediate crisis, USAID has provided nearly $2 billion in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since February of 2022. The generosity of the American people has supplied emergency health care, agriculture and energy support to Ukraine's most vulnerable populations. And thanks to the Congressional appropriations, USAID disbursed reliable, sustained direct budget support to the Ukrainian government, along with unprecedented levels of oversight. This enabled first responders, health care workers, teachers and others to continue their vital work and sustain Ukraine's economy and institutions while they defend their country's freedom and sovereignty. 26:10 Erin McKee: To respond to Russia's weaponization of hunger, USAID launched the Agriculture Resilience Initiative to keep farmers afloat. USAID also works very closely with the private sector to improve Ukraine's energy security and transform Ukraine's energy sector into a modern engine of growth. Side by side with our agriculture and energy efforts is USAID's support to small and medium enterprises, helping Ukraine increase jobs and generate revenue. 26:45 Erin McKee: At this time, there is no funding left for direct budget support. Without further appropriations, the government of Ukraine would need to use emergency measures such as printing money or not paying critical salaries, which could lead to hyperinflation and severely damage the war effort. USAID has also exhausted all of its supplemental humanitarian assistance funds. Additional funding is critical in the face of what remains an enormous need. If Congress does not approve supplemental funding, our partner organizations in Ukraine would have to either reduce the number of people getting this humanitarian assistance by up to 75% or suspend our humanitarian programs entirely. 27:30 Erin McKee: USAID also looks to the future to building resilient infrastructure and institutions that will support Ukraine's path towards European Union integration. For decades, USAID has buttressed Ukraine's progress towards transparent, inclusive and accountable governance. The United States continues to help Ukraine carry out judicial reform, institutionalized transparent financial systems, and respond to the people of Ukraine's zero tolerance for corruption. 33:15 Erin McKee: They have not skipped a beat in advancing the reform agenda. The EU report just came out this morning and both Ukraine and Moldova, and a variety of other countries, received support for continuing and opening chapters of recession talks. That's because our support to strengthening and deepening the institutions fighting corruption in Ukraine have received the top priority from the President. They had to pass and meet conditionality that we put on our direct budget support and did so without blinking. So while they're fighting a war and fighting for their survival, they are 100% dedicated to ensuring that the political economy model that they inherited during the Soviet Union is dismantled, which reflects the will of the Ukrainian people. 34:35 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: And one of the real success stories amid the tragedy of this war is that Europe has turned decisively away from its dependence, up until 2022, on Russian gas in particular. I see that as a permanent change in the landscape. It's reflected in the billions of dollars that European countries have invested in regasification facilities. It's reflected in the contracts that are being signed with American LNG producers. And it's also reflected in Europe's renewed and doubled commitment to accelerating the pace of its energy transition. So ironically, Putin's weaponization of his energy resource has induced Europe to break its vulnerability there and I think that is a permanent change in the landscape. That is also a positive benefit for American energy producers in our leadership on the energy transition. 35:55 Sen. James Risch (R-ID): I want to talk about the nuclear reactors we have in the United States, of which there are 95, give or take a few. Would you tell the committee, please, where does the fuel come from to operate these nuclear facilities? Geoffrey R. Pyatt: So, Ranking Member, about 20% of the fuel that operates our nuclear fleet here in the United States still comes from Russia. The President has included in his latest supplemental request for about $2.2 billion to help rebuild the nuclear enrichment capacity that we need here in the United States to end that dependency. And the administration has also stated its support for a ban on the import of Russian nuclear fuel. 43:30 Erin McKee: Right now Ukraine is able to spend all of their national budget in the fight. They are paying their soldiers salaries, they are dedicated to defeating Putin on the front lines. That means they don't have any resources to take care of their people and govern, which is as vital to keep up the unity of purpose and the resilience that we've seen from the Ukrainian people, because they're all in, both on the civilian and the military side. So the types of services that would be suspended are first responders who rush into the building and save lives, medical care to make sure that inoculations stay up so that the Ukrainian population stays healthy, particularly children's routine immunizations. We heard reports of polio outbreaks and some other concerns during the early days of the mass emigration of folks fleeing the conflict. We also are supporting teachers and continuing education so that they don't lose a generation as a result of Putin's attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure so that the kids can stay in school, and that those families — Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE): Am I correct that the direct budget support requested gradually goes down over the next year, as the economy becomes more vibrant and we assess Ukraine is able to generate more revenue? Erin McKee: Correct. The direct budget support and their fiscal stability is also vital for the IMF program and other donors stepping in. Our leadership in this space -- and yes, we were first -- unlocked the other support that we've seen mobilized from the EU and other donors, as well as boosting the confidence in the multilaterals to be able to contribute to Ukraine's economic stability, which is as vital as winning the war. If their economy collapses, Putin will have won. 47:55 Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): As Harvard's Graham Allison points out, if Putin is forced to choose between humiliating defeat on the one hand and escalating the level of destruction, there's every reason to believe he chooses the latter. There's a great deal of evidence that the war in Ukraine has come to a stalemate. Even Ukraine's Commander in Chief of the armed services has admitted as much. In Graham Allison's view, the Ukraine war has escalated far enough to see how bad things would become if we end up in a world where nuclear weapons are used. Allison believes that where we are now, both for Putin's Russia and for the Biden-led US and the Western alliance, it's time to search for an off ramp for all the parties. What is being done at the State Department to search for an off ramp. James O'Brien: Thank you, Senator. A few points. I mean, I can speak to the foreign policy implications. My belief is if we don't stand with Ukraine now, we'll be spending much more on defense in the future. Much of this supplemental goes to reinvest in the United States, so far from rot and ruin, we're actually shoring up the foundations in our energy sector as Assistant Secretary Pyatt — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): So your argument is that war and funding war around the world is good for our armaments industry. James O'Brien: I'm saying this supplemental is good for our economy — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): For the armaments industry. So really, it's a justification of war. To me, that's sort of reprehensible -- and this is coming from my side as well -- the idea that "Oh, glory be, the war's really not that bad. Broken windows are not that bad, because we pay people to fix them. Broken countries are not so bad, because hey, look, the armaments industry is gonna get billions of dollars out of this." I think that's a terrible argument. I wish y'all would go back to your freedom arguments or something. But the idea that you're going to enrich the armaments manufacturers, I think is reprehensible. James O'Brien: Well, Senator, I'm not making the argument war is good. I'm making the argument, in this case, war is necessary. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): And that we can make a little profit on the side. It's not so bad since the armaments guys who make a lot of profit on this, right. James O'Brien: Senator, I think you're proposing a kind of false choice that Ieither have to say that or say nothing. What I'm saying is that our economy rests on a foundation of innovation. And in the supplemental, we're investing in our energy sector — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): But the money is borrowed. We're borrowing the money. We don't have it. We don't have a pot of money. So what you're arguing is, in essence, that we borrow the money from China, we send it to Ukraine, Ukraine, sends it back to buy arms from us, and that's a win-win. How do we win when we're borrowing money to pay people. See this is this false sort of argument that "oh, look, we'll create five jobs for every dollar we spend," but we're borrowing the money. It doesn't make any sense. It's coming from somewhere where it would be a productive use, into the use of basically fomenting a war and continuing on a war. James O'Brien: No, that's not the choice in front of us, Senator. And I'm sorry that you feel that that's the way you want to frame it. The choice in front of us is do we invest in the capacities that allow this war to be won? Those include capacities in energy, in defense, in IT, and they include — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): Let's get away from funding the armaments people. You know, I'm not for that. But the original question is, what are you doing to develop an off ramp? You know, when I listen to your presentations, it sounds like the Department of War, I don't hear the Department of diplomacy in front of me. Where are the diplomats? Is anybody talking about negotiation? Do you really believe that Ukraine is gonna push Russia out of out of Ukraine, they're gonna push them out of Crimea, push them out of the East, and that Zelenskyy's is position, "we will not negotiate till they're gone from Ukraine," is viable? And that there's not going to have to be some negotiation beforehand? If you believe that, though, the meat grinder continues and Ukraine will be in utter destruction and tens of thousands more people will die if there is no negotiation. You would think that as a superpower, we would be involved somewhat with encouraging negotiation. But I've heard nothing from you, and nothing from anyone in your administration, frankly, that talks about negotiating. James O'Brien: Well, Senator, then I hope you would sit down and talk with me about what we're doing in this regard. Here, I'll give you a little sense of it. All wars end with a negotiation. We've made clear we'll do that with Ukraine, not over Ukraine's head. It takes two parties to negotiate the end of a war. President Putin is not serious about negotiating the end of the war. He has said he wants to wait and see what happens in November 2024. We're preparing for that eventuality so we can have a negotiation that will actually stick as opposed to the track record of broken agreements that President Putin has made with a whole range of his neighbors up until now. So that's successful diplomacy, not mere diplomacy. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): There are actually some who say we're back to about where we started as far as negotiating and tens of thousands of people have died on both sides, and we haven't been successful. But I still hear only war and I don't hear diplomacy. James O'Brien: No but I think what we're looking at is successful diplomacy. I just spent last weekend with 66 countries talking about the basis of a successful peace in Ukraine. Russia didn't show up. That, again, is the problem. You don't have a willing partner on the other side, so simply saying that there must be talks is -- you're asking for a monologue, not diplomacy. 55:00 Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR): You know, I'm really struck by the parallel to the journey of Chamberlain to Munich to say, "Okay, Hitler, you can take a third of Czechoslovakia" and then he declared peace in our time, under the assumption that somehow this would not whet Hitler's appetite. Did Chamberlain's strategy work? James O'Brien: No. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR): Will this strategy now, of us bailing on Ukraine to appease Putin, work? James O'Brien: No, it'll invite more aggression. 1:01:40 Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE): Do you think we should condition US aid to prevent US tax dollars from supporting PRC-owned or controlled entities from providing the reconstruction? James O'Brien: Senator, we do. That's why it's so important to have the supplemental so that we remain in the game and can set the conditions that make it impossible for opaque, illegitimate contractors like the Chinese to enter. And I know my colleagues can speak at some length about how in energy, telecomms, and other sectors we do exactly that. But if we're not there, then we can't we can't provide the guarantees you want. 1:05:35 James O'Brien: There are about $2.2 billion to go to both the energy supply and to the economic activity that's needed for Ukraine to begin to repair its access to the outside world. That's also important to us. When Russia invaded Ukraine, grain prices went up six times in many places around the world, because Ukraine is an incredibly important part of the global grain trade. The work that AID does to help Ukrainian farmers get their products to market, in the supplemental, the $100 million that is for demining will help farmers get their product to market. All of that directly benefits the markets in which our consumers are a part. So if we do all that, if we can get them to about pre-war export levels, that's an extra $6 billion a year in tax revenue just from the exports, as well as what the industries pay and what happens around the society. Now, Secretary Pritzker, and she should come and testify this herself, she's doing an outstanding job at building a strategy that lets us focus our efforts in key places, so that Ukraine's economy will begin to work and contribute to the global economy, even while this war is going on. All of that works together to make sure that Ukraine can succeed and has the leverage needed when we get to a negotiation, as Senator Paul wants. 1:13:55 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: So I would point out that the greatest threat to the energy grid today are the Shahed drones, which Russia is now beginning to industrialize the production of those. We can talk about that in a classified setting, but there is a direct Iran-Russia nexus in the attacks on Ukraine's energy system. 1:24:10 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: We are working as hard as we can to accelerate that trend. We do that through two mechanisms. One is by accelerating our energy transition, both here in the United States, but also globally, as the Biden administration has done through the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. But the other aspect of this is what we are doing systematically to reduce Russia's future energy revenue. Just last week, for instance, we leveled new sanctions against a project in the in the Arctic, Arctic LNG 2, which is Novatek's flagship LNG project, which Novatek set in motion with the aspiration of developing Russia as the largest LNG exporter in the world. Our objective is to kill that project, and we're doing that through our sanctions, working with our partners in the G7 and beyond. 1:26:00 James O'Brien: Russia is losing its lucrative markets. That's what got it rich enough to afford this war. It's losing out in the sectors of innovation that are going to drive economic development in the future. So we look at this and say, "Does it put pressure on Putin to get to the table?" Well, yes, it does. It's going to take a little time. He started the war with 640 billion in a rainy day fund. By the start of this year, despite record profits last year, he was down around 580, we immobilized 300 of that, and he spent down further from there. So that gives them a year, two years maybe, of run room on that rainy day fund that all came from selling oil and gas. So that's gone. The second thing is that we don't see Russia able to play in the sectors that are going to drive innovation and economic growth in the future. The areas of quantum mechanics, artificial intelligence, the energy transition, including the new nuclear technologies that are coming on board, and Senator Risch, your work on this I really appreciate, because Russia entangled countries in these long term networks of corruption, with generation-long Rosatom contracts. We're now competing for those again, and taking those sectors away from Russia. That changes the long term prospect from what it was. The result of all this is we anticipate that Russia's GDP is going to be at least 20% smaller by 2030 than it would be if Putin had not started this war. So it's a long term strategic loss for him, and it creates a great opportunity for us in a number of important sectors. 1:35:30 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): I understand, and this is not critical. I agree that we can't allow borders to be changed unilaterally and we have to stand with our allies. I'm not diminishing any of those things. But those arguments are too vague. They make sense here, but I'm just telling you they're too vague. This notion that we need to do whatever it takes for however long it takes, is also misguided. Not because that's not necessarily what we need to do, but because that's not going to be enough for people who are asking these questions. I would just say if you had an opportunity, any of you three, or all you three to talk to someone, say someone that came up to me a week ago and said, "Why are we still putting all this money in Ukraine. I hate Putin, I hate what he's done, but we've got all these other things domestically and in other parts of the world that are more important, including China, and now what's happening in the Middle East. How are we going to be spending $60 billion every six months? For how long? Given the debt that we already have?" What would you say to them? And how would you explain to them that this fits into their national interest in that perspective I've just outlined? James O'Brien: That's really well framed, Senator, so I'll do my best here. I think the first thing I'd say is you got to shore up your own base. If we're going to confront China over the next decades, it's 1.4 billion people, that's looking to write the rules that the world economy will run on. We go at them with a coalition of 50-odd countries, Europe is about 600-700 million of that, we're 350 million. With that already, we're set to compete really effectively. Ukraine, though, is a challenge by Putin trying to fray that foundation. So we have to shore that up if we're going to have the heft to compete with China over time. The battle over Ukraine also allows us to reinvigorate our own industrial base, we're creating new energy technologies and putting them in place around the world. We're building new defense technologies, the work that's being done in IT, all of that's included in this supplemental, and that's going to make us better able to defend Taiwan, to work in the South China Sea, than we have otherwise. The final point I'd make is, this is the wrong time to walk away because Ukraine's winning. It's already taken back half the territory Putin seized since February 2022. It opened up the Black Sea grain lanes that Putin tried to shut down in July, did that mostly with its own creativity around a whole set of interesting drones and other technologies that are going to contribute to our security as Ukraine gets closer to NATO. So those are all reasons you don't walk away when you're partway through the job. 1:41:10 Geoffrey R. Pyatt: Ukraine is not a charity case. In economic and development terms, it's an opportunity. Developing that opportunity depends on restoring a level of peace. But as we look to the future, you're going to have a Europe which has decoupled from Russian energy supplies, which means that there's a hole of about 130 BCM per year in energy supply that Europe is going to have to fill. Over the short term, some of that is American LNG, but that's a very expensive option. Ukraine has fantastic resources on wind, on solar, on biomass. It has Europe's second largest civil nuclear industry. It has developed and has demonstrated an extraordinary technological acuity. Just look at how clever Ukrainian soldiers have been in the application of drone technology. These are all the skill sets that Ukraine will need to prosper as a member of the European Union. My colleague, Assistant Administrator McKee, referred to the statement which European President Vanderlaan delivered today welcoming the significant progress that Ukraine has made on its reforms, and her and the Commission's determination to move ahead with Ukraine's accession to the European Union. And I would say as somebody who served as an American ambassador in the EU for six years, what Ukraine represents is a demographically young population, a population which is fantastically committed to the values of the European Union. Ukraine is the only place in the world where people have fought and died under the flag of the EU for the values that are represented in the European constitutions. So I think these are the investments in the leadership that Secretary Pritzker is providing to help our companies and companies around the world begin to make plans for the day after and to work with Ukrainians to keep pushing forward the reforms, which are fundamental to creating the environment where American energy companies, renewable energy companies can come into Ukraine, where we can use Ukraine to help to fill the huge challenges that our global supply chain faces. In the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the center of Soviet metallurgy, the center of Soviet petrochemicals industries, all of those latent skills are still there. You talked about nuclear, Ukraine has a company in Kharkiv, Turboatom, which is one of the few facilities in all of Europe that has the industrial capacity to produce the large steel enclosures that are part of building modern nuclear reactors. So I applaud your focus on this and I know I speak for all three of us and how systematically we're focused on trying to lay the foundation for that better future that the Ukrainian people so richly deserve. 1:53:55 James O'Brien: Ukraine has won back 50% of the territory Russia took since February of 2022. The second piece that's important: Putin is playing a waiting game, like many Muscovite rulers before him. So it's difficult to get a decisive battle. So what we need is what's in the supplemental that has the ability to fight this fight over some time, and we do see real success. So in the Black Sea, Russia attempted to stop Ukraine from exporting. In July, exports were down 2-2.5 million tons; they're already more than doubled, and expect to see them go up substantially more. That's because of what Ukraine has done with its technology and its new weapons systems, more of which would be provided by the supplemental. February 4, 2014 On Demand News on YouTube Speakers: Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, 2013-2017 Geoffrey Pyatt, United States Ambassador to Ukraine, 2013-2016 Clips Victoria Nuland: Good. So I don't think Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] should go into the government. I don't think it's necessary, I don't think it's a good idea. Geoffrey Pyatt: Yeah, I mean I guess, in terms of him not going into the government, just sort of letting him stay out and do his political homework and stuff. I'm just thinking in terms of, sort of, the process moving ahead, we want to keep the moderate Democrats together. The problem is going to be Tyahnybok and his guys and I'm sure that's part of what Yanukovych is calculating on all this. Victoria Nuland: I think Yatz [Arseniy Yatsenyuk] is the guy with the economic experience, the governing experience. He's the guy. What he needs is Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] And Tyahnybok On the outside, he needs to be talking to them four times a week. You know, I just think Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] Going in he's going to be at that level working for Yatsenyuk it's just not gonna work. Geoffrey Pyatt: We want to get someone out here with an international personality to come out here and help to midwife this thing. And then the other issue is some kind of outreach to Yanukovych. We'll probably regroup on that tomorrow as we see how things fall into place. Victoria Nuland: So on that piece, Jeff, I wrote the note, Sullivan's come back to me saying “you need Biden,” and I said probably tomorrow for an attaboy and get the deets to stick, Biden's willing. Geoffrey Pyatt: Great. December 19, 2013 The Atlantic Council Speaker: John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona, 1987-2018 Clips 16:45 Sen. John McCain: If Ukraine's political crisis persists or deepens, which is a real possibility, we must support creative Ukrainian efforts to resolve it. Senator Murphy and I heard a few such ideas last weekend—from holding early elections, as the opposition is now demanding, to the institution of a technocratic government with a mandate to make the difficult reforms required for Ukraine's long-term economic health and sustainable development. Decisions such as these are for Ukrainians to make—no one else—and if they request our assistance, we should provide it where possible. Finally, we must encourage the European Union and the IMF to keep their doors open to Ukraine. Ultimately, the support of both institutions is indispensable for Ukraine's future. And eventually, a Ukrainian President, either this one or a future one, will be prepared to accept the fundamental choice facing the country, which is this: While there are real short-term costs to the political and economic reforms required for IMF assistance and EU integration, and while President Putin will likely add to these costs by retaliating against Ukraine's economy, the long-term benefits for Ukraine in taking these tough steps are far greater and almost limitless. This decision cannot be borne by one person alone in Ukraine. Nor should it be. It must be shared—both the risks and the rewards—by all Ukrainians, especially the opposition and business elite. It must also be shared by the EU, the IMF and the United States. All of us in the West should be prepared to help Ukraine, financially and otherwise, to overcome the short-term pain that reforms will require and Russia may inflict. April 20, 1994 Southern Center for International Studies Speaker: Arthur Dunkel, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, 1980-1993 Clips 26:55 Arthur Dunkel: If I look back at the last 25 years, what did we have? We had two worlds: The so-called Market Economy world and the centrally planned world; the centrally planned world disappeared. One of the main challenges of the Uruguay round has been to create a world wide system. I think we have to think of that. Secondly, why a world wide system? Because, basically, I consider that if governments cooperate in trade policy field, you reduce the risks of tension – political tension and even worse than that." Music by Editing Production Assistance

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (12/05/2023): 3:05pm- On Tuesday, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a notable exchange, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) accused the bureau of violating the Fourth Amendment by routinely accessing communications between Americans without receiving a constitutionally necessary court-order beforehand. 3:15pm- Investigative reporter for The Daily Caller James Lynch writes that “the Department of Justice (DOJ) secured court orders to prevent Google from informing congressional staffers of the DOJ's efforts to monitor their communications, according to court documents. Legal group Empower Oversight released the five court orders Monday after filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the records related to the DOJ's previously unknown attempts to monitor the communications of staffers conducting oversight of the department.” You can read the full article here: https://dailycaller.com/2023/12/04/doj-blocked-google-informing-congressional-staffers-spied-court-orders/ 3:20pm- During Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) asked FBI Director Christopher Wray which FBI official made the decision to raid Mar-a-Lago, the home of former President Donald Trump, and retrieve classified documents. Wray said no single individual made the decision. 3:30pm- On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the effects of a Biden Administration rule proposal change to Title IX which would expand the definition of sexual discrimination to include any school policy that prevents biological males identifying as female from competing in women's athletic competitions. Among the individuals testifying during the hearing is NCAA swimming champion, and women's sports advocate, Riley Gaines. Gaines insisted that there should be a place for everyone in collegiate sports, but that it isn't safe or fair for biological males to compete against biological females. 3:40pm- During Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked FBI Director Christopher Wray if anyone at the bureau was fired after targeting Catholics and inappropriately labeling them as radical hate group members. 4:05pm- According to a report from NBC4 New York, “[a]t least four gold bars tied to the FBI search of Sen. Robert Menendez's home had been directly linked to a New Jersey businessman now accused of bribing the state's senior senator, Bergen County prosecutor records from a 2013 robbery case show. The businessman, Fred Daibes, reported to police he was the victim of an armed robbery in 2013, and he asked police to recover the gold bars stolen from him. In the 2013 robbery, Daibes reported $500,000 in cash and 22 gold bars were stolen, Edgewater police records show. Police later caught four suspects with the stolen goods.” You can read the full report from Jonathan Dienst, Courtney Copenhagen, and Tom Winter here: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/gold-bars-featured-in-bob-menendez-bribe-case-linked-to-2013-robbery-records-show/4919801/ 4:20pm- In a new advertisement, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)—who is now running for Mayor of Houston—accidentally provides her supporters with the wrong election date! A graphic featured in the commercial encourages voters to cast their ballots on or before December 7th—however, the election is actually taking place on December 9th. 4:30pm- Brandon Drey of The Daily Wire writes: “A federal court on Monday halted the prison sentence for Douglas Mackey, who was convicted earlier this year of election interference for posting memes that mocked Hillary Clinton voters to cast their ballot via text during the 2016 presidential election. Mackey was accused of a ‘scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote' after a Twitter account he ran under the handle ‘Ricky Vaughn' posted memes in the lead-up to the election. In October, Judge Ann M. Donnelly of Federal District Court in Brooklyn sentenced Mackey to 7 months in prison, a $15,000 fine, and two years probation.” You can read the full article here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/douglas-mackeys-meme-related-prison-sentence-halted-by-federal-court 4:40pm- During a speech at the 2023 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said that coal fired power plants should not be permitted to exist anywhere in the world. According to the audio, he may have emitted “natural gas” of his own making while on stage… 4:50pm- On Sunday evening, a disturbing Pro-Palestinian protest in Philadelphia took place— consisting of anti-Semitic chants and the intentional targeting of a restaurant owned by an American-Israeli chef. Only one national news network reported on the story. 5:05pm- On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the effects of a Biden Administration rule proposal change to Title IX which would expand the definition of sexual discrimination to include any school policy that prevents biological males identifying as female from competing in women's athletic competitions. Among the individuals testifying during the hearing is NCAA swimming champion, and women's sports advocate, Riley Gaines. Gaines insisted that there should be a place for everyone in collegiate sports, but that it isn't safe or fair for biological males to compete against biological females. 5:40pm- Rich reveals that he sneaks wine into movie theaters. Matt claims it's violative of the theater rules—no outside concessions! 6:05pm- On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the effects of a Biden Administration rule proposal change to Title IX which would expand the definition of sexual discrimination to include any school policy that prevents biological males identifying as female from competing in women's athletic competitions. Among the individuals testifying during the hearing is NCAA swimming champion, and women's sports advocate, Riley Gaines. Gaines insisted that there should be a place for everyone in collegiate sports, but that it isn't safe or fair for biological males to compete against biological females. 6:10pm- During Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) asked FBI Director Christopher Wray why the bureau refused to concede that the Hunter Biden laptop story was authentic prior to the 2020 presidential election—especially after members of the federal government worked with social media companies to suppress the story and deny its validity. 6:20pm- In the 1990 Christmas-classic Home Alone, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister famously purchases a grocery cart-full of items for less than $20. One TikTok user calculated how much Kevin would have to spend in 2023 in order to buy those same groceries—an estimated $68, meaning there has been a 248% increase in prices since the movie's theatrical release! Plus, Henry continues to insist that Eyes Wide Shut is a Christmas film. 6:40pm- Ari Blaff of National Review writes: “The Department of Justice is preventing two would-be whistleblowers from testifying in the Biden impeachment investigation, House Republicans claim in a report on the status of their investigation released Tuesday. The 78-page report, issued by the House Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Oversight Committees, accuses the DOJ of stonewalling the congressional investigation into allegations that the Biden administration gave the president's son special treatment while investigating his failure to pax federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018.” You can read the full report here: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/doj-blocking-whistleblowers-from-testifying-in-hunter-biden-probe-house-gop-investigators-say/

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: According to a report from NBC4 New York, “[a]t least four gold bars tied to the FBI search of Sen. Robert Menendez's home had been directly linked to a New Jersey businessman now accused of bribing the state's senior senator, Bergen County prosecutor records from a 2013 robbery case show. The businessman, Fred Daibes, reported to police he was the victim of an armed robbery in 2013, and he asked police to recover the gold bars stolen from him. In the 2013 robbery, Daibes reported $500,000 in cash and 22 gold bars were stolen, Edgewater police records show. Police later caught four suspects with the stolen goods.” You can read the full report from Jonathan Dienst, Courtney Copenhagen, and Tom Winter here: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/gold-bars-featured-in-bob-menendez-bribe-case-linked-to-2013-robbery-records-show/4919801/ In a new advertisement, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)—who is now running for Mayor of Houston—accidentally provides her supporters with the wrong election date! A graphic featured in the commercial encourages voters to cast their ballots on or before December 7th—however, the election is actually taking place on December 9th. Brandon Drey of The Daily Wire writes: “A federal court on Monday halted the prison sentence for Douglas Mackey, who was convicted earlier this year of election interference for posting memes that mocked Hillary Clinton voters to cast their ballot via text during the 2016 presidential election. Mackey was accused of a ‘scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote' after a Twitter account he ran under the handle ‘Ricky Vaughn' posted memes in the lead-up to the election. In October, Judge Ann M. Donnelly of Federal District Court in Brooklyn sentenced Mackey to 7 months in prison, a $15,000 fine, and two years probation.” You can read the full article here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/douglas-mackeys-meme-related-prison-sentence-halted-by-federal-court During a speech at the 2023 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said that coal fired power plants should not be permitted to exist anywhere in the world. According to the audio, he may have emitted “natural gas” of his own making while on stage… On Sunday evening, a disturbing Pro-Palestinian protest in Philadelphia took place— consisting of anti-Semitic chants and the intentional targeting of a restaurant owned by an American-Israeli chef. Only one national news network reported on the story.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: Zach Jewell of The Daily Wire writes: “The Biden administration is pushing countries to ‘accelerate' their climate action and spending $3 billion in taxpayer dollars as a pledge to climate and ‘gender equity' funds, the White House announced Saturday… Buried deep in the White House fact sheet are commitments to advancing ‘gender equity amid climate change,' which include an additional $449 million for new programs such as Global Girls Creating Change, a program that seeks to give 900 girls and young women in 29 different countries ‘professional opportunities in the sustainable economy.'” You can read the full article here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-announces-3-billion-for-green-projects-overseas-including-nearly-500m-for-gender-equity During a speech at the 2023 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said that coal fired power plants should not be permitted to exist anywhere in the world. While speaking in Dubai, Vice President Kamala Harris bizarrely said it was necessary to “revitalize the Palestinian Authority” in response to war between Israel and Hamas. While speaking with Kristen Welker on NBC's Meet the Press, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) declined to answer whether the Iowa caucus is “do or die” for his presidential campaign. During Monday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre was asked if the Florida Democrat Party cancelling their presidential primary amounted to “voter suppression.” Unsurprisingly, Jean Pierre refused to answer.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (12/04/2023): 3:05pm- In her most recent New York Times article, journalist Li Yuan documents that an increasing number of Chinese citizens are fleeing their country and crossing the U.S. Southern border illegally. Yuan writes that “[t]he most harrowing part of their journey was trekking through the brutal jungle in Panama known as the Darién Gap.” Chinese citizens are willing to endure the strenuous migration in order to flee a totalitarian regime willing to torment its citizens. You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/business/darien-gap-china-immigration.html 3:15pm- On Monday, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announced he will suspend his long-shot presidential campaign. According to RealClearPolitics polling averages, Gov. Burgum had only garnered 0.6% support from Republican voters. The Daily Beast reports that Burgum is considered a potential cabinet member, if Donald Trump were to win a second term as president. 3:25pm- While appearing on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) revealed that there is now enough internal support from House Republicans to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden regarding money his family received from overseas business associates while serving as Vice President in the Obama Administration. 3:35pm- In a video posted to the Republican Caucus House Oversight Committee's X account, Chairman James Comer (R-KY) alleges that Owasco P.C., a Hunter Biden business, made direct monthly payments to then-Vice President Joe Biden, according to newly discovered bank records. Comer added: “Hunter Biden is under an investigation by the Department of Justice for using Owasco P.C. for tax evasion and other serious crimes.” You can read more here: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/bank-records-show-direct-monthly-payment-from-hunter-bidens-corporation-to-joe-biden/ 3:50pm- While appearing on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, former RNC Chairman Reince Priebus noted that if Democrats truly believed democracy is on the ballot in 2024, they would run a presidential candidate much stronger than Joe Biden. 3:55pm- While speaking with CBS News' John Dickerson, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney claimed Mike Johnson serving as Speaker of the House during the 2024 presidential election creates an “existential crisis.” She continued, “we have to ensure that we don't have a situation where an election that might be thrown into the House of Representatives is overseen by a Republican majority.” 4:05pm- On Friday, George Santos became the sixth congressman in U.S. history to be expelled from the House of Representatives. The House voted 311 to 114 in favor of removing him following numerous allegations of lying about his background and a 23-count indictment that includes allegations he “repeatedly, without authorization” charged donor credit cards—depositing funds into his own bank account. Meanwhile, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) remains a member of the House of Representatives despite pleading guilty to pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building just prior to the House holding its vote on a stopgap spending measure to avoid a government shutdown. As Rich notes, Bowman's only punishment was a modest fine and a written letter of apology. 4:10pm- While appearing on The View, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) reacted to George Santos' expulsion from the House by stating that Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) should also be removed from office. Fetterman explained, “Menendez, I think is really a senator for Egypt. You know, not New Jersey. So, I really think he needs to go.” Menendez has been charged with acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, and with accepting bribes in exchange for influence. 4:15pm- Brandon Drey of The Daily Wire writes, “A subpoena request filed in Congress to grant lawmakers access to the flight logs connected to deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was allegedly blocked last week by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Durbin, who leads the Senate Judiciary Committee, reportedly rejected the request brought forward by Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in early November. She accused Durbin of standing in the way of certifying the request after a contentious committee meeting on Thursday.” You can read the full article here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-blackburn-says-democrat-led-senate-committee-chair-blocked-epstein-flight-logs-subpoena 4:30pm- If Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) were to resign from the U.S. Senate, would Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) replace him with his wife Tammy Murphy? Last month, Tammy Murphy formally announced her intention to run for U.S. Senate challenging Menendez for his seat. 4:40pm- During Sunday's Eagles-49ers game, San Francisco linebacker Tre Greenlaw and Dom DiSandro, the head of Eagles security, were ejected from the game following a sideline scuffle that DiSandro attempted to break up. 5:05pm- Dr. Wilfred Reilly—Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University & Author of “Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me”—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his latest article at National Review, “There is No Trans Genocide.” Dr. Reilly writes: “Why do respected institutions continue to propound verifiably wrong conspiracy theories about how dangerous America is?” Rich and Dr. Riley also discuss a disturbing Pro-Palestinian protest in Philadelphia on Sunday night that consisted of anti-Semitic chants and the intentional targeting of a restaurant owned by an American-Israeli chef. Plus, the Canadian Human Rights Commission declares that Christmas is racist! You can read the full article here: https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/11/there-is-no-trans-genocide/. And you can pre-order Dr. Reilly's upcoming book here: https://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Liberal-Teacher-Told/dp/0063265974. 5:40pm- Ellie Rushing of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “Two security guards at Macy's in Center City were stabbed, one fatally, inside the iconic department store Monday morning, police said. Shortly before 11 a.m., a 30-year-old man—identified by law enforcement sources as Tyrone Tunnell—attempted to steal some hats from the store at 13th and Market Streets. When security guards confronted Tunnell and retrieved the stolen items, he initially left without incident, said Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford. But about 10 minutes later, Tunnell returned, then approached one of the guards and started stabbing him, Stanford said. When a second security guard attempted to intervene, Stanford said, Tunnell slashed and stabbed that guard as well. One of the men, a 30-year-old who had been stabbed in the neck, died from his injuries at Jefferson Hospital a short time later.” You can read the full article here: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/macys-stabbing-philadelphia-center-city-20231204.html 5:50pm- On Monday, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announced he will suspend his long-shot presidential campaign. According to RealClearPolitics polling averages, Gov. Burgum had only garnered 0.6% support from Republican voters. The Daily Beast reports that Burgum is considered a potential cabinet member, if Donald Trump were to win a second term as president. 6:05pm- Zach Jewell of The Daily Wire writes: “The Biden administration is pushing countries to ‘accelerate' their climate action and spending $3 billion in taxpayer dollars as a pledge to climate and ‘gender equity' funds, the White House announced Saturday… Buried deep in the White House fact sheet are commitments to advancing ‘gender equity amid climate change,' which include an additional $449 million for new programs such as Global Girls Creating Change, a program that seeks to give 900 girls and young women in 29 different countries ‘professional opportunities in the sustainable economy.'” You can read the full article here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-announces-3-billion-for-green-projects-overseas-including-nearly-500m-for-gender-equity 6:20pm- During a speech at the 2023 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said that coal fired power plants should not be permitted to exist anywhere in the world. 6:35pm- While speaking in Dubai, Vice President Kamala Harris bizarrely said it was necessary to “revitalize the Palestinian Authority” in response to war between Israel and Hamas. 6:40pm- While speaking with Kristen Welker on NBC's Meet the Press, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) declined to answer whether the Iowa caucus is “do or die” for his presidential campaign. 6:50pm- During Monday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre was asked if the Florida Democrat Party cancelling their presidential primary amounted to “voter suppression.” Unsurprisingly, Jean Pierre refused to answer.

 McKinsey: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) – YouTube  COP28 Briefing with Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry – United States Department of State  COP28 Comedy: Oil Consultants Accused of Being Big Oil Shills • Watts Up With That?  How McKinsey Destroyed the Middle Class – The Atlantic  Republicans Warn Lockdowns Coming as […] The post How to Rob and CONTROL Oil & Energy COP28 * The USA and McKinsey plan to manipulate oil and gas. appeared first on Psychopath In Your Life.

This week, climate leaders, scholars, and activists from around the world will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the annual United Nations conference on climate change known as COP. Many highly debated topics will take center stage at this year's COP28, including the role of fossil fuels in meeting future global energy demands, the follow through on loss and damage commitments from last year's meeting, and rising international trade tensions over clean energy economics. Even the location of the meeting has sparked debate. The UAE is a major oil exporting country, and the CEO of its national oil company, Ahmed Al Jaber, is this year's COP president.  So, how will world leaders address some of these major topics? And what could be the outcome of this year's meeting?  This week host Bill Loveless talks with David Sandalow and Sagatom Saha about COP28.  David is the director of the energy and environment concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He is also the inaugural fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, and founded and directs the Center's U.S.-China Program. Before joining Columbia, David served in senior positions at the White House and at the U.S. State and Energy departments. Sagatom is a senior associate in the energy transition practice at Macro Advisory Partners as well as an adjunct research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy. He previously worked on cleantech competitiveness at the International Trade Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce, and served as a special adviser to the Office of the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy, John Kerry.

In a special episode, Tommy and Ben discuss the upcoming COP28 conference in the United Arab Emirates. They speak about the climate summit's importance, hear from activists from the Pacific Asian community, break down the science behind a 1.5 degree celsius warming, and the cynicism around the large presence of fossil fuel lobbyists and the host country's oil rich economy. Then, Ben speaks with John Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate from the US, about what's on the agenda this year and the challenges of securing funding to follow through on the global commitments made towards mitigating climate change.We end the show with a Q&A segment for subscribers. To hear that segment in future episodes, and to get ad-free Pod Save The World, subscribe to Crooked's Friend of the Pod service at crooked.com/friends  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

The United Nation's latest Emissions Gap Report reveals that inadequate policies could lead to three degrees Celsius of global warming this century, a scenario described as "hellish." Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry joins us. And, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter died at age 96 on Sunday. Historian and biographer Scott Kauffman joins us to talk about Carter's life and work, including mental health advocacy and international humanitarian efforts. Then, starting to prep for Thanksgiving? These show-stealing slides will complete your holiday table and even outshine the bird. Our resident chef Kathy Gunst offers recipes for a bright salad, stuffed squash and olive breadsticks.

Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to explain why it's unfathomable that the Secret Service could not identify who brought cocaine into the White House earlier this month. Jimmy picks apart Disney CEO Bob Iger's claim that his company is not sexualizing children in any way. PLUS, Arizona Republican Congressman Andy Biggs calls out Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry for being a shameless grifter.    [00:00:00] More reaction to the WH cocaine investigation [00:37:05] Mark Brnovich [00:55:50] Bob Iger defends Disney against DeSantis' criticism [01:13:50] John Kerry called out for private jet use [01:32:15] Rep. Andy Biggs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (03/27/2023): 3:05pm- On Friday, an estimated 8,000 gallons of water-soluble latex finishing solution spilled into Otter Creek in Bucks County, PA—near the Delaware River, where an estimated 58% of Philadelphia gets its water. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia officials said tap water is safe to drink in the city through at least 11:59 p.m. Monday.” Read more here: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/live/philadelphia-water-delaware-river-chemical-spill-20230327.html 3:40pm- With city officials concerned about the quality of water throughout Philadelphia, some are concerned about “price-gouging” by grocery stores—charging higher than usual prices for bottled water. In his famous 2004 essay, Stanford Economist Dr. Thomas Sowell writes: “Price controls will not cause new supplies to be rushed in nearly as fast as higher prices will.” Momentary increases in prices will encourage producers, and entrepreneurs in neighboring areas, to rush supplies to the impacted area. You can read Dr. Sowell's essay here: https://www.capitalismmagazine.com/2004/09/price-gouging-in-florida/ 4:05pm- Will abandoning free market principles result in a more egalitarian distribution of a scarce resource? No—it simply devolves into a “first-come-first-served” scenario. Contrarily, modest increases in prices during an emergency result in profit-seeking manufacturers and individuals to rush products to the impacted area. 4:15pm- With wind turbines estimated to be a $31.2 billion industry, no wonder government officials are disinterested in halting construction on a project that may have caused the deaths of over a dozen whales and at least one pod of dolphins along New Jersey beaches. 4:20pm- During his Senate confirmation hearing to become the next head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Phil Washington was unable to answer any of Senator Ted Budd's (R-NC) basic aviation questions. The Biden nominee withdrew his candidacy on Sunday. 4:30pm- Rich takes your calls: one listener points out that in the absence of increased prices, problematic hoarding will take place. PLUS another listener says he would like to be nominated to be next head of the FAA—he has never flown a plane or worked in an airport, but he's nearly as qualified as Phil Washington. 4:45pm- On Monday, “[a] heavily armed woman entered a Christian school in Nashville...and fatally shot three children and three staff members before she was shot and killed by the police”, according to reporting from The New York Times. While speaking with the press, President Joe Biden said that the shooter had two AK-47 rifles—though, that information has not been verified by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/03/27/us/nashville-shooting-covenant-school 4:50pm- While speaking with reporters, comedian Adam Sandler defended Chris Rock's controversial stand-up special on Netflix. 5:05pm- The Drive at 5: While speaking with Yahoo! News, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry denied ever “flying private” since working for the Biden Administration—but then immediately explained how he had flown on private planes “one or two” times since 2021. 5:10pm- Speaking with Fox Business, Steve Forbes predicted that President Joe Biden will not run for reelection 2024—citing economic turmoil on the horizon. 5:15pm- “Tiger King” Joe Exotic spoke with Fox News' Lawrence Jones over the weekend—declaring his candidacy for United States President of the United States. He has Henry's vote! 5:35pm- Nashville Police Chief John Drake spoke to reporters about the Monday shooting that occurred at Covenant School which left six people dead, including three children. Chief Drake confirmed that the alleged shooter, who is now deceased, was 28 years old, identified as transgender, and was a former student at the school. 5:50pm- In a story published Friday, National Public Radio (NPR) argued that there is “limited scientific evidence that men have a physical advantage over women in sports.” You can read more about the story here: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/npr-claims-limited-scientific-evidence-men-have-physical-advantage-over-women-in-sports/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=blog-post&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=top-bar-latest&utm_term=fourth 6:05pm- Following Nashville Police Chief John Drake's press briefing, ABC anchor Terry Moran hypothesized that the alleged Covenant School shooter's motivation may be linked to Tennessee legislation banning “gender affirmation” surgeries. Chief Drake suggested that police have unearthed a manifesto created by the shooter. 6:15pm- During her Monday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated: “How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress step up and act to pass the assault weapons ban?” 6:35pm- Political grandstanding: progressive district attorneys throughout the country are not prosecuting criminals. 6:50pm- While speaking with Congressman Mark Amodei (R-NV) during a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed that the reason people don't like the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) is because the governmental organization is too small.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: While speaking with Yahoo! News, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry denied ever “flying private” since working for the Biden Administration—but then immediately explained how he had flown on private planes “one or two” times since 2021. Speaking with Fox Business, Steve Forbes predicted that President Joe Biden will not run for reelection 2024—citing economic turmoil on the horizon. “Tiger King” Joe Exotic spoke with Fox News' Lawrence Jones over the weekend—declaring his candidacy for United States President of the United States. He has Henry's vote! Nashville Police Chief John Drake spoke to reporters about the Monday shooting that occurred at Covenant School which left six people dead, including three children. Chief Drake confirmed that the alleged shooter, who is now deceased, was 28 years old, identified as transgender, and was a former student at the school. In a story published Friday, National Public Radio (NPR) argued that there is “limited scientific evidence that men have a physical advantage over women in sports.” You can read more about the story here: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/npr-claims-limited-scientific-evidence-men-have-physical-advantage-over-women-in-sports/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=blog-post&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=top-bar-latest&utm_term=fourth