Stolen Stars

PRESENTED BY KILLDEER, BRO

I re-read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH yesterday. Boy, does it still hit hard. With the economy of prose characteristic of the best children’s books, NIMH conveys the depth of compassion for all living things, the piercing inquiry into the purpose of intelligence and of civilization, the sweetness and brevity of life.

On the other hand, it pays to be a fossil-fuel flack.

This is what it looks like when Doves dry.

In truly shocking news, the Line, Saudi Arabia’s planned 105-mile-long skyscraper-wall with a 9-million-person capacity, is a complete disaster.

Bro, have you seen the League of Conservation Voters “Biden bodied Big Oil” spot targeting youth voters? It’s like, totally, lame!

Seriously, who greenlit this?

Noah Bierman talks with LCV’s Pete Maysmith, EDF Action’s David Kieve¹ , and EDF Super PAC head Jack Pratt² about the challenge of marketing President Biden’s climate record to young voters. Although he was polite enough not to ask about the above ad, Bierman finds that youth voters, broadly speaking, are concerned about the economy and abortion, while young climate activists like Gen Z for Change’s Elise Joshi, who are key to voter mobilization, are angry about Biden’s stance on Israel’s brutal campaign in Gaza and his approval of Big Oil boondoggles like the Willow Project.

I’m hoping the overall strategy is better then “YO watch” Biden temporarily pause the approval of some LNG export facilities.

I honestly think voters—even YOUNG people—can understand the message that the Republican Party is controlled by fossil-fuel eco-fascists, but at least there’s a fight within the Democratic Party for control, that youth need to mobilize to win that fight, and that organizations like LCV and EDF are on the right side of the battle.

It’s a busy day of budget hearings:

•  The $850 billion Department of Defense budget with Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Charles Q. Brown before Senate appropriators led by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.);

• The $11 billion EPA budget with Administrator Michael Regan before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee;

• The Food and Drug Administration budget with Commissioner Robert Califf before the Senate appropriations subcommittee chaired by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.);

• The Department of Commerce budget with Secretary Gina Raimondo before House appropriators. $6.6 billion of the $11.4 billion budget request is for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and

• The $18 billion Department of Interior budget with Secretary Deb Haaland before Senate appropriators led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)

• Senate appropriators chaired by Jack Reed (D-R.I.) interview the heads of the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, and the Government Publishing Office on their budget. The GAO, led by Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, has a comprehensive list of recommendations for improving federal climate resilience. The CBO, led by the Republican economist Phil Swagel, assesses the costs and benefits of climate policy and of the costs of inaction.

The member day for requesting earmarks in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development appropriations is in the morning and the member day for Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies is in the afternoon.

Hearings on the Hill:

• 10 AM: Senate Environment and Public Works
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

• 10 AM: House Appropriations
  Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
  Member Day – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, And Related Agencies

• 10 AM: Senate Appropriations
  Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
  A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Food and Drug Administration

• 10 AM: House Appropriations
  Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  Budget Hearing – Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the Department of Commerce

• 10 AM: Senate Appropriations
  Defense
  A Review of the President's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Defense

• 10:30 AM: Senate Appropriations
  Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior

• 2:30 PM: Senate Appropriations
  Legislative Branch
  A Review of the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, and the Government Publishing Office

• 3 PM: House Appropriations
  Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  Member Day – Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Thanks for subscribing and spreading the word. If you’ve got job listings, event listings, or other hot news, I want to hear it. Connect with me—@[email protected], @climatebrad on Threads, and @climatebrad.hillheat.com on BlueSky.

Bro, have you even subscribed?

1  Kieve is a longtime Democratic politico, former Biden White House climate engagement official, and husband of CNN commentator and former Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield, the daughter of journalism professor and former CNN executive Sid Bedingfield.

2  Pratt is a former staffer for Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the co-founder of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.