Abortion services appear to have resumed in Texas after Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) issued an order last week that took effect Wednesday allowing elective procedures to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The news comes after Abbot issued an executive order late last month that banned abortions as part of a general halt to all elective medical procedures amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Abortion providers who challenged the ban in court said they now meet the criteria Abbott laid out in the new order, and the state did not dispute that claim in its filing Wednesday, The Texas Tribute reports. 

ADVERTISEMENT

When asked last week if abortions could proceed under the latest order, Abbott said it was a decision for the courts, according to the Tribune. 

Whole Woman’s Health facilities in Fort Worth, Austin and McAllen, Texas were all open Wednesday, according to the news outlet. 

Abbott also said last week the state plans to begin reopening different Texas businesses through a series of executive orders. 

But despite the loosening of procedure restrictions, health care facilities continue to reserve a certain number of beds for COVID-19 patients as a precaution.  

Texas reported Wednesday a total of 21,069 confirmed COVID-19 cases and total of 543 deaths to the disease.

An email containing a now-famous memo from the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier was sent to fewer people than the Navy said it was when officials justified firing him, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The email from Capt. Brett Crozier was sent to three admirals and copied to seven other captains, according to a copy obtained by the Post, contradicting former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly’s assertion it was sent to “20 or 30” people.

Attached to the email was the letter Crozier wrote pleading for help with a coronavirus outbreak aboard the Roosevelt. The letter has now been widely reported, but the email it was attached to had not been released before the Post’s report.

Click Here: collingwood magpies 2019 training guernsey

ADVERTISEMENT

In the email, Crozier called the recipients “incredible leaders” who he would “gladly … follow into battle whenever need.”

“I fully realize that I bear responsibility for not demanding more decisive action the moment we pulled in, but at this point my only priority is the continued well-being of the crew and embarked staff,” Crozier wrote. “As you know, the accountability of a commanding officer is absolute, and I believe if there is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my career.”

The email was addressed to Rear Adm. Stuart Baker, commander of the Roosevelt’s carrier strike group; Adm. John Aquilino, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller, commander of Naval Air Forces. Seven other captains were copied on the email.

An unnamed senior defense official told the Post that Crozier could have sent what’s known as a “personal for” message to senior service leaders that would have flagged the issue as sensitive and important without looping in as many people.

Crozier was fired after the attached memo — which warned that “sailors do not have to die” — leaked to the press.

At a news conference announcing Crozier’s firing, Modly cited the number of people the email was sent to as one of the reasons he lost confidence in Crozier’s ability to command the ship.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It was copied to 20 or 30 other people,” Modly said then. “That’s just not acceptable. He did not take care and what that did is it created a little bit of a panic on the ship.”

Modly later resigned after traveling to Guam to give a speech aboard the Roosevelt where he called Crozier “stupid” or “naive.”

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Robert Burke conducted an investigation into the situation on the Roosevelt. The results are being reviewed by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday and are expected to be released as soon as this week.

Top officials have not ruled out reinstating Crozier when the investigation is done, with Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: Pentagon chief open to reinstating fired captain | First service member with virus cleared | Republican proposes B fund to counter China Fired captain sent memo to fewer people than former Navy head alleged: report Democrats call on Trump to halt border wall construction amid pandemic MORE saying Thursday he has “an open mind” about the possibility.

As of Thursday, 655 sailors from the Roosevelt have tested positive for the virus. One sailor has died, and six are in the hospital, with one of them in intensive care.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpGOP lawmaker calls McConnell remarks on state bankruptcy ‘shameful and indefensible’ Newsom wants to train 10,000 contact tracers in California Biden leads in three crucial Rust Belt states: Poll MORE said Wednesday that Thunderbirds and Blue Angels will fly over American cities in coming weeks as part of a tribute to frontline medical workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

“We’re paying tribute to our frontline healthcare workers confronting covid, and it’s really a signal to all Americans to remain vigilant during the outbreak,” Trump said during a White House briefing.

“This is a tribute to them, to our warriors, because they’re equal warriors to those incredible pilots, all of the fighters that we have for the more traditional fights that we win.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Trump said the plan, named Operation America Strong, was an idea that came from military officials. 

“The Thunderbird and Blue Angel crews…wanted to show support to the American medical workers, who just like military members in a time of war, are fiercely running toward the fight,” Trump said. 

Operation America Strong was first reported by The Washington Post, citing a Pentagon memo and military officials, ahead of Trump’s briefing. 

Trump also announced that he’s planning to hold a similar July 4 event he planned last year that featured a military display that cost $2.5 million. 

“On July 4 we’ll be doing what we had at the mall, as you know doing it last year was a tremendous success, I would imagine we’ll do it — hopefully I can use the term forever,” Trump said. “It was a great success.”

Asked if it would be safe to have a big gathering on the National Mall on July 4, Trump said “we’re going to probably have 25 percent of what he had last year.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

The federal government’s guidelines recommend avoiding social gatherings of more than 10 people and call for individuals to maximize the distance from others while in public amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Public health experts have warned against crowds in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

The White House plan on reopening the economy leaves the decisions on when to lift restrictions up to state leaders, but recommend states and regions see a decline in cases for a period of 14 days. 

New York City, the area hardest hit area by the virus in the U.S. this week banned all events through June. 

In Washington, D.C., the stay-at-home order is in place until at least May 15.

Click Here: collingwood magpies 2019 training guernsey

The Florida Aquarium made a breakthrough discovery that could eventually save dying coral reefs, the aquarium announced Wednesday. 

Scientists at the aquarium in Tampa successfully reproduced cactus coral for the first time in human care, using coral rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and NOAA Fisheries.

The scientists are aiming to learn more about coral reproduction in the hopes of replenishing reefs in the state that have experienced a disease outbreak since 2014. They have learned for the first time about when ridged cactus coral reproduce and what the babies look like. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Previously, not much was known about the ridged cactus coral’s reproduction as no photos, videos or studies existed before the Florida Aquarium’s success. 

The coral releases only its sperm into the water, so the eggs are fertilized inside the parent coral. Then, the parent coral spits out the larvae, which swim until finding a place to settle. The next steps will involve learning how far larvae travel.

The scientists told CNN the coral reefs first began giving birth in early April and are still going, with more than 350 larvae so far. 

“While our Aquarium remains temporarily closed to the public as we support our community’s wellbeing efforts, not even a global pandemic can slow us down when it comes to protecting and restoring America’s ‘great’ barrier reef,” The Florida Aquarium President and CEO Roger Germann said in a release.

Last August, the scientists also became the first in the world to reproduce Atlantic Ocean coral two days in a row in a lab setting.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell on Tuesday hit back against recent criticism of the reorganization of intelligence community (IC) agencies from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffIntelligence chief Grenell hits back against Schiff criticism of agency reorganization Schiff, Nadler call on DOJ watchdog to investigate Barr’s remarks about firing of intelligence community IG Pelosi to appear on ‘Fox News Sunday’ for first time since 2017 MORE (D-Calif.). 

Grenell wrote to Schiff that the reorganization under his leadership came on the heels of calls for change from intelligence committee staffers. 

“Career IC officials have conducted four studies in the last two years calling for reforms at the ODNI [Office of the Director of National Intelligence], and the career officials are eager to implement the recommendations,” Grenell wrote in a sharply worded letter to Schiff. “It is my duty to listen to these ODNI career employees who have ideas on how to improve the work we do for the American people.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

Grenell added that he would “encourage” Schiff to “think of the relationship between your committee and the IC as that between the legislative and executive branches of government, rather than that between a hedge fund and a distressed asset, as your letter suggests.”

Grenell’s letter was sent two weeks after Schiff sent him a missive strongly criticizing steps he had taken to reorganize the intelligence community since being appointed acting director of national intelligence.

Schiff noted that Grenell was pursuing leadership changes at intelligence agencies without seeking authorization from Congress and raised questions about the removal or departure of every Senate-confirmed official at the ODNI. 

Schiff also accused Grenell of allowing his staff to “interfere with the production and briefing of intelligence information” on election security that was given to Congress during a March 10 all-members briefing on election security. 

Grenell wrote to Schiff that intelligence community staff were “offended” by his allegations that they did not give “unvarnished” intelligence reports to Congress. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“As the Acting DNI, I am compelled to defend these career officers from unsubstantiated indictments of their motivations and judgment,” Grenell wrote. “Many are offended by the accusations that they did not share unvarnished assessments. If you share with me the reports you believe provide evidence for these claims, I can promise you that I will review them with the seriousness such accusations demand.” 

Another issue raised by Schiff was the decision by President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi: Trump ‘engaged in distractions’ amid ‘total failure’ on testing Harvard responds to Trump: Taxpayer funds will aid students affected by coronavirus Poll: More than 70 percent of Americans support coronavirus stay-at-home orders MORE to fire Michael Atkinson, the now-former acting inspector general of the IC. Atkinson alerted Congress to the anonymous whistleblower complaint around Trump’s July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that ultimately kicked off the impeachment investigation into Trump.   

Schiff’s concerns over Atkinson’s dismissal, along with other staffing issues, were not addressed by Grenell in Tuesday’s letter, something Schiff expressed frustration over in a statement provided to The Hill on Tuesday. 

“In his letter, Acting Director Grenell did not respond in any way to our oversight requests regarding the decision to fire the IC IG, sudden staffing changes at the NCTC, and his pursuit of structural and personnel changes at the ODNI without the approval of Congress,” Schiff said. “The Acting Director failed to respond to important questions about whether the IC IG was investigating matters that may go uninvestigated as a result of his firing by Trump.”

Schiff emphasized that “the simple fact he was not willing to respond to a reasonable request from his agency’s oversight committee raises new basis for our concerns, particularly given this Administration’s history of covering up blatant misconduct.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

Grenell did comment on staffing changes at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), but only to criticize Schiff for not addressing the increased “diversity” in the intelligence community through the appointment of Lora Shiao as acting director of the NCTC and of Clare Linkins as the executive director of the NCTC. 

“Diversity of the IC workforce should always be celebrated, and I am proud that we increased diversity within the ODNI’s senior ranks, to include more women and members of the LGBT community,” Grenell wrote. 

Shiao and Linkins were appointed following the retirement of former acting NCTC Director Russell Travers in March. President Trump nominated Christopher Miller to serve as a permanent director of the NCTC last month. 

Grenell pointedly ended his letter by telling Schiff he hoped future letters would be more bipartisan, as Schiff was not joined by any committee Republicans in sending his initial letter. 

“I strongly agree with your statement of a bipartisan legislative commitment to the IC,” Grenell wrote. “I would hope to see this commitment reflected on the signature line of your future letters.” 

Schiff told The Hill that while his committee “remains ready” to work with the ODNI, Grenell must “rise to meet the serious responsibilities of his office as long as he occupies it.”

Grenell, who formerly served as U.S. ambassador to Germany, was appointed acting director of national intelligence in February by Trump after Joseph MaguireJoseph MaguireIntelligence chief Grenell hits back against Schiff criticism of agency reorganization Schiff, Nadler call on DOJ watchdog to investigate Barr’s remarks about firing of intelligence community IG Democrats request probe of Barr’s remarks on firing of intelligence community IG MORE stepped down from the role.

Maguire, who had also been serving in an acting capacity, left the position after being strongly reprimanded by Trump for allowing officials in the intelligence community to brief the House Intelligence Committee, including Schiff, on concerns that Russia may be seeking to interfere in the 2020 presidential election in an effort to reelect Trump.

-Updated at 3:20 p.m. to include input from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff. 

Oil prices rose back into profit Tuesday after dipping into negative territory for the first time in history on Monday. But the rebound may be short lived as a lack of storage space could push markets to a similar crash within the next month. 

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate settled at around $10 Tuesday, a significant uptick after trading at around $3 for much of the day and dipping as low as negative $16, but still a far cry from price points in the $20 range seen for much of March.

Overall market conditions, however, have changed little since prices fell as low as negative $40 Monday. The negative prices were caused by a drastic 30 percent cut in the demand for fuel that left companies effectively paying others to store their crude.

ADVERTISEMENT

With demand at historic lows for the immediate future, a second wave of negative pricing could be seen again.

“It does speak to this fear around storage and the lack of demand that’s facing the market right now,” said Christopher Page, a market analyst with Rystad Energy. “There’s a high chance U.S. onshore storage could be full again, so it’s why prices are recovering that much.”

Part of what fueled negative pricing is the contract basis on which oil is purchased. Traders had until Tuesday to buy and sell contracts for May, leaving those in financial markets at risk of having to take physical possession of thousands of barrels of oil.

“Once the month rolls, if you haven’t closed out your positions, you’re expected to go to delivery, and if you’re not involved in the physical market and have no means to make or take delivery, you’re caught at whim of those who trade in both the physical and financial markets, and that’s what caused the negative pricing,” said David Braziel, president of RBN Energy.

The U.S. is quite literally running out of places to keep oil. Some oil companies have stored oil in rail cars, others in tankers at sea. One firm has suggested storing oil in bags. Rystad Energy estimates there may be only 21 million barrels’ worth of free storage left.

“The idea of negative pricing even when I raised it a month ago, people thought it was crazy, but we saw the size of the surplus and the lack of storage,” Jim Burkhard, vice president and head of oil markets at IHS Markit, told The Hill. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“Fear and desperation is what drives prices in these circumstances.”

Some traders try to take advantage of the hectic few days before the end of the monthly contract period, leaving just a couple thousand oil contracts trading on the market compared to the more than a million normally traded.

“There are those who try to play that volatility and obviously yesterday they got whacked,” Braziel said.

Trading on June oil contracts settled at $11.57 a barrel Tuesday, down from around $20 on Monday — a sign that market conditions in the summer don’t appear much more favorable. Similar trading practices on June contracts could once again spur negative prices.

“It’s the same dynamic. It’s this massive surplus that is going to haunt the second quarter of this year,” Burkhard said. 

But traders hit with low prices may have learned some lessons. 

“If you’re having to pay $38 to get someone to take it away, that’s a pretty strong incentive to not be left holding oil,” Page said. “News yesterday of negative prices has caused a lot of traders to probably get a lot more scared about buying these contracts because no one wants to be left holding the barrel.”

Lawmakers are weighing further interventions to help stabilize the market.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi: Trump ‘engaged in distractions’ amid ‘total failure’ on testing Harvard responds to Trump: Taxpayer funds will aid students affected by coronavirus Poll: More than 70 percent of Americans support coronavirus stay-at-home orders MORE on Tuesday floated funneling cash to the oil and gas industry to help keep them afloat.

“We will never let the great U.S. Oil & Gas Industry down,” Trump tweeted. “I have instructed the Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Treasury to formulate a plan which will make funds available so that these very important companies and jobs will be secured long into the future.”

The Trump administration has already begun to rent 23 million barrels of space in the nation’s emergency fuel storage to oil companies, and there has been a push from mainly Republican lawmakers to ensure oil companies have access to stimulus funding. 

Republican lawmakers spoke with Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette about next steps Tuesday morning. 

“From working with our oil producing allies in North America, to filling up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and to ensuring that oil and gas producers have access to the Fed lending facilities created in the CARES Act, the Secretary reaffirmed that all options remain on the table and that President Trump is committed to solving this problem,” according to a statement from House Minority Whip Steve ScaliseStephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseWhy oil prices fell into negative territory — and why it might happen again Trump floats funding for oil after historic market loss The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump turns to lawmakers to advise on reopening MORE’s (R-La.) office. 

Such a move would almost certainly be opposed by Democrats, who have already penned various letters opposing any stimulus funding for oil companies. 

There have also been calls to hold another meeting of OPEC+, a coalition of oil producing countries beyond the initial Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries membership.

That group recently agreed to cut oil production by 9.7 million barrels per day, a 10 percent drop in global production, but those cuts aren’t scheduled to begin until May.  

But it’s not clear that any government measures would be enough to offset the glut of oil already crowding the market as demand remains extremely low. 

And many oil producers are hesitant to drastically reduce their output, as they risk being unable to pay workers or keep enough cash on hand to ramp up production once market forces improve.

ADVERTISEMENT

Experts say the crash will cut smaller, more vulnerable oil producers out of the market, centralizing production in the hands of a smaller number of larger firms.

The biggest factor in restoring the oil market will be the same measures that improve the economy in general — free movement of people to businesses. 

“The only thing that’s really going to help is getting demand back online which is going to require getting the country back open and people back in cars,” Braziel said, a process that could take months.

 

Click Here: geelong cats guernsey 2019

Missouri became the first state in the nation to file a lawsuit against Beijing over its response to the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, and has since infected more than 2.5 million people worldwide.

The lawsuit, filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) in the Eastern District of Missouri, seeks damages to make up for “the enormous loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil” resulting from the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has done irreparable damage to countries across the globe, causing sickness, death, economic disruption, and human suffering,” Schmitt said in a statement. “The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease. They must be held accountable for their actions.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

Schmitt referenced the rising number of coronavirus cases in Missouri, where more than 6,000 people have been infected and more than 220 have died as of Tuesday afternoon.

“In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real — thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table,” said Schmitt.

Beijing has come under withering criticism from lawmakers in Washington and across the U.S. over allegations that it downplayed the initial extent of the outbreak in China, with many alleging that earlier notifications could have better enabled other countries to prepare.

Nearly two dozen Republican lawmakers requested Monday that the Trump administration bring a case against China to the International Court of Justice, and several private groups have initiated their own suits against China over the coronavirus.

Besides damages, Missouri’s suit seeks to hold Beijing officially accountable for its alleged concealment of the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent handling of the outbreak within its borders. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“An appalling campaign of deceit, concealment, misfeasance, and inaction by Chinese authorities unleashed this pandemic,” the suit reads.

“During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment — thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable,” it continues.

China has dismissed criticism over its handling of the coronavirus, calling broadsides from U.S. lawmakers unhelpful.

“The international community can overcome the virus only if it can stay united and cooperate to make concerted efforts,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told Fox News, which was the first to report on Missouri’s lawsuit. “Attacking and discrediting other countries simply wastes time and cannot save lost lives.”

OIL IS FREE (FALLING): Oil prices sunk to their lowest level in history Monday, dropping into negative pricing as supplies overwhelm the globe’s storage capacity.

Oil hit $0.01 a barrel before falling to as low as negative $40 and eventually settling at negative $37.63, the lowest level recorded since the New York Mercantile Exchange began trading oil futures in 1983.

OK, but why?

ADVERTISEMENT

The low prices for West Texas Intermediate oil come as demand has fallen 30 percent as people quarantine because of the coronavirus, leading to a massive surplus of unneeded oil and fuel. 

Negative pricing reflects a willingness of oil producers to pay futures traders to deal with the excess oil.

“There is such a massive supply surplus and very little places to store it, and that’s what’s driving this,” Jim Burkhard, vice president and head of oil markets at IHS Markit, told The Hill. 

So, what’s the industry doing about it?

Companies have already begun limiting their production, temporarily capping wells.

U.S. production is expected to drop by a little less than 5 percent for the rest of the year, according to market analysis by the Energy Information Administration.

But, in the short term, those efforts haven’t been enough to combat the oversupply.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Some companies want to wait out the market before shutting in production, so they’ll pay someone to take it,” Burkhard said, using a term for pausing production at wells. 

Experts said Monday’s free fall was an oddity. Oil trading is centered on monthly contracts, a reflection of the time needed to get the product to market. Monday was the last day to purchase oil under a small volume of May contracts, with tomorrow’s bidding on June expected to raise prices.

And what could be next?

But it’s a market rarity that could repeat itself in a month’s time if oil storage remains scarce. Rystad Energy estimates there may be only 21 million barrels’ worth of free storage left in the world.

And oil production has not yet gone low enough to make up for the lack of demand. Shutting in wells and later turning them back on can be expensive, and oil companies may not have the cash to do so. The process can also damage a well’s productivity, another reason producers may be willing to pay for others to take the oil. 

“The potential for long-term damage and the costs necessary to start up again are why producers say, ‘I might take a loss on oil right now because it’s better than shutting in production and incurring those costs,'” said Christopher Page, a market analyst with Rystad Energy.

Read more about what happened in the oil market today here.

IT’S MONDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news. Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to our newsletter.

A DEEP DIVE: House Democrats criticized the Trump administration’s offshore drilling policies in a report issued on Monday, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 

“The Trump administration has prioritized ‘energy dominance,’ which means less focus on worker safety and environmental protection and more emphasis on ensuring higher profits and lower costs for the oil and gas industry,” the report reads.

The report was issued by Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee. 

It particularly takes issue with the administration’s actions to remove some of the safety mandates on the oil and gas industry and pointed to an analysis from a left-wing think tank that found that spills and injuries were on the rise during the Trump administration. 

It concluded that the administration’s actions “have increased the odds that workers, local businesses, community members, and taxpayers will once again pay the price of an offshore disaster.”

Interior Department spokesperson Conner Swanson slammed the report as “overtly political” in a statement to The Hill and said that it “could not be further from the truth.”

“Since day one, the Trump Administration and the Department have taken actions to ensure energy development is conducted in a safe and smart manner,” Swanson said. 

The department has also previously defended its loosening of requirements, saying it was getting rid of “unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining safety and environmental protection offshore.”

Monday’s report additionally decried “industry access to leadership,” and pointed to one instance in which a former Interior Department official went on to work for a company that his policy work had allegedly helped. 

Read more about the report here.

PLANNING ON EXPANDING: Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden says he raised M in March Bloomberg spent over billion on failed campaign, more than Clinton and Trump in all of 2016 OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Oil trades at lowest price in history after slipping into negative pricing | Democratic Deepwater Horizon anniversary report criticizes administration’s offshore drilling policies | Biden floats expansion of climate platform MORE said Monday that he would expand his environmental platform amid calls from some environmental groups aligned with former primary challenger Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersBiden says he raised M in March OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Oil trades at lowest price in history after slipping into negative pricing | Democratic Deepwater Horizon anniversary report criticizes administration’s offshore drilling policies | Biden floats expansion of climate platform Biden needs to be a leader on voting rights MORE (I-Vt.). 

“I outlined a bold plan to lead a clean energy revolution and fight for environmental justice. But the best policy work is continuous, creative, and keeps reaching for greater ambition and impact. In the months ahead, expanding this plan will be one of my key objectives,” Biden said in a statement while accepting an endorsement from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“I have asked my campaign to commence a process to meaningfully engage with more voices from the climate movement — including environmental justice leaders and worker organizations, and collaborate on additional policies in areas ranging from environmental justice to new, concrete goals we can achieve within a decade, to more investments in a clean energy economy,” the former vice president added. 

His statement followed calls from some environmentalists for Biden to expand his climate platform following Sanders’s exit from the race.

Meanwhile, Ex-Inslee staffers are hoping Biden and Congress will adopt some of their own ideas…

Ex-campaign staffers for former presidential candidate Jay InsleeJay Robert InsleeOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Oil trades at lowest price in history after slipping into negative pricing | Democratic Deepwater Horizon anniversary report criticizes administration’s offshore drilling policies | Biden floats expansion of climate platform Here’s when all 50 states plan to reopen after coronavirus restrictions Trump support for protests threatens to undermine social distancing rules MORE are reviving the Washington governor’s ambitious climate plan by pitching an updated proposal to congressional Democrats and the Biden campaign.

The new plan is a condensed version of Inslee’s 200-page climate manifesto but contains many of the same objectives: transitioning to 100 percent clean electricity by 2035, slashing subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, creating a Climate Conservation Corps and revitalizing the economy through investment in green technology and clean energy.

The revised proposal has been sent to the Biden campaign, Democratic congressional leaders and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in both chambers, in hopes that some of the ideas might gain enough traction to garner stimulus funding or be implemented if Biden wins in November.

“Essentially the concept was: How can we take the assets of a presidential campaign, including smart, thoughtful policy and communications and media and organizing capacity, but put it in service of policy and the movement rather than an individual?” said Bracken Hendricks, a former Inslee staffer who authored the plan alongside two other colleagues from the campaign.

ADVERTISEMENT

They are part of a new organization called Evergreen Action, a nod to both Inslee’s home state and what the group’s founders see as the durability of the proposal.

Jared Leopold, a former Inslee spokesman, described the new plan as “a road map and action agenda of what Congress and the next president can do.”

“It takes its inspiration from Gov. Inslee’s plan, which was designed to meet the scientific need of a national mobilization to defeat climate change,” Leopold said. “This is intended to pick up where he left off on driving the policy and the politics of climate change.”

Read more about LCV Action’s endorsement of Biden here and read more about Evergreen Action here. 

MAILBAG: Sixteen Democratic senators wrote a letter to the chamber’s leadership asking for the next stimulus package to include assistance for communities that face disparate impacts of environmental issues. 

“As you know, the COVID-19 virus currently imperiling our Nation has life-threatening impacts on people with underlying health conditions. We are concerned that this leaves environmental justice communities particularly vulnerable as members of these communities are more likely than others to experience asthma and have diabetes,” they wrote.  

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY:

A decade after BP spill, Gulf of Mexico has rebounded, but wounds still visible, NOLA.com reports.

‘Dead in the water’: New York’s clean energy sector looks for a jump-start, Politico reports.

Green energy could drive Covid-19 recovery, The Guardian reports.

ICYMI: Stories from Monday and the weekend… 

White House pushed EPA for looser ‘forever chemical’ regulation: documents

Court rules Montana landowners need EPA approval for clean up measures

AGs from 18 states argue for further restrictions on ‘forever chemicals’

Stocks sink as oil prices plunge below $1 per barrel

Jane Goodall hopes pandemic creates movement ‘of people who’ve never before breathed clean air in cities’

Click Here: new zealand rugby team jerseys

The Pentagon is planning to fly Blue Angels and Thunderbirds over multiple U.S. cities next week to “champion national unity” and thank first responders amid the coronavirus pandemic, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. 

The flyovers are intended to serve as a thank-you to first responders, essential personnel and military service members as part of the collective fight against the spread of COVID-19, the Post reported, citing a memo about the plan. 

The mission, named Operation America Strong, is meant to be a nonpartisan show of resolve, a senior military officer in the Pentagon told the Post. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“This is just a sincere thank-you,” the senior military official said. “It’s one way to acknowledge those who are pitching in.”

The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds will fly jointly over Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York, Newark and Trenton, N.J., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston and Austin, Texas, the Post reported, citing the memo. 

The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds will also fly separately over several other cities. 

The cost of the flights will come from money already in the Pentagon’s budget, the official told the Post. 

A spokesperson for the Pentagon was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Hill. 

The senior military official told the outlet that the appearance will not feature air-show stunts and that the teams will avoid flying over areas where people can congregate, as public health experts have warned against large social gatherings to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The official told the news source that White House officials have been briefed and said the program still needs final approval from service secretaries. 

Another defense official told the Post that congressional staff were briefed about the plan this week, and officials for offices of Democratic and Republican senators on the Armed Services Committee confirmed to the Post they had been notified. 

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), whose state is home to the Blue Angels, told the newspaper he’s “thrilled” about the plan. 

“I’m thrilled to see our military honoring the front-line health care workers who have been fighting every day against this silent killer,” he said. “They are all heroes deserving of our gratitude and honor.”

Across the U.S., there are more than 844,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 46,609 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Click Here: new zealand rugby team jerseys