The Biden campaign on Tuesday criticized Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pompeo criticized for GOP convention speech from Jerusalem | State Dept says UAE arms sales under review | California Guardsman becomes sixth military COVID-19 death Pompeo draws criticism for convention speech from Jerusalem Pompeo: US reviewing arms sale to UAE MORE for deciding to address the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem during official diplomatic travel.

“Secretary Pompeo’s decision to address the Republican Convention from Jerusalem isn’t just an abuse of taxpayer dollars, it undermines the critical work being done by the State Department,” said Kate Bedingfield, deputy campaign manager and communications director for Biden’s campaign.

“Every day America’s diplomats abroad proudly represent our country — not a political party — but Mike Pompeo’s repeated and blatant use of his office for overtly political purposes only serves to undercut their work, and it further weakens the critical alliances and global relationships that have already been so badly damaged by this administration’s recklessness,” she added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pompeo is on a week-long trip to the Middle East following the Trump administration’s recent opening of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The secretary took time away from his official duty to record convention remarks from Jerusalem that are expected to be delivered during Tuesday night’s programming.

The State Department said he was delivering remarks in his personal capacity and that no department resources would be used in the process.

Critics argue that Pompeo is breaking long-held norms of State Department officials avoiding partisan and political gatherings and that he likely violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal officials from taking part in political activity while on official duty.

Another administration official drawing scrutiny for participating in the GOP convention is Ivanka TrumpIvana (Ivanka) Marie TrumpTrump campaign unveils Republican National Convention speakers Trump to visit North Carolina on Monday as GOP convention begins Investments in women are investments in US national security MORE, a senior White House adviser who will introduce her father, President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Fear overshadows hope at GOP convention’s first night Former Trump administration officials launch anti-Trump group Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one MORE, before his acceptance speech on Thursday.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Ivanka Trump’s appearance will be in her personal capacity as the president’s daughter and that the White House worked with the Office of Special Counsel to ensure that her appearance was in full compliance with the Hatch Act.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Like all government employees, she is free to engage in political activity in her personal capacity,” McEnany said in a statement.

Pompeo’s critics also pointed out that the secretary was violating his own stipulations for State Department officials, laid out as recently as July, that explicitly prohibited staff from participating in “partisan political behavior while posted… abroad, even on personal time.”

A copy of the July cable, signed by Pompeo, was obtained by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and released Monday night.

–This report was updated at 11:06 a.m.

Click Here: All Blacks Rugby Jersey

Thirty House Democrats on Thursday called on U.S.-based airlines to work together to establish an industrywide set of policies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The members, led by Rep. Jerry McNerneyGerlad (Jerry) Mark McNerneyHouse Dems call for airlines to adopt uniform coronavirus policies Democratic lawmakers ask how FEMA is planning to balance natural disasters, COVID-19 response Democratic senator criticizes Zoom’s security and privacy policies MORE (D-Calif.), sent a letter to 11 airlines, requesting information about policies they have implemented to keep passengers and staff safe amid the pandemic.

They also criticized the Trump administration for not listening to the call from Democrats, airports and unions to require facial coverings for all passengers in terminals and on planes.

ADVERTISEMENT

House Democrats introduced a bill in July that would require passengers to wear masks on commercial planes and in airports throughout the pandemic.

“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to come forward with a mandatory policy regarding masks on planes, passengers sitting next to each other for extended periods of time, or other protective measures for passengers and employees. While the FAA has the authority to act on this issue, it appears that the agency is following President TrumpDonald John TrumpFive takeaways from the Democratic National Convention What we’ll remember from the 2020 Biden convention Chris Wallace labels Biden’s acceptance speech ‘enormously effective’ MORE’s lead and failing to take action during this time of crisis,” the members wrote.

Major airlines have imposed their own mask policies and many have warned that they will ban passengers who refused to comply.

The members requested the airlines provide answers within 14 days about their mask policies and exceptions, seating and flight capacity policies, if they are conducting temperature checks for employees, and if they are conducting COVID-19 tests for employees.

The letter comes at the heels of Delta’s announcement on Tuesday that it will include CVS Health Return Ready testing, which is a rapid-response nasal swab test, as a testing option inside airports for its employees.

The members also asked for sanitization protocols, cancellation policies, and if airlines are taking steps to work with other airlines to establish comprehensive industrywide policies that address masks, social distancing and other safety measures.

The letter was sent to CEOs of Delta, JetBlue, Frontier, Hawaiian, Sun Country, Southwest, Spirit, United, Allegiant, American and Alaska airlines.

Click Here: All Blacks Rugby Jersey

Italian cruise line Costa Cruises will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on passengers and will require negative results before boarding.

The Carnival Cruise subsidiary, which is slated to resume operations on Sept. 6, said Tuesday that it will require anyone coming on board to take an antigen test.

“The quick antigenic test will identify any suspicious cases that may be subjected to a PCR test for further check, thus determining the possibility of embarkation,” the cruise line added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Click Here: NRL Telstra Premiership

While antigen testing is not the most accurate form of COVID-19 testing methods, it does aid in quickly detecting potential infections and provides results in around 15 minutes. Antigen tests are also affordable and more abundant than other forms of coronavirus testing.

Other global cruise lines such are also implementing mandatory testing for passengers prior to boarding.

Carnival said Costa Cruises will initially resume operations on two vessels, the Costa Deliziosa and the Costa Diadema, and will only book Italian citizens.

The Costa Deliziosa will embark on five destinations across Italy with “protected shore excursions” for guests on the trip, the company said.

Costa’s new health and safety protocol are in accordance with the Italian government’s and EU Healthy Gateways program.

Other Costa ships are slated to depart after Sept. 30, when a hold on the cruise line’s season is scheduled to expire.

Italy has recorded nearly 260,000 COVID-19 cases and 35,000 fatalities since the start of the pandemic earlier this year, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

According to the World Health Organization, there was a 2 percent rise in cases in Italy on Monday, with 1,200 new infections recorded.

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter with this LINK.

Welcome! Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech reporter, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills), for more coverage.

TIKTOK HITS BACK: TikTok announced Monday that it is suing the Trump administration over its executive order aimed at banning the short-form video app from the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The administration ignored our extensive efforts to address its concerns, which we conducted fully and in good faith,” the company said in a press release announcing the suit. “We do not take suing the government lightly, however we feel we have no choice but to take action to protect our rights, and the rights of our community and employees.” 

Trump signed two executive orders earlier this month compelling ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok, to sell off its American assets, arguing that its ties to China pose a security threat.

The first order, signed Aug. 6, would ban transactions with the app within 45 days. The second order, signed a week later, gave ByteDance 90 days to divest.

Monday’s lawsuit argues that the Trump administration failed to provide evidence for TikTok being a national security threat in the first of the two orders.

“As the U.S. government is well aware, Plaintiffs have taken extraordinary measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok’s U.S. user data, including by having TikTok store such data outside of China (in the United States and Singapore) and by erecting software barriers that help ensure that TikTok stores its U.S. user data separately from the user data of other ByteDance products,” the complaint reads.

TikTok filed the lawsuit in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California. The company announced its intention to sue this past weekend.

The lawsuit also challenges Trump’s deployment of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives the president broad authority to regulate international commerce.

ADVERTISEMENT

The power is meant to be reserved for cases involving “an unusual and extraordinary threat,” a standard which TikTok claims has not been met.

Read more about the case here. 

WECHAT USERS ALSO CLAP BACK: A group of WeChat users is suing the Trump administration in an attempt to block enforcement of an executive order that would effectively ban the popular Chinese messaging app in the United States. 

In a lawsuit filed on Friday in federal court in San Francisco, the nonprofit group WeChat Users Alliance and some of the app’s users claimed that the executive action violates several of their constitutional rights while also destroying an “irreplaceable cultural bridge” for those who use the app to connect with family and friends in China. 

The complaint asked the court to declare the executive order unconstitutional and to block the administration from moving forward with its implementation. The plaintiffs said that WeChat and its Chinese parent company, Tencent Holdings, were not affiliated with the legal effort.

“In short, the threatened displacement of these WeChat users from their public space is an irreparable harm that requires judicial intervention,” the lawsuit said. 

Read more here. 

SCHOOL’S OUT ON THE FIRST DAY: A widespread Zoom outage on Monday affected schools, courtrooms and other places of business that had been relying on the video conference platform during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have received reports of users being unable to start and join Zoom Meetings and Webinars. We are currently investigating and will provide updates as we have them,” the company told ABC News in a statement. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.”

Click Here: camiseta seleccion argentina

The company’s live service updates portal still listed partial outages for both its webinar and meetings services as of early Monday afternoon.

The outage appeared to be affecting parts of Europe and most of the U.S. East Coast, according to ABC, with several school districts and other institutions confirming an outage. Atlanta Public Schools, Texas’s Carroll Independent School District and the Michigan Supreme Court all wrote that the outage had interrupted their operations.

The company announced later in the morning that it was “deploying a fix” to resolve the interruptions.

Read more about the outage here. 

SECURING 5G: The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a strategy Monday to defend U.S. 5G networks against threats.

The CISA 5G Strategy outlines five “strategic initiatives” to secure the buildout of 5G systems, which include supporting 5G policy and standards development that stops malicious actors from influencing the design of new systems, expanding awareness of supply chain threats to 5G systems to minimize vulnerabilities, and working to strengthen and secure existing infrastructure. 

CISA Director Christopher Krebs wrote in the report that he saw 5G development as the “single biggest critical infrastructure build the world has seen in 25 years,” highlighting the need to build security into a system that will support essential services. 

“Given 5G’s scope, the stakes for safeguarding our networks could not be higher,” Krebs wrote. “The vulnerabilities that will come with 5G deployment are broad and range from insider threats to cyber espionage and attacks from sophisticated nation-states.”

“Now more than ever, trust in our services and the underpinning equipment is paramount,” he added. 

The release of the strategy comes after President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Fear overshadows hope at GOP convention’s first night Former Trump administration officials launch anti-Trump group Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one MORE released a “National Strategy to Secure 5G” in March. The new CISA 5G strategy is aligned with Trump’s plan, with both focusing on risk management, stakeholder engagement, and technical assistance to address threats to 5G systems. 

“My Administration is committed to protecting America’s national security, promoting our prosperity, and preserving our civil liberties and democratic ideals,” Trump wrote in the administration’s 5G strategy. “Ensuring the security, reliability, and trustworthiness of our 5G infrastructure is essential to these endeavors.”

Read more about the strategy here. 

ADVERTISEMENT

ZUCKERBERG VS TIKTOK: Facebook CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergHillicon Valley: TikTok sues Trump administration over executive order | Zoom reports widespread outages impacting schools, hearings | Federal cyber agency releases strategy to secure 5G networks Mark Zuckerberg pushed anti-TikTok message to officials, lawmakers: report Twitter adds rules violation label to Trump tweet on mail drop boxes MORE pushed concerns about TikTok’s ties to China during meetings with officials and lawmakers, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

The Journal reported that Zuckerberg discussed TikTok with Sen. Tom CottonTom Bryant CottonHillicon Valley: TikTok sues Trump administration over executive order | Zoom reports widespread outages impacting schools, hearings | Federal cyber agency releases strategy to secure 5G networks Mark Zuckerberg pushed anti-TikTok message to officials, lawmakers: report The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden says he’s open to serving two terms; GOP convention begins MORE (R-Ark.) before the government began its national security investigation into the app owned by the China-based ByteDance.

Zuckerberg also made the case to President Trump that the rise of Chinese internet companies poses a huge threat to American businesses during a private dinner in October, the Journal reported.

Zuckerberg has not kept his opposition to China’s model for the internet a secret, railing against it both in a speech at Georgetown University last year and in congressional testimony last month.

Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in statement Sunday that “Mark has never advocated for a ban on TikTok.” He also said it was wrong to conclude that policy decisions were driven by Zuckerberg.

“He has repeatedly said publicly that the biggest competitors to US tech companies are Chinese companies, with values that don’t align with democratic ideals like free speech,” he said. “It’s ludicrous to suggest that long-standing national security concerns — raised by policymakers on both sides of the aisle — have been shaped by Mark’s statements alone.”

Read more here. 

ADVERTISEMENT

TWITTER TAKES ACTION: Twitter said Sunday that it added a label to a tweet shared by President Trump because it promoted misleading claims that “could potentially dissuade people from participation in voting,” marking the second instance in which the social media company has taken action on election-related posts shared by the president. 

Trump earlier Sunday shared a tweet in which he claimed that mail drop boxes used for the upcoming election could lead to fraud. The president said drop boxes could allow people to vote multiple times and suggested they were not “Covid sanitized.” There’s no evidence that voter fraud is more likely when voting is done through the mail, or that it is harder for authorities to stop.

The tweet now includes a label saying the post “violated Twitter Rules about civic and election integrity.” The tweet will remain accessible because Twitter determined that it “may be in the public’s interest,” the company said. 

“Per our policies, this Tweet will remain on the service given its relevance to ongoing public conversation,” Twitter said in a statement shared on its @TwitterSafety account. “Engagements with the Tweet will be limited. People will be able to Retweet with Comment, but not Like, Reply, or Retweet it.”

Read more about the move here. 

WARNER HAS SOME CONCERNS: Sen. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerHillicon Valley: TikTok sues Trump administration over executive order | Zoom reports widespread outages impacting schools, hearings | Federal cyber agency releases strategy to secure 5G networks Top Senate Democrat calls on Trump to ‘disavow’ QAnon movement Sunday shows – Leaked audio of Trump’s sister reverberates MORE (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday he is worried that Americans may “unwittingly” be promoting a Russian disinformation campaign designed to interfere with the 2020 presidential election.

The committee vice chairman told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he wants the U.S. intelligence community to release more information about how Russia is trying to intrude in the election so the American people can be more aware. 

Warner cited a U.S. counterintelligence report released last week that determined Russia was attempting to interfere with the election to promote President Trump and criticize Democratic nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Memo: Fear overshadows hope at GOP convention’s first night Former Trump administration officials launch anti-Trump group Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one MORE.

“It’s incumbent on the intelligence community to lay out more of the facts of what we know about that disinformation campaign,” he said. “My fear is there may be Americans that are unwittingly promoting that Russian disinformation campaign, and I think they need to be briefed so they don’t become, frankly, agents in effect of this disinformation campaign.”

The intelligence report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also indicated that China and Iran were also attempting to meddle in the election – but in favor of Biden to prevent Trump’s reelection. 

Read more here. 

Lighter click: Nice lil’ bilingual joke

An op-ed to chew on: Do we all need a cyber fallout shelter?

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

What If Technology Belonged to the People? (Motherboard / Edward Ongweso Jr.)

Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people, asks for a second chance at charity (Recode / Theodore Schleifer)

Scammers Are Using Facebook To Prey On People In Kenya (BuzzFeed News / Odanga Madung)

TikTok reveals specific U.S. and global user growth numbers for the first time (CNBC / Alex Sherman)

President TrumpDonald John TrumpFive takeaways from the Democratic National Convention What we’ll remember from the 2020 Biden convention Chris Wallace labels Biden’s acceptance speech ‘enormously effective’ MORE on Thursday repeated his plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq “shortly” during a meeting with the county’s new prime minister.

“We were there, and now we’re getting out. We’ll be leaving shortly,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“We have been taking our troops out of Iraq fairly rapidly, and we look forward to the day when we don’t have to be there.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Click Here: cd universidad catolica

Trump — who met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as part of a larger discussion on paths to staunch pro-Iran militias in the nation and counter threats from Islamic State fighters — would not give a timeline for a full withdrawal.

Pressed on a timetable, Trump deferred to Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: GOP national security officials back Biden | Trump says troops in Iraq will come home ‘shortly’ White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report Trump vows to bring all US troops home from Iraq ‘shortly’ MORE, who said U.S. forces would leave “as soon as we can complete the mission.”

“The president has made very clear he wants to get our forces down to the lowest level as quickly as we possibly can. That’s the mission he’s given us, and we’re working with Iraqis to achieve that,” Pompeo said.

The U.S. first invaded Iraq in 2003, leaving in 2011 but returning in 2014 to help quell the rise of the Islamic State. Today, there are roughly 5,200 U.S. troops in the country to train Iraqi forces and carry out counterterrorism missions.

Trump’s comments seem at odds with those of the the top U.S. general in the Middle East, who last month predicted that a small number of U.S. troops will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future.

“I believe that going forward, they’re going to want us to be with them,” Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said last month after meeting with al-Kadhimi.

McKenzie reiterated that sentiment last week, telling attendees at a U.S. Institute of Peace event that while the United States wants to shrink its troop footprint, “I just don’t know when that’s going to be.”

The topic is unlikely to be put to bed on al-Kadhimi’s first trip to Washington this week, as senior Trump administration officials on Wednesday told reporters that troop withdrawal timelines would not be discussed in talks with the president. 

Michelle ObamaMichelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaStates must pivot to safe early voting Michelle Obama speech garners most social media interaction of Democratic convention Democrats desperately push the ‘peaceful protesters’ delusion MORE’s speech at the Democratic National Convention this week garnered the most social media interaction of any address at the event.

According to NewsWhip data reported by Axios, there were 7.56 million social media interactions — such as likes, comments and shares — on stories about the former first lady’s Monday night speech.

Former President Obama’s speech on Wednesday had the second-most interactions, while former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHouse passes B bill to boost Postal Service Trump seeks to overcome eroding support among women Here are the states where Kanye West is on the ballot MORE’s speech Thursday formally accepting the 2020 Democratic nomination came in third. They garnered 1.5 million and 1.4 million interactions, respectively.

ADVERTISEMENT

Many of the social media posts that attracted interactions for Michelle Obama’s speech were those leading users to watch or read her full remarks, while others focused on her comments that President TrumpDonald John TrumpTwo ‘The Apprentice’ producers helping with Republican National Convention About 70,000 lives could be saved in near future if people wear masks: researchers Trump issues disaster declaration for California as wildfires rage MORE is “in over his head” and “the wrong president for our country.” There were also large numbers of interactions among Republican users over her remarks that the Trump administration put kids in cages. 

Michelle Obama skewered Trump in her speech, urging viewers to vote out someone she said was unqualified for his post.

“Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” she said, wearing a gold necklace spelling out the word “vote.” “He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us.”

The data included interactions from the entire week as of Friday morning.

Data showed that left-leaning audiences were more attracted to storylines about the Obamas as well as Republicans who appeared to back Biden, while right-wing publications got traffic for videos showing the Pledge of Allegiance being recited without “under God.”

Click Here: cd universidad catolica

South Korea has reimposed several social-distancing measures after the nation’s coronavirus cases increased by triple digits for the 10^th consecutive day.

The nation closed beaches and churches and banned fans from baseball games after the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 397 new cases of the virus Sunday. A new spike in the virus began in the Seoul region before spreading to most of South Korea’s other major cities and towns, The Associated Press reported.

KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said the daily increases may climb in the days ahead.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We don’t see the current state as the peak … we believe that infections could further increase,” she said during a briefing, the AP reported. “Patients are increasing not only in the Seoul metropolitan region, but also across the 17 (major) cities and provinces throughout the country, pushing us on the verge of a massive nationwide outbreak.”

Officials had long resisted reimposing lockdown measures for fear of damaging the national economy. They finally relented on Sunday, barring indoor gatherings of more 50 people and shuttering buffet restaurants, nightclubs and karaoke venues. Seoul officials will also require masks in public indoors and outdoors. The country has required masks on public transport since May, but enforcement has proven a challenge.

Korean officials may also raise the distancing requirements to “Level 3,” under which schools would be closed and gatherings of more than 10 people would be banned. Professional sports would also be shut down entirely and officials would strongly suggest private companies tell employees to work from  home, according to the AP.

“An elevation to ‘Level 3’ practically means the stoppage of all daily activities aside of essential social and economic activities, and that would bring painful results to all our people and the economy as a whole,” senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a separate briefing.

Click Here: los jaguares argentina

President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Fear overshadows hope at GOP convention’s first night Former Trump administration officials launch anti-Trump group Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one MORE on Monday offered praise for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for releasing American pastor Andrew Brunson last year after imprisoning him for roughly two years on disputed charges.

Trump met with six Americans who were freed from captivity during his administration, including Brunson, in a prerecorded segment that aired during the first night of the Republican National Convention.

“I have to say that, to me, President Erdoğan was very good,” Trump told Brunson. “And I know they had you scheduled for a long time, and you were a very innocent person, and he ultimately, after we had a few conversations, he agreed. So we appreciate that, and we appreciate the people of Turkey.”

Click Here: Putters

ADVERTISEMENT

Brunson worked in Turkey for 23 years as the pastor of the Resurrection Church. He was detained for an alleged connection to a failed coup against Erdoğan in 2016, though he denied any wrongdoing.

Monday night’s comments are the latest instance of Trump offering praise for leaders such as Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinTrump praises Erdoğan during convention segment with freed hostages Flake formally endorses Biden: ‘We need a president who summons our better angels’ Tests indicate Russian opposition leader Navalny was poisoned, German hospital says MORE, something Democrats criticized him for during their convention last week.

Trump highlighted the case of other Americans who were held hostage in Iran and Venezuela on Monday. They in turn expressed their gratitude to the president and aides who negotiated their release.

“We got you back. We got you all back,” Trump said. “And we have some more that we’re working on right now to get back.”

Rep. Bill FloresWilliam (Bill) Hose FloresTexas GOP lawmaker calls for ‘carbon neutral’ but ‘energy dominant’ future OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden calls climate change one of America’s four major crises | National parks chief says coronavirus staff shortages shouldn’t prevent access | Trump hits California officials over wildfires Overnight Energy: Michigan agrees to 0M Flint settlement | Sierra Club knocks DNC over dropped fossil fuel subsidies language MORE (R-Texas) on Monday called for the U.S. to become carbon neutral as early as 2040, with major clean energy investments leading the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We need to develop a 21st century, what I call moonshot approach to help the United States be the world leader when it comes to energy resources, and to be carbon neutral by let’s say 2040 or 2050,” the former oil executive said at an event hosted by The Hill. “We’ll have to figure out what that consensus is, but this will help restore, renew, and rebuild America from its current COVID-19 challenges.”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Memo: Fear overshadows hope at GOP convention’s first night Former Trump administration officials launch anti-Trump group Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one MORE has called for net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

ADVERTISEMENT

Flores, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made the remarks at The Hill’s “Energy and National Security” event, on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention.

The Texas Republican, who is retiring from Congress in January, called for “a combination of conservation, innovation, adaptation and market forces” to guide the U.S.’s future energy strategy, and urged investment in nuclear power.

“If we want to have a large segment of zero emissions baseload electric generation as a key energy source, we’re going to have to invest more in next-gen nuclear, and also small modular reactors,” he told The Hill’s Steve Clemons. “Those are the key to having this carbon neutral future.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The lawmaker noted he is also a supporter of wind and solar energy, and is personally the largest generator of residential solar electricity in Brazos County, Texas.

Flores praised the Trump administration for its work toward energy independence, calling it a key to “greater national security and geopolitical stability.” The U.S. became a net exporter of natural gas and oil in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and is on pace to become a net exporter of energy by 2022.

Flores said he supports the administration’s plan to open up 1.5 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas drilling, which is facing heavy pushback from environmental groups, including two lawsuits filed Monday.

“I would encourage [opponents] to go to the North Slope of Alaska, and look at the huge changes in land use from when the North Slope was first discovered and oil and gas production started to what it is today,” he said at the event sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute. “I think they’ll walk away with a whole new feeling of appreciation for how the oil and gas industry has become environmentally conscious.”

Jennifer Gordon, managing editor and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, said at a panel following Flores’s remarks that Republicans should take advantage of  “maybe the most positive policy environment that we’ve ever seen” for nuclear energy and low-carbon technology.

“This week, I want to hear more about specific technologies that are areas that have potential for innovation, and where the policy environment can really support us getting to low-carbon technologies,” she said.

Billionaire presidential candidates Michael BloombergMichael BloombergEngel scrambles to fend off primary challenge from left It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process Liberals embrace super PACs they once shunned MORE and Tom SteyerTom SteyerBloomberg wages war on COVID-19, but will he abandon his war on coal? Overnight Energy: 600K clean energy jobs lost during pandemic, report finds | Democrats target diseases spread by wildlife | Energy Dept. to buy 1M barrels of oil Ocasio-Cortez, Schiff team up to boost youth voter turnout MORE are leaning into climate change as a campaign issue to stand out in a crowded Democratic field. Both Bloomberg and Steyer have unveiled a series of climate-related proposals after entering the race later than some of the current front-runners. Steyer, a former hedge fund executive, has called the matter his “number one priority.” The two billionaires have a history of funding green initiatives. The former New York City mayor and owner of the Bloomberg financial empire has donated millions of dollars to The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which has worked to shutter numerous coal plants, and he has pledged to donate $500 million to close the country’s remaining coal plants by 2030 Meanwhile, Steyer founded the organization NextGen America, which aims to support candidates who advocate for climate action. “This is at the top of voters’ minds in 2020. We know that people are crying out to see action,” said Democratic strategist Jon Reinish. “I think it’s going to be a rewarding issue for both of them.” Both have highlighted their commitment to the issue on the campaign trail. Steyer has said that he would declare climate change a national emergency on his first day in office and Bloomberg has also said that fighting climate change would be a focus for him. The push on climate change has come amid renewed attention to the issue in recent months following flooding in the Midwest, wildfires in Australia and other environmental disasters. Although climate change is often identified by Democratic primary voters as a key concern, it hasn’t always dominated the race. The Democratic National Committee, for example, did not heed calls by environmentalist groups for a debate solely debated to climate change. Meanwhile, another candidate who sought to make climate change a focus of his campaign, Washington Gov. Jay InsleeJay Robert InsleeInslee calls on Trump to ‘stay out of Washington state’s business’ Seattle mayor responds to Trump: ‘Go back to your bunker’ Trump warns he will take back Seattle from ‘ugly Anarchists’ if local leaders don’t act MORE (D), dropped out of the race last year after failing to make an impression in the polls. Steyer and Bloomberg are now seeking to bring new attention to the issue. “They have been super active and insistent at not only raising the profile of the issue in front of voters, making it a litmus test with elected officials, but also, especially if you look at Mike Bloomberg, using his resources … to give big cities and major carbon users real incentives to plan for the future and a lower-carbon or carbon free future,” Reinish added. Steyer’s camp said that his focus on climate will help promote the subject because of his ability to put it in an economic context. “His message has expanded to put climate also in the context of our economic development and our need to have significant democratic reforms and really take back politics from corporations … and give it back to the people,” said policy adviser Frances Sawyer. Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s team stressed that their candidate provides a unique approach to the issue because he himself has “meaningfully reduced emissions.” As New York’s mayor, Bloomberg’s climate policies included a push to increase the number of hybrid taxis and training building superintendents to install eco-friendly equipment. “He has firsthand experience cutting emissions and cleaning up the air while at the same time growing the population of New York City, growing the economy,” said Antha Williams, Bloomberg’s senior adviser on climate, energy and the environment. Bloomberg this past week put out a plan calling for greener buildings and homes through “aggressive clean building codes” and incentivizing pollution-free and electric options for people looking to replace appliances or equipment. He also this week said he would aim for all new cars to be electric by 2035 and said he would implement mileage and pollution standards. However, both candidates have faced a certain degree of skepticism on climate issues and they also have to contend with candidates who are polling higher than they are and who have also put heavy emphasis on climate policy. Environmental group Greenpeace has questioned whether Bloomberg has provided enough details on his climate change plans. “We expect that Mayor Bloomberg will come out with some more detailed plans given his record, but at this point, we just haven’t seen those yet,” said Jack Shapiro, Greenpeace’s climate leadership project lead, before the release of Bloomberg’s housing and transportation plans this week. 

In a follow-up email after the plans were released, Shapiro added, “We always welcome candidates’ focus on climate and introducing more climate solutions into the race, but with the first votes in the primary being cast in just weeks, Bloomberg is running out of time to convince voters he’s the best candidate to take on the oil and gas industry.”

Meanwhile, during the Democratic debate on Tuesday, Steyer was asked by reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel whether he was the “right messenger” on climate due to his past investments in fossil fuels. 

“He was invested across the economy but has now moved away from all those fossil fuel investments as he now understands the gravity of the climate crisis and that’s something that our economy as a whole is having to do,” Sawyer told The Hill. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Steyer said in September that he still had some holding in hydrocarbons according to Bloomberg News. 

Nonetheless, League of Conservation Voters Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld expressed optimism about the candidates’ climate focus. 

“Both of them take every opportunity to talk about how important this is and to make clear that if they were elected president that they would really put this issue at the very top of their agenda,” she said.

Click Here: Golf special