Rep. Matt GaetzMatthew (Matt) GaetzTroubles grow for Gaetz as former associate flips Gaetz associate pleads guilty Gaetz compares allegations against him to earmarks: ‘Everybody knows that that’s the corruption’ MORE’s (R-Fla.) legal and political woes are intensifying as his former associate pleaded guilty on Monday to sex trafficking a minor and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in an investigation reportedly targeting the combative Republican congressman.

Joel Greenberg, a former Florida county official and close confidant of Gaetz, confessed in court to six federal criminal counts, including fraud, stalking and aggravated identity theft.

Gaetz was not mentioned during the plea hearing Monday morning nor in the 86-page agreement between Greenberg and prosecutors filed in court last week, but the implications for the Republican congressman have loomed over the proceedings, in some cases quite literally. According to The Associated Press, a plane flew over the federal courthouse in Orlando, Fla., during the hearing with a banner in its wake that read, “TICK TOCK MATT GAETZ.”

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The full scope of what Greenberg could be telling federal prosecutors about Gaetz is still unclear, but last month, when it was first revealed that Greenberg could soon be entering into a plea deal, his attorney Fritz Scheller told reporters, “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today.”

Asked for comment about what Greenberg’s plea agreement might mean for Gaetz, Scheller told The Hill in a brief email only that his client is “bound by and intends to honor” the deal.

It has been widely reported that federal investigators are looking into whether Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl and violated federal sex trafficking laws in doing so.

Greenberg admitted to paying for sex with an underage girl and introducing “the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts” with her, according to the plea agreement filed last week, which does not identify any of the other men. 

Greenberg was first indicted nearly a year ago and initially faced 33 criminal charges.

It was the investigation into Greenberg that led federal prosecutors to Gaetz.

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The two are both scions of wealthy conservative families in the Sunshine State, both were enthusiastic Trump boosters and both had a keen interest in cryptocurrencies and a preference for young women. Greenberg, who has reportedly been cooperating with federal authorities since last year, has said that he and Gaetz had paid some of the same women for sex, including a 17-year-old girl — charges Gaetz has adamantly denied.

Separately, The Daily Beast reported over the weekend that Gaetz had snorted cocaine with a paid escort in his Orlando hotel room following a Trump rally in 2019. 

Gaetz, 39, has remained defiant through it all, appearing on cable news shows, penning op-eds and telling reporters in the Capitol that he’s the subject of a politically motivated witch hunt — a process he says will reveal only his innocence.

“My lifestyle of yesteryear may be different from how I live now, but it was not and is not illegal,” he wrote last month in the Washington Examiner. 

Indeed, despite the legal scrutiny, Gaetz has gone out of his way to maintain a high profile. Last week, he and another conservative firebrand, Rep. Marjorie Taylor GreeneMarjorie Taylor GreeneThe Memo: What now for anti-Trump Republicans? Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s meeting with Trump ‘soon’ in Florida QAnon site shutters after reports identifying developer MORE (R-Ga.), were in central Florida kicking off their “America First” tour, which is designed to build on Trump’s populist platform heading into the 2022 midterms. A similar rally is scheduled in Arizona on Friday.

And over the weekend, Gaetz appeared at the 2021 Ohio Political Summit in a Cleveland suburb, where he again dismissed the allegations swirling around him and suggested that members of Congress do worse than he has each time they direct taxpayer funds to pet projects.

“I’m being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors,” Gaetz said Saturday at the rally. “Yet Congress has reinstituted a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors through earmarks.”

It’s unclear when Gaetz and Greenberg first became associates, but pictures of the two together have popped up on social media stretching back at least four years, and Greenberg posted a shot of them at the White House in 2019. 

A Gaetz spokesperson on Monday reiterated the congressman’s claims to innocence and suggested that Greenberg is an unreliable witness to events. 

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“Joel Greenberg has now confessed to falsely accusing an innocent man of having sex with a minor,” Harlan Hill said in a one-sentence email. 

Hill declined to address questions about whether Gaetz is cooperating with the federal investigation or with a separate inquiry into Gaetz’s behavior being conducted by the House Ethics Committee. An attorney said to be representing Gaetz did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

Hill’s statement references a smear campaign that Greenberg confessed to as part of the plea agreement. Prosecutors charged him with stalking for trying to destroy the reputation of a political opponent vying for Greenberg’s seat as Seminole County tax collector, Brian Beute.

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According to court documents, the smear campaign involved Greenberg writing a letter to the prep school where Beute worked as a teacher in which he posed as a “very concerned student” and falsely claimed to have had sex with Beute.

Greenberg also admitted to creating a fake Twitter account under Beute’s name and using it to make it appear that his opponent was running on a racist, segregationist platform.

Christopher Macchiaroli, a former federal prosecutor who worked in U.S. Attorney’s offices in Florida and D.C., said that Greenberg’s confession about the smear campaign against Beute is unlikely to discourage the Justice Department from pursuing a potential case against Gaetz if they find that the congressman committed a crime.

“Most cooperators come with baggage, whether it’s their involvement with criminal activity or previous false statements … but in the end, you’re not solely relying on the cooperator’s testimony,” Macchiaroli said, adding that prosecutors would likely seek hard evidence to back up any statements that Greenberg might make.

“This is a large-scale, multi-month, multi-person criminal enterprise where there is numerous direct evidence that could corroborate a cooperator’s testimony.”

He added that if Gaetz was involved in the allegations Greenberg confessed to, prosecutors will likely make him a top priority given his status as a prominent public figure.

“People with high profiles, especially those with security clearances, pose a danger to the establishment because they are susceptible to extortion” if they have committed wrongdoing, Macchiaroli said. “You want to create a narrative that people in power are not above the law.”

Palestinians went on strike on Tuesday to protest Israeli policies denying Palestinians the rights afforded to Jews.

The strikes come against the backdrop of continued violence in the region, with Hamas launching rocket fire at Israel and Israel launching air strikes at Gaza in response.

The Associated Press reported that Palestinians in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank were observing a general strike intended to protest the Israeli policies. 

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One of the strike’s organizers, Muhammad Barakeh, told the AP that Palestinians were expressing a “collective position” against Israel’s “aggression” in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as “brutal repression” by police across Israel.

Israel has blamed the current war on Hamas, accusing it of inciting violence across the region. The strike was backed by the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, according to AP. Hamas is designated as a terrorist group by the United States.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that it fired at 65 militant targets, including rocket launchers, a group of fighters and the homes of Hamas commanders, the AP reported.

While Hamas’s rocket attacks on Israel have been more deadly than the last fighting in 2014, more Palestinians are being killed by Israel’s airstrikes.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, 213 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed since airstrikes first began on May 10. Another 1,442 have been injured.

The Ministry of Health said Monday that its facilities were targeted, forcing the stop of central laboratory services like COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, pregnancy services and telemedicine.

Israel said on Monday that Islamic Jihad commander Hussam Abu Harbeed was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City, which is likely to provoke a heavy response from the group.

President BidenJoe BidenBiden’s quiet diplomacy under pressure as Israel-Hamas fighting intensifies Overnight Defense: Administration approves 5M arms sale to Israel | Biden backs ceasefire in call with Netanyahu | Military sexual assault reform push reaches turning point CDC mask update sparks confusion, opposition MORE on Monday expressed support for a cease-fire during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE. This followed pressure from dozens of Democratic and progressive lawmakers.

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Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandAustin tight lipped on whether to take sexual assault cases out of commanders’ hands Gillibrand touts legislation to lower drug costs: This idea ‘is deeply bipartisan’ A bipartisan effort to prevent the scourge of sexual assault in the armed forces MORE’s (D-N.Y.) long-time push to overhaul how the military handles sexual assault cases has earned the support of 61 senators on both sides of the aisle.

The legislation, written by Gillibrand and Sen. Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstGraham warns about trying to ‘drive’ Trump from GOP: ‘Half the people will leave’ The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – Senate braces for daylong brawl on elections bill Top female GOP senator compares Cheney ousting to ‘cancel culture’ MORE (R-Iowa), would remove decisions about whether to prosecute sexual assault and several other serious crimes from the hands of military commanders. Specially trained military prosecutors would instead decide.

The support means the bill, known as the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, has reached enough votes needed to move forward after years of pushback from the Defense Department

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Gillibrand called the backing of the 41 Democrats, 18 Republicans and two independents a “defining moment,” after trying for nearly a decade to gain such endorsement on similar bills that failed in the Senate by only a few votes. 

“We have secured the critical support needed to deliver justice to survivors of sexual assault and other serious crimes in our military,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “For decades, sexual assault in our military has been an uncontrolled epidemic hurting readiness, recruitment, and morale. This common sense legislation will ensure that the justice system works for all service members and enact measures to help prevent sexual assault across our armed forces.”

The bill’s support comes after President BidenJoe BidenBiden says Beau’s assessment of first 100 days would be ‘Be who you are’ Biden: McCarthy’s support of Cheney ouster is ‘above my pay grade’ Conservative group sues over prioritization of women, minorities for restaurant aid MORE promised in March to “end the scourge of sexual assault” in the military. 

The commander-in-chief also ordered a civilian-led commission at the Pentagon to investigate the problem. The panel last month advised Defense Department leadership to follow the same lines as Gillibrand’s bill and designate independent judge advocates to decide whether to charge someone in certain cases of special victims crimes including sexual assault, sexual harassment and possibly certain hate crimes.

Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinOvernight Defense: Ex-Pentagon chief defends Capitol attack response as GOP downplays violence | Austin, Biden confer with Israeli counterparts amid conflict with Hamas | Lawmakers press Pentagon officials on visas for Afghan partners Trump appointee endorses Christine Wormuth as Army secretary Austin repeats ‘ironclad support’ for Israel in conflict with Palestine MORE, who has pledged to prioritize combating sexual assault and harassment in the services, is currently reviewing the recommendations and has indicated he is open to such changes.

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Ernst, a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who previously opposed taking the decision to prosecute out of the chain of command, has said she reconsidered after the April 2020 killing of Spc. Vanessa Guillén at Fort Hood, Texas, and years of persistent cases of sexual assault and harassment, which she herself had dealt with while in uniform. 

She backed the bill after she worked with Gillibrand to add several prevention efforts to it, including better training for commanders and increased physical security measures.

“We’ve written a new, bipartisan bill that will bolster sexual assault prevention efforts; hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring commanders still have visibility of their unit; and equip military prosecutors with the skills necessary to handle these sensitive cases,” Ernst said in the statement.

A similar bill in the House, known as the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act, was reintroduced Thursday by Rep. Jackie SpeierKaren (Jackie) Lorraine Jacqueline SpeierOvernight Defense: Administration says ‘low to moderate confidence’ Russia behind Afghanistan troop bounties | ‘Low to medium risk’ of Russia invading Ukraine in next few weeks | Intelligence leaders face sharp questions during House worldwide threats he Intelligence leaders face sharp questions during House worldwide threats hearing House removes deadline for ratifying ERA MORE (D-Calif.) and Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOn The Money: Inflation jumps at fastest pace since 2008 | Biden ‘encouraged’ on bipartisan infrastructure deal Overnight Health Care: CDC approves Pfizer vaccine for adolescents aged 12-15 | House moderates signal concerns with Pelosi drug pricing bill | Panel blasts COVID-19 response Biden ‘encouraged’ by meeting with congressional leaders on infrastructure MORE (D-Calif.) at a news conference outside the Capitol building alongside Guillén’s family.

That bill – which also would take the decision on sexual assault and harassment charges from commanders – in addition would make sexual harassment a stand-alone crime in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, create a confidential system to report sexual harassment and require the Government Accountability Office to study how different military branches handle missing service members.

The Pentagon’s most recent report on military sexual assault found that there were 7,825 reported cases of during fiscal year 2019, a little more than a 1 percent jump from the previous year.

Colonial Pipeline said Saturday that it has returned its systems to “normal operations” following the ransomware attack last week that forced the major pipeline to shut down.

The company said on Twitter that it’s delivering millions of gallons per hour to the markets it serves — including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

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Colonial initiated the restart on Wednesday, and said Thursday that it began delivering product to all of its markets. The company anticipated “several days” before supply chains returned to normal after the pipeline shutdown led to gas shortages and panic buying.

The company delivers approximately 100 million gallons of fuel per day and about 36 billion gallons per year to the markets it serves.

President BidenJoe Biden28 Senate Democrats sign statement urging Israel-Hamas ceasefire Franklin Graham says Trump comeback would ‘be a very tough thing to do’ Schools face new pressures to reopen for in-person learning MORE warned against panic buying on Thursday while the supply chain gets restored.

“We expect the situation to begin to improve by the weekend and into early next week and gasoline supply is coming back online,” he said. “Panic-buying will only slow the process.”

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Colonial was forced to shut down operations last Friday after a cyberattack crippled its energy infrastructure. The FBI later confirmed that the cyber criminal gang DarkSide, based in Eastern Europe, was behind the attack.

The company reportedly had no plans to pay the ransom, but Bloomberg News reported that the company paid close to $5 million in ransom within hours of the attack. The White House declined to confirm any payment.

Colonial has declined to comment on whether it paid the ransom. 

Meanwhile, DarkSide is shutting down its own operation after losing access to a public part of its infrastructure due to law enforcement disruptions, as well as “pressure from the U.S.”

Colonial on Saturday thanked the White House, Department of Energy, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security for helping it resolve the hack.

“We would like to thank @WhiteHouse for their leadership and collaboration throughout this process, as well as @Energy, [Department of Transportation], @FBI, [Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, [Federal Energy Regulation Commission], @DHSGov, and other federal, state and local agencies for their ongoing support.” 

“Since this incident began, we have been clear that our focus was on the safe and efficient restoration of service to our pipeline system. That is what we have achieved through the commitment and dedication of the many Colonial team members,” the company said.

Updated: 12:41 p.m.

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White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiBiden’s quiet diplomacy under pressure as Israel-Hamas fighting intensifies Overnight Defense: Administration approves 5M arms sale to Israel | Biden backs ceasefire in call with Netanyahu | Military sexual assault reform push reaches turning point CDC mask update sparks confusion, opposition MORE on Monday declined to say whether President BidenJoe BidenBiden’s quiet diplomacy under pressure as Israel-Hamas fighting intensifies Overnight Defense: Administration approves 5M arms sale to Israel | Biden backs ceasefire in call with Netanyahu | Military sexual assault reform push reaches turning point CDC mask update sparks confusion, opposition MORE has viewed intelligence that the Israeli government says it shared with the U.S. justifying an airstrike targeting a building that housed The Associated Press in Gaza.

“I’m not going to be in a position now or ever of committing or confirming who has or hasn’t seen intelligence,” Psaki told reporters at a briefing Monday afternoon.

The Jerusalem Post, citing Israeli officials, reported over the weekend that Israel shared intelligence showing that Hamas was operating out of the building hit in Gaza with an airstrike on Saturday. The building housed the AP and Al Jazeera; journalists were given short warning before the strike and no one was harmed.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE also said in an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the Israeli government shared intelligence with the U.S. linking the building to Hamas.

“We share with our American friends all that intelligence and here’s the intelligence we had, it’s about Palestinian terrorist — an intelligence office for the Palestinian terrorist organization housed in that building that plots and organizes the terror attacks against Israeli civilians,” Netanyahu said. “So it’s a perfectly legitimate target.”

However, Secretary of State Antony BlinkenAntony BlinkenBiden’s quiet diplomacy under pressure as Israel-Hamas fighting intensifies Overnight Defense: Administration approves 5M arms sale to Israel | Biden backs ceasefire in call with Netanyahu | Military sexual assault reform push reaches turning point Psaki won’t say if Biden has seen Israeli intel on AP Gaza building MORE told reporters in Denmark that the U.S. had asked for information on the strike, but that he hadn’t “seen any information provided,” while indicating that intelligence information would have gone through different channels. Psaki suggested that it wouldn’t be surprising for Blinken not to have seen such information, without confirming or denying that anything had been shared.

“That’s not necessarily a surprise, but in terms of who has or hasn’t seen it, what’s been communicated, I’m just not going to be in a position to confirm that,” Psaki told reporters.

The Office of Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

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The strike prompted broad condemnation from press freedom groups and was the latest sign of escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas in the region. Biden, who spoke with Netanyahu over the weekend, also raised concerns about the strike on the building that housed journalists.

“The President noted that this current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children,” the White House said in a readout of the call on Saturday. “He raised concerns about the safety and security of journalists and reinforced the need to ensure their protection.”

Psaki on Monday repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether Biden thought Israel’s actions over the weekend were proportionate. She noted that the Biden administration is engaged in “quiet and intensive diplomacy” in order to deescalate the situation in the Middle East and said some messages would be communicated privately.

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The governors of Virginia and Maryland on Friday joined a slew of other states in lifting indoor mask mandates after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday that Americans who are fully vaccinated do not have to wear masks in most settings. 

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced the update in a video message shared by his office, calling the new CDC guidance a “tremendous step forward.” 

Northam said in the video that Virginia residents who are fully vaccinated — meaning 14 days have passed since their final dose — no longer have to wear masks “in most situations,” but businesses in the state “may still choose to require masks in their establishments and masks will still be required in schools.” 

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In addition to lifting the universal indoor mask mandate, Northam also announced Friday that the state would be moving to ease all remaining social distancing and capacity restrictions by May 28, two weeks earlier than the initial deadline set in plans his office had announced last week. 

“In these next two weeks, I strongly urge every eligible Virginian to get vaccinated if you haven’t already,” Northam added later on in the video. 

“It’s very simple,” he continued. “It’s either a shot or a mask. It’s up to you.” 

Northam said in a statement issued by his office Friday that Virginia is “seeing the results in our strong vaccine numbers and dramatically lowered case counts.” 

“That’s why we can safely move up the timeline for lifting mitigation measures in Virginia,” he added. 

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced at a news conference Friday that the state’s mask mandate will officially be lifted on Saturday to move in line with the updated CDC guidance. 

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Hogan said, however, that masks will still be required on public transportation, in schools and in health care settings, and private businesses may still require customers to wear masks. 

“Today is the day so many of us have been waiting for and working toward,” Hogan said. “We finally do clearly see the light at the end of that tunnel.”

“Our long, hard-fought battle against the worst global pandemic in more than a century is finally nearing an end,” he continued. “As we reflect on the hard work and the many sacrifices that it has taken to finally reach this point, we say thank you to the countless Marylanders who helped us get here.”

The change in Maryland’s mask policy will come the same day all remaining coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, entertainment and sporting venues are scheduled to be lifted. 

Hogan on Wednesday when announcing the plans for removing coronavirus restrictions said he had anticipated lifting the state’s indoor mask mandate once at least 70 percent of residents in the state had received at least one dose of the vaccine, which he expected to occur by Memorial Day weekend. 

As of Friday, roughly 53 percent of Maryland residents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 41 percent fully vaccinated, according to the CDC’s vaccine database. 

In Virginia, about 51 percent of the population has gotten one shot of one of the three vaccines approved for emergency use in the U.S., while 40 percent have been fully vaccinated.

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A World Health Organization (WHO) study found that people who work 55 or more hours per week face a greater risk of dying from strokes or heart disease.

In a Monday statement, the WHO shared a study that found that working 55 hours or more per week is linked with an estimated 35 percent higher risk of a stroke and a 17 percent higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease. 

In 2016, 745,000 people died from stroke and ischemic heart disease around the world, according to the WHO, a 29 percent increase from the 2000.

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The study also found that the work-related burden of disease is particularly significant among men, people who live in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, and workers who are middle-aged or older. 

The WHO said the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the issue of managing work hours and that “teleworking has become the norm in many industries.”

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, millions of people began working from home, raising questions about how much that will end as the pandemic eases.

“Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard,” Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, said in the study. “It’s time that we all, governments, employers, and employees wake up to the fact that long working hours can lead to premature death.”

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BuzzFeed News on Friday reportedly located President BidenJoe BidenVirginia GOP gubernatorial nominee acknowledges Biden was ‘legitimately’ elected BuzzFeed News finds Biden’s private Venmo account Kid reporter who interviewed Obama dies at 23 MORE‘s private Venmo account, citing it as a national security issue, according to the publication.

It only took the outlet 10 minutes to find the president’s account on the money sharing app, BuzzFeed News claims. Locating the account revealed a network of Biden’s family and staff, along with each of their contacts on Venmo.

BuzzFeed News reporters began searching for the account after seeing a comment about Biden sending his grandchildren money via the app in a New York Times article.

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Although the president’s transactions were not publicly available, his “friends” were.

After reaching out to the White House for comment, Biden’s alleged Venmo account was wiped of any friends, the outlet claims. The app has come under fire for its lack of privacy when it comes to friends, as there’s no way to make connections on the app private; anyone looking at a person’s Venmo account can see the list of their friends, BuzzFeed News notes.

A Venmo spokesperson issued a statement to The Hill following the outlet’s request for comment that stressed the app’s emphasis on privacy.

“The safety and privacy of all Venmo users and their information is always a top priority, and we take this responsibility very seriously,” the statement reads.

It continues, “Customers always have the ability to make their transactions private and determine their own privacy settings in the app. We’re consistently evolving and strengthening the privacy measures for all Venmo users to continue to provide a safe, secure place to send and spend money.”

The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

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Sen. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonSunday shows – Cheney removal, CDC guidance reverberate Ron Johnson calls cyber attacks an ‘existential’ threat following Colonial Pipeline shutdown All congressional Democrats say they have been vaccinated: CNN MORE (R-Wis.) said Sunday that the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline that forced its shutdown exposed the “vulnerabilities” in the U.S. electrical grid that could pose an “existential” threat to the country’s energy system. 

Colonial Pipeline, which runs gasoline and jet fuel from Texas to New York, announced Saturday that it had officially returned to “normal operations” a week after it was forced to shut down following a ransomware attack on its infrastructure. 

The FBI later confirmed that the cyber criminal gang DarkSide, based in Eastern Europe, was behind the attack.

While the company said that it had no plans to pay the ransom, Bloomberg News later reported that it had paid nearly $5 million to the group within hours of the attack.

The White House later declined to confirm whether a payment took place. 

Johnson, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview with John Catsimatidis on his WABC 770 AM radio show that there are “no easy solutions” to cybersecurity threats.

However, the country should take away from the Colonial Pipeline hack “how incredibly vulnerable our fuel grid is, our electrical grid is.” 

Johnson argued that President BidenJoe Biden28 Senate Democrats sign statement urging Israel-Hamas ceasefire Franklin Graham says Trump comeback would ‘be a very tough thing to do’ Schools face new pressures to reopen for in-person learning MORE’s plans to transition the U.S. to cleaner energy could further increase the vulnerability of America’s energy systems. 

“We are a fossil fuel fuel-based economy and will be a fossil fuel-based economy for decades,” the Wisconsin senator argued. “We need to recognize that, harden our grid under that reality, and don’t make ourselves more vulnerable with the Green New Deal.” 

Last month Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez28 Senate Democrats sign statement urging Israel-Hamas ceasefire Israel launches heavy airstrikes on Gaza as pressure increases on US to help broker ceasefire Capitol riot fuels debate over domestic terror laws MORE (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed MarkeyEd MarkeyRon Johnson calls cyber attacks an ‘existential’ threat following Colonial Pipeline shutdown Senators ask airlines to offer cash refunds for unused flight credits Civilian Climate Corps can help stem rural-urban divide MORE (D-Mass.) reintroduced a resolution in support of a Green New Deal, including transitioning the country to zero-emission energy sources and removing pollution through investing in zero-emission vehicles, public transit and high-speed rail. 

Republicans have consistently opposed the Green New Deal, dismissing it as an extreme proposal that would give the government too much power over energy production. 

Johnson in his interview said that a transition to solar panels or other forms of renewable energy could also make the country more vulnerable to cyber attacks. 

“With everybody hooking up their solar panels and hooking into the grid so they can get a few shekels for the electricity they’re selling into the grid, we become more and more vulnerable,” he argued, adding that doing so will create “more points of contact that cyber-attackers can exploit.” 

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“We really need to change the direction we’re headed in here,” he continued. “No administration has paid sufficient attention to the vulnerabilities of our electrical grid.” 

“This could be existential,” Johnson said. 

John Catsimatidis is an investor for The Hill.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador apologized Monday for a 1911 massacre that killed hundreds of people of Chinese descent, The Associated Press reported.

More than a century ago, revolutionary troops took over the city of Torreon, which was ruled by exiled Mexican leader Porfirio Díaz. Over a three day span, troops killed 303 Chinese men, women and children. 

“The discrimination was based on the most vile and offensive” stereotypes, López Obrador said, according to the AP. “These stupid ideas were transferred to Mexico, where extermination was added to exclusion and mistreatment.”

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Mexicans at the time had complained that the Chinese were taking their jobs, depressing wages rates and were apparently jealous of their economic success. 

The government of then-President Francisco I. Madero agreed to pay reparations for the massacre, but Madero was overthrown two years later and the proposed payment was never made, the AP reported.

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Lopez Obrador has made a series of apologies in an effort to make amends for the past mistreatment of minorities in Mexico. He said Monday’s ceremony is an attempt to make sure “that this never, ever happens again.”

Earlier this month, he expressed regret at centuries of abuse against the Mexico’s Maya population.