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Climate panel Democrats clean up with energy donors

The nine Democrats on the new House committee tasked with shaping climate change policy collected $238,000 from the oil, gas and utility industries for their 2018 campaigns, according to campaign finance data reviewed by the Center for Responsive Politics.

"Outside Washington D.C., it's common sense: politicians setting climate policy shouldn't be taking money from the corporations and executives who have fought for decades to stop action on climate change in order they can protect their bottom lines," Stephen O'Hanlon, a spokesman for the progressive Sunrise Movement, told Bloomberg News.

Republicans have not named their delegates to the panel, the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. The top recipient among the Democrats, at $120,0000, was New Mexico's Ben Ray Lujan, who chaired the party's House campaign operation last cycle and was his state's chief utility regulator before winning election to Congress a decade ago. The chairwoman, Kathy Castor of Florida, received $7,500.


Some panel Democrats received contributions from environmental groups as well as renewable energy companies that could benefit from legislation mandating reduced carbon emissions. Only one of them, California freshman Mike Levin, has pledged to disavow any donations from fossil fuel business.

"Rejecting the industry's influence by taking the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge should be a prerequisite to these discussions," David Turnbull, a spokesman for Oil Change USA, part of the coalition behind the pledge, told Bloomberg. "By joining the committee, these members have shown they're interested in tackling this issue; they can show they're serious about showing true climate leadership by standing up to the industry directly."

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The Economic Models that Made America Great Are Broken

American flag and money

Javier Ghersi/Getty Images

The Economic Models that Made America Great Are Broken

We all want an America where hard work pays, families thrive, and the American Dream is real again. Greatness starts with dignity for workers, safety for communities, and a fair shot for every kid. The promise is simple: if you put in the work, you should be able to raise a family and get ahead—period.

So why do we cling to what is obviously not working for everyday people?

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Meet the Faces of Democracy: Neal Kelley

Neal Kelley, who served as the registrar of voters for Orange County, California for nearly two decades before retiring from the role in 2022.

Issue One.

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Neal Kelley

Editor’s note: More than 10,000 officials across the country run U.S. elections. This interview is part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

Neal Kelley, a Republican, served as the registrar of voters for Orange County, California for nearly two decades before retiring from the role in 2022. Home to nearly 2 million voters, Orange County, part of the Greater Los Angeles area, is one of the largest jurisdictions by population in the country and the third largest in the state. Kelley is currently the Chair Emeritus of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, as well as the statewide project manager for the 2024-2026 elections in Hawaii.

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Is America Still Welcoming Global Talent?
Close up of american visa label in passport.
Getty Images/Alexander W. Helin

Is America Still Welcoming Global Talent?

A few weeks ago, when new proposals limiting J and F visa expansion were open for public comment, immigration quickly became a hot topic again at our research center, where more than half the scientists come from abroad. Some worried about their plan, others traded news and updates about the H1-B. A colleague asked if I was anxious too. To my own surprise, I wasn’t.

I used to be. But after weathering turbulent visa policies under different U.S. administrations, like many other international scholars, I have learned to stay flexible and mobile. My U.S. visa for a graduate program was delayed due to tensions between the U.S. and China several years ago. Up against a deadline for the program, I pivoted to Japan to continue the research training. What felt like a closed door became a new window: I fortunately joined a world-class team in tissue-engineering vascular medicine, broadened my view of clinical care and research, and began bridging my path as both practitioner and scientist. Committed to strengthening the “bench-to-bed” pipeline—learning real-world needs and translating research to meet them—I chose the United States again to carry this work forward.

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