Granholm Confirmed To Lead Energy Department

The Senate confirmed Jennifer Granholm to lead the Energy Department on Thursday, putting in place the first of President Joe Biden's cabinet members who will lead the administration's ambitious effort to expand clean energy and fight climate change.

Granholm, a former two-term governor of Michigan who led the state during the Great Recession and helped revive an automotive industry that was on the brink of collapse, has vowed to support millions of jobs through investments in clean energy, electric vehicles, and other technologies. She’ll now helm the agency that will be critical for rolling out new innovations to meet Biden’s vision of pushing the country toward net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 and 100 percent clean power sector by 2035.

The experienced executive will also oversee a vast research network of 17 national labs, which are developing new types of nuclear reactors, improving renewable energy sources, and driving power grid advances that will be crucial to eliminating greenhouse gases that are warming the planet. And she’ll also be responsible for the National Nuclear Security Administration, the agency that maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal and accounts for the majority of the Energy Department's budget.

Biden's Minimum Wage Increase Runs Afoul of Budget Rules

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that President Joe Biden’s minimum wage hike violates arcane budget rules that could jeopardize the rest of his $1.9 trillion relief package, dealing a blow to progressives in a highly anticipated decision that has left much of Washington holding its breath for days.

The ruling, confirmed by three sources — and predicted by Biden himself — has thrust the future of the wage hike into uncertainty. The $15 hourly wage increase that Democrats are seeking could pass only on party-line votes, and they needed the protection of the so-called budget reconciliation process to shield the language from a Republican filibuster.

Democrats Short of a Backup Plan After Minimum Wage Ruling

The Senate parliamentarian’s decision saves them from an internal fight — but they have no clear path forward.

Democrats' $15 minimum wage increase isn’t going to survive the Senate. And they don’t have a Plan B yet.

The Senate parliamentarian’s decision to rule the wage hike out of order ahead of the debate on President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief plan saves Democrats from an internal fight over whether to increase it to $15 an hour. But it also leaves Democrats without a clear path forward on fulfilling a key campaign promise.

“Do we have a plan if she rules that it’s not allowable?” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) shortly before the ruling. “The answer is no. We have to come back to the discussions in the caucus about how to proceed.”

Democrats tried to squeeze the minimum wage hike into the so-called budget reconciliation process, which allows them to avoid a GOP filibuster and pass their Covid aid bill with 50 Democratic votes. But unless they can find some workaround or an alternative solution, Democrats will need 10 Republicans to support it — an unlikely proposition given the yawning chasm between the two parties on the issue.

Although Republicans have released a bill raising the wage to $10 an hour and strengthening usage of the e-Verify immigration system among employers, Democrats have little interest in cutting a deal right now.

“They don’t want a minimum wage,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). “The public wants this done and the public wants a lot of things done that [Republicans] are unwilling to do.”

Brown said Democrats have discussed among themselves how they might need to alter legislation to pass the Senate. But at least two Senate Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, opposed a wage hike to $15 as part of the coronavirus bill. And Manchin has said that he would like to see the minimum wage increase closer to $11.

DCCC Chair: Criticisms on Socialism, Defund The Police are 'Republican Caricature'

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) also said the party expects to hold the majority in 2022.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney said Wednesday that Republican efforts to paint his party as socialists intent on defunding the police amount to "Republican caricature."

“There's always going to be one or two members of any congressional caucus that say things that don't represent the majority position. What I'm telling you is we pass legislation, that is the statement of where the Democratic Party is in the House,” Maloney (D-N.Y.) said during a Wednesday event with 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS'.

HFPA Says It Will ‘Implement an Action Plan’ to Recruit Black Members

Three days before this year’s Golden Globes Awards is set to take place, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is responding to criticism that it has failed to cultivate an inclusive and diverse membership body. Most notably, as detailed in a scathing exposé last Sunday by the Los Angeles Times, the org does not have a single Black member.

“We are fully committed to ensuring our membership is reflective of the communities around the world who love film, TV and the artists inspiring and educating them,” the HFPA said in a statement on Thursday. “We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and we will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible.”

A spokesperson for the HFPA pointed out that all journalists from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds based in Southern California who writes for international media can apply, and also noted that the group’s membership is majority female, with 35% of its members from non-European countries. The HFPA is also looking at potentially changing its rules to widen its pool of applicants.

Final Predictions for the Golden Globes: A Night Made for Streamers and Chadwick Boseman?

Believe it or not, the Golden Globes will wield even more influence than usual this year. With Oscar voting for nominees set to take place March 5-10, the Feb. 28 Globes ceremony falls just five days before Academy members receive their ballots.

The Globes are going to carry more weight because the normal all-telling industry groups — such as the Producers Guild, the Directors Guild, the American Society of Cinematographers, and BAFTA — will announce their nominations in the middle of the Oscar voting window. And American Cinema Editors, always a strong indicator for the best picture nominees and winners, will announce its noms after the voting period has closed on March 11.

Whichever films and performances the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. selects will have an impact on Academy voters since they won’t have ballots in their possession, and the Globes will be the last televised industry event to take place before they receive them. A win at that ceremony for an underdog film could nudge Oscar voters to check out that screener before making their choices.

Here are my final predictions for the winners of the 78th Golden Globes. You can see the full rankings on the individual Golden Globes predictions pages.

Motion Picture (Drama) — “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)

“Nomadland” could make history as the first film directed by a woman to win the best picture drama prize.

Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) — “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)

It would be the first comedy sequel to win the category since the animated “Toy Story 2,” and the first film from a streaming platform to win the same.

Joe Biden Orders Airstrikes on Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria After Rocket Attacks

The U.S. military Thursday evening carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria, targeting facilities it said were being used by Iranian-backed militia groups.

In a statement, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that President Biden ordered the strikes, which destroyed several facilities at a border control point used by groups including Kait'ib Hezbollah and Kait'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.

The statement described the airstrikes as "defensive."

"These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against American and coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel," Kirby said in the statement. "This proportionate military response was conducted together with diplomatic measures, including consultation with coalition partners."

Why So Many Veterans Find the Path to Extremism

A substantial number of former military members were involved in the Jan. 6 capitol riots and subsequently charged with related crimes; nearly 1 in 5 defendants served in the military, according to an early NPR tally. And Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt was killed by law enforcement after breaking through a barricade.