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☆ These are the top Senate races to watch in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

They have reason to be hopeful: Democrats face a daunting 2024 Senate map that puts them on defense in 23 of the cycle's 34 races, including multiple seats considered ripe for GOP challenges. The grim outlook has some Senate Democrats considering retirement, even after the caucus expanded to a 51-49 majority following a better-than-expected showing in the midterms. Jim Justice, reportedly the state's richest man and one of its favored contenders for the Senate race. But the 2024 Senate race in Ohio is currently considered a toss-up, as Republicans have made significant gains in the state in the last two election cycles. Sabato's Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report both say the Michigan Senate race leans Democratic.

☆ West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is running for Joe Manchin's pivotal Senate seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) and US Senator Joe Manchin (L), Democrat of West Virginia, attend a roundtable discussion on the opioid epidemic with local and state officials at the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in Huntington, West Virginia, July 8, 2019. West Virginia's Republican governor, Jim Justice, filed official paperwork to kick off a 2024 campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. If Manchin decides not to run for a third term, Democrats are widely expected to lose the seat to whichever Republican nominee emerges from West Virginia's Senate primary. A Trump campaign spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With his seat under threat, Manchin has appeared increasingly critical of President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats.

☆ GOP Gov. Jim Justice set to launch bid for Joe Manchin's Senate seat in West Virginia this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) and US Senator Joe Manchin (L), Democrat of West Virginia, attend a roundtable discussion on the opioid epidemic with local and state officials at the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in Huntington, West Virginia, July 8, 2019. West Virginia offers the GOP perhaps its best chance to flip a Democratic seat next year. Justice's team believes a Senate bid by the governor could make Manchin less likely to seek reelection, the GOP source told CNBC last month. Former President Donald Trump, who is deeply popular in West Virginia, backed Mooney in his most recent House election. Justice is set to announce his Senate bid at his own resort, furthering intermingling the governor's business and politics.

☆ A Russian war fanatic was planning to buy military drones, hackers said. They made him buy $25,000 worth of sex toys instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hackers said they bought sex toys with money a Russian war supporter was going to spend on drones. The Cyber Resistance group said on Telegram on Monday that it hacked Mikhail Luchin's AliExpress account, and used it to buy $25,000 worth of sex toys. It said the money was going to be spent on drones for the Russian army, according to Politico's translation. Luchin also said in a post that he will open a sex shop, make a 300% profit, and buy three times more drones. Ukrainian hackers and hackers from other countries have helped Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

The boosted tax credit is central to the administration’s goal of ensuring areas long dependent on fossil fuels benefit from clean energy. "Communities like coal communities have the knowledge, infrastructure, resources and know-how to play a leading role in the move to a clean energy economy," U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. The bonus credit also is available to other "energy communities" - areas that have significant employment or local tax revenues from fossil fuels and higher than average unemployment. The Treasury said it will open project applications for the first round of coal and energy communities tax credits on May 31. Those minerals are crucial to producing clean energy technologies like batteries and solar panels.

April 4 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Tuesday will release final guidance on how clean energy companies can secure additional tax credits when investing in U.S. communities economically tied to fossil fuels like oil and coal. The boosted tax credit is central to the administration’s goal of ensuring areas long dependent on fossil fuels benefit from clean energy. It also helped secure West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin's essential support for the bill. "Communities like coal communities have the knowledge, infrastructure, resources and know-how to play a leading role in the move to a clean energy economy," U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. Those minerals are crucial to producing clean energy technologies like batteries and solar panels.

☆ Bicyclists are getting killed on American streets, and they want Congress to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They're asking for e-bike tax credits and road safety funding, among other things. He's brought that message to Minnesota and federal lawmakers as part of his pro-bicycle advocacy for the last 20 years. This week, bike advocates from all 50 states descended on DC as part of the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit. My kids tease me — please teach me how to ride a bike,'" Grilley said. Lindsey Nicholson/Getty ImagesElectrifying bike transportAdvocates for e-bike tax credits say they reduce the number of car trips people take, cutting emissions and congestion, and boosting public health.

☆ Manchin threatens to sue US Treasury over EV tax credit rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - Senate Energy Committee Chair Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he may go to court after the U.S. Treasury releases guidance later this week on battery sourcing guidance for electric vehicle tax credits. Manchin said he is most concerned about how Treasury will classify processing and manufacturing in determining eligibility for $7,500 EV tax credits. Manchin, who has often pushed fossil fuel industry interests in Congress, says he is trying to move the EV battery supply chain from China. Reuters reported earlier the Treasury battery sourcing rules for electric vehicle tax credits, due out by Friday, will result in fewer vehicles qualifying for full or partial credits. The EV rules are part of a $430 billion bill passed by Democrats in August to cut climate emissions and reduce drug costs, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act.

☆ Manchin accuses the Biden administration of appeasing 'radical activists' on climate and pledges to block Interior Department nominee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he will block one of President Biden's nominees and potentially others. Manchin says he'll judge nominees on whether they're "political partisans first or Americans first." He's taking issue with the administration's framing of a law he supported as an effort to address climate change. Manchin, of West Virginia, wrote in an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle, noting that energy leaders are gathered in the city for an annual conference. Biden has touted the bill's $370 billion devoted to tackling climate change as the most significant investment the US has made to fight climate change.

☆ U.S. Senate confirms Biden's pick to lead Internal Revenue Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted to confirm management consultant Danny Werfel as the new Internal Revenue Service commissioner on Thursday, returning the former Obama administration budget official to the tax agency he briefly led on an acting basis. Five Republicans crossed party lines to support Werfel in the 54-42 vote, more than offsetting Democratic Senator Joe Manchin's vote against President Joe Biden's nominee in a protest against his administration's implementation of clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Werfel, who previously led Boston Consulting Group's public sector practice, is charged with leading a massive transformation of the IRS, with $80 billion in new funding approved last year to boost collections of unpaid taxes, modernize technology and improve taxpayer services. The agency in the coming weeks is due to produce a spending blueprint on how it will deploy the $80 billion in new funding over the next decade. Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden's clean energy factory jobs may elude U.S. union workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Right to work laws allow employees to work in union-represented workplaces and be covered by collective bargaining agreements without joining a union or paying dues. American products, he vowed, would be made with union labor. Union labor. Many of the jobs created will be union jobs, the official added. "It's not a favorable environment, but we can still organize," Samantha Smith, senior adviser for clean energy jobs at the AFL-CIO, said in an interview.

☆ Trump and Kushner's Saudi Ties Are an Ethical Minefield: Watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Weeks after leaving office, Jared Kushner obtained a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government. The Saudi support came despite the kingdom's own financial advisers urging against any investment in Kushner's new company, citing the "inexperience" of its top brass. Let's start with Jared Kushner before we get into the LIV Golf situation. You have John Bolton, Trump's own national security advisor, making it very clear that you had somebody, like Jared — and President Trump, apparently — working to promote their business interests. Trump, not only did he keep his company, the Trump Organization, but he's a transactional president, right?

☆ U.S. Senator blocks bid to close EV tax window
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Senator Debbie Stabenow thwarted a bid on Thursday by fellow Democrat Joe Manchin to pass a measure that would block some electric vehicles from receiving a $7,500 tax credit. The $430 billion U.S. Inflation Reduction Act passed in August restricts the $7,500 consumer tax credits to North American-made EVs and imposes new battery sourcing rules and again made General Motors (GM.N) and Tesla (TSLA.O) eligible for EV tax credits. That drew Manchin's ire, who proposed legislation on Wednesday to make the battery tax credit requirements retroactive to Jan. 1. Automakers need more time to meet battery sourcing requirements, she said. The "March target release date for battery sourcing guidance reflects the time that has been needed to work through significant complexities."

☆ Companies are eager to tackle issues like the climate crisis and sustainability but don't know how to start, execs say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Executives at the World Economic Forum told Insider issues like sustainability are a priority. But many companies are still looking for a place to start tackling problems like the climate crisis. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. The climate crisis, sustainability, and the energy transition were front of mind for many in Davos. Several of those who spoke with Insider highlighted the need for much-greater collaboration among companies — and a willingness to experiment.

☆ U.S. senator seeks to bar EVs from tax credits not meeting sourcing rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chair Joe Manchin on Wednesday introduced legislation that would immediately impose battery sourcing requirements on electric vehicles to qualify for $7,500 tax credits. The U.S. Treasury in December said it would not issue proposed guidance on battery sourcing rules until March, giving some electric vehicles not meeting new requirements a brief window of eligibility in 2023 before the battery rules take effect. Manchin's legislation would make all of the battery requirements for tax credits retroactive to Jan. 1. Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ We spoke with more than 50 CEOs, billionaires, execs, and government officials in Davos. Here are our 4 biggest takeaways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Matt Turner | Cadie Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Insider's Matt Turner and Cadie Thompson share their biggest takeaways from the World Economic Forum. More than 1,500 business leaders descended on Davos in the Swiss Alps last week for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. The week of Davos, Alphabet published an explainer on its approach to AI signed by execs including CEO Sundar Pichai. "With every technology, there is good and then there's bad," Rima Qureshi, Verizon's chief strategy officer, told Insider. Several of those who spoke with Insider highlighted the need for much-greater collaboration among companies — and a willingness to experiment.

☆ Sen. Manchin on global energy transition: US shouldn't have to depend on Iran or Venezuela
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSen. Manchin on global energy transition: US shouldn't have to depend on Iran or VenezuelaSen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss Manchin's chief concerns, if Manchin would change his party affiliation to Independent and what will happen with the debt ceiling this summer.

REUTERS/Andrew KellyJan 19 (Reuters) - A New Mexico prosecutor on Thursday charged actor Alec Baldwin and others in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of Western "Rust." District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin and the film's armorer after more than a year of investigation into the October 2021 shooting on a film set outside Santa Fe. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, she said. Under New Mexico law, involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The sheriff's office focused on how live rounds got onto a movie set and how they were loaded into a firearm.

☆ Joe Manchin wants to slam the brakes on the 'loopholes' in the EV tax credit that could give some Americans extra cash early this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biden's Inflation Reduction Act included a $7,500 tax credit for purchasing an electric vehicle. Sen. Manchin said that delay "bends to the desires of the companies looking for loopholes" by allowing more to qualify for the credit. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. That incentive was in the form of a maximum $7,500 tax credit for households that buy new electric vehicles (EVs), along with a $4,000 credit for used EVs. The Treasury Department delayed implementation of the sourcing rule until March, giving car manufacturers and consumers until then to take advantage of the tax credit before stricter rules go into place.

☆ Five states will have politically-split Senate delegations in the new Congress, reflecting the nation's continued partisan polarization
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The new Congress, which begins this week, will have five politically-split Senate delegations. But in the new Congress, which begins this week, only five states will have split Senate delegations: Maine, Montana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. AP Photo/Matthew BrownMontanaDemocratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Sen. Steve DainesTester was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and secured reelection in both 2012 and 2018. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesWest VirginiaDemocratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoManchin is perhaps the nation's most recognizable moderate Democrat, having single-handedly scuttled Biden's Build Back Better agenda in December 2021. WisconsinRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Sen. Tammy BaldwinThe Badger State is often home to some of the closest races in the entire country.

☆ Dem. Senator Joe Manchin dodges question on whether he plans to change parties: 'I'll let you know later what I decide to do'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Joe Manchin dodged questions about whether he will remain in the Democratic party. "I'll let you know later what I decide to do," Manchin told Margaret Brennan on CBS "Face the Nation." Brennan then asked Manchin if he saw any value in becoming an Independent and not being affiliated with a political party. "Now, I'll let you know later what I decide to do. Manchin's comments follow Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's announcement earlier this month that she will leave the Democratic Party and register as an independent.

☆ Opening keynote: Finance, technology and national security
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Melissa Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin played a major role in pushing the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act through congress and in the Trump Administration's tumultuous trade negotiations with China, where technology was a central theme of those discussions. Now in the private sector, Mnuchin's Liberty Strategic Capital is investing $2.5 billion in startups focused on cybersecurity and fintech. He joined CNBC's TEC Summit on Nov. 15, 2022 with a wide-ranging discussion on geopolitical technology and finance issues. Steven Mnuchin, Liberty Strategic Capital Founder & Managing Partner and 77th US Secretary of TreasuryInterviewer: Melissa Lee, CNBC Host, "Fast Money" & "Options Action"

☆ Sinema's exit from the Democratic Party could hand Manchin back some power over Biden's agenda
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent. It changes the balance of power in the Senate, though Sinema sought to downplay the extent. But Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's announcement early Friday that she is leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent soured that victory, and again altered the balance of power. Though that group already included two independents — Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Angus King — it was signed-up Democrats, Sinema and Manchin, who caused the most trouble. "Becoming an independent won't change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same," she said in an op-ed announcing her departure from the Democratic Party.

☆ Elon Musk is an 'avid' reader of science-fiction and likes to text about it, says Affirm CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk texts Affirm CEO Max Levchin texts about their mutual love for sci-fi, Levchin told Wired. Musk has talked about his love for sci-fi books and media in the past. "Our friendship is on a texting basis," Levchin told Wired. "I think what's happening at Twitter is Elon is sort of making sense of it," Levchin said. Levchin knew Musk back when they worked at early-stage PayPal together in 2000 — Levchin was CTO and Musk was CEO.

☆ U.S. Treasury's Yellen 'practiced and practiced' her signature for U.S. bills
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Ashitha Shivaprasad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a news conference in the Cash Room at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, U.S. July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she "practiced and practiced" writing the signature that will soon adorn U.S. dollars in order to avoid the illegible scrawls of her predecessors Tim Geithner and Jack Lew. "I knew this was something you could really screw up and I wanted to get it right, and I practiced and I practiced," Yellen told CBS's late-night comedian Stephen Colbert on Wednesday. "I am going to see the first sheets of currency that have been printed with both of our names," Yellen said. Dollar notes have been printed since Yellen took office in early 2021 with former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's signature on them.

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