Short Takes – 10-5-23

Dramatically lower the cost of producing green hydrogen. Newswise.com article. More than a little geeky. Pull quote: “A research team led by Dr. Yoo Sung Jong of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have succeeded in significantly reducing the cost of green hydrogen production by implementing an anion exchange membrane water electrolysis device with excellent performance and durability by introducing a carbon support. Carbon supports have been utilized as supports for various electrocatalysts due to their high electrical conductivity and specific surface area, but their usage has been limited because they readily oxidize to carbon dioxide in water electrolysis conditions, specifically at high voltages and in the presence of water.”

The next shutdown deadline is looming as Congress languishes after McCarthy’s ouster. GovExec.com article. Pull quote: “Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said this week after Congress averted a shutdown, that the House and Senate "need to do the hard work of negotiating" over full-year spending bills. She expressed optimism the chamber could begin moving its appropriations packages "in the next few days"—though the Senate is about to go on a week-long recess—and then go to conference with the House to come up with final bills. That approach, she said, would help avoid another CR or an omnibus package that lumps all of the spending measures together, an outcome Republicans have repeatedly stated they want to avoid.”

Clorox Warns of a Sales Mess After Cyberattack. WSJ.com article. Pull quote: “Clorox began manually processing orders after the attack, which the company disclosed in a regulatory filing Aug. 14. The company said it is in the process of transitioning back to automated order processing, which should help it restock retailers.”

Gagging Trump ... or not? PublicNotice.co article. Pull quote: “The reality is that, absent a conviction, no judge is going to lock up the former president, who is running to return to office and who has a secret service detail and millions of angry followers. In some sense, every party to this transaction already knows that the court simply cannot treat Trump like any other defendant. And so they’re trying to fashion a solution which will nudge the former president to behave slightly better, knowing that a severe restriction is likely to provoke a showdown which will gum up the works for everyone.”

Distracted politicians have given terrorists chemical targets in US. NJToday.news article. Pull quote: ““None of that [lobbying] spending should be necessary to convince lawmakers to do the right thing, but it is amazing the event (sic) after so many companies invested so much money into getting Congress to do what needs to be done, these greedy politicians remained ambivalent to the safety and security of our families,” said McCormick, who expressed hope that more citizens would join her effort to hold politicians accountable by signing up at http://www.DemocratsFor.US or calling her at 732-574-1200.” A slightly different look at the CFATS reinstatement issue.

Jordan, Scalise locked in tight race to succeed McCarthy. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “But a big issue for Main Street, as the group articulated in a statement on Wednesday, is how to address the one-person “motion to vacate” threshold — the House rule that allows any single member to force a vote on ousting the Speaker, as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) did to McCarthy. That runs up against the demands of hardline conservative who pushed McCarthy to adopt a one-person threshold in January as a condition of supporting him for Speaker.”

A score-settling McCarthy to successor: Good luck with these people. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “Unless there is a sea change in the party after his ouster, and whoever becomes speaker insists on rolling the rule back as a condition — and can still win enough votes, which seems unlikely — it’s going to be a reality for his successor, who will probably be on just as tight a leash.” McCarthy’s post mortem.