Karl Evers-Hillstrom
WJBF
Washington, DC, United States
Contact Karl
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Karl:
Warren blames Congress for ‘entirely avoidable’ bank failures
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Monday that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was enabled by Congress, which in 2018 passed a law to ease bank regulations put in place following the 2008 financial crisis. In a New York Times opinion piece, Warren noted that SVB was one of many banks that lobbied Congress […] → Read More
Kroger hires Boehner in lobbying push to secure mega-merger
Kroger is contracting with former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in a lobbying push to win approval of its proposed merger with Albertsons, the company said in a press release. Boehner, who works for law and lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs, will “provide strategic counsel” to Kroger executives and won’t register to lobby. Squire Patton Boggs’ […] → Read More
Five takeaways from Powell’s House testimony
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified before the House Financial Services Committee Wednesday amid lingering inflation and recession fears. Lawmakers questioned Powell on a wide range of issues, including inflation, the debt ceiling standoff and the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency. Here are five takeaways from the hearing. Fed won’t rescue US […] → Read More
Bipartisan rail safety bill runs into Republican roadblock
A bipartisan push to bolster railroad safety is turning into a slog as top Senate Republicans indicate they are not yet on board with the main legislative response to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. → Read More
Here’s why Bernie Sanders is going after Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
The showdown between Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Starbucks chief Howard Schultz will come to a head next week. That’s when the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will vote on whether to subpoena Schultz’s testimony and authorize an investigation into the company’s labor law violations. The Wednesday vote comes on the heels […] → Read More
Republicans press Biden to withdraw FAA nominee
Top Republicans on Thursday urged President Biden to withdraw his pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), arguing that the White House doesn’t have the necessary votes. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told Biden they […] → Read More
Senators appear divided on how to regulate crypto
At a Senate Banking Hearing on Tuesday, Democrats expressed doubt about the value of crypto, while Republicans pushed for a more industry-friendly regulatory environment that encourages crypto firms to set up shop in the U.S. → Read More
Inflation leads to higher campaign donation limits
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Thursday raised political donation limits to account for historic inflation, boosting the potential influence of wealthy donors in the 2024 election cycle. A single donor can now give $6,600 to each federal candidate — $3,300 per election, including the primary and general election contests — up from $5,800 in […] → Read More
Southwest hires former congressman as lobbyist amid scrutiny
Southwest Airlines hired a lawmaker-turned-lobbyist amid investigations into the carrier’s catastrophic system meltdown over the holidays. Southwest contracted with former Rep. Jerry Costello… → Read More
FAA lacks leadership amid key challenges
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces a number of challenges in the wake of the national flight grounding earlier this month while President Biden’s pick to lead the agency, who was nominated in July, has yet to even get a hearing. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, aims […] → Read More
House passes bill to improve FAA system that grounded flights
The House on Wednesday passed a bipartisan bill aimed at reviewing and recommending improvements to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) NOTAM pilot alert system that went haywire earlier this month. The NOTAM Improvement Act would create a task force under the FAA to offer solutions aimed at boosting the system’s stability and keeping it safe […] → Read More
Top pilots union lobbyist dies in plane crash
Johnathan Benton, the Allied Pilots Association’s longtime top advocate in the nation’s capital, died in a plane crash on Monday, according to the pilots union. He was 53 years old. Benton was one of two people onboard a Piper PA-32 aircraft that crashed shortly after taking off from a regional airport in Bethany, Okla. The other victim […] → Read More
Most voters don’t want GOP to punish ‘woke’ companies: poll
Voters largely don’t want Congress to punish companies for speaking out on certain social and political issues, according to a Morning Consult poll commissioned by the tech industry-backed Chamber of Progress and released on Monday. The survey found that a majority of voters wouldn’t want lawmakers to punish companies for speaking out against discrimination, openly […] → Read More
FTC unveils proposal to ban noncompete clauses
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday rolled out a proposal to prohibit employers from implementing noncompete clauses that limit workers’ ability to change jobs. Noncompetes, which are used in a broad range of industries, make it difficult for employees to work for a competitor or start their own business for a period of time […] → Read More
Lobbyists relish return to Capitol after years of COVID restrictions
Lobbyists are celebrating their return to the Capitol as it reopens to the public, ending nearly three years of pandemic restrictions that severely limited physical access to lawmakers. The decision by Capitol officials to end strict rules for visitors on Tuesday, which followed pleas from the lobbyists and House GOP leaders, will boost K Street’s […] → Read More
Unions bash senators for rejecting paid sick leave for rail workers
Labor leaders lashed out Thursday at senators who voted against a proposal to provide rail workers with seven days of paid sick leave. While the Senate overwhelmingly approved a measure to force through a railroad contract that gives workers a 24 percent raise over five years, a proposal to add paid sick days to the […] → Read More
Senate votes to avert costly rail strike
The Senate voted Thursday to avert a costly nationwide rail strike next week that lawmakers in both parties worried would shut down much of the economy and further add to inflation. Senators voted 80 to 15 for a House-passed bill to implement the labor agreement between freight rail carriers and unionized workers brokered by […] → Read More
Senate rejects proposal to give rail workers seven days of paid sick leave
The Senate voted on Thursday to reject a proposal to give railway workers seven days of sick leave, a benefit that was left out of a labor deal between freight rail companies and unionized workers that was brokered by the Biden administration. The proposal to give workers seven days of sick leave, which was championed by Sen. […] → Read More
House votes to avert rail strike, provide workers paid sick leave
The House passed a bill on Wednesday to avert a railway strike, taking the first major step in avoiding a walkout of workers that would have drastic effects on the U.S. economy as it heads into the holiday season. The chamber passed the resolution in a 290-137 vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration […] → Read More
Trump faces potential fundraising problem as megadonors jump ship
Former President Trump could face a surprising problem as he mounts his 2024 campaign: a cash crunch as wealthy megadonors gravitate toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other potential contenders. A loyal army of small-dollar donors will power Trump’s presidential bid, potentially making up for the exodus of billionaire backers, but they’ve shown signs […] → Read More