PILGRIM NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING!

 
WHY ARE THE GATES OPEN? 

WHO'S ASKING? WHY ISN'T HOLTEC PROTECTING THIS SITE?

Nearly 200,000 Gallons of Pilgrim Nuclear Waste Vaporized

DEP is waiting to see ‘if they choose to evaporate the water in an active way’

BY CHRISTINE LEGERE NOV 29, 2023

PLYMOUTH — While the debate over the proposed discharge of 1.1 million gallons of radioactive wastewater from the Pilgrim nuclear plant into Cape Cod Bay goes on, Holtec Decommissioning International, the company that now owns the Plymouth reactor, has quietly evaporated nearly 200,000 gallons of it.

The contaminated steam is being released through unfiltered vents in the reactor building.

Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and a member of the advisory panel on Pilgrim’s decommissioning, has accused plant officials of using evaporation to rid themselves of their wastewater problem. Based on how much has been released into the atmosphere as gas over the last several months, he said, the wastewater, and Holtec’s dilemma over how to get rid of it, could be gone before a decision is reached on its disposal.

So far, Holtec is saying the evaporation is not actually the company’s chosen method of ridding the shuttered plant of radioactive waste. Instead, the company says, the evaporation is incidental to other activities.

The company installed submersible heaters in the wastewater-filled reactor cavity in February, saying they would speed the drying time for boxes containing irradiated pieces of the reactor that had been removed from the cavity. They also said the heaters in the pools raised the temperature in the reactor building so workers there would be more comfortable.

The heaters were shut down during the summer but went back online on Nov. 22.

At the Nov. 27 meeting of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP) in Plymouth, David Noyes, Holtec’s compliance manager at Pilgrim, presented a revised schedule for the plant’s decommissioning.

The 2022 timetable had set the completion date for decommissioning and partial release of the site at September 2027. Several months ago, that date was extended by four years to September 2031. At the time, Noyes told the panel that Holtec was going to pause the work to allow time for more interest to accumulate in the decommissioning trust fund for the plant.

On Nov. 27, Noyes presented a new schedule pushing the completion date out another four years to September 2035.

Holtec blamed the delay on the debate over the disposal of the plant’s contaminated wastewater. In July, the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a preliminary denial of a permit Holtec needs if it is to discharge the water into Cape Cod Bay. The Environmental Protection Agency has made no decision yet on Holtec’s request for a required amendment to its federal water discharge permit.

Local and regional officials, members of the fishing and tourist industries, and the public have opposed the discharge of the wastewater into the bay, which is Holtec’s preferred disposal method.

At the meeting, Gottlieb asked whether Holtec would appeal the denial of the discharge permits, and Noyes confirmed that the company planned to take it to court.

“You’re going to drag this out for a variety of reasons, such that you either prevail in court and discharge into the ocean, or it evaporates out, and it’s gone, and your problem is solved,” Gottlieb said, describing the situation as “heads I win, tails you lose.

“It’s fundamentally clear to me you’re playing out the clock,” Gottlieb said.

He wasn’t alone in his concern. Seth Pickering, who represents the DEP on the advisory panel, said his agency had notified Holtec in late September that it would need to apply for an air quality permit if it chose evaporation as its primary option for getting rid of the wastewater.

Kevin Canty, a member of both the Plymouth Select Board and NDCAP, asked what would happen if Holtec just kept letting the water evaporate through the vents. “What if there’s passive evaporation and over the eight-year period they never notify you it’s their primary plan?” Canty asked. “Can the state act prior to them formally notifying you?”

Pickering responded that DEP is waiting to see “if they choose to evaporate the water in an active way.

“The amount of tritium in that water won’t add up to a ton, even if they evaporate it all in one year,” Pickering said. Tritium, a radionuclide, cannot be filtered out of the contaminated water.

Gottlieb brought up what he called “the alphabet soup” of other pollutants that were found in the wastewater when it was recently tested.

Pickering said that the notification of another four-year delay in decommissioning will prompt DEP “to look at everything.”

Gottlieb asked whether Holtec was making forward-going calculations about the ongoing evaporation. “Why can’t you predict how much volume will be evaporated in eight years?” he asked Noyes. “You’re a nuclear operator.”

James Lampert, who was elected NDCAP chair at the Nov. 27 meeting, asked Noyes to come to the panel’s January meeting with some projections on the amount of evaporation that would take place over eight years.

Time should also be set aside at a future meeting to review the options for disposal of the wastewater, Lampert said. On the table are discharge into the bay, evaporation, onsite storage, or shipping it offsite.

Mary Lampert, who is James’s wife and also a member of NDCAP, said that Holtec had calculated that the cost of trucking the wastewater offsite to a disposal facility, the method preferred by the public and most officials, would be about $20 million. Delaying decommissioning and appealing denied permits in court will probably cost Holtec more than that, she said.

Jack Priest, director of the radiation control program for the state Dept. of Public Health and a member of NDCAP, was concerned about the effect of a delay and possible court appeal on the decommissioning trust fund.

“With another four-year extension on top of a four-year extension, is there going to be enough money in the fund to complete the project?” Priest asked.

The 60-plus canisters of spent fuel just inside the open gate of the Pilgrim nuclear plant.

The wide-open gate at the entrance to the Pilgrim nuclear plant earlier this month. (Photos by Diane Turco)

https://provincetownindependent.org/featured/2023/11/29/nearly-200000-gallons-of-nuclear-waste-vaporized/

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Supp underscores Democratic discord

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY DEMOCRATIC DYSFUNCTION — Democrats are showing the perils of one-party rule on Beacon Hill. Lawmakers just finished out a lethargic first year of their two-year session, in which they blew deadlines on major spending bills, reached insurmountable impasses on others and engaged in unusually public spats that are damaging party unity . And the stark differences in how House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka approached shepherding the supplemental budget through their respective chambers only underscores top Democrats' discord. Mariano traded blame with Republicans who stalled the already-delayed legislation over issues with how the state is handling the migrant and shelter crises. Spilka made a point of working with Republicans, going so far as to address reporters with the minority leader by her side after her chamber passed the budget bill. She also made clear her belief that Democrats might not have ended up in this mess if the House hadn’t waited nearly two months to move on the governor’s spending request. In the process, Democratic legislative leaders angered some of their party's biggest backers: unions, whose members’ raises were tied up in the supp. The Massachusetts Teachers Association is so “outrage[d]” by the process that members are planning to discuss at a meeting later this week “how to prevent this from happening again," union President Max Page said in a statement to Playbook. “Something is very wrong when 60,000 state workers find their noncontroversial contracts held up for months because of unrelated political maneuvering by lawmakers,” Page said. Democratic leaders also, by ramming a controversial and pricey spending bill through informal sessions that don’t allow for debate, gave those fighting for greater transparency on Beacon Hill more fodder. That includes groups backing Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s ballot effort to audit the Legislature — another point of Democratic Party division. "Minority Leader Brad Jones said it perfectly: If Democrats want to figure out who to blame just look in the mirror,” former Democratic state Rep. Jay Kaufman, who’s on the steering committee of the Coalition to Reform our Legislature , told Playbook. “What’s disappointing here is that even with human lives and well-being on the line there wasn’t enough of a sense of urgency.” Asked by reporters whether Democrats' handling of the supplemental budget showed the dysfunction of one-party rule, Mariano put the blame squarely back on the Republicans. "Even after everything was done and agreed to, they still held it up," he said. "They have to bear that responsibility." This likely won’t be the last time Gov. Maura Healey asks for more money for the shelter system. And the next spending debate could be even more fraught with fiscal storm clouds on the horizon. Tax revenue ran behind benchmarks for the fifth straight month in November, the Department of Revenue said Tuesday. The state is now $627 million below the projection that budget writers used to build this year’s spending plan. And this isn't the only issue over which Democratic leaders are butting heads. They’re poised to clash again in the new year over gun regulations as the Senate prepares to bring its version forward. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The fourth GOP presidential primary debate is tonight. Keep it locked on Politico for key moments and top takeaways. TODAY — Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is on “Java with Jimmy” at 9 a.m. and holds a swearing-in ceremony for the Mayor’s Youth Council at 4:15 p.m. at City Hall. Rep. Ayanna Pressley unveils the Inclusive Democracy Act at 1:30 p.m. at the U.S. Capitol. Tips? Scoops? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com . BIDEN TIME President Joe Biden arrives at Boston Logan International Airport to attend several campaign fundraisers on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. | Evan Vucci/AP ALTERNATE REALITY — If Donald Trump wasn’t seeking a second term in the White House, Joe Biden might not be, either. “If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running,” Biden told donors gathered at a fundraiser at former U.S. Ambassador Alan Solomont’ s Weston home Tuesday. “But we cannot let him win, for the sake of the country." Biden was talking about the risks he believes his predecessor poses to democracy. He later clarified his comments to reporters back in Washington. Asked if he would be running if Trump were not, Biden said, “I expect so.” And asked if he would drop out if Trump does, Biden said, “no, not now.” Biden’s remarks come as he trails Trump in some recent head-to-head polling matchups and is in the midst of a fundraising blitz to close out the quarter and the year. Biden hit three fundraisers total in the state Tuesday, including one at the Westin Boston Seaport hotel with Jack Connors and an evening concert with Grammy-winner James Taylor . He was greeted by Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at Logan Airport (Healey’s office declined to detail what they talked about beyond discussing “how our administrations can continue to work together to make our communities stronger.”). Healey also introduced him at the concert. Outside the Shubert Theater, several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered to call for a permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and for an end to U.S. aid for Israel. Earlier, Biden urged global condemnation of Hamas’ “horrific” use of sexual violence against women and girls during the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. “Let me be crystal clear: Hamas' refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal and ended the pause in the fighting,” Biden said, adding that “everyone still being held hostage by Hamas need to be returned to their families immediately. We're not going to stop working until we bring every one of them home." DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Healey sees ‘better path forward’ in Massachusetts economic development plan,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Addressing housing and transportation challenges, investing in infrastructure, consistent branding, attracting talent, and doubling down on climate technology innovation are all featured priorities in a long-term economic development plan filed by the Healey administration.” — “Leadership changes in Massachusetts’ child welfare system prompt hope for a new vision,” by Jason Laughlin, The Boston Globe: “A changing of the guard is coming for Massachusetts’ child welfare system and with it, perhaps, an unusual opportunity to overhaul an overburdened system responsible for the well-being of more than 40,000 children. Four key officials are departing in the coming year, or have already gone. Among them are two judges, both scheduled to retire over the next year, and the head of the Department of Children and Families, who stepped down this fall. In February, Michael Dsida will leave the Children and Family Law Division, which represents both parents and children in the child welfare system in court, after leading it for 17 years.” FROM THE HUB — “Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara to argue dismissal of charges related to crash at January court date,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: “The latest hearing in the Kendra Lara car crash legal saga was a short and confused one that ultimately ended in yet another date to argue the latest motion to dismiss.” — “Boston police union contract would exclude some offenses from arbitration,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “The new labor contract reached between Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration and Boston’s largest police union includes unprecedented reforms that will allow the city to fire officers accused of serious offenses, such as murder and rape, and bar them from appealing those dismissals through arbitration.” YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS OFF TO THE RACES — The race to replace state Sen. Susan Moran (D-Falmouth), who has said she won’t run again in 2024 to pursue a county court job, is already heating up. Three candidates are circling the purple Plymouth and Barnstable seat. State Rep. Dylan Fernandes , a Woods Hole Democrat, announced his bid on X over the weekend. State Rep. Matt Muratore , a Plymouth Republican, last week told the Cape Cod Times he’s “seriously considering” a bid. And Bourne School Committee member Kari MacRae , a Republican, told the Boston Herald she plans to run for the post. The jockeying carries down the ballot. Scott Hokanson , a Plymouth businessman, is running as a Democrat for Muratore’s House seat if and when Muratore jumps in the Senate race, he told Playbook. — “Sen. Durant backs Dudley selectman to serve in his old Central Mass. House seat,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Sen. Peter Durant said Tuesday he is backing a Dudley selectman looking to run for a Central Massachusetts House seat last held by the Spencer Republican, who won a special election last month for a Senate district in the area. A special election has not yet been called for the House seat, but two contenders — Dudley Selectman John Marsi and Southbridge Town Councilor David Adams, both Republicans — have indicated they are ready to run if one is scheduled.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “New applications for federal money put Sagamore Bridge replacement in sight, state says,” by Walker Armstrong, Cape Cod Times: “The state and a federal agency have applied for enough money to cover more than the estimated $2.13 billion cost to replace the aging Sagamore Bridge in Bourne. On Monday, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced a joint application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seeking $1.06 billion in federal funding for the phased replacement of the two Cape Cod Canal bridges. The phased replacement would begin with the heavily trafficked Sagamore Bridge, the announcement said.” BALLOT BATTLES — “MCAS mandate repeal inches toward ballot,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state's largest teachers union, announced on Tuesday that supporters of the proposed referendum will be turning in 135,000 signatures from registered voters to the Secretary of State's office by a Wednesday deadline, clearing a major hurdle.” THE CLARK CAUCUS — “Big money for top Democrat stolen: federal records,” by Mark Alesia, Raw Story: “U.S. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) — the second-ranking Democrat in the House — is the latest member to become entangled in an epidemic of thefts affecting public officials.” DATELINE D.C. — “‘It’s a yes or no question’: GOP lawmakers berate Harvard, MIT, UPenn presidents on campus antisemitism,” by Mike Damiano and Hilary Burns, The Boston Globe: “The university leaders acknowledged that antisemitism, as well as Islamophobia, is on the rise in society and on their campuses and said they had sometimes stumbled in recent weeks while trying to walk the line between protecting free speech and prohibiting what some view as hateful rhetoric.” MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Judge puts off Goldberg-O’Brien meeting,” by Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon: “A state judge sided with Shannon O’Brien on Tuesday, ruling that the suspended chair of the Cannabis Control Commission shouldn’t be required to meet with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg until all of the investigations into O’Brien are completed and the investigators are available for questioning. … The judge scheduled a hearing for December 14 where she indicated the format of the Goldberg-O’Brien meeting would be reviewed.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “‘I owe you a drink. A dinner. A foot massage.’ Newton city councilor sends ‘unwelcome’ texts to colleague,” by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe: “A Newton city councilor said she was the recipient of ‘unwanted and unwelcome’ messages from a fellow councilor during a meeting last month and is calling for the city to create an ethics commission to oversee the conduct of local elected officials.” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE STAFF SHAKEUP — Nikki Haley’ s New Hampshire state director, Mak Kehoe , is “no longer with the campaign for personal reasons,” her campaign said last night. Deputy state director Tyler Clark has taken over for Kehoe, who had joined the campaign in October. ABC’s Kelsey Walsh first reported Kehoe’s departure. FEELING THREATENED — Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who is primarying Joe Biden , said “yes” when asked by a reporter last night if he would consider the president a threat to democracy. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Sen. Peter Durant, Tim Biba, Matt Chilliak, Adam Hogue, Ali Schmidt-Fellner and Hanna Switlekowski. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

POLITICO Nightly: The slow dismantling of the Voting Rights Act

 

BY CATHERINE KIM A woman walks through an exhibit on voting rights at the International African American Museum on June 27, 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina. | Sean Rayford/Getty Images UNDER SIEGE — A federal appeals court recently dealt a blow to the Voting Rights Act by ruling on what at first glance might seem a small technicality: Who, exactly, is allowed to sue when voting practices discriminate on the basis of race? But the issue in Arkansas State Conference NAACP v. Arkansas Board of Apportionment is anything but minor. The court’s ruling that there is no “private right of action” under Section 2 of the law — which prohibits voting practices that discriminate on the basis of race — would limit the scope of its protections and roll back enforcement of the landmark civil rights law. It’s a decision that stands to have a wide-ranging impact in the future, including prominently in House races — as recently as June, for example, a Section 2 case ended up altering the Alabama congressional map for 2024. The ruling overturns a standard practice of four decades in which outside groups like the ACLU and NAACP could litigate Section 2 challenges. The decision from the 8th Circuit holds that only the federal government should carry such power. Here’s why that matters: Out of at least 182 successful Section 2 lawsuits filed over the last 40 years, only 15 “were brought solely” by the attorney general. Private groups have filed Section 2 cases and won time and time again — including in Allen v. Mulligan, the Alabama case in which the Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that the state likely violated the law by diluting the power of Black voters when it drew its congressional map after the 2020 census. Ultimately fewer lawsuits will be filed because of the Eighth Circuit’s decision — not because the issues have been remedied, but because they aren’t being acted on at the federal level. Major organizations like the NAACP and ACLU have resources and personnel dedicated to ensure equal access to voting rights . The Justice Department simply doesn’t have the same level of oversight as local grassroots organizations do due to limited resources, which means it is likely issues will fall through the cracks, according to Alejandra Campos, who is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Arkansas. “At the very least, I think it signals to people that they don’t have the right to bring up any grievances that they have about electoral procedures, or what they might perceive as something that is disproportionately affecting their community,” Campos said. “They signal that, ‘We decide what is a bridging your vote or not, and you don’t have that voice anymore.’” There’s also concern about the further politicization of these cases. Because the Justice Department will have complete discretion on whether or not to file a suit, who’s in the White House and has staffed the agency will become more important than ever. The court’s decision in Arkansas was used to dismiss a redistricting case filed by advocacy groups that claimed a new map would dilute the voting power of Black people. These private groups’ right to file Section 2 lawsuits rested on “flimsy footing” to begin with, according to the 8th Circuit judges. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, whose office had been defending the map, applauded the decision , saying that enforcement of the Voting Rights Act should be handled by “politically accountable officials and not by outside special interest groups.” Yet by eliminating private groups’ right to sue entirely — and setting up the federal government to be the sole protector of voting rights — the decision will undermine “the Voting Rights Act’s promise of equal participation in the democratic process for all Americans,” according to Holly Dickson , executive director of ACLU of Arkansas. In recognition of such limitations, Chief Circuit Judge Lavenski Smith, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, wrote in his dissent, “Rights so foundational to self-government and citizenship should not depend solely on the discretion or availability of the government’s agents for protection.” Ultimately, this decision fits into a trend of blows to the Voting Rights Act over the last 10 years. In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the VRA, which required the Department of Justice or a federal district court to vet any voting procedure changes proposed by states and local municipalities with a history of discrimination. Since then, 11 states that had been subject to preclearance — the process of seeking DOJ approval for all changes related to voting — have passed at least 29 laws that add voting restrictions . The legal fight will likely head to the Supreme Court, and two conservative justices — Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas — have already shown their hand. In a 2021 Voting Rights Act case, Gorsuch wrote in his concurring opinion, joined by Thomas, that the matter of who can bring forth Section 2 cases is an “open question.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at ckim@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @ck_525 .   Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of new episodes – click here .     WHAT'D I MISS? — Tuberville drops most military holds despite no change in Pentagon abortion policy: Tommy Tuberville announced today he’s dropping most of his months-long holds on military officer nominations in the Senate , backing down from his vow to block them until the Pentagon changes an internal abortion policy. The Alabama Republican plans to continue his holds on four-star nominees, he told reporters, but will release the rest effective immediately. Tuberville’s surprising white flag follows months of pressure and growing frustration from his GOP colleagues, as the amount of held military promotions ballooned over 400. — McHenry announces he will pass on reelection: Rep. Patrick McHenry announced today that he won’t be seeking reelection , one of the most high-profile congressional GOP retirements of the year. The North Carolina Republican, first elected in 2004, progressed over the course of his time in the House from conservative rabble-rouser to a well-liked lieutenant of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McHenry, 48, later served as acting speaker during the frenetic three-week search for a replacement following McCarthy’s ouster. — Giuliani’s no-show prevents courtroom confrontation with Georgia election workers: Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two Georgia election workers who have been tormented by harassment and threats since 2020, were prepared today to confront the man they view as the chief instigator of their suffering: Rudy Giuliani. But Giuliani was a no-show at a federal court hearing in the duo’s defamation lawsuit , prompting a lashing for his attorney by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who had ordered Giuliani to be present. “How could you have missed that?” Howell asked Giuliani’s attorney, Joe Sibley, incredulously, when he took the blame for Giuliani’s absence. NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 CHENEY FLOATS BID — Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is mulling a third-party run for president and will decide in the next few months, she said in interviews published today while promoting her new book. “I think that the situation that we’re in is so grave, and the politics of the moment require independents and Republicans and Democrats coming together in a way that can help form a new coalition, so that may well be a third-party option,” Cheney told USA TODAY. SUPER PAC SHAKE-UP — Ron DeSantis is giving his closest allies greater control over the daily operations of his presidential run , another shakeup in the Florida governor’s 2024 bid just weeks before the first Republican nominating contest, reports Bloomberg. Scott Wagner, one of DeSantis’ oldest friends from their time at Yale and an attorney in Miami, assumed leadership last weekend of the allied super political action committee, Never Back Down. That group has been effectively running DeSantis’ operation in Iowa…The governor has privately acknowledged to friends and allies that Trump holds so much sway over the Republican voter base that it leaves little room for alternative candidates. The timing may not have been right for DeSantis to run, according to allies. NH GOP BUCKS RNC — As the Republican National Committee decides whether to stop hosting presidential debates, the New Hampshire Republican Party is preparing its own backup plan to host a debate before the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23, reports the Messenger. “You don’t have the first-in-the-nation primary and then not do a debate,” said Chris Ager, chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party. “That’s counter to the entire ethos of the first-in-the-nation primary.” Under pressure from former President Donald Trump’s campaign, the RNC is considering a proposal to back out of the business of sponsoring debates. The move – if approved – would also open the door to the candidates and others to host their own debates, just without the imprimatur of the GOP. UNQUALIFIED — Arkansas election officials on Monday said online news personality Cenk Uygur, who was born in Turkey, can’t appear on the state’s Democratic presidential primary ballot next year, the Associated Press reports. The determination comes weeks after Uygur proclaimed that he had become the first naturalized citizen on a presidential ballot after filing paperwork with the state and the Arkansas Democratic Party. HALEY’S NEW DONOR — When Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, urged Democratic donors last week to rally behind Nikki Haley to provide Republican voters an alternative to former President Donald J. Trump, it seemed a far-fetched plea. But at least one of the Democratic Party’s biggest financiers has already done exactly that, reports the New York Times. Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn and a major Democratic donor, recently gave $250,000 to a super PAC supporting Haley , the former South Carolina governor who has gained momentum in recent weeks in the 2024 Republican primary race. AROUND THE WORLD An elderly woman walks along a street against a background of graffiti depicting General Valery Zaluzhny, head of Ukraine's armed forces, in Bakhmut, Ukraine. | Andriy Andriyenko/AP TENSION AT THE TOP — More than 21 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the mood is turning grim in Kyiv — with tensions between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top general, Valery Zaluzhny, spilling into the open , POLITICO EU reports. Last year’s successes, as Ukraine first blunted Russia’s attacks on its capital and then recaptured swaths of territory, have faded into a stalemate along hundreds of kilometers of frontlines as entrenched Ukrainian and Russian soldiers fight bloody battles for advances and retreats measured in meters. That’s led to political infighting in Kyiv as officials search for ways to outlast Russia during a long war in which Moscow has more men, more weapons and a bigger economy. The mood in Kyiv is further soured by recent wobbles in foreign support for continued military aid. An essay by Zaluzhny for the Economist offered some cold realism in contrast to the optimism that permeates official Kyiv messaging. He made it clear that Russia was far from beaten, and warned: “A positional war is a prolonged one that carries enormous risks to Ukraine’s armed forces and to its state.” People close to Zelenskyy say the column left him scrambling to reassure partners that the war is not a dead end, and that it’s still worth helping Ukraine. Now the president wants his army to come up with a strategy to keep the aid flowing. And the infighting in Kyiv is causing public dismay. “I understand why Russia wants to split the military-political leadership into ‘military’ and ‘political’ and make them fight each other,” said Alina Mykhailova, a Ukrainian army officer and a member of the Kyiv city council, in a Facebook post. “This is the only way for the enemy to decisively defeat Ukraine. But I do not understand and refuse to understand why we give them what they want.”   GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK : Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW .     NIGHTLY NUMBER 32 The number of tie-breaking votes that Vice President Kamala Harris has now cast in the Senate , breaking a record for the most tie-breaking votes ever cast by a vice president. The previous record-holder was John C. Calhoun, who served as vice president from 1825 to 1832. To commemorate the occasion, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer presented Harris with a golden gavel. RADAR SWEEP INTO THE WILD — In Europe’s northernmost county — on a peninsula called Čorgašnjárga by its native people and Nordkinn by Norwegians — there are around 100 people who work on 19 concessions where they herd reindeer . Sometimes called Europe’s last wilderness, the county is part of Norway’s second-largest herding district. It’s also a place that Norway has landmarked for potential wind power projects, which would disrupt herding patterns and drastically change the wilderness, while also providing a much-needed renewable energy source. For The Dial Magazine, Ben Mauk wrote an in depth essay about the potential project, accompanied by photos of the remarkable landscape from Carleen Coulter . PARTING IMAGE On this date in 1933: The prohibition repeal was ratified. The day of, wholesale houses delivered alcohol to anxious consumers, pictured here in New York, with a shipment from the historic winery Mouquin in Brooklyn. | AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   FOLLOW US

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA