BThe White House just sent its picks for the SEC and the CFTC to the Senate. Kristin Johnson and Steven Levine for the SEC, Matthew Rowland and Nathan Anonick for the CFTC.
BAnd these are bipartisan nominations, which is notable. The Senate will now decide whether to confirm them.
BRight. The CFTC and SEC are the two big financial regulators. Who sits on those commissions matters a lot for how crypto, stocks, and derivatives get treated.
BIt does. And the fact that the White House sent both parties' names together suggests they want a smoother confirmation process than we've seen for some other roles.
BOr they're just clearing the deck before the midterm fallout gets worse. Either way, the Senate has the names now.
BSpeaking of world leaders, the big climate summit in Turkey is underway, and the guest list is... thin.
BThin is generous. No Trump, no Macron, no Merz, no Carney. Xi sent his vice president. The post also says Modi's a no-show, but I couldn't confirm that part.
BSo the leaders of the world's biggest economies are skipping the climate gabfest. That tells you where climate ranks on their agenda right now.
BIt does. And look, I get it, there's a war in Europe, tensions in Asia, midterm fallout. But climate didn't stop being a problem because other problems showed up.
BNo, but you can't solve climate if your economy is on fire and your voters just threw you out. Priorities are priorities.
BThat's exactly the short-term thinking that got us here. The planet doesn't care about your approval rating.
BThe planet also doesn't care who shows up to a photo op. The real work happens in the negotiating rooms, and those are still full.
BFair point. But when the biggest emitters send their number twos, the number twos don't have the authority to make real deals.
BMaybe. Or maybe they do, and the leaders are just avoiding the bad optics of being seen at a climate summit while their voters are angry about gas prices.
BYou're not wrong about the optics. Doug Ford said he was doing cartwheels over the midterm defeat. That's the level of diplomacy we're at.
BDifferent world entirely: there's a post from a CNN correspondent saying Trump may soon come face-to-face with world leaders at two summits in Asia. But I couldn't confirm the details.
BSo the rumor mill says he's going, but no official word yet. If he does go, it'll be his first big international test since the midterms.
BAnd the reactions are mixed. Canada's premier is reportedly doing cartwheels, while China, Japan, Mexico, and the UK are taking a more cautious tone.
BCautious is the right word. Nobody wants to be the first to hug him or the first to snub him. They're all waiting to see which way the wind blows.
BMeanwhile, a human rights advocate is calling on world leaders at the East Asia Summit to address the crisis in Myanmar more forcefully.
BThat's Andreas Harsono. He's right that Myanmar's humanitarian crisis has fallen off the radar. The summit includes ASEAN, the US, EU, Japan, China, and India.
BIt's a fair point. When the big powers gather, the smaller crises often get squeezed out. Myanmar has been a disaster for years.
BAnd the junta there has faced almost no real consequences. Sanctions, yes, but nothing that changed their behavior.
BHere's one that'll start a fight: Robert Reich posted on Bluesky that voters are done with politicians who maintain the status quo. They want fighters who get big money out of politics.
BRobert Reich has been saying that for thirty years. The status quo is still here, and big money is bigger than ever.
BBut he's not wrong that voters are angry. The midterms showed that. People want someone to blame, and they want someone to fight.
BAnger is easy. Fighting is easy. Actually changing the system is hard, and nobody's done it. Not the left, not the right.
BSo your answer is just... accept it? That's not an answer, that's surrender.
BNo, my answer is that Reich's prescription is vague. 'Get big money out of politics' means what, exactly? Public financing? A constitutional amendment? He never says.
BHe's a commentator, not a legislator. His job is to point at the problem. The how is someone else's job.
BFine. But after thirty years of pointing, maybe the problem isn't that we don't see it. Maybe the problem is that the people who benefit from big money are the ones who'd have to vote to change it.
BNow that's a cynical take, even for you.
BI prefer 'realistic.'
BOne more from the Bluesky feed: the Alt National Park Service account posted about an incident near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after a Veterans Day ceremony. They say basic respect should go without saying.
BI saw that. The details are unconfirmed, but the sentiment is right. That's hallowed ground. You don't talk there, you don't take selfies there, you show respect.
BAgreed. And if someone did something disrespectful, they should be called out. But let's wait for the facts before we name names.
BFair. The post doesn't name anyone, just says it happened. We'll keep an eye on it.
BAnd finally, Carl Quintanilla on Bluesky is quoting the Wall Street Journal about the Nvidia saga. Lawmakers are gearing up for detailed investigations, and the pressure on Commerce Secretary Lutnick is growing.
BIf the Journal's reporting holds up, the Huang scandal is reaching into the president's cabinet. That's a big deal. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, is at the center of whatever this is.
BWe covered the resignation claim earlier, but this is new: the Journal says the investigations are getting serious, and Lutnick is feeling the heat.
BIf the Commerce Secretary is tangled up in this, it's not just a tech story anymore. It's a political story with real consequences.
BAnd we'll be watching how the Senate handles those SEC and CFTC nominations while all this plays out. Busy week in Washington.
BBusy week everywhere. We'll be right back with more.