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Former NBA Star and Civil Rights Activist Says Justin Baldoni Blocked Documentary by Michael Graham

Jan. 24, 2025

 
 
Baldoni
Justin Baldoni
 
 

Baldoni and Lively, who starred in the film “It Ends With Us,” have been making headlines for weeks, publicly battling over their private reputations. Lively’s lawyers say Baldoni and his Wayfarer team used a media smear campaign hoping to “safeguard against the risk of Ms. Lively ever revealing the truth about Mr. Baldoni.”

The actor responded with a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

In the case of legendary Chicago Bulls three-point shooter Craig Hodges, it was his truth, he says, that Baldoni and Wayfarer silenced.

 

To basketball fans, Hodges is the dazzling outside shooter who helped the Bulls win back-to-back championships during the Michael Jordan era and still holds the record for most consecutive shots made (19) in the NBA’s Three-Point contest.

For civil rights activists from the past 30 years, however, Hodges is known as something bigger: One of the few athletes of the previous era willing to use his talent and fame to promote social justice.

They know Hodges as the NBA star who showed up in a dashiki for the 1992 White House celebration of the Bulls’ championship season. While he was there, Hodges gave President George H.W. Bush a handwritten letter criticizing the administration’s treatment of minorities and the poor.

It’s one of the stories featured in Hodges’ 2017 autobiography, “Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter.” His book caught Hollywood’s eye after the massive success of ESPN’s 2020 hit documentary series "The Last Dance,” a retrospective on the Bulls’ basketball dynasty.

Hodges struck a TV deal with Wayfarer — a production company run by Baldoni and tech billionaire Steve Sarowitz — for a project looking back at that Bulls era through the lens of Hodges’ experiences.

For Hodges, it was an opportunity to tell his story as laid out in his book. “I don’t feel like it’s just a story for the NBA or for Black people. I feel like it’s a story for everyone,” Hodges told InsideSources.

Hodges has long maintained that he was blackballed by the NBA for his political activism. After his White House appearance, the Bulls waived his contract for the next season, and no other NBA team picked him up. Despite his success, Hodges’ career was over.

“This is a game that you’ve been playing on a competitive level since you were 12 years old,” Hodges has said of his situation. “And now you’re 32 years of age, you’re in excellent shape. You just won these championships. You’re the best shooter on the planet … and it’s a game that is about putting the ball in the basket. And you can’t get an agent?”

Hodges thought he had a story to tell, and Jivi Singh — a British-Indian producer who read the NBA star’s book and fell in love with the story — wanted to tell it.

“I think it was the day after the book was released, we read an article in The Guardian, I hit my partners and said, ‘Hey, check this out.’ We ordered the book and within 24 hours (of reading it), we were on a call with Hodges,” Singh recounted.

He and Hodges began putting a movie together under working titles like “Whiteballed” and “The Lost Dance.”

Enter Baldoni and Wayfarer.

While Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath liked Hodges’ story, they disapproved of the director he chose to tell it. And, Hodges and Singh told InsideSources, they were stunned when they heard the reason.

Singh is racially suspect.

The two recounted a Zoom call for InsideSources in which the Wayfarer executives critiqued Singh’s racial qualifications.

“I promise you that as much as I feel you feel, no one knows (Hodges’ life) better, no one knows it better than me,” Heath, who is Black, told Singh. “You might be a wonderful filmmaker, but the story is something that there might be some blind spots for you.”

Baldoni added: “We, as people who are not Black, can never put the emphasis on the Black people to tell us and teach us.”

(The Zoom call and its content have previously been reported by Deadline, which reviewed the audio.)

Hodges told InsideSources he was approached by Heath, who, he said, played the race card against Singh.

“He comes to me on the ‘Brotherhood’ level, and I’m laughing because I’m like, ‘Dude I don’t even know you.’”

“And y’all coming at it from a standpoint of (Singh) is not Black enough?” Hodges added.

Asked for a comment, Wayfarer sent InsideSources a previously released statement from Heath.

“The Craig Hodges story is one we at Wayfarer, and in particular myself, care a great deal about: a Black man being denied the opportunity to professionally practice his craft all because he wanted to highlight what was happening to Black people in America in the 1980s and ’90s,” Heath said.

“While all stories involving Black people don’t need to be told by a Black person, some do indeed require someone that has lived the experience, which is something Justin Baldoni understood and expressed vocally to those involved,” Heath added.

Ironically, Singh noted afterward that the director Baldoni and Heath wanted to replace him with “was a man of Jamaican descent who grew up in Jamaica.”

Singh said he was willing to step aside as the director, but he wasn’t willing to let the truth of Hodges’ life get lost in the telling.

“The film’s called ‘White Balled,’ which means to silence Black people for political reasons. The simple premise of this film is that Craig Hodges is a man who had been silenced. And this film is the vehicle that would give him his voice back.”

Because that voice could sometimes sound critical of the NBA or Michael Jordan, it wasn’t the story Wayfarer wanted, Singh said.

For Hodges, it’s about staying true to the story he wrote in his autobiography.

“When I talked to the new director, the first thing I asked him: ‘Have you read my book?’ And he said ‘No,’” Hodges recalled.

That outraged Hodges, who was trying to tell Baldoni that he trusted Singh with his story.

Baldoni and Wayfarer eventually pulled their support from the project, though they still hold the rights. They want Hodges to pay $175,000 to get the rights to his own story back. Hodges says it’s his life, and, as a Black man, he rejects the idea that others should determine who he can choose to tell his story — particularly when the judgment is based on race.

Others agree.

“From producing to directing to deciding on creative vision to upholding a project’s ultimate vision, Black and Brown people in Hollywood are consistently being overruled and written out of the process — with implications for us all, as who shapes and guides stories can fundamentally alter the end results and the way important stories are told,” said Ricky Clemons, an adjunct lecturer teaching sports management and media at Howard University.

Singh told InsideSources he’s still shocked by Baldoni and Heath’s stance on this project.

“It’s the hypocrisy of a man who thinks it’s OK to tell a man of color that he can’t tell a story of color, but it’s OK for him (Baldoni) to tell a story of a female victim of domestic violence, right?” Singh said. “That hypocrisy really struck a chord, and it’s kind of jarring.”

Meanwhile, Hodges rejects the premise that his story is somehow critical of the NBA or Jordan, or that his life of political activism is a tale too troublesome to tell. He’s shown a rough cut of the film he and Singh have put together to about 100 people, and he says the response has all been positive.

“Everybody who sees it — Horace Grant, John Paxton, all of them — they all say the same thing: ‘When is it coming out?’

“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be out. It would be great.”

Michael Graham is Managing Editor at InsideSources.com, which was the first to publish this article.

President Trump Promises to Promote Peace While Pardoning Those Who Promoted Pain By Hazel Trice Edney

Jan. 21, 2025

Trump Swearing in

President Donald Trump Sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts. PHOTO: Screenshot

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - President Donald J. Trump, promising in his inaugural address to use his power to “bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable”, has rewarded hundreds of violent Jan. 6 insurrectionists with full pardons and release from prisons despite many of their pleas of guilt.

Approximately 1,500 of the predominately White crowd, several of whom beat police officers with the United States flag, sprayed them with chemicals, and threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence, are going free this week with no chance of further punishment for attempting to stop the certification of President Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021. Yet, Trump has repeated called the Jan. 6 insurrection a "day of love."

Many of those who protested that day were led by the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, both known as far-right militant organizations. Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio, who had begun his sentence of 22 years and Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, had begun an 18-year sentence are now free after Trump’s pardons. They had been convicted of seditious conspiracy. 

Ironically, Trump's inaugural address had spoken of glorious days to come for the nation. "We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity, safety, and peace for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed," he said. 

Despite Trump’s sweeping pardons of the Capitol attackers, there has never been an apology from him for his recently continued and repeated false accusations against the Central Park 5 who were found completely innocent of a Central Park jogger 36 years ago. Nor has he apologized for falsely accusing Haitian people of eating dogs and cats of their Ohio neighbors and the string of other lies against people of color.

Remarkably, Trump’s inauguration, which appeared to have gone smoothly Jan. 20, complete with an indoor U. S. Capitol swearing in ceremony due to the cold, an indoor parade at the Capital One Arena and three inaugural balls, were all undermined by what appeared to be continued lies, insults and not one good word about Biden; nor Vice President Kamala Harris, who Trump handily defeated.

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.  We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.  During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first,” Trump said in his inaugural address in front of members of Congress, the U. S. Supreme Court and Presidents Biden, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Vice President Harris and even former Vice President Pence.

“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed.  Our safety will be restored.  The scales of justice will be rebalanced.  The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end,” Trump said to applause. He did not mention the pending pardons during his official inaugural address.

But only a few hours later, he announced the more than a thousand pardons of what he called, “J-6 hostages.” In campaign promises along the trail over the past months, Trump had promised there would be pardons of those convicted of crimes on Jan. 6. But even his Republican supporters did not expect him to release violent offenders that led to the wounding of more than 140 police officers, the deaths of six others and millions of dollars in damages to the Capitol building.

“If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned,” then Vice President-elect Vance said in front of cameras only days before the inauguration. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson agreed that he thought Trump was not promising sweeping pardons. On Tuesday, he told Politico that he had not yet seen the list and would be reviewing it.

“Full pardons. Full pardons,” Trump said repeatedly as he signed the executive orders. He said only about six would receive clemency, which means their slates are not wiped cleaned, but their sentences would end or be significantly reduced.

Trump supporters have argued that Biden’s pardons of his son, Hunter, weeks ago as well as his pardon of members of his entire family within the last few minutes of his tenure as president may have prompted Trump to release the Jan. 6 convicts. But others argue that Trump likely knew exactly what he was going to do and, besides, Biden’s family members were not violent.

Another executive order issued by Trump includes ending (DEI) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the federal government. “The injection of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy,” said a statement on White House.gov.

Also birthright citizenship is being challenged by the Trump administration, declaring that a child born in the U. S. to a non-citizen should not automatically become a citizen. Civil Rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have already filed legal action against that one.

Trump’s unexpected move to give the 1,500 pardons indicates an administration of unpredictable actions. It is yet to be fully determined what Trump means by his repeated refrain, mentioned again in his inaugural address, “The golden age of America begins right now.”

New CFPB Overdraft Rule Could Save Consumers $5B Each Year By Charlene Crowell

 
January 21, 2025
 
CFPB Rule
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - On December 11, an important but under-reported U.S. Senate hearing addressed the nation’s challenging economy.
After calling to order the session entitled, Protecting Workers’ Money and Fighting for the Dignity of Work, long-time Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who for a full decade served as either the Banking Committee’s Chair or Ranking Member, spoke to the financial concerns of everyday people just days before his tenure ended.  
“Most people don’t have fancy lawyers,” noted Brown. “They don’t have high-priced lobbyists. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is their advocate and their voice. … OUR charge, whether in the Senate or out of it, is to look out for workers and put them at the center of everything we do.”
And in both significant and measurable ways, the CFPB has met its mission by returning nearly $21 billion to more than 205 million consumers who were financially abused in a wide range of personal finance issues. For example: 
  • Detrimental medical debt collection has now been removed from the credit reports of 22.8 million people who previously had at least one such debt;
  • CFPB stopped illegal credit repair scams and returned $1.8 billion to 4.3 million consumers harmed by credit repair companies that illegally charged advance fees and used deceptive bait-and-switch advertising tactics; and
  • Through 39 public enforcement actions, including six Military Lending Act violations, CFPB returned $363 million to veterans and service members. 
Beyond these and other enforcement actions, CFPB has promulgated key rules governing personal financial transaction that together provide clarity and transparency for financial firms and consumers alike.
Unfortunately, and despite notable achievements, the agency remains as contentious a topic today as when it began in 2011. And with a new Congress and President in 2025, consumers and their advocates would be prudent to remain watchful.
In particular, a new rule that brings the potential to save consumers $5 billion each year may be at risk. Previously, overdraft fees ranged as high as $35 per transaction, with affected consumers learning of the charges after receiving their monthly bank statements. Those hardest hit with these predatory fees are consumers whose bank balances provide slim to no financial cushion – the millions who work paycheck to paycheck and may be aptly described as ‘the working poor’.
Finalized in December and scheduled to take effect this October, CFPB’s overdraft fee rule closes a bank overdraft loophole that had been allowing financial institutions to unfairly charge billions in excessive fees. Financial institutions with assets of $10 billion or more will now be required to comply. Those that wish to offer overdraft as a convenient service would be allowed to set their fee at an amount that covers their costs and losses - instead of generating a revenue stream designed to boost profits. Additionally, the rule calls for account-opening disclosures that enable comparison shopping, and give consumers a choice of whether to pay automatically or manually.
Earlier and in multiple, related overdraft enforcement actions, CFPB returned a combined total of $446 million from institutions found to have charged their respective customers with illegal fees: Wells Fargo ($205 million), Regions Bank ($141 million), Navy Federal Credit Union ($95 million), and Atlantic Union ($5 million). 
"For far too long, the largest banks have exploited a legal loophole that has drained billions of dollars from Americans' deposit accounts," said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. "The CFPB is cracking down on these excessive junk fees and requiring big banks to come clean about the interest rate they're charging on overdraft loans."
In a comment letter that earlier urged enactment of overdraft reform, the Center for Responsible Lending noted this predatory loan’s disproportionate impact on Black and Latino consumers.
“[O] verdraft fees continue to be a major reason why consumers lose bank accounts. Black and Latino consumers are already four to five times more likely to be unbanked than white Americans, wrote CRL.  “They are also disproportionately likely to be ejected from the financial mainstream. Ejection from the mainstream financial system can have long lasting and negative systemic effects. The Proposed Rule has the opportunity to save at least $3.5 Billion for the 23 million consumers who pay overdraft fees yearly.”
Perhaps, Senator Brown summarized best the consumer challenge before us.
“As important and effective as Wall Street reform was, it was incomplete. We still have an economy where hard work doesn’t pay off like it should… And over the next four years, the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be more crucial than ever. The work continues.”
Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Los Angeles’s Historic Black Community Devastated by Eaton Canyon Fires By Stacy M. Brown

Jan. 16, 2025

Altedena

**FILE** Altadena, a historic Black community in Los Angeles County, is picking up the pieces and working to rebuild after the Eaton Canyon fire destroyed over 1,000 structures and killed at least five residents and displaced thousands of others on Jan. 7. (Bruce Perry, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Washington Informer

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As flames tore through the picturesque foothills of Altadena and Pasadena on January 7, 2025, the Eaton Canyon fires left a historic Black community—rooted in the Civil Rights Movement—nearly wiped out. Among the hardest-hit areas in Los Angeles County, Altadena has seen its many Black-owned homes, churches, businesses, and landmarks reduced to ashes.

The unincorporated community in the San Gabriel Valley, home to 42,000 residents, has long stood as a beacon of Black homeownership and middle-class stability. With 18% of its population identifying as Black, Altadena also hosts a diverse community that includes Latino and Asian American residents. Tragically, the Eaton Fire alone destroyed over 1,000 structures, killed at least five residents in Altadena and displaced thousands.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough couple of days, but our family is making it through,” said Danny Bakewell Jr., president of the Bakewell Company which owns the Los Angeles Sentinel. “Both my girlfriend and my son lost their homes and the devastation is unreal for so many families – a lot of Black folks.”

Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, a native of Altadena, lost his beloved childhood home on Loma Alta Drive to the blaze. His mother, Ruthie Hopkins, 81, and his son, Joshua, narrowly escaped thanks to the swift actions of Hopkins’ older brother, who evacuated them to safety.

Hopkins described the devastation in a GoFundMe post, writing, “This isn’t just a loss for our family; it’s a loss for a community that has thrived despite challenges.”

Ruthie Hopkins, the former editor and co-owner of The Pasadena Journal, a Black-owned newspaper, has been a cornerstone of the community for decades. The newspaper is part of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents the Black Press of America and is celebrating its 198th anniversary in March.

The fire also destroyed the family’s SUV, which was vital for Ruthie’s medical appointments. Now, she and Joshua are left with only the clothes they wore when escaping.

A Legacy Reduced to Ashes

Altadena’s Black community flourished during the Civil Rights Movement, growing from 4% of the population in 1960 to 27% by 1970, following the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. It became a haven for Black families seeking to escape discrimination elsewhere, offering homeownership opportunities unavailable in most parts of the country.

Before the fire, Altadena boasted a Black homeownership rate of 81.5%, nearly double the national average for African Americans. Families like Kenneth Snowden’s embodied this legacy. Snowden’s family purchased their first Altadena home in 1962, and nearly 20 years ago, Snowden bought his own home in the area. Both properties were destroyed in the fire.

“Your $40 million home is no different than my $2 million home,” Snowden told reporters. “Give us the ability to rebuild, restart our lives. If you can spend billions of dollars fighting a war, you can spend a billion dollars to help us get back where we were at.”

Shawn Brown, founder of Pasadena Rosebud Academy, lost her home and the public charter school she built to serve the community’s children. Brown is working to raise funds to rebuild the school while seeking temporary locations in local churches—though some churches, like Altadena Baptist Church, have also burned.

Only the bell tower remains at Altadena Baptist. The Rev. George Van Alstine is helping church members navigate the challenges of insurance claims and federal aid. He fears the destruction will lead to gentrification, pushing out long-standing Black residents.

“We’re seeing families who may have to leave because rebuilding here will be too expensive,” he said.

Brown urged her fellow Black homeowners to hold onto their properties despite developers' offers. “Stand strong, rebuild, and continue the generational progress of African Americans,” she said.

Widespread Loss and Displacement

The destruction in Altadena mirrors the broader devastation caused by the wildfires sweeping Los Angeles County. Across the region, more than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, and at least 24 lives have been lost. Economic losses are estimated between $250 billion and $275 billion, making this disaster one of the costliest in U.S. history.

Much of the media coverage has focused on celebrity mansions and wealthy neighborhoods, but Altadena’s plight highlights the profound impact on middle-class communities of color. Residents returned to find homes passed down through generations reduced to rubble.

Even the Mountain View Cemetery, where pioneering Black science fiction novelist Octavia E. Butler is buried, caught fire. Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower chillingly predicted wildfires caused by climate change, starting on February 1, 2025. Her legacy and connection to the community remain a stark reminder of the fragility of Altadena’s history.

Mobilizing Support

The community and its allies have rallied to provide relief in response to the devastation. James Bryant, a partner at the Cochran Firm, organized a GoFundMe campaign with support from Ivie McNeil Wyatt Purcell and Diggs, the Prince Hall Masons, and community advocate Jasmyne Cannick. The campaign has raised nearly $100,000 to assist Black residents of Pasadena and Altadena.

“The loss of a home is about more than property. It’s the loss of memories, mementos, and generational pride,” Bryant said.

Another GoFundMe campaign created by Hopkins aims to help his mother and son rebuild their lives, covering temporary housing, medical supplies, clothing, and other necessities.

The Spill App has also compiled a comprehensive list of African American families and individuals affected by the fires, helping coordinate donations and relief efforts.

NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. has maintained close contact with NNPA-member newspapers and media companies in Southern California, including David Miller of Our Weekly, Kenneth Miller of Inglewood Today and Pluria Marshall of the Los Angeles Wave. Both Miller and Marshall confirmed their staff are safe but noted the community’s urgent need for support.

A Historic Challenge

The road to recovery remains daunting as the Eaton Fire continues to burn, with containment still at 0%. Fierce Santa Ana winds and dry conditions threaten to worsen the situation, while evacuation orders remain in effect for over 105,000 residents.

“This fire has changed our lives forever,” Hopkins wrote. “Your support means the world to us as we work to restore some sense of normalcy after this unimaginable loss.”

Chavis added, “The NNPA stands is solidarity with our member publishers in Los Angeles County and beyond. The devastating wildfires must be met with resolve, compassion, and resiliency.”

Donations to Hopkins’ campaign can be made via GoFundMe. Supplies, including clothing, toiletries, and blankets, can be dropped off at Prince Hall, 9027 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA.

Trump’s Team is Coming for Climate Science. The Timing Couldn’t Be Worse. By Ben Jealous

Jan. 12, 2025

benjealous pfaw

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - It is official: 2024 was the hottest year on record. Temperatures not only surpassed 2023 as the previous hottest year, they leapt – for the first time – past the goal set in the Paris Climate Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Whether you turn on the TV to news of the most recent super storm or raging wildfire, or can see these disasters firsthand just by looking outside, the climate crisis is all around us.

If there was ever a single worst time in history to undermine climate science and America’s climate leadership, it is right now. So it is an outrage that incoming President Donald Trump’s picks for key administration posts signal his intent to do just that. And the clear pro-fossil fuel, anti-science agenda extends beyond Trump’s picks for the positions most obviously related to climate policy. We know that nominations like fossil fuel industry shill Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and oil executive Christ Wright as head of the Department of Energy spell disaster for the lives and livelihoods, and health and wealth, of countless communities and working families. But those are not the only foxes in the henhouse.

Case in point: Russel Vought, Trump’s choice to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vought is an architect of the notorious Project 2025 – the authoritarian playbook for decimating democratic institutions and checks and balances to serve up an extreme far-right agenda. Vought authored a chapter on the Executive Office, outlining ways Trump could increase his power. As head of OMB, Vought would oversee the office tasked with overseeing “the implementation of the president’s vision across the Executive Branch.” It is an immensely powerful office with influence over a vast amount of the federal government. And Vought has climate policy squarely in his sights.

Vought has laid out his desire to attack civil servants who work to protect public health and address the climate crisis, saying, “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down so that the EPA can't do all of the rules against our energy industry because they have no bandwidth financially to do so. We want to put them in trauma.”

In his Project 2025 chapter, Vought suggests efforts to address climate change are merely “social engineering” and promotes reshaping the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). Now, the sharp edge of this particular attack has become clear with reporting that Vought seeks to undermine the National Climate Assessment, which is produced by the USGCRP. The Assessment is the foundational report used by the federal government for policies addressing or related to climate change, the product of research by hundreds of scientists and a key to US climate leadership worldwide. Vought is calling for more White House control of the Assessment, and giving OMB a role in selecting the scientists who produce the report.  

Climate scientist and director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania Michael Mann told E&E News the goal of the incoming administration “is to undermine any policies aimed at accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.” Attacking the National Climate Assessment is a means to that end.

Americans’ health and economic wellbeing depend on not just continuing but speeding up our full transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, as well as addressing the climate crisis in other ways. Undermining the science that serves as the underpinning for all our efforts to tackle the climate crisis is nothing short of a crisis in its own right.

This is Project 2025 in action. 

On the campaign trail, Trump did all he could to distance himself from the people behind the abysmally unpopular Project 2025, saying he had “nothing to do with them” and had “no idea” who they were. Now, in addition to Vought, Trump plans to nominate Project 2025 contributors to powerful posts throughout his administration. 

Project 2025 also suggests dissolving the critically important National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), describing it as “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry,” and “fully commercializing” the National Weather Service, which NOAA houses. These science agencies enable us to find effective approaches to curbing the climate disaster and warn people of dangerous weather events to come. 

One week before Election Day, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs of California published a piece in Newsweek under the headline, “Project 2025 Is January 6's Attempted Coup Dressed in a Nice Suit.” Project 2025 represents not only a coup against democracy and checks and balances, but against our government’s role in solving our nation’s problems and America’s leadership in solving the world’s – chief among them, the climate crisis. For the sake of a livable planet and all the communities that continue to be devastated by extreme climate-fueled weather events, the Senate should vote to reject the nominations of Russel Vought and any other contributor to Project 2025. 

Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

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