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Ben Lefebvre

@benlefebvre.bsky.social
3.8K followers 1K following 451 posts

POLITICO energy reporter. Native Detroiter. Former WSJ Houston, ICIS Tokyo.

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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Great @zcolman.bsky.social feature on how misinformation and politicization is affecting even something that should be as apolitical as disaster relief. Rebuilding after a disaster becomes a quagmire if residents think the agency that's supposed to help them is stealing babies:
politico.com
Trump undermined Biden’s FEMA in North Carolina. Now the cleanup is lagging on his watch.
As a candidate, the president spread misinformation about the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, convincing many survivors that the federal government was out to get them.
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
BREAKING: A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the Department of Education and ordered the administration to reinstate employees fired in a mass termination. This can't happen without cnogressional approval, she ruled. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Politico's PEN Guild union was one of the first to include AI provisions in its contract. Now it's gearing up for potentially another potential first: A legal battle against management for violating those provisions. www.wired.com/story/politi...
wired.com
Politico’s Newsroom Is Starting a Legal Battle With Management Over AI
Politico has rules about AI in the newsroom. Staffers say those rules have been violated—and they’re gearing up for a fight.
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 16/05/2025
it’s art bsky.app/profile/punk...
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stephen fowler @stphnfwlr.com · 09/05/2025
@npr.org EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Agriculture is demanding states hand over personal data of food assistance recipients — including Social Security numbers, addresses and, in at least one state, citizenship status, according to emails shared with NPR.
npr.org
USDA, DOGE demand states hand over personal data about food stamp recipients
The Department of Agriculture is demanding sensitive data from states about more than 40 million food stamp recipients, as DOGE is amassing data for immigration enforcement.
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Rob Wesley @eastwes.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
American Pope to avoid the tariffs, smart.
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Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Chicago pope to issue encyclical denouncing ketchup on hot dogs
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
First one to start up a chain of "Pope Leo XIV Italian Beef" stand wins.
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Looking forward to the quick canonization of Dick Butkus.
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 08/05/2025
Trade negotiations between Japan and the United States are headed for an impasse with the two sides unable even to settle on a starting point for an agreement after two rounds of high-level discussions.
japantimes.co.jp
U.S. and Japan remain far apart on tariffs
While both sides have said they will aim for a deal as soon as possible, they have also indicated that they aren't in a rush for a swift settlement.
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Phelim Kine @phelimkine.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Trump has tasked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with leading on trade with China. It's not going to be easy.Inside the challenge ahead as Bessent heads to Switzerland tomorrow --> w/ @meganmesserly.bsky.social @arihawkins.bsky.social @ddesrochers.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/05...
politico.com
'Initial triage': Trump pins hope on Bessent as he seeks to end China trade war standstill
The Treasury secretary’s role signals the White House is serious about trade negotiations with Beijing. But finger pointing ahead of the Geneva talks underscores the tough road ahead.
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Maybe the boiler just isn't working right?
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ChrisO_wiki @chriso-wiki.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
1/ The US government has ordered the Swedish city of Stockholm to end its diversity, inclusivity and equality (DEI) programmes within 10 days. The city authorities say the demand is "bizarre" and they won't be complying. ⬇️
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Alice Miranda Ollstein @alicemiranda.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
On a private Zoom last week, anti-abortion groups previewed an effort they're calling "Rolling Thunder." Here's how they plan to pressure the FDA, Congress and courts to crack down on abortion pills. www.politico.com/news/2025/05...
politico.com
The anti-abortion movement readies its gameplan for Trump 2.0
Abortion opponents hope a new report will spur the GOP to ban abortion pills and defund Planned Parenthood.
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Steve Herman @newsguy.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Neighbors report two upscale DC restaurants on New Mexico Ave. just raided by DHS/ICE: Chef Geoff's (owned by the husband of CBS News' Norah O'Donnell) and Al Dente.
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
NEW from @joshgerstein.bsky.social: You’ve heard of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Now meet the second man erroneously deported to El Salvador in violation of a legal settlement: Daniel Lozano-Camargo. Until now, he’d only been identified by a pseudonym in court. www.politico.com/news/2025/05...
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Tobias Harris @tobiasharris.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Rice was always going to be a tough sell but why would the LDP risk anything when its negotiating partner refuses to act in good faith. asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Trad...
asia.nikkei.com
Japan's ruling party balks at importing US rice as part of tariff deal
LDP members argue concessions would hurt country's food security
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Nick Cunningham @nickcunningham.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
"A majority of new vehicles sold in China are either fully electric or plug-in hybrids, and a look around the recent auto show in Shanghai showed that local makers have mostly stopped introducing new gasoline-powered models." www.wsj.com/business/aut...
wsj.com
What a $15,000 Electric SUV Says About U.S.-China Car Rivalry
For an American used to a $50,000 gasoline-powered SUV as the standard family choice, the Chinese market is hardly recognizable.
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Politico @politico.com · 02/05/2025
Trump is seeking massive funding cuts across the government. He's asking Congress to slash spending on non-defense programs by more than $163 billion.
politico.com
Trump's budget asks Congress for unprecedented federal funding cuts
The request for obliterating many domestic programs sets up a clash with Congress ahead of the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.
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Nick Cunningham @nickcunningham.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Uncertainty looms over U.S. LNG, despite buyer interest The month of April saw several modest commercial deals for U.S. LNG. But that is more than overshadowed by formidable obstacles facing new LNG projects. gasoutlook.com/analysis/unc...
gasoutlook.com
Uncertainty looms over U.S. LNG, despite buyer interest - Gas Outlook
April saw several modest commercial deals for U.S. LNG. But that is more than overshadowed by formidable obstacles facing new LNG projects.
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Congress critters are getting a big lesson in "one district's 'waste' is another district's lifeblood": www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
politico.com
DOGE hits Trump country
Red states have borne the brunt of DOGE’s targeting of AmeriCorps
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Japan looking at long-term deal for LNG...with Qatar: www.reuters.com/business/ene...
reuters.com
Exclusive: QatarEnergy in talks with Japan on long-term LNG supply deal
One of the world's biggest liquefied natural gas suppliers, QatarEnergy [RIC:RIC:QATPE.UL], is in talks with Japanese firms for a long-term deal to supply LNG from its North Field expansion project, five trading and industry sources told Reuters.
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Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere @tylerplariviere.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
PHOTOS: Lincoln Square road closure offers glimpse of car-free streets: ‘A nice little breather’, read more here: chicago.suntimes.com/transportati...
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
BREAKING: A Trump-appointed judge has barred the administation from removing migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, saying Trump's invocation of that law in the context of Tren de Aragua was illegal. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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Steve Herman @newsguy.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
WSJ - Tesla's board has opened a search for a CEO to succeed Elon Musk. www.wsj.com/business/aut...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Tesla Board Opened Search for a CEO to Succeed Elon Musk
With profits and the stock price sinking, board members told Musk he needed to spend more time at the company.
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WIRED @wired.com · 30/04/2025
SCOOP: A young man with no government experience who hasn’t even finished his undergrad degree is working for Elon Musk’s DOGE at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and has been tasked with using AI to rewrite the agency’s rules and regulations.
wired.com
DOGE Put a College Student in Charge of Using AI to Rewrite Regulations
A DOGE operative has been tasked with using AI to propose rewrites to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's regulations—an effort sources are told will roll out across government.
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
This guy, Dom Lucre, shared child sexual abuse material on Twitter, got banned for it, and then Musk reinstated him. Absolutely wild to see him being treated like a real journalist.
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Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.blacksky.app · 30/04/2025
wow
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
WTI testing $58. Might have to start talking about "energy impotence" pretty soon.
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Interior Secretary Burgum, who killed a major offshore wind project, is floating the idea of forcing the government to pay energyproject developers for any fossil fuel project the feds kill (I.e. KXL).
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New York Amsterdam News @nyamnews.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Today we honor jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington on his birthday!
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
At a mic check for this Export-Import Bank conference, the person on stage reads out - "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the country."
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
TELSEY begins tracking price increases over the past week. Some highlights: * Abercrombie jeans: up 33% * Amazon Echo: up 38.5% * Target / Barbie doll: up 42.9%
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 28/04/2025
Bessent in two weeks, finding out about just in time ordering:
media.tenor.com
Surprised Pikachu GIF
Alt: Surprised Pikachu GIF
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Bob Burgess @bobburgess.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Southwest Airlines' CEO isn’t waiting for economists to declare a technical downturn in the US economy: As far as he’s concerned, a recession already has started. “I don’t care if you call it a recession or not, in this industry that’s a recession.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Southwest CEO Says US Airline Industry Is Already in a Recession
Southwest Airlines Co.’s chief executive officer isn’t waiting for economists to declare a technical downturn in the US economy: As far as he’s concerned, a recession already has started.
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Nick Cunningham @nickcunningham.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Long-term problem - Japan has contracted for way more LNG than it needs (consumption is declining) as a way of becoming a huge trader. But it will increasingly need to stoke demand in SE Asia so that it can offload its LNG.
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Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 24/04/2025
We have great potential for more cooperation on energy, with the North Sea serving as our shared energy vault, dear Keir Starmer. In defence and security, with a dedicated partnership. And on illegal migration, a common challenge which requires joint answers Full statement → europa.eu/!rtnQfW
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
TRUMP AND BESSENT: We’re negotiating with China, this trade war will be resolved soon. CHINA: WTF are you talking about. www.ft.com/content/3e07...
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ArtButMakeItSports @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Diego and I, by Frida Khalo, 1949
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
The White House is debating whether to lift sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and potentially other Russian assets in Europe as part of discussions on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, five people familiar with the discussions told POLITICO.
politico.com
White House debates lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, Nord Stream
The debate pits Steve Witkoff against State Department and U.S. energy export proponents.
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
A career EPA lawyer told Lee Zeldin that going after money the Biden administration already awarded to climate projects was probably a losing battle and could potentially open the agency to billions in legal damages. Zeldin went ahead anyway. @alexguillen.bsky.social got the emails:
politico.com
Quest to retake $20B in climate money puts Trump agencies at ‘significant’ risk, attorney warned
The Trump administration's effort to regain control of $20 billion in already-distributed funding could expose the agency to billions in damages, a career lawyer wrote in an internal message obtained ...
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
A Venezuelan immigrant reportedly went the wrong way while delivering food in Detroit, ended up crossing the Canadian border, was taken into custody by U.S. authorities, and deported
freep.com
Venezuelan immigrant in Detroit makes a wrong turn at Ambassador Bridge, is deported
It is the latest immigration twist in a growing legal — and political — showdown between two branches of government.
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Rude Law Dog @esghound.com · 23/04/2025
Literally everyone i know in oil and gas mid- and downstream, which is supposed to be mostly immune from oil price moves, is like "welp, capex gone, check back in 2027" it's all so dumb
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 22/04/2025
Brian Kilmeade begins his interview this morning with Pete Hegseth by calling Pete the "former secretary"
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Ben Lefebvre @benlefebvre.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Another agency gutted under the administration: The Energy Information Administration, the part of the DOE that publishes how many barrels / MMBtus / kilowatthours move in and out of the US. More folks are going to be flying blind when it comes to energy: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com
E&E News: How EIA staffing purge could promote Trump’s view of fossil fuels
Conservatives want to reshape U.S. Energy Information Administration analysis to downplay clean energy and peak oil.
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Steve Herman @newsguy.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
"Voice of America became the bane of autocratic leaders worldwide, but it relished in the criticism, Herman has said, because that means it's effective." www.insidenova.com/headlines/vetera…
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Politico @politico.com · 14/04/2025
Exclusive: Trump weighs slashing State Department budget by nearly half. A document obtained by POLITICO shows plans to zero out or substantially reduce spending on many programs, including ones that promote democracy.
politico.com
Trump weighs slashing State Department budget by nearly half
A document obtained by POLITICO shows plans to zero out or substantially reduce spending on many programs, including ones that promote democracy.
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Danielle Kurtzleben @titonka.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Before press came in — but while live feed was running on Bukele’s feed — Trump said to him: “home-growns are next. … You’re gonna need to build about 5 more places.” x.com/nayibbukele/...
x.com
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