Friday 5: September 23, 2022

Happy Friday! Ready to catch up on the latest happenings in policy? Hang on tight while we bring you a fast recap on all that you need to know.

Ever wonder how ESG ratings are assessed? Well, the Senate is wondering too, and Senator Pat Toomey is asking for answers from over a dozen ESG rating firms. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs interrogated some banking CEOs yesterday to understand the methods of assessment to prevent any misleading claims about assets.

With a vote of 229-203, the House passed legislation to make changes to how the electoral votes are counted to prevent further confusion about counting the votes – such as the Vice President’s role in the process – as we saw on January 6^th, 2021. . The bill states that one-third of the Senate and the House must object to the validity of an elector before Congress may debate the issue.. The Senate is contemplating a similar bill. Read more about it in US News.

Have you ever heard of hydrofluorocarbons? If not, it’s time to get in the know. These major greenhouse gases, otherwise known as HFCs, are used in all sorts of modern-day appliances including air conditioning and refrigeration and are very harmful to our environment. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to ratify a protocol that would cut down on HFCs and replace them with alternatives. Hear what Reuters has to say about it here.

Remember the great help unemployment insurance was during COVID-19? Yesterday, $45.6 billion was estimated to have been taken from fraud, several using Social Security numbers from the deceased. This week, 47 defendants were prosecuted for stealing from an aid program intended to feed children during the pandemic. They were accused of stealing $250 million.

Finally, for a little local news, Volvo plans to invest $42.6 million into Greenville County. This investment would be great for Greenville as it would require them to put at least $35 million into the county within the next five years. Read more from the Greenville News here. Additional investments in Spartanburg County were also announced this week, solidifying the Upstate’s key role in auto manufacturing.

BONUS: Did you know there is a Guinness World Record for the largest game of red light/ green light? Well, the record was broken Wednesday by the University of California Irvine which has also broken records for the largest game of balloon tag, dodgeball, water pistol fight, and capture the flag.