THE NEXT FARM BILL FIGHT OVER HEMP: Our Paul Demko reports that the makers of intoxicating THC drinks derived from hemp have banded together and teamed up with the alcohol industry to protect the sector in the upcoming debate over how hemp should be handled in the farm bill. — The Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives has enlisted Thorn Run Partners and S3 Group to head off a ban on such beverages, which “ have exploded in popularity across the country, particularly in places where marijuana remains illegal for most consumers like Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana.” That’s prompted attempts to restrict the drinks in several states, though the hemp industry has successfully lobbied to water down bills on the issue. — The coalition is instead pushing Congress to put in place federal guardrails it says will alleviate policymakers’ public-safety concerns while giving the FDA the ability to regulate hemp cannabinoids for both human and animal consumption in products like food, cosmetics and supplements. THE CASE OF THE VANISHING DEI PROGRAMS: More than four dozen House Democrats are pressing some of the country’s largest corporations to maintain initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion after several major companies moved to shrink or eliminate such programs in the face of backlash from conservatives. — “Inclusion is a core American value, and a great business practice,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), wrote in a letter to heads of the Fortune 1000 on Tuesday. “By embracing this value, you create safer and fairer workplaces without sacrificing quality or financial success.” — Over the summer, companies including Tractor Supply Co., John Deere, Ford and Lowe’s said they would scale back their DEI programs or eliminate them altogether after being targeted by the conservative activist Robby Starbuck. — The campaign is part of a broader backlash on the right against so-called “woke corporatism” that accelerated after the Supreme Court barred affirmative action in college admissions. Even the main trade association representing human resources professionals dropped the “equity” from its DEI platform in July. — Garcia and the House lawmakers argued that such priorities make companies more competitive. “Consumers and employees alike deserve to feel welcome, comfortable, and equipped to succeed by American businesses,” they wrote. “It would be a mistake for any company to minimize or abandon your efforts to ensure that everyone can have access to quality jobs, goods, and services.” SPLIT SCREEN: “If you just ignore the political news and Wall Street, Elon Musk had an incredible week,” our Christine Mui writes. Between Sunday’s historic SpaceX launch and Tesla ’s splashy debut of a robotaxi prototype and robot assistants, Musk was winning plaudits all over. — “But at the same time, an entirely separate set of dramas was swirling around Musk. On Oct. 5, he appeared at a Trump rally, leaping around the stage and proclaiming himself ‘Dark MAGA,’ with a hat to match. In the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, he used his platform X to promote a torrent of misinformation around the federal response, evidently tailored to hurt Democrats.” — “A clear problem has emerged for a man who became rich, famous and increasingly powerful by retailing himself to Americans as a tribune of the human future: It’s now more difficult than ever to separate Musk the businessman from Musk the political figure.” SPEAKING OF: Just four donors have poured $350 million into super PACs boosting Trump so far this cycle, our Jessica Piper reports, including almost $75 million from Musk. Musk and the other billionaire benefactors — Timothy Mellon, Miriam Adelson and Dick Uihlein — “have played an outsized role for Trump at a time when his own money machine has faltered.” — Tuesday’s FEC filing deadline was the first time we’ve gotten a look at the finances of several pro-Trump super PACs. Among the other revelations in the filings were Adelson’s $95 million in contributions to the super PAC Preserve America, Musk’s $1 million check to Early Vote Action PAC and Uihlein’s $49 million donation to Restoration PAC. MORE NEW BUSINESS: IBM and Stripe have added outside lobbyists ahead of next year’s tax fight. Greg Nickerson, Zach Price and James Pedrotti of the Washington Tax & Public Policy Group registered to lobby for IBM at the beginning of the month on international and corporate tax issues, while Stripe retained Kirk Blalock, Kirsten Chadwick, Mike Chappell , Aleix Jarvis and Kate Hull of Fierce Government Relations, according to a pair of new filings. — The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association also hired Fierce to work on issues affecting PBMs. Fierce is the third new outside firm the PBM trade group has brought on this year amid a bipartisan desire to crack down on the industry and an FTC probe into the pharmaceutical middlemen. — And software giant Oracle retained a third new lobbying firm this year, according to a delayed disclosure filing. Caroline Canfield of Guidepost Strategies — a former staff director for the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee — has been working since July on veterans affairs issues for the company, which has faced scrutiny over its contract with the VA to replace the department’s electronic health records systems. HE’S MAKING A LIST: Trump’s transition team “is compiling lists of names of people to keep out of a second Trump administration,” per our Robin Bravender. “The lists of undesirable staffers include people linked to the Project 2025 policy blueprint; officials who resigned in protest of Trump’s response to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol; and others perceived as disloyal to the former president, said two former Trump officials familiar with the discussions.”
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