SHANNON LONGWORTH: AFTER A TENSE ELECTION, AND 6 DAYS OF BALLOT COUNTING, THIS DEMOCRAT OFFICIALLY FLIPPED THE ARIZONA GOVERNOR’S SEAT, BY ONE PERCENTAGE POINT.

AS ONE OF NINE NEW GOVERNORS ENTERING 2023, KATIE HOBBS IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

HOBBS WAS A SOCIAL WORKER AND HAS SERVED IN THE STATE HOUSE AND SENATE. MOST RECENTLY, SHE WAS ARIZONA’S SECRETARY OF STATE. THE DEMOCRAT WILL REPLACE  TERM-LIMITED REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, DOUG DUCEY.

KATIE HOBBS | GOV. ELECT (D-AZ):  “AS SOON AS MY TERM BEGINS, I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO REPEAL THE DRACONIAN 1864 ABORTION BAN THAT PUT SO MANY WOMEN’S LIVES AT RISK.”

LONGWORTH: ARIZONA’S ABORTION BAN DATES BACK TO THE CIVIL WAR, AND IS SET TO BE ENFORCED IN 2023. HOBBS SAYS SHE’LL CALL A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO REPEAL IT, AND IF THAT DOESN’T WORK, SHE’LL PUSH FOR ARIZONANS TO VOTE ON A BALLOT MEASURE.

ADDRESSING WATER SHORTAGES CAUSED BY A DECADES-LONG DROUGHT,HOBBS’S PLAN IS TO MODERNIZE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT SO RURAL COMMUNITIES CAN MONITOR AND RESTRICT PUMPING. SHE’LL ALSO EXPAND WATER REUSE EFFORTS.

FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, HOBBS COMMITTED TO RAISING TEACHERS’ PAY, DEVELOPING FREE UNIVERSAL PRE-K, AND FIXING SCHOOL BUILDINGS. SHE BELIEVES IN A CHOICE BETWEEN DISTRICT AND CHARTER SCHOOLS, WITH FURTHER OVERSIGHT AND LIMITATIONS ON THE LATTER. 

FINALLY, HOBBS VOWED TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR MANAGING ARIZONA’S BORDER CRISIS.  THAT INCLUDES LAW ENFORCEMENT, HOSPITALS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. ALL OF WHICH ARE OVERWHELMED.

HOBBS HAS NOT INDICATED HOW SHE WILL PAY FOR THESE PROJECTS, BUT SAYS SHE HAS NO PLANS TO RAISE TAXES.

WITH REPUBLICANS HOLDING CONTROL OF THE STATE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, HOBBES COULD ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY EXECUTING HER AGENDA.

ARIZONA’S GOVERNOR-ELECT KATIE HOBBS, JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

MAHMOUD BENNETT: BY NOW, YOU UNDERSTAND, A LARGE EARTHQUAKE IS EXPECTED TO ROCK THE MIDWEST. 

THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE IS A CLUSTER OF FAULT LINES THAT RUN THROUGH MISSOURI, TENNESSEE, AND ARKANSAS. IT IS THE MOST ACTIVE SEISMIC AREA IN THE U.S. EAST OF THE ROCKIES. EVERY YEAR, HUNDREDS OF SMALL EARTHQUAKES OCCUR IN THE ZONE. 

JAMES WILKINSON | EXECUTIVE DIR., CENTRAL UNITED STATES EARTHQUAKE CONSORTIUM: “Until a brick hits you in the head, most people don’t react. And these small earthquakes don’t do a lot for increasing the awareness that this is a real threat.”

HE SAYS EVEN A MEDIUM SIZED EARTHQUAKE COULD IMPACT AS MANY AS 8 STATES IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S.

DR. THOMAS PRATT | GEOLOGIST, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: “So, the emergency management community, I wouldn’t say they’re totally prepared for this, but they’re aware of it and they’re trying to prepare for it. It’s kind of hard to prepare for a disaster of this scale but they’re trying,” Pratt said. 

THERE ARE SEISMIC STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD TO HELP STUDY ACTIVITY IN THE ZONE. EXPERTS TELL US RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ARE THE BEST WAYS TO PREPARE FOR A LARGE-SCALE EVENT. 

WILKINSON: “Whether its sheltering, transportation, there could be some evacuation issues, getting resources into the impact area those are all shared problems that we’re going to have to deal with. 

WILKINSON: “Memphis and St. Louis have invested millions of dollars, federal mitigation dollars, working through the state emergency management agency to address their risk.”

BUT THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS REMEMBER THE DRILL…DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! 

WILKINSON: “The seconds that you’re standing there thinking about why the ground is shaking, unfortunately things are beginning to fall.”

PRATT: “I wouldn’t lose that much sleep over it because yes, you’re living near a seismic zone. And there could be a large earthquake that could cause damage and could cause injury. But we don’t know if that’s going to be tomorrow, we don’t know if it’s going to be 100 years from now. So, it’s not something I would stay awake at night dreading. But it will eventually happen.”

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

WELL IT CERTAINLY HASN’T BEEN BORING. 2022 HAS BEEN A ROLLER COASTER FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, AND MOST OF US ARE ENTERING THE NEW YEAR WITH A LOT LESS FORTUNE. HERE ARE THE BIGGEST STORIES THAT DOMINATED THIS YEAR’S HEADLINES IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

AS IF CRYPTO WASN’T ALREADY HAVING THE LONGEST WINTER EVER, THE END OF THE YEAR BROUGHT THE SCANDAL OF THE YEAR. WE’RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE NOW ON HOW FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN FRIED ALLEGEDLY MUDDIED THE FINANCES BETWEEN THE CRYPTO EXCHANGE AND HIS HEDGE FUND. BUT BILLIONS IN CUSTOMER AND INVESTOR FUNDS ARE MISSING AND SBF IS FACING EIGHT CRIMINAL CHARGES AND IS UNDER HOUSE ARREST AT MOM AND DAD’S.

INFLATION COULD’VE BEEN THE WORD OF 2022, ALONG WITH THE PHRASE, “SETTING A NEW 4-DECADE HIGH,” WHICH I WAS FORCED TO SAY MONTH AFTER MONTH. PRICES FINALLY PEAKED IN JUNE, UP 9.1 PERCENT FROM THE YEAR PRIOR. CONGRESS TRIED TO DEAL WITH IT BY PASSING A MASSIVE SPENDING BILL DUBBED THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT THAT DOESN’T IMMEDIATELY REDUCE INFLATION, AND THE FED OPENED ITS TOOLBOX, TIGHTENING MONETARY POLICY WHILE RAISING INTEREST RATES FROM NEAR ZERO TO ABOVE 4 PERCENT. AND STILL, THE INFLATION RATE’S THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN IT SHOULD BE.

DISNEY ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRESTORM OVER FLORIDA’S SO-CALLED “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL. FACING PRESSURE FROM EMPLOYEES, CEO BOB CHAPEK SAID THE COMPANY WAS AGAINST THE LEGISLATION AFTER FIRST STAYING MUM. THEN GOVERNOR DESANTIS RETALIATED BY REVOKING DISNEY’S SPECIAL TAX STATUS THAT ALLOWED THE HOUSE OF MOUSE TO OPERATE AS ITS OWN CITY. SEEMS CHAPEK FROM THIS POINT ON WAS ON BORROWED TIME. HE GOT THE BOOT IN NOVEMBER AFTER HUGE LOSSES IN STREAMING AND FORMER CEO BOB IGER SWUNG IN TO SAVE THE DAY.

PRICES WERE ALREADY ON THE “WAY TOO HIGH” END OF THE METER WHEN RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE IN FEBRUARY, SENDING ENERGY AND COMMODITIES PRICES SOARING. OIL TOUCHED WELL OVER $120 A BARREL OVER THE UNCERTAINTY, WITH RUSSIA ACCOUNTING FOR AROUND 10% OF GLOBAL SUPPLY. THE E-U GOT IT EVEN WORSE BECAUSE OF ITS RELIANCE ON RUSSIA FOR NATURAL GAS AND COAL. AND WHEAT PRICES ALSO SPIKED SINCE UKRAINE ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 10% OF THE WORLD MARKET. IT TOOK MONTHS FOR THE U-N TO BROKER A DEAL WITH RUSSIA TO GET EXPORTS FLOWING AGAIN.

THE WHOLE ELON MUSK TWITTER SAGA IS A BIT MUCH. HE MADE AN OFFER TO BUY TWITTER, THE BOARD ACCEPTED, HE TRIED TO BACK OUT, GOT SUED, AND THEN DECIDED TO GO THROUGH WITH THE $44 BILLION DOLLAR DEAL. MUSK TOOK IT PRIVATE, BECAME CEO,RELEASED THE TWITTER FILES, AND AMID UPROAR OVER HIS “FREE SPEECH ABSOLUTIST” APPROACH HE DID A TWITTER POLL ASKING WHETHER HE SHOULD STEP DOWN. HE WAS VOTED OFF THE ISLAND AND AGREED TO DO SO ONCE HE FINDS HIS SUCCESSOR. OH AND ALL OF THIS CAUSED TESLA STOCK TO PLUMMET.

WHEW, WE COULD HAVE DONE 5 WACKY THINGS ELON MUSK HAS DONE ALONE. HOPEFULLY I’LL BE SAYING HIS NAME A LITTLE LESS NEXT YEAR. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. THAT’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. IT’S JUST BUSINESS.

The Republican Party is about to elect its leader in January, and the race has become quite contentious. Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is running for her fourth term. She’s being challenged by the my pillow guy Mike Lindell, and Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer from California who worked as a Trump campaign legal adviser.

McDaniel was handpicked by the newly elected President Donald Trump in 2016. But now she’s coming under attack. Talk show host Tucker Carlson is supporting Dhillon and recently admonished McDaniel over a report that the RNC leadership has spent millions on private jets, limousines, luxury retreats and broadway shows. 

Tucker Carlson: “And you’re losing elections? No! If you win elections, we can talk about it. If you’re losing, get out! We cannot reward incompetence.” 

The Texas Republican Party voted unanimously to say the national party needs new leadership. The Texas GOP Chair then came out in support of Dhillon. 

The Florida Republican party is also set to hold a vote of no confidence in McDaniel two weeks before the election. 

The biggest criticism of McDaniel is the election losses. Ever since she became chairwoman, Republicans have lost the White House, the House and Senate, and in the 2022 midterms when they were projected to do well, they lost a seat in the Senate and barely won the House. McDaniel she did well getting out the vote and blamed the losses on ticket splitting. 

McDaniel: “So we got to start coming together guys. Because the democrats are worse. So let’s stop bashing each other and let’s remember we are only going to win as a united party in 2024. “

Whoever wins will have a big hand in helping the 2024 Republican presidential nominee win their election. They will also help decide and coordinate where the party spends millions of dollars in an effort to take back the Senate majority and expand the razor thin House Majority. Straight from DC, I’m Ray Bogan. 

The Senate has confirmed 97 judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench during President Biden’s first two years in office. That includes Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, 68 judges to district courts, and 28 judges to circuit courts where appeals are heard.

For perspective, the Supreme Court hears only about 100 to 150 appeals each year of the more than 7,000 requests. For the thousands of cases the Justices don’t hear, the circuit court of appeals will have the final decision.

“Of the many votes we take in this chamber, confirming Circuit Court judges ranks near the top in importance: the lions’ share of all federal cases, after all, are decided at the Circuit Court level,” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a speech on the Senate floor.

Take for instance the case surrounding former President Donald Trump and the classified documents found at his Florida home Mar-a-Lago. That case was handled entirely at the district and circuit level, in fact the Supreme Court rejected a request to intervene. 

To compare the two presidents, Trump appointed 85 judges to federal benches at this point in his presidency, so Biden is ahead by a dozen. 

“We’ve confirmed a record of nominees with experience serving not only as prosecutors but also as public defenders, voting rights experts, civil rights attorneys,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said during a speech on the Senate floor. “For too long the perspectives that they represent have not been seen on our benches on federal courts.”

Biden appointees are also demographically diverse, 75% are women, 70% are people of color and 50% are women of color. 

“You can be sure that judges will remain a top priority in the Congress to come. More judges means a more balanced judiciary, and a more balanced judiciary will mean greater trust in our courts in the long run, so important for our country at this moment in time, because the MAGA Supreme Court and so many of these other MAGA judges have caused people to lose faith in the courts,” Sen. Schumer said. 

So what does that mean for the next two years as Senate Democrats move forward with a 51-49 Majority? There are nine vacancies and five pending nominees at the circuit court level, there are 70 vacancies and 32 nominees at the District Court level. There are also 30 upcoming vacancies due to retirements, resignations and other reasons, at least 19 of which are coming in 2023. President Biden and the Senate will have the chance to fill dozens of positions.

“Our work is not finished by a long shot,” Sen. Durbin said. 

Political experts contend Donald Trump’s legacy largely rests on his 226 judicial appointments. So as questions mount as to whether President Biden runs for another term, he too is on path to have an extraordinary impact on the federal bench, regardless of whether he serves another four years. 

SHANNON LONGWORTH: THIS MEDICAL DOCTOR, FORMER STATE SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE HAS TRANSITIONED FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF HAWAII TO GOVERNOR.

AS ONE OF NINE NEW GOVERNORS ENTERING 2023, JOSH GREEN IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW. 

DURING HIS CAMPAIGN, GREEN TOUTED HIS MANAGEMENT OF THE PANDEMIC. THE COMMONWEALTH FUND DID RANK HAWAII FIRST IN THE COUNTRY FOR ITS PANDEMIC RESPONSE.

BUT THE ECONOMY TOOK A HIT FROM SHUTDOWNS, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE TOURISM IS THE MAIN INDUSTRY. THE COST OF LIVING WAS ALREADY HIGH IN HAWAII, AND INFLATION HAS MADE IT EVEN WORSE.

JOSH GREEN | GOV. ELECT (D-HI): “I’D LIKE TO GET RID OF THE TAX ON FOOD AND MEDICATION TO LOWER THE COST OF LIVING FOR OUR PEOPLE. I’D LIKE TO PUT INCENTIVES TO DEVELOP NEW INDUSTRIES–LIKE AGRICULTURE.”

LONGWORTH: ANOTHER ONE OF GREEN’S PRIORITIES IS ADDRESSING THE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS.

GREEN: “I’LL BRING PUBLIC OFFICIALS TOGETHER WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS, AND BUILD THOUSANDS OF NEW HOMES FOR HAWAII’S FAMILIES. WITH WILL AND DETERMINATION, WE’LL ALSO DO ANOTHER THING, WE’LL TURN THE THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL AIRBNBS INTO AFFORDABLE RENTALS SO OUR REGULAR PEOPLE CAN JUST AFFORD TO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.”

AIRBNBS ARE POPULAR AND LUCRATIVE IN HAWAII, BUT THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ON THEM IN SOME REGIONS BECAUSE THEY’RE TAKING UP INVENTORY THAT COULD BE LONG-TERM RENTALS FOR RESIDENTS. 

ADDITIONALLY, TO ENCOURAGE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND FUND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS, GREEN HAS PROPOSED A CONTROVERSIAL VISITOR’S FEE. IT WOULD BE $50 PER PERSON. HE SAYS IT’LL GENERATE UP TO $350 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR THE STATE AND DISCOURAGE SOME PEOPLE FROM VISITING, AS THERE’S CONCERN ABOUT OVERTOURISM.

JOSH GREEN IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

MAHMOUD BENNETT: THE NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKE ZONE THREATENS AT LEAST 8 STATES IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S. EXPERTS SAY IT WON’T TAKE A LARGE EVENT TO CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. 

JAMES M. WILKINSON, JR. | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRAL UNITED STATES EARTHQUAKE CONSORTIUM: “GIVEN THE NATURE OF VULNERABILITY AND THE AGE OF THE STRUCTURES HERE, THE AGE OF THE BUILDINGS THEMSELVES, AND THE LACK OF SCIENCE DESIGN, AS THE RESULT OF NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAD A SEISMIC THREAT UNTIL THE LATE 70S.”

THOMAS PRATT | RESEARCH GEOPHYSICIST, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: “A LOT OF THE BRIDGES WILL GET DAMAGED, A LOT OF THE ROADS WILL BE DAMAGED AND OF COURSE A LOT OF THE BUILDINGS WILL BE DAMAGED.”

BENNETT: BUILDINGS THAT WERE NEVER DESIGNED TO STAND UP TO EARTHQUAKES. 

PRATT: “IT’S REALLY NOT UNTIL THE 1970S AND 80S THAT BUILDING CODES STARTED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED IN RESPONSE TO SEISMIC HAZARDS. AND IN THE CENTRAL U.S. THEY LAGGED A LITTLE BIT EVEN THEN BECAUSE PEOPLE VIEWED EARTHQUAKES AS PRIMARILY A PROBLEM FOR THE WEST COAST NOT THE CENTRAL U.S..”

WILKINSON: “THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT RISK, CHALLENGE TO THIS IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN’T HAD THE FREQUENCY OF LARGE EARTHQUAKES LIKE YOU SEE OUT WEST TO BRING DOWN OLD BUILDINGS, VULNERABLE STRUCTURES SO THEY’RE BUILT BACK BETTER, STRONGER.”

BENNETT: THE LAST TIME LARGE QUAKES RATTLED THE NEW MADRID ZONE, WAS BACK IN 1811, 1812 AND 1895. LONG BEFORE BIG CITIES WERE BOOMING. 

PRATT: “MEMPHIS COULD ALSO SEE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE FROM THE EARTHQUAKE AS WELL AND YOU WOULD SEE SOME DAMAGE IN ST. LOUIS.”

BENNETT: IN THE FINAL PIECE OF OUR FOUR PART SERIES, HOW FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE PREPARING FOR ‘THE BIG ONE’. 

SHANNON LONGWORTH: $13.6 BILLION IN MARCH.

$40 BILLION IN MAY.

$13.7 BILLION IN SEPTEMBER.

THE U.S. HAS SPENT $68 BILLION TO SUPPORT UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIA’S INVASION, ACCORDING TO THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES.

AND CONGRESS JUST APPROVED ANOTHER APPROXIMATELY 45 BILLION.

AS THE WAR DRAGS ON – SOME LAWMAKERS SAY AID WILL HIT A SPEED BUMP.

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY TOLD PUNCHBOWL NEWS IN OCTOBER THAT FURTHER AID TO UKRAINE WOULD BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO PASS IF REPUBLICANS TOOK CONTROL OF THE HOUSE.

THEY DID.

THE PUBLIC SEEMS TO BE GROWING SKEPTICAL, AS WELL. AN OCTOBER WALL STREET JOURNAL POLL SHOWS 48 PERCENT OF REPUBLICANS THINK THE U.S. IS DOING TOO MUCH TO HELP UKRAINE–UP FROM 6 PERCENT IN MARCH.

SO WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT U.S. AID FOR UKRAINE?

ONE IS OUR ECONOMY HERE AT HOME.

WAR IS COSTLY, AND AID IS FUNDED BY BUDGET DEFICITS, WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO INFLATION.

MCCARTHY MENTIONED IT IN THAT INTERVIEW WITH PUNCHBOWL, WHEN HE SAID: “I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE SITTING IN A RECESSION AND THEY’RE NOT GOING TO WRITE A BLANK CHECK TO UKRAINE.”

IT’S AN ECHO OF SENATOR RAND PAUL’S WORDS, SPOKEN AS HE HELD UP ONE OF THE AID PACKAGES EARLIER THIS YEAR:

RAND PAUL: “MY OATH OF OFFICE IS TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION–NOT TO ANY FOREIGN NATION. AND NO MATTER HOW SYMPATHETIC THE CAUSE, MY OATH OF OFFICE IS TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WE CANNOT SAVE UKRAINE BY DOOMING THE U.S. ECONOMY.”

LONGWORTH: IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT THE WAR WOULD BE INFLATIONARY FOR THE U.S. NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPEND IN AID. THE SANCTIONS, ENERGY CRISIS, AND FOOD SHORTAGE HAVE ALL AFFECTED THE ECONOMY.

THE SECOND REASON SOME ARE VOICING FRUSTRATION: THE MONEY COULD BE SPENT ELSEWHERE.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: “I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS COUNTRY DESERVE TO KNOW WHY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND THIS CONGRESS IS SO INTERESTED IN FUNDING THE PROTECTION OF UKRAINE’S BORDER AND NOT THE PROTECTION OF OUR BORDER.”

MILITARY DEFENSE EXPERTS SAY THE SPENDING IS WORTH IT TO PREVENT RUSSIA FROM GAINING MORE MOMENTUM AS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.

JAKE SULLIVAN: “WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE TO ENSURE THAT RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE IS NOT A STRATEGIC SUCCESS FOR PUTIN–THAT IT IS A STRATEGIC FAILURE FOR PUTIN. AND THAT MEANS BOTH THAT HE BE DENIED HIS OBJECTIVES IN UKRAINE AND THAT RUSSIA PAY A LONGER TERM PRICE IN TERMS OF THE ELEMENTS OF ITS NATIONAL POWER SO THAT THE LESSON THAT GOES FORTH TO WOULD-BE AGGRESSORS ELSEWHERE IS THAT IF YOU TRY THINGS LIKE THIS, IT COMES AT A COST THAT IS NOT WORTH BEARING.”

LONGWORTH: CRITICS HAVE ALSO POINTED TO UKRAINE’S HISTORY OF CORRUPTION SAYING AID MONEY COULD LAND IN THE WRONG HANDS.

ON TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL’S 2021 CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX, UKRAINE RANKED 122ND OUT OF 180 COUNTRIES. THE INDEX CALCULATES SCORES USING DATA FROM 13 DIFFERENT SURVEYS COMPLETED BY EXPERTS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE.

BUT UKRAINE’S SCORE AND RANKING HAVE BOTH IMPROVED IN THE LAST DECADE AND UKRAINE HAS AGENCIES TO MONITOR SUCH ACTIVITY, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL AGENCY ON CORRUPTION PREVENTION AND THE NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU OF UKRAINE.

ANOTHER REASON FOR CONCERN IS THAT IT’S CHALLENGING TO TRACK WHAT THE U.S. SENDS TO UKRAINE.

MATT GAETZ: “I’VE HEARD FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE BEEN DOWN RANGE, WHO SAID THAT THEY SEE SOME OF THE MOST EXQUISITE AMERICAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT BEING SCATTERED ABOUT UKRAINE WITHOUT TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY AND WITHOUT A MEASURE OF WHETHER OR NOT IT’S GOING INTO THE FIGHT IN A RIGHTEOUS WAY.”LONGWORTH: POLITICO REPORTEDLY OBTAINED A STATE DEPARTMENT DIPLOMATIC MESSAGE–THAT ACKNOWLEDGED OFFICIALS ARE STRUGGLING TO TRACK THE AID AND WEAPONS THE U.S. HAS PROVIDED BECAUSE OF THE CHAOS OF WAR.

AS WE’RE SPENDING AT A RATE OF $6.8 BILLION A MONTH, VARIOUS LEADERS HAVE CALLED FOR DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS, FROM REDUCING THAT FUNDING TO ADDING OVERSIGHT.

MAHMOUD BENNETT: EXPERTS AGREE. IT’S A TICKING TIME BOMB. 

WILKINSON: “THE GEOLOGY HERE MAKES IT VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO A LARGE AREA OF IMPACT AND THAT ADDS TO THE CATASTROPHIC NATURE OF THE HAZARD ITSELF.”

BENNETT: THAT’S BECAUSE THE NEW MADRID FAULTS AREN’T EMBEDDED IN HARD ROCK, BUT SOFT SEDIMENT. 

WILKINSON: “IT’S VERY UNIQUE TO OTHER SEISMIC ZONES IN THE COUNTRY. THE WEST COAST PRIMARILY. A SIMILAR SIZE EARTHQUAKE YOU WOULD SEE IN CALIFORNIA WHICH CAN AFFECT A VERY SMALL AREA. THESE EARTHQUAKES HERE, CAN HAVE A TWENTY-TIMES LARGER AREA OF IMPACT.”

BENNETT: BRENNA MACDONALD WITH THE MISSOURI GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAYS THE MYSTERIES AND UNKNOWNS OF THE NEW MADRID ZONE, IS WHY IT’S CONSIDERED SO DANGEROUS. 

SHE TOLD US, QUOTE: “WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE TRACE OF THE FAULTS ARE BECAUSE THEY ARE BURIED SO DEEPLY UNDERNEATH THE SEDIMENTS. IN SOME AREAS, THEY ARE MORE THAN A THOUSAND FEET DEEP.”

THE LAST LARGE EARTHQUAKE IN THIS ZONE HAPPENED BACK IN 1895. BUT IN 2011, A 5.8 EARTHQUAKE HIT VIRGINIA. IT WAS THE LARGEST, MOST WIDELY FELT EARTHQUAKE THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAS EVER RECORDED, WITH DAMAGE REACHING AS FAR AS WASHINGTON D.C.

PRATT: “IT MIGHT BE DECADES OR 100 YEARS BEFORE WE GET ANOTHER MAGNITUDE 6 OR 7. BUT IT ALSO COULD HAPPEN TOMORROW. WE REALLY JUST HAVE NO WAY OF PREDICTING THAT.”

MAHMOUD BENNETT: IT’S A DEADLY THREAT YOU MAY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. 

WILKINSON: “The seismic risk in the central US has been defined by homeland security and FEMA as catastrophic.”

BENNETT: A SERIES OF FAULTS, THAT ONCE ROCKED THE U.S., NOW A FADING MEMORY. IT’S CALLED THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE. RUNNING UNDER PARTS OF MISSOURI, ARKANSAS AND TENNESSEE.

JAMES M. WILKINSON, JR. | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CUSEC: “We do live in earthquake country. This is not just a California problem or a west coast problem; we have earthquakes throughout the central and eastern U.S.”

BENNETT: JAMES WILKINSON IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES EARTHQUAKE CONSORTIUM. 

WILKINSON: “It’s not going to take a large event 7.0 or bigger to create significant damage and it could still be categorized as catastrophic.”

PRATT: “It’s going to be messy. We’re expecting magnitude 6 to 7 earthquakes occurring in the New Madrid seismic zone there’s about a 7-8% chance one is going to happen in the next 50 years.”

BENNETT: THOMAS PRATT IS A RESEARCH GEOPHYSICIST WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. HE SAYS THE MIDWEST COULD FACE GROUND SHAKING AS SEVERE AS THE NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKES OF 1811 AND 1812. 

PRATT: “Those earthquakes were three of the largest earthquakes in the history of the United States, certainly south of Alaska. Shaking was felt throughout the entire eastern United States from Boston all the way down to South Carolina.

BENNETT: COMING UP IN PART TWO OF THIS FOUR PART SERIES, FIND OUT WHY THE MIDWEST IS SO VULNERABLE TO THE NEXT ‘BIG ONE’.

WILKINSON: “Oh it will definitely happen again. There will be larger earthquakes. It’s an active debate how large those earthquakes will be, but there will definitely be larger earthquakes in the future.”