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☆ Local senators slam FAA bill provision that would add long-haul flights to a key DC-area airport and benefit lawmakers: 'Ridiculous and dangerous'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Many lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been pushing for long-haul flights at National Airport for years. But the senators from Virginia and Maryland are firmly against the provision, pointing to safety concerns. AdvertisementFor many members of Congress, the allure of adding long-haul flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is impossible to resist. While Delta Air Lines has thrown its support behind the long-haul provision, United Airlines has opposed the push. Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, while fully equipped to handle long-haul flights, are miles outside of Washington, DC.

Persons: —, Ronald Reagan, Democratic Sens, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Virginia, Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, Kaine, Warner, Cardin, Van Hollen Organizations: Capitol, National Airport, FAA, Service, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, National, Federal Aviation Administration, Democratic, DCA, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Locations: Virginia, Maryland, Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington, Va, Western, America, Baltimore, Washington

☆ Student-loan borrowers faced 3.9 million billing errors after entering repayment, a new report from 4 Democratic lawmakers says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewLawmakers have highly scrutinized the return to repayment for millions of student-loan borrowers in the fall. Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ed Markey, and Chris Van Hollen released a report on student-loan servicer errors amid the return to repayment. Exclusively viewed by Business Insider, the report said servicers made over 3.9 million "billing-related errors" once repayment resumed. Still, the Democratic lawmakers said in their report that more could be done to help borrowers harmed by servicing errors. "To remedy servicers' historic failures and protect borrowers from future harms, there must be a path for debt relief for borrowers harmed by their servicers," they wrote in the report.

Persons: —, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, servicers, Nelnet, Aidvantage, MOHELA, Warren Organizations: Service, Democrats, Democratic, Business, Education Department, ED, Warren, BI, Public

☆ Kyrsten Sinema is still sitting on over $11 million in campaign cash — and she could easily use it to fuel her post-Senate life
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

At the end of January, the Arizona senator reported holding nearly $10.6 million cash on hand in her campaign account and another $466,000 in her leadership PAC. AdvertisementNow, it's far from clear what will happen to those "resources" — Sinema's campaign did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment last week on the matter. There are a few different ways this could play out if Sinema decides to keep a "zombie PAC" running. Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet once introduced a bill to crack down on "zombie PACs." Advertisement"A lot of people use that to stay in the game because a leadership PAC is kind of a slush fund.

Persons: —, What's Sen, Kyrsten Sinema, Ruben Gallego, Kari Lake, Sinema, Arizonans, Saurav Ghosh, Ghosh, That's, Republican Sen, Rob Portman, Portman, Matt Dolan, Anna Moneymaker, he's, Kelly Ayotte, who's, Aaron Scherb, it's, She'd, she'd, Democratic Sens, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Elizabeth Warren of, Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bennet, Bill Clark, Bennet, she's, airfare, Jordan Libowitz Organizations: Service, Senate, Democrat, Democratic Rep, Business, Bloomberg, Republican, American Enterprise Institute, US, Republicans, Democratic, Daily Beast, Citizen, Washington, Commission, PAC Locations: Arizona, Ohio, New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Washington, Europe

☆ These 40 House Republicans voted against millions of dollars in federal funding that they secured for their districts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewOn Wednesday, 83 House Republicans voted against a roughly $460 billion package of bills to fund large swaths of the federal government. Forty of them did so despite requesting — and securing — millions of dollars in federal funding for a variety of projects in their districts. AdvertisementRep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee also voted against the bill, despite securing more than $12 million for his district. But Republicans weren't the only ones to vote against the bill on Wednesday, despite securing earmark funding. AdvertisementHere are the 40 Republicans who voted against the bill, despite securing earmark funding:

Persons: —, Lauren Boebert, Sleepy Joe, Democratic Sens, Michael Bennett, John Hickenlooper, There's, Tim Burchett, we've, Burchett, It's, congressionally, Tom Williams, bipartisanship, Nancy Pelosi —, Maria Elvira Salazar, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, weren't, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Mark Takano, — Maxwell Alejandro Frost Organizations: Service, Republicans, Colorado Republican, Green New, Business, Green, Deal, Democratic, Republican, East, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Data Engineering, Lincoln Memorial University, Getty, Infrastructure Law Locations: Wolf, Craig, East Tennessee, Knoxville, Harrogate, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Alabama, California

☆ Opinion: In the Michigan primary, Biden shouldn’t fear Rashida Tlaib’s threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Opinion John Halpin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

John Halpin Courtesy John HalpinProgressive activists have decided to use this interlude to attack Biden for his centrist positions on immigration, energy policy and the Israel-Hamas war, in particular. Like the senators from his birth state, Biden should ignore these threats from the left and stand up strongly for his vital center perspective. Looking at Michigan specifically, the threat of Arab Americans tanking Biden must also be put in wider perspective. Even with these larger trends in the state, the authors find: “In Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Hamtramck, and Livonia — the Michigan cities with the highest proportion of Arab American voters — Biden defeated Trump by a combined 38,000 or so votes. Democratic support for more moderate proposals backed by Biden is even higher: Three-quarters of Democrats support a plan to increase the number of immigration judges to speed up action on asylum claims.

Persons: John Halpin, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Rashida, uncommitted, Democratic Sens, John Fetterman, Bob Casey, Zers, tanking Biden, Karlyn Bowman, Nate Moore, Ruy Teixeira, Obama, —, Mark Mellman, ”, Mellman Organizations: Liberal Patriot, CNN, Democratic, Democrats, Gallup, Pew Research, — Biden, Trump, Survey Center, American Enterprise Institute, Pew, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Michigan, Israel, Gaza, Tuesday’s, Pennsylvania, Black, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Hamtramck, Livonia —, Biden’s

☆ In the fight for the Senate, Mitch McConnell projects confidence: 'This is the best map I've seen in a long time'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mitch McConnell likes the GOP's chances this fall as they seek to regain control of the Senate. "I think that this is the best map I've seen in a long time," he recently told The Washington Post. Democrats and Republicans will be fighting an intense battle amid a likely Biden-Trump rematch. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "I think that this is the best map I've seen in a long time," the veteran Kentucky lawmaker told the Post.

Persons: Mitch McConnell, —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Sen, Joe Manchin, Democratic Sens, Sherrod Brown of, Jon Tester, Montana, Chuck Schumer, Tim Sheehy of Montana, David McCormick of, Schumer, Biden, George W, Bush Organizations: Washington Post, Democrats, Biden, Trump, Service, GOP, West Virginia Democrat, Republicans, Democratic, New York Democrat, White Locations: Georgia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Arizona , Maryland , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, David McCormick of Pennsylvania, Israel

☆ A 63-year-old explains how Blue Zones helped him rethink his retirement plan to avoid his 'biggest fear' of loneliness
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewEd, 63, was recently rewatching a documentary about Blue Zones — and it led him to rethink his outlook on retirement. But he's making plans for when that day comes to avoid what he said is his "biggest fear": being lonely. Of course, for some older adults, it's not always that easy. Chris Murphy and Bob Casey introduced a bill in December — called Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults Act — to establish grants and training for community-based organizations to help address loneliness in older adults. As federal efforts progress, Ed wants to ensure loneliness among older people is a concern that all age groups work to address.

Persons: —, healthiest, Ed —, Ed, I'm, he's, he'll, doesn't, it's, Vivek Murthy, I've, Joe Lamy, Rick Grossman, Grossman, Democratic Sens, Chris Murphy, Bob Casey Organizations: Service, Business, Blue, Democratic Locations: Connecticut, Ontario, Canada, Seattle, North America

☆ Advocates call on Senate to approve amendment giving Afghan evacuees path to legal residency
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It is based on the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, which was reintroduced last year. The amendment was introduced Friday with a list of co-sponsors that included Republican Sens. Future conflicts that we go into will look back to how we handled the end of the Afghan war and what we did with our Afghan allies,” VanDiver said. While the amendment has bipartisan backing, at least one Republican is expected to object to it. Cotton supports helping our Afghan allies and partners, but this specific bill did little to address his concerns,” the person said.

Persons: Democratic Sen, Amy Klobuchar, Republican Sen, Jerry Moran, Republican Sens, Roger Wicker, Lindsey Graham, Thom Tillis, Democratic Sens, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Coons, Jeanne Shaheen, Klobuchar, “, ” Klobuchar, ” Shawn VanDiver, —, It’s, ” VanDiver, Sen, Tom Cotton, ”, “ Sen, Cotton, VanDiver, ” Moran, Patrick Murray Organizations: CNN, Senate, Democratic, Republican, intel, Army, Senate Armed Services Committee, Afghan, Veterans ’ Affairs, Veterans, Foreign, VFW Locations: Afghanistan, United States

Senate Republicans blocked a major bipartisan border deal and foreign aid package with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in a key vote on Wednesday amid a torrent of attacks on the bill by former President Donald Trump and top House Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to force a procedural vote on an emergency aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan — and drop the border deal. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Alex Padilla of California have both forcefully attacked the border deal. Schumer has harshly criticized Senate Republicans for opposing the package, accusing them of following Trump’s marching orders. “And instead of standing up to Donald Trump, Senate Republicans are ready to kill our best chance at fixing the border.”“They want amendments?

Persons: Donald Trump, – James Lankford of, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Schumer, Mike Johnson, McConnell, Johnson, – Lankford, Sen, Kyrsten, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Sinema, Lankford, Democratic Sens, Bob Menendez, Alex Padilla, Menendez, ” Padilla, “, ” Schumer, ” McConnell, CNN’s Kristin Wilson Organizations: House Republicans, Republicans, White, Republican, Senate GOP, Trump, Democratic, Israel, West Bank, Bob Menendez of New, Senate Republicans, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Israel, – James Lankford of Oklahoma, Trump, Taiwan, Arizona, Connecticut, Russia, Gaza, Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, California, America

Evidence of a strong economy has so far been lost on a general public that still feels the pinch of inflation and worries about the uncertainty of life in 2024. Signs of a thaw in public opinion, but pessimism still dominatesA new CNN poll shows Biden still has a lot of convincing to do: Perception of the economy remains deep under water. However, if hiring remains strong and inflation keeps falling, it may become easier for Biden to convince voters he’s doing a good job strengthening the economy. CNN’s polling editor Ariel Edwards-Levy notes that about half the country, 48%, thinks the economy remains in a downturn. Their letter is proof that the fact of a strong economy is felt, if at all, in different ways.

Persons: Phil, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Donald Trump, “, Trump, Ariel Edwards, Levy, that’s, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ” Warren, Democratic Sens, John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, Sheldon Whitehouse Organizations: CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Trump, Federal, Fed, Democratic

In a Sunday letter to Fed Chair Powell, shared first with CNN, Warren expressed alarm at how “astronomical” mortgage rates have made a bad situation worse and urged Fed officials to start cutting borrowing costs. “We urge you to consider the effects of your interest rate decisions on the housing market and to reverse the troubling rate hikes that have put affordable housing out of reach for too many,” Warren and fellow Democratic Sens. John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote. “Come on, Fed! Turn it around and drop those interest rates,” Warren told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Monday.

Persons: Sen, Sherrod Brown, Powell, ” Brown, Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, ” Warren, Democratic Sens, John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, Sheldon Whitehouse, “, CNN’s Kate Bolduan, Read Organizations: Banking, Fed, CNN, Democratic

☆ New bill in Congress calls for creating children's savings accounts from birth. Here's how it would work
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The plan calls for providing savings accounts for every child in the U.S. on state 529 college savings platforms, which would be managed by state Treasurers. More from Personal Finance:IRS to launch free tax-filing pilot programJamie Dimon: Improving earned income tax credit is 'no brainer'Biden has forgiven student debt for millions. Children in households that are eligible for the earned income tax credit — which aims to reduce the federal tax burden for low- to moderate-income workers — would receive additional aid. The proposal comes as Congress is poised to consider a new expansion of the child tax credit. Estimates have found the new child tax credit could help about 16 million children from low-income families in the first year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Persons: Democratic Sens, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Chuck Schumer, Ron Wyden, Don Beyer of Virginia, Joyce Beatty, Suzan, Jamie Dimon, Biden, Casey, Momo, Roth, I'm, Madeline Brown Organizations: Democratic, New, Reps, Finance, IRS, Getty, Center, Budget, Urban Institute, D.C Locations: New York, Oregon, Joyce Beatty of Ohio, Washington, U.S

☆ It pays to be MAGA: Kari Lake raked in $175,000 from speeches and book royalties in the year since losing the Arizona governor's race
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

According to financial disclosure documents that Lake filed as part of her US Senate bid on Tuesday, the former TV anchor made at least $175,000 from paid speeches and book royalties. The other $75,000 came from speeches Lake gave to conservative groups in Texas, California, New York, and Idaho, sometimes netting $15,000 for one appearance. In a statement, a Lake spokesperson accused the media of having "Kari Lake derangement syndrome." Advertisement Lake did file a financial disclosure when she ran for governor, disclosing her position as a communications advisor for DeWit's firm. Lawmakers on both the left and the right have, in some cases, managed to make more than their salaries via book sales.

Persons: Kari Lake, Donald Trump, hasn't, Lake, Ruben Gallego, Sen, Kyrsten Sinema, Kari Lake derangement, Jeff DeWit, DeWit, Kari, Democratic Sens, Raphael Warnock, Elizabeth Warren, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton Organizations: Business, Winning Team Publishing, Trump, Democratic, Superfeed Technologies, Arizona GOP, Lake, Governor Locations: Arizona, Texas , California , New York, Idaho, Sens

☆ Group of Democrats call on Blinken to provide answers on bypassing Congress to approve arms sales to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A group of 19 predominantly Democratic lawmakers is calling on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide answers about why he bypassed Congress last month to approve arms sales to Israel. The top US diplomat made two emergency determinations in December to immediately approve the transfer hundreds of millions of dollars in military equipment to Israel. In their letter, the lawmakers noted the rarity of administrations using emergency declarations to immediately approve arms sales without congressional approval. “Use of a national emergency waiver does not exempt the U.S. government from assessing whether arms sales are consistent with” those standards, they wrote. I would say that the process that the secretary followed and the process that we follow here at the State Department is the process that the law actually prescribed,” Miller said at a State Department briefing.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Peter Welch, James McGovern, Earl Blumenauer, Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Raúl, Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Betty McCollum, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Jill Tokuda, Maxine Waters, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Leahy, credibly, “ Israel, ”, ’, “, Matt Miller, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, UN, Independent, Democratic, State Department, Leahy, ”, Department Locations: Israel, Gaza, Hamas

SEATTLE (AP) — Facing severe criticism after a door plug blew out on a 737 Max over Oregon this month, Boeing said Monday that it is withdrawing a request for a safety exemption needed to certify a new model of the plane. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Tammy Duckworth, chair of its aviation safety subcommittee, urged the Federal Aviation Administration to deny the request. "I hope this means they can quickly develop a compliant design across other MAX planes.”The FAA grounded all Max 9s in the U.S. the day after the blowout. The 737 Max went into service in May 2017. Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Stan Deal said in a message to Boeing employees Friday that the company’s most immediate goal is to help airlines restore operations.

Persons: Max, —, Democratic Sens, Maria Cantwell, Tammy Duckworth, I’m, ” Duckworth, “, ” Cantwell, Max 9s —, Stan Deal, ” Organizations: SEATTLE, —, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Democratic, Commerce, Science, Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal, FAA, United Airlines —, Southwest Airlines, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Locations: Oregon, Portland , Oregon, Illinois, U.S, Alaska

☆ Elizabeth Warren rips Fed for fueling affordability crisis in housing, calls for rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —America has a housing affordability crisis and Elizabeth Warren blames Jerome Powell and his colleagues at the Federal Reserve. To fight inflation, the Fed spiked interest rates at the fastest pace since the early 1980s. However, the Fed’s war on inflation set off shockwaves in the housing market. The one-two punch of elevated borrowing costs and record-high home prices has made the housing market historically unaffordable. “High interest rates have aggravated the country’s crisis of housing access and affordability,” the Senate Democrats wrote.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Jerome Powell, Powell, Warren, ” Warren, Democratic Sens, John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Freddie Mac, “, Tom Barkin didn’t, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, CNN, Democratic, Democrats, Fed, National Association of Home Builders, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors, Richmond Fed Locations: New York, America, White

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday vetoed a Republican measure that would have blocked a White House waiver that allows some foreign-made content in federally funded chargers for electric vehicles. The White House said the GOP plan would actually block made-in-America requirements, since it would revert U.S. policy to a 1980s rule that allows foreign content in U.S. manufacturing. The GOP bill "would eliminate the domestic manufacturing requirement for electric vehicle chargers, thereby harming domestic manufacturing and American jobs,'' Biden said in a veto statement. If enacted, the GOP resolution would revert U.S. policy to a 1983 rule that waives domestic requirements for many manufactured products. The Senate approved the measure, 50-48, i n November, despite a White House veto threat.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Reagan, ”, Sen, Marco Rubio, Democratic Sens, Sherrod Brown of, Joe Manchin, Jon Tester, Kyrsten, Rubio Organizations: WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Republican, GOP, EV, Democratic, Biden, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, America Locations: America, U.S, People’s Republic of China, China, United States, Florida, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, West Virginia, Montana, Arizona

Tennessee's state House map was also challenged in the lawsuit, though the state did defend those boundaries. Ultimately, the three judges panel upheld the House map and ordered the Tennessee Senate to come up with a new district layout by Jan. 31, 2024. “Today's court ruling against the gerrymandered state Senate map is a clear win for the Tennessee Constitution,” said Democratic Sens. The Tennessee Democratic Party said Wednesday that it would continue fighting the ruling on upholding the House map. In April 2022, the panel of state trial-level judges blocked the Senate map from taking effect.

Persons: —, Wednesday's, “, Randy McNally, Jonathan Skrmetti, ”, Democratic Sens, London Lamar, ” Akbari, Lamar, Hendrell Remus, didn’t Organizations: Republican, Republicans, Tennessee Senate, Tennessee Constitution, Democratic, The Tennessee Democratic Party, state's Democratic Party, General, Tennessee Democratic Party, U.S Locations: Tenn, Nashville, Davidson County, gerrymandered, Tennessee, Raumesh Akbari, London, Shelby, Memphis

☆ Powerful senators fire off letter decrying 'abusive' tactics in Corizon bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Dakin Campbell | Nicole Einbinder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Nine US senators including Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, and Bernie Sanders have sent a letter to Corizon leaders demanding answers on its bankruptcy. The letter says Corizon has sought "to manipulate bankruptcy law" and calls the strategy "abusive." Citing Insider's reporting, the senators gave Corizon two weeks to turn over details about its use of the Texas Two-Step to shield assets from creditors. AdvertisementAdvertisementA powerful group of senators have pressed for answers about the bankruptcy of the private prison healthcare provider formerly known as Corizon Health. "The Texas Two-Step is a distorted use of the U.S. bankruptcy system by corporations to evade mass tort liability," the senators write.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, Bernie Sanders, Corizon, —, Cory Booker, Ron Wyden, Tehum, Jeffrey Sholey, Isaac Lefkowitz, Tehum's, Sholey, Lefkowitz, Sen, Warren, YesCare, Hector Garcia, Adria Malcom, excoriate Corizon, Hector Garcia Jr, David Jones, Jones, Christopher Lopez, Durbin, Johnson, Sanders, Booker, Wyden, Democratic Sens, Richard Blumenthal, Mazie, Jeff Merkley, Peter Welch of Organizations: Service, Tehum Care, Finance, Corizon, Detention, Genesis Healthcare, Geneva Consulting, Genesis, Geneva Consulting —, Genesis HealthCare Inc, US, Texas, Committee, Democratic Locations: Texas, Ana, Las Cruces , New Mexico, New Mexico, Alabama, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Hawaii, Oregon, Peter Welch of Vermont

☆ Vietnam-aligned hackers attempted to hack US lawmakers and journalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hackers aligned with Vietnam tried to use social media platforms X and Facebook to install spyware on the phones of dozens of high-profile targets, including US lawmakers, United Nations officials and CNN journalists, Amnesty International said Monday. Researchers with Google’s Threat Analysis Group, which tracks state-backed hackers, told CNN the Twitter account spreading the spyware appears to be based in Vietnam. For years, cybersecurity researchers and human rights activists have documented the proliferation of spyware designed to break into mobile phones and steal their contents. “Clearly these tools are being exported from the EU to states with terrible human rights records,” Ó Cearbhaill, of Amnesty International, told CNN. “Meanwhile, if European lawmakers won’t bring consequences to reckless vendors, they need to get comfortable with being targeted,” Scott-Railton told CNN.

Persons: Democratic Sens, Gary Peters, Chris Murphy, Michael McCaul, tweeting, Cearbhaill, Ó Cearbhaill, McCaul doesn’t, Leslie Shedd, Shedd, Murphy, “, Peters, Joe Biden, ” Ó, ” John Scott, ” Scott, Railton Organizations: CNN, Facebook, United Nations, Amnesty, –, Democratic, Republican, House Foreign, Amnesty International’s, Washington Post, Google’s, State Department, NSO Group, Intellexa, US Commerce Department, Amnesty International, University of Toronto’s, Commerce Locations: Vietnam, Washington ,, Washington, Africa, North Macedonia, Europe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to China next week, traveling to the country amid heightened tensions and after several members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet visited over the summer. Schumer, along with Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, is visiting government and business leaders in China, South Korea and Japan “with the goal of advancing U.S. economic and national security interests” in the region, his office said Tuesday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China in June, followed by visits of Treasury and Commerce secretaries Janet Yellen and Gina Raimondo as well as climate envoy John Kerry. Political Cartoons View All 1196 ImagesBiden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan also held two days of talks with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Malta last month. Wang is expected to visit Washington before the end of October on a trip that officials will nail down the date and venue of the expected Biden-Xi summit.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden’s, Schumer, Republican Sen, Mike Crapo of, Schumer —, ”, Biden, Xi Jinping, China’s, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, John Kerry, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Wang, Crapo, Democratic Sens, Maggie Hassan, Jon Ossoff of, Republican Sens, Bill Cassidy of, John Kennedy of, Matthew Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, Biden, Economic Cooperation, Treasury, Democratic, ___ Associated Press Locations: China, Mike Crapo of Idaho, South Korea, Japan, Ukraine, Taiwan, South China, Asia, San Francisco, Malta, Washington, New Hampshire, Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, John Kennedy of Louisiana

☆ No Republican senator has called on Menendez to resign — but they're happy to use his scandal to bludgeon Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

No Republican senator has publicly called for Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign. But the GOP's Senate campaign arm has been using the scandal to hit vulnerable Democrats. AdvertisementAdvertisementNot a single Republican senator has called for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign in the wake of his latest indictment. On Monday, when Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was still the only senator who had called for Menendez to resign, the committee pointed out the silence of most Democrats. "That's for Democrats to decide," replied Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, the NRSC chairman, when asked by Insider on Thursday if he believed Menendez should resign.

Persons: Democratic Sen, Bob Menendez, Sen, Steve Daines, —, John Fetterman of, Menendez, Phil Letsou, Bob, it's, That's, Daines tersely, Ted Cruz of, Tom Cotton of, he's, Republican who's, Mitt Romney, Axios, Jon Tester, Bob Casey of, they've, they'll, Bob Casey, We'd, Casey Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Senate, Service, Republicans, National Republican, Democrats, New, Twitter, Democratic Sens Locations: John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Montana, New Jersey, Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Utah

He has again stepped down as chairman of the Foreign Affairs panel, as per Senate Democratic caucus rules, but has otherwise made clear that he’s not going anywhere. Political Cartoons View All 1182 ImagesThe calls for his resignation are in sharp contrast, though, to his first case. It also puts increased pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic leaders who have so far stopped short of recommending that Menendez step down. Booker said it is a “mistake” for Menendez to say that stepping down would be unfair as the case has not been tried. Also calling for Menendez to step down on Monday were Democratic Sens.

Persons: — Democratic Sen, Cory Booker, Sen, Bob Menendez, ”, Menendez, Nadine, ” Menendez, Chuck Schumer, Booker, ” Booker, Democratic Sens, Tammy Baldwin of, Jon Tester, Montana, Jacky Rosen of, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Martin Heinrich of, John Fetterman of, Peter Welch of, Sherrod Brown of, Phil Murphy Organizations: WASHINGTON, — Democratic, New, New Jersey Democrat, Democratic, Foreign Relations Committee, Foreign Affairs, Hudson, College’s, clubby Senate, New Jersey Gov Locations: New Jersey, Egypt, Jersey, Hudson County, Union City, clubby, Jerseyans, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Peter Welch of Vermont, Sherrod Brown of Ohio

☆ Lawmakers are waking up to the realities of 'gerontocracy.' But don't expect them to do anything about it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Age limits remain popular, and lawmakers have begun to wake up to the realities of gerontocracy. "I believe everyone deserves the kind of dignity to make their own choices," said Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. He also opposes age limits, arguing that people should be able to "choose who they want, no matter how old they are." "Different people age differently, you know, somebody at a younger age may have more impacts due to aging than somebody at an older age. "I don't think it's a problem to be old, I think it's a problem to have a lack of diversity."

Persons: Mitt Romney, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Graham, Romney, Strom Thurmond, Democratic Sen, John Fetterman of, Dianne Feinstein's, Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, gerontocracy, Rep, Maxwell Frost, Anna Moneymaker, Gray, Frost, hasn't, Ro Khanna, Khanna, Dianne Feinstein, Saul Loeb, Republican Sen, John Hoeven, Hoeven, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Gluesenkamp Perez, Feinstein, McConnell, Democratic Sens, Ben Ray Luján, JD Vance Organizations: Service, Utah Republican, Capitol, South Carolina Republican, Democratic, Florida Democrat, Pew Research Service, California, Senate, Getty, Republican, Democratic Rep, Washington, Ohio Locations: Wall, Silicon, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Florida, North Dakota, New Mexico

In the book, author Walter Isaacson wrote that a Ukrainian drone submarine attack on Russian warships was disrupted by a disconnect from Starlink, ordered by Musk. Excerpts from the book raised alarm bells in Washington, among NATO allies and in the Ukrainian capital. Musk also argued, as he has in the past, that Ukraine should strike a "truce" with Russia. Musk's "peace plan" argument was shouted down by Ukraine officials, politicians and Putin experts. Earlier in the week, Sen. Warren called for a Congressional probe of Musk and SpaceX.

Persons: Elon Musk, Democratic Sens, Jeanne Shaheen of, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tammy Duckworth, Lloyd Austin, Musk, Tesla, Walter Isaacson, Isaacson, CNBC's, Putin, Jeff Jurgensen, Sen, Warren Organizations: WASHINGTON —, Democratic, Armed Services, Pentagon, SpaceX, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Illinois, Twitter, NATO, CNBC, U.S . Department of Defense, Department of Defense, Congressional, Bloomberg Locations: Ukraine, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, U.S, Ukrainian, Washington, Crimea, Russia

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