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☆ TikTok leaders are pretty surprised that a bill to ban TikTok is zooming through Congress: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA bill to ban TikTok in the US is speeding through Congress and has caught the social media platform off guard, The Wall Street Journal reported. A TikTok spokesperson told Business Insider it expects the bill to pass, saying it had a "predetermined outcome." Others, like former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, have also weighed in, expressing their opposition to a TikTok ban. The movement to ban TikTok in the US has been pushed by legislators who believe the company will hand over user data to the Chinese government. AdvertisementIn response to the House bill, TikTok went on the offensive and urged its users to contact their representatives to let them know they opposed it.

Persons: —, Mike Gallagher, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Joe Biden, Biden, Rand Paul, Lindsay Graham, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Paul, TikTok, Sen, Ed Markey, Bobby Kotick, ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, Kotick, Sam Altman Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Republican Rep, Democratic Rep, Business, House Energy, Commerce, Senate, Associated Press, Elon, Google, Big Tech, Activision, Journal, Kotick, BI Locations: Wisconsin, Illinois, United States, TikTok

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Biden bluntly said “yes” when asked if he'd decided how to respond to the attack. Target options range from inside Iran, including on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, to Iranian ships at sea and Tehran-backed militia groups and key militant leaders in Iraq and Syria. HIT MILITIA GROUPS AGAINThe most likely move would be to hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria again. Hawkish Congress members said Biden should directly target Tehran for the deadly attack on the base in Jordan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, he'd, “ That’s, ”, John Kirby, ” Biden, Quds, Gen, Qassem, Asad, Avi Melamed, ” Melamed, Jordan, Pat Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sara Jacobs, Bradley Bowman, Jim Risch, —, Farnoush Amiri, Mike Pesoli, Joshua Boak, Sagar Meghani, Kevin Freking, Abby Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, National Security, Force, U.S, Embassy, Middle, HIT, Pentagon, CONGRESSIONAL, HOW, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, IRAN, Baghdad, Iranian, Hill, Davos, Washington, Beirut

“We have undeniable evidence of victory — lives being saved,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life. For abortion-rights activists, Cox’s case was a powerful illustration of how abortion bans could be dangerous for women with pregnancy complications. Over and over, people talked about her with awe, her courage in going public.”Seago, the Texas Right to Life president, defended Texas’ abortion ban. Among leading anti-abortion activists, there’s a general consensus that women should not be prosecuted for seeking or obtaining an abortion. Conversely, some abortion opponents — including Chris Smith — fear a Democratic sweep might lead to a law overriding the state abortion bans that are now in effect.

Persons: “, ”, John Seago, Carol Tobias, Dobbs, ” Tobias, Court’s Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Brent Leatherwood, “ We’ve, –, Jeanne Mancini, Jean Marie Davis, Davis, Mike Johnson, Chris Smith, Mancini, J.J, There’s, Kate Cox, Cox, Nancy Northup, ” Seago, there’s, Jamila, “ I’m, ” Smith, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Katie Glenn Daniel Organizations: Democratic, Jackson, Health Organization, Republican, Southern Baptist, Pregnancy, U.S . Rep, Congressional, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Reproductive Rights, Physicians, Reproductive, SBA Locations: Texas, Washington, U.S, Ohio , Kansas, Kentucky, California , New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, New Mexico, Brattleboro , Vermont, New Hampshire, Idaho

☆ A Georgia grand jury recommended indicting Sen. Lindsey Graham for trying to overturn the 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A special grand jury in Atlanta last year recommended indicting Sen. Lindsay Graham for election interference. The special grand jury also recommended charges against former Sens. "We find by unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election." Graham fought a subpoena from the special grand jury — a legal battle he ultimately lost after the Supreme Court rejected his challenges. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe special grand jury recommended indictments against 39 people overall.

Persons: indicting Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sens, David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, empaneled, Lindsay Graham of, Graham —, —, Fani, Donald Trump, Boris Epshtyn, Lin Wood, Michael Flynn, Graham, Scowling Trump, mugshot Willis, Brad Raffensperger, Joe Biden, Biden's, Trump, Raffensperger, Graham didn't, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, John Eastman Organizations: Trump, Service, National, Trump and Georgia, Georgia, Washington Post Locations: Atlanta, Wall, Silicon, Georgia, Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Fulton County, State

☆ Big Tech super-regulator would be a super-dud
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Two U.S. lawmakers have an idea for reining in Big Tech: get someone else to do it. They include protecting young users of social media, and countering anticompetitive behavior. A new watchdog that sets out to safeguard young users would overlap with some of the Federal Communications Commission’s duties. Instead of spending time and taxpayer dollars on a super-regulator, lawmakers would do better to get their act together, and face Big Tech themselves. The proposal, introduced in the Senate on July 27, would set new rules for tech mergers, data security, and safeguards for young users, according to the essay.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Lindsay Graham, Warren, Barack Obama’s, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Rohit Chopra, John Foley, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Big Tech, Democratic, Digital Consumer Protection, of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Democratic U.S, New York Times, Thomson

☆ Fact Check-Longer video shows Lindsay Graham did not call Russians dying ‘the best money we’ve ever spent’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Footage of Lindsey Graham in Kyiv shows the Republican Senator did not say the best money the U.S. had ever spent had gone towards “Russians dying.” A video shared by the Ukrainian president’s office was cropped in a way that jumps from one phrase to another. A longer clip shows the two remarks were made at different moments of the conversation. During the meeting, Zelenskiy thanked Graham for visiting Kyiv and praised the military assistance provided. Graham said this was “the best money we’ve ever spent.”Then, Graham said Ukrainians resisting the invasion reminded him of “our better selves in America. “And we will be.”Graham replied: “And the Russians are dying.”The U.S. senator received criticism from Moscow after the cropped video went viral.

Persons: Lindsey Graham, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, “, ”, we've, we’ve, Zelenskiy, Graham, ” Zelenskiy, ” Graham, Dmitry Medvedev Organizations: Kyiv, Russian Security Locations: Kyiv, Ukrainian, Ukraine, America, U.S, Moscow, Russia

☆ Airlines are combating the pilot shortage by paying pilots more, making it easier to become one, and hiring from Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An ongoing pilot shortage has plagued US airlines since travel came roaring back post-pandemic. While some organizations — like the Regional Airline Association advocacy group — have praised the legalization, the Air Line Pilots Association has opposed it, Reuters reported. Increasing pilot payRegional flying has been particularly impacted by the pilot shortage, forcing airlines to slash dozens of flights to small markets and even ground regional jets. Other regional carriers like Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, and Delta's wholly-owned airline Endeavor Air have also gotten pay increases. Lowering training requirementsRegional carrier Republic recently asked the FAA to reduce the flight hour requirement for pilots graduating from its LIFT pilot training academy.

☆ Lindsay Graham rips Marjorie Taylor Greene's defense of the accused Pentagon leaker, calling it 'one of the most irresponsible statements she can make'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Lindsey Graham criticized Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's defense of the accused Pentagon leaker. Graham called Greene's stance "irresponsible" and one that puts America "in serious danger." Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) April 13, 2023"Jake Teixeira is white, male, christian, and antiwar. Hours after Graham's criticism of Greene, Greene posted a doctored image of him on Twitter holding a Bud Light can that featured a photo of trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) April 16, 2023Conservatives have blasted Bud Light's recent partnership with Mulvaney and have called for a boycott of the brew.

☆ GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley appeared to shade Ron DeSantis, referencing his comments on the Ukraine war and calling it 'weakness'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Haley made reference to Republicans who refer to the Ukraine war as a "territorial dispute." Some call it a mere 'territorial dispute,'" Haley wrote. The quote "territorial dispute" is a possible reference to a statement DeSantis made on March 13, when he called for an end to US aid for Ukraine. Prior to this statement, DeSantis had supported aid to Ukraine and later became defensive when a reporter asked him about his position earlier this month. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu also criticized DeSantis using the term "territorial dispute" to describe the war in an op-ed for the Washington Post.

☆ A juror in Georgia's Trump investigation gabbed about her experience on TV. Experts say that's actually OK.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The forewoman of Georgia's special grand jury investigating Trump gave a series of media interviews. Kohrs declined, however, to answer the question on everyone's mind: Whether the special grand jury, in its still-secret report, recommended criminal charges against Trump himself. Willis empaneled the special grand jury in May 2022. Fani Willis, right, will now choose whether to impanel an ordinary grand jury to consider charges against Trump. That extra step between Kohrs's special purpose grand jury, and another grand jury that has yet to be empaneled, is another reason why Kohrs's comments are of little consequence, Rahmani said.

"If that (further revelations from Kohrs) occurs, then the question will be, do they have to start the grand jury process from scratch? The special grand jury heard testimony behind closed doors including from Trump allies such as Republican U.S. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney steering the investigation, must decide whether to bring the panel's charging recommendations to a regular grand jury. "There still has to be an independent assessment by the district attorney and a subsequent grand jury who hands up the indictment," Weinstein said. "Any grand jury in Fulton County is going to have a huge diversity of viewpoints, politics and backgrounds," Cooke said.

The 51-year-old Fulton County district attorney will need that kind of tenacity if she decides to bring criminal charges against Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Willis, a Democrat, has taken an aggressive approach in the Trump investigation, subpoenaing some of his allies including Republican U.S. "It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, Black, white, Democrat or Republican," Willis, who is Black, told CNN last year. Trump, who in November announced another run for the presidency in 2024, has denied wrongdoing and has called Willis a "Radical Left Prosecutor." To assist with the Trump investigation, Willis retained private Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, who wrote a guide on prosecuting state racketeering charges and worked with Willis on the teacher case.

That would be the kind of tenacity Willis, 51, would need if she decides to bring criminal charges against the Republican former president. Willis, a Democrat, has taken an aggressive approach in the Trump investigation, subpoenaing some of his allies including Republican U.S. To assist with the Trump investigation, Willis retained private Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, who wrote a guide on prosecuting state racketeering charges and worked with Willis on the teacher case. Willis told a judge on Jan. 24 that a decision on whether to bring criminal charges was "imminent" after a special grand jury completed its work. Portions of the grand jury's report are expected to be publicly released on Thursday, though any recommendations on criminal charges will remain sealed for now.

☆ A big distinction may explain why the FBI searched Trump's home but not Biden's over classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Top Republicans are calling on the FBI to search President Joe Biden's home as they did Mar-a-Lago. Trump has seized on the news about Biden, calling on the FBI to do the same to Biden's homes. Congressional allies including South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to handle the case, as exists with the Trump documents. Unlike in Trump's case, there is no evidence that Biden or those around him resisted returning them. That evidence is lacking in Biden's case, Neama Rahmani, an attorney and former federal prosecutor told Insider.

☆ Advocates Urge Congress to Pass Permanent Residency Status for Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesConvincing Republican senatorsThe House version of the Afghan Adjustment Act has 143 co-sponsors, including 10 Republicans. Demonstrators gather to support Afghan evacuees outside the Capitol on Nov. 16, 2022. At the moment, one prospect to advance the Afghan Adjustment Act is by attaching it to that larger spending bill, advocates say. But negotiations on the omnibus are ongoing, and whether the Afghan Adjustment Act will be included is up in the air. Yet without a deal by then, passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act appears doomed, advocates say, keeping Afghan evacuees in perpetual legal limbo.

☆ Twitter's clumsy handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story spurred enough bipartisan criticism to risk the existence of the internet as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Twitter's decision to throttle stories about Hunter Biden's laptop prompted bipartisan criticism. Some lawmakers have since called to repeal Section 230, a law "that created the internet." The criticism has since intensified a movement to repeal Section 230, which could change the Internet forever. Much of Taibbi's thread focused on Twitter's handling of the New York Post's October 2020 story about Hunter Biden's laptop, which the Post reported was left in a Delaware repair shop. Representatives for Khanna did not answer questions about the congressman's current position on whether or not to repeal Section 230.

☆ Fact Check-Altered image of John McCain and Lindsey Graham standing with Osama bin Laden resurfaces online
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An altered image of late Arizona senator John McCain and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham standing with the late Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden has resurfaced online. The image appears to show McCain and Graham pictured with bin Laden standing between them. Other recent examples of the altered image being shared online can be found (here), (here) and (here). McCain and Graham visited troops in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 4, 2013, during celebrations of the U.S. The original photograph shows McCain and Graham pictured with former Afghan President Karzai in July 2013.

☆ President Biden says Elon Musk's relationships with other countries are worth looking into
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article TSLATWTR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTJoe Biden, left, and Elon Musk Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters; Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAsked on Wednesday whether Tesla , SpaceX and Twitter CEO Elon Musk posed a threat to national security, President Joe Biden said that the centi-billionaire's "relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at." Biden said, "Elon Musk's cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at. Throughout 2022, Musk has accused the President of ignoring his electric vehicle venture, Tesla, despite its success, and favoring legacy automakers and their unions. The kingdom of Qatar also participated in Musk's Twitter deal. The Ukrainian government, which generally praises SpaceX and Musk, is now looking for alternatives to Starlink, Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said last Thursday.

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas Blocks Georgia Subpoena of Sen. Lindsey Graham
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.) says he is shielded from cooperation with a Georgia grand jury by the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause. WASHINGTON—Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday temporarily blocked a Georgia grand jury from compelling Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to testify in its probe of efforts to subvert President Biden’s 2020 election victory in the state, while the Supreme Court considers the South Carolina lawmaker’s claim that he has congressional immunity from the investigation. The district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., which includes the state capital of Atlanta, has been investigating alleged efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to steal victory from Mr. Biden by pressuring election officials to alter the vote count. Mr. Graham, who like Mr. Trump denies wrongdoing, telephoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger following the election.

☆ Elon Musk denies report that he talked to Putin recently about Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investor Sven Henrich asked Musk (via his Twitter account "@northmantrader") if the report was true. As CNBC previously reported, Musk posted a series of tweets earlier this month seeking support for what he thought would be the best outcome for Russia's war on Ukraine. Musk proposed UN-supervised votes in Ukraine about whether certain regions of the nation under siege should join Russia. Publicly opining on war could prove risky for Musk and SpaceX, cautions J2 Ventures founder and Managing Partner Alex Harstrick. Musk has also recently sounded off, in an interview with Financial Times, about his vision for resolving China's conflict with Taiwan.

☆ Trump says Lindsay Graham 'kisses my ass' because 'I'll endorse his friends': book
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump told Maggie Haberman that Lindsey Graham "kisses my ass" to "endorse his friends." Haberman detailed a scene at Bedminster with Trump and an effusive Graham in the vicinity. Over the past seven years, Graham has morphed from Trump critic to confidant. "Trump eventually entered the room, having lost a noticeable amount of weight since I had seen him last," Haberman wrote. 'You know why Lindsey kisses my ass?'

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