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☆ FCC fines wireless carriers millions for sharing user locations without consent
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The US government has issued millions of dollars in fines to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon after an investigation found the nation’s top wireless carriers had illegally shared customers’ personal data without their consent. The fines target a practice in which carriers shared user location information with data resellers, known in the industry as “location aggregators.” These aggregators passed the data onward to their own third-party customers. “Each carrier attempted to offload its obligations to obtain customer consent onto downstream recipients of location information, which in many instances meant that no valid customer consent was obtained,” the FCC said in a release. In response to the FCC fines, all of the wireless carriers said they expect to appeal the decision. We take our responsibility to keep customer data secure very seriously and have always supported the FCC’s commitment to protecting consumers, but this decision is wrong, and the fine is excessive.

Persons: Trump, perversely, ”, “, Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyden, ” Wyden Organizations: Washington CNN, Mobile, Verizon, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Sprint, ” Verizon, Oregon Democratic Locations: Securus

☆ Who could buy TikTok?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Still, the company is under such close scrutiny that it would be a poor candidate to buy TikTok, experts say. If you were to tell me it’s Verizon, or AT&T, maybe it’s not as big of a problem.”Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Emarketer, highlighted a paradox: Only the largest, most dominant tech giants may have the resources to buy TikTok. Microsoft had been one of the handful of contenders to buy TikTok in 2020 when President Donald Trump first pushed for a sale. A former Trump Cabinet official enters the frayIn a move that caught many by surprise, former Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced last month that he is putting together a team of investors to buy TikTok. As with Mnuchin, O’Leary has said a potential acquisition of TikTok may have to exclude TikTok’s algorithm.

Persons: Joe Biden, There’s, ”, Gene Kimmelman, Jasmine Enberg, ” Enberg, TikTok’s, Donald Trump, TikTok, Steven Mnuchin, Mnuchin, ” Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Trump, who’ve, Kevin O’Leary, O’Leary Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Google, Meta, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Department, YouTube, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Verizon, Emarketer, Activision Blizzard, Walmart, Oracle, Project Texas, Texas, Trump Cabinet, Trump Treasury, Trump, ” Oregon Democratic, Washington Post, O’Leary Ventures Locations: United States, TikTok, ” Oregon

☆ Biden administration sanctions makers of commercial spyware used to surveil US
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Bad actors have used commercial spyware to target at least 50 US government officials, the Biden administration said last year as it unveiled an executive order banning federal agencies from using the technology. In 2021, the US government said NSO Group’s spyware had been used against roughly a dozen State Department employees serving in Africa. The US government has sought to build international support for curbing the use of commercial spyware, and last month, it announced visa restrictions for anyone seeking to enter the United States who has been involved in the commercial spyware industry. The use of commercial spyware “has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases,” the State Department said at the time. On Tuesday, the Biden administration vowed to watch closely for signs that Intellexa may seek to circumvent the sanctions.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Tal Jonathan Dilian, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, Côte, Biden, Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Treasury Department, Intellexa Consortium, US, Google, Pegasus, Intellexa, Amnesty International, State Department, Commerce Department, Oregon Democratic Locations: Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, Spain, Indonesia, Africa, States

“It isn't just sort of creepy,” said Washington state Rep. Vandana Slatter, the sponsor of a law her state adopted last year to rein in unauthorized use of health information. X-Mode was also found to have sold location data to the U.S. military. In Virginia, legislation that would prohibit the issuance of search warrants, subpoenas or court orders for electronic or digital menstrual health data recently cleared both chambers of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. “The next step to enforcing an abortion ban could be accessing menstrual health data, which is why I’m trying to protect that data,” Favola said in a committee hearing. “The software supply chain is extremely polluted with location tracking of individuals,” he said.

Persons: Roe, ”, Vandana Slatter, “, Albert Fox Cahn, Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyden, He’s, It's, Washington's, Andrea Frey, Democratic Sen, Barbara Favola, Glenn Youngkin, ” Favola, Favola, “ It’s, Republican Sen, Mark Peake, Youngkin's, Sean O'Brien, he's, ___ Mulvihill, Frank Bajak, Sarah Rankin Organizations: Democratic, Supreme, Wade, Oregon Democrat, Intelligence, The Veritas Society, Wisconsin, Federal Trade Commission, Securities Exchange Commission, FTC, ., Democrat, Republicans, Connecticut, Assembly, Virginia Gov, Republican, Yale Privacy, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Nevada, York, California, Maryland, ” Illinois, Hawaii , Illinois, Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Missouri, South Carolina, Vermont, In Virginia, Cherry Hill , New Jersey, Boston, Richmond , Virginia

☆ Premarket stocks: The US is pulling ahead in the economic race with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It appears that a soft landing, where price rises are tamed and the economy manages to avoid recession, is possible. Before the Bell: Is it fair to say that the US is outpacing China in the race for economic supremacy? Just last year people might have said the opposite — that the US was heading towards recession and the Chinese economy was thriving. It is remarkable to see the US economy blazing ahead while the Chinese economy sputters and slips into deflation. What else should investors be aware of when they read about the Chinese economy?

Persons: Bell, Eswar Prasad, Jamie Dimon, he’s, Marianne Lake, Jennifer Piepszak, Piepszak, Troy Rohrbaugh, Rohrbaugh, Dimon, hasn’t, “, Brian Fung, Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Biden Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Cornell University, International Monetary, JPMorgan, JPMorgan Chase, Bloomberg, NSA, National Security Agency, Oregon Democratic, Pentagon, CNN Locations: New York, China, Oregon

☆ The NSA buys Americans’ internet data, newly released documents show
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —The National Security Agency has been buying Americans’ web browsing data from commercial data brokers without warrants, intelligence officials disclosed in documents made public by a US senator Thursday. The purchases involve what Nakasone described as netflow data, or the technical information generated by devices as they use the internet. Nakasone added that the NSA does not purchase cellphone location data of Americans or location data generated by automotive infotainment systems in the United States. “NSA purchases commercially available Netflow data for its cybersecurity mission, to include but not limited to inform the Agency’s collection, analysis, and dissemination of cyber threat intelligence,” an NSA official said. As part of Thursday’s announcement, Wyden wrote a letter to the Biden administration urging it to stop the warrantless surveillance of Americans through the purchases of internet data.

Persons: Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Biden, ”, Paul Nakasone, Wyden, Nakasone, “, Ronald Moultrie, Allison Nixon, ” Nixon, Timothy Haugh, ” Wyden, Avril Haines, Haines, Lina Khan, CNN’s Sean Lyngaas Organizations: Washington CNN, National Security Agency, Oregon Democratic, Pentagon, CNN, The New York Times, NSA, Defense Department, cyberattacks, Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Trade Commission, InMarket Media, FTC Locations: Oregon, United States, U.S

☆ Biden administration planning action to stop hostile foreign governments exploiting Americans’ personal data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration is preparing an executive order aimed at curbing the ability of foreign governments to access sensitive personal data on Americans that could jeopardize national security, one current US official and one former US official familiar with the matter told CNN. Foreign efforts to exploit Americans’ data represent an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to national security and foreign policy, the draft text of the order says, according to the US official. The National Security Council at the White House declined to comment on the draft executive order. A surge in the amount of intimate personal information on US citizens that can be bought and sold online has alarmed lawmakers and senior US officials focused on national security. Wyden said he hoped the final text of the executive order, among other things, applies to data held by US subsidiaries of foreign companies.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, ” Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyden, TikTok, “, ” Justin Sherman, Duke, ” Sherman Organizations: CNN, Bloomberg News, National Security Council, White, Oregon Democrat, Social, Duke University Locations: China, Oregon

☆ Bipartisan tax bill clears key congressional hurdle, teeing up potential House vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The package released earlier this week was the result of a rare, bipartisan agreement between Republican House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (Mo.) To help win more Democratic support, the bill also expands the child tax credit by adjusting it for inflation and allowing Americans who don't have a tax bill to get the credit as a refund, among other changes. In addition to Friday's committee vote, the White House also came out in support of the legislation. In the end, Blumenauer said he would "reluctantly" vote for the bill, but wanted to see the child tax credit expanded further. House Speaker Mike Johnson had yet to confirm when, or even if, he would bring the bill to the House floor for a vote.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Jason Smith, Ron Wyden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Earl Blumenauer, Blumenauer, Mike Johnson, Smith, Wyden Organizations: Business, of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, Republican, Democratic, White, Oregon Democrat Locations: Taiwan, Mo, Oregon

☆ Apple knew AirDrop users could be identified and tracked as early as 2019, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Security researchers warned Apple as early as 2019 about vulnerabilities in its AirDrop wireless sharing function that Chinese authorities claim they recently used to track down users of the feature, the researchers told CNN, in a case that experts say has sweeping implications for global privacy. AirDrop lets Apple users who are near each other share files using a proprietary mix of Bluetooth and other wireless connectivity without having to connect to the internet. A Chinese tech firm, Beijing-based Wangshendongjian Technology, was able to compromise AirDrop to identify users on the Beijing subway accused of sharing “inappropriate information,” judicial authorities in Beijing said this week. The Chinese tech firm, Wangshendongjian Technology, that claimed to have exploited AirDrop appeared to have used some of the same techniques first identified by the Darmstadt researchers in 2019, said Alexander Heinrich, one of the German researchers. “Now that Chinese security agencies are exploiting this vulnerability, it’s a tough political problem for Apple.”

Persons: Apple, “, ”, Benjamin Ismail, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Rubio, Milan Stute, Sascha Meinrath, Palmer, Alexander Heinrich, ” Heinrich, Kenn White, Heinrich et al, ” White, Sen, Ron Wyden, ” Wyden, “ Apple, Qi An Xin, Dakota Cary, SentinelOne, Ismail, would’ve, Matthew Green Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Apple, Bluetooth, Technology, Republican, Senate Intelligence Committee, Technical University of Darmstadt, Penn State University, Wangshendongjian Technology, ” Apple, Oregon Democrat, Beijing, Olympic, Xinhua, Johns Hopkins University, “ Locations: China, Washington, Hong Kong, Beijing, Florida, Germany, Darmstadt, Oregon, cyberattacks, Dakota

Sen. Jeff Merkley became the second senator to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war this week. And with recent polling showing that a majority of Americans support a cease-fire in Gaza, the pressure from constituents has been thick. Sen. Chris Coons was badgered on a train about why he hadn’t endorsed a cease-fire. Both have drawn attention to humanitarian concerns in Gaza in recent weeks but stopped short of calling for a cease-fire. “I and others defended Israel’s right to respond with a campaign targeted at destroying Hamas,” Merkley wrote .

Persons: Sen, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Coons, hadn’t, Israel –, –, Dick Durbin, Biden, Cori Bush, Joe Biden, eyeing, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, “, Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, Netanyahu’s, Ilhan Omar, she’s, J, Edwin Benton, ”, ” Benton, ” Merkley Organizations: Oregon Democrat, White, Hamas, Democrats, Illinois Democrat, NBC, Biden, Israel, Minnesota Democrat, University of South Locations: Israel, Oregon, Gaza, Sen, Massachusetts, Illinois, Missouri, lockstep, ”, Vermont, Minnesota, University of South Florida

☆ Researchers find sensitive personal data of US military personnel is for sale online
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Sensitive personal information like the apparent home addresses and health conditions of thousands of active-duty US military personnel can be bought cheaply online from so-called data brokers, according to a study published Monday by Duke University researchers. The researchers could shop for data on servicemembers based on geolocation, including whether they lived or work near Fort Bragg, Quantico or other sensitive military locations. The Federal Trade Commission is currently considering new regulations to crack down on data brokers. “However, we have repeatedly raised concerns about the practices of data brokers and their potential impact on consumer privacy. The Pentagon and US intelligence community have long been concerned about how foreign spies might exploit the market for personal data on Americans.

Persons: Scammers, ”, Justin Sherman, ” Sherman, Ron Wyden, “, ” Wyden Organizations: CNN, Duke University, Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy, Social, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Fair, Oregon Democrat, Department of Defense’s, Pentagon Locations: Fort Bragg, Quantico, Oregon, United States

Known for donning a bow tie and bicycle pin, Blumenauer, 75, has served roughly five decades in public office at the local, state and federal level. “I spent a career working to make Portland the most livable city in the country. He would go on to serve as a commissioner in Multnomah County, home to Portland, and on the Portland City Council before being elected to the U.S. House in 1996. His legacy remains visible today — a bike and pedestrian bridge that opened in the city last year bears his name. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Persons: Earl Blumenauer, We’ve, “, ” Blumenauer, Kevin McCarthy, that's, ”, Jonathan Maus, Blumenauer, Hakeem Jeffries, “ Earl, ” ___ Claire Rush Organizations: — U.S . Rep, Associated Press, Oregon House, Portland City Council, U.S . House, Congressional, Caucus, Rep, Washington D.C, Congress, quicken, Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: PORTLAND, Oregon, Portland, City Hall, Multnomah County, Mount Hood, Columbia, America, ”, Washington

☆ US lawmakers question tax prep companies on sharing of taxpayer data with Big Tech platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Americans should be able to file their taxes without fear that their sensitive data will be shared with Big Tech companies,” said the letters, copies of which were obtained by CNN. The letters — led by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren — focus on the use of tracking technology developed by tech platforms and embedded within the tax prep companies’ websites that quietly transferred users’ personal information to Meta and Google, allegedly without their consent. Of the five tax prep companies, Intuit was not a major focus of the initial congressional probe because it did not use tracking pixels to the same extent as the others, the investigation found. They also asked the same question of each of the four other tax prep companies, as well as requesting a commitment to abide by the FTC’s warning not to use customer data in ways consumers did not expressly approve. The lawmakers requested that the tax prep firms respond by Nov. 8.

Persons: ”, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren —, Warren, Meta, — Sens, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, Katie Porter Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, Massachusetts Democratic, Meta, Google, FTC, Intuit, Ramsey Solutions, Oregon Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Vermont Independent, Rhode, Rhode Island Democrat, House Democratic Locations: Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, California

☆ US drops digital trade demands at WTO to allow room for stronger tech regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai speaks during the Axios BFD event in New York City, U.S., October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has dropped longstanding U.S. digital trade demands in World Trade Organization talks in order to give Congress room to regulate big tech firms, her office said on Wednesday. USTR spokesman Sam Michel said many countries were examining their approaches to data and source code, and how trade rules can affect them. "We need to make clear that digital rules favoring Big Tech monopolies are a non-starter for the U.S. in any trade agreement, including IPEF,” she said. "These digital trade rules prevent countries around the world from using regulation to lock out American companies and their workers from their markets," said John Murphy, the Chamber's senior vice president for international policy.

Persons: Katherine Tai, Brendan McDermid, Trump, Biden, Ron Wyden, ", Wyden, Sam Michel, Michel, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tai, ”, USTR, John Murphy, David Lawder, Diane Craft Organizations: Trade, REUTERS, Rights, . Trade, Trade Organization, U.S, Reuters, Prosperity, WIN, Oregon Democrat, Senate Finance Committee, Congress, Intel, Democratic, Big Tech, . Chamber, Commerce, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Geneva, CHINA, China, Australia, Japan, Korea, Oregon, United States, Mexico, Canada

The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel is reprehensible. Israel is under heavy attack right now by Hamas and taking action to defend itself and its people. Israel has every right to defend itself.”Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democrat“I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks launched by Hamas against our ally Israel. I will continue to closely monitor the situation.”Sen. Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Democrat“Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel is nothing short of horrifying. Israel has every right to defend itself from this unjust war.”Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat“The terrorist attack on Israel is appalling.

Persons: Hakeem Jeffries, “, Steve Scalise, ” Kevin McCarthy, ” Chuck Schumer, –, Herzog –, ” Mitch McConnell, ” Tom Emmer, ” Katherine Clarke, ” Dick Durbin, ” John Thune, ” Sen, Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Democrat “, Israel, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat “, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Cory Booker , New Jersey Democrat “, Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat “, Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democrat “, Gary Peters, Gary Peters , Michigan Democrat “, Catherine Cortez Masto, Brian Schatz, Hawaii Democrat “, Jeff Merkley, Oregon Democrat “, John Barrasso, Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican “, Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Republican “, Steve Daines, Montana Republican “, Mike Lee, Mike Crapo, Chuck Grassley, Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Kyrsten, Mark Kelly, John Boozman, Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican “, Alex Padilla, Laphonza Butler, California Democrat “, today’s, Michael Bennet, Colorado Democrat “, John Hickenlooper, Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat “, Chris Murphy, Tom Carper, Delaware Democrat “, Chris Coons, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Jon Ossoff, Georgia Democrat “, Anat Sultan, Raphael Warnock, “ I’m, Mazie, Tammy Duckworth, Todd Young, Mike Braun, Jerry Moran, Kansas Republican “, Hamas’s, Roger Marshall, Netanyahu, Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican “, Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy, Susan Collins, Maine Republican “, Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat “, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Tina Smith, Minnesota Democrat “, Roger Wicker ,, Roger Wicker , Mississippi Republican “, Cindy Hyde, Josh Hawley, Eric Schmitt, Jon Tester, Montana Democrat “, Deb Fischer, Nebraska Republican “, Pete Ricketts, Jacky Rosen, Nevada Democrat “, Jeanne Shaheen, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire Democrat “, Maggie Hassan, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Democrat “, Bob Menendez, Bob Menendez , New Jersey Democrat “, Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Democrat “, Biden, Ben Ray Lujan, Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat “ I'm, Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, North Carolina Republican “, John Hoeven, John Hoeven , North Dakota Republican “, Kevin Cramer, Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat “, J.D, ”, Vance, James Lankford, Markwayne Mullin, Israel –, Ron Wyden, Bob Casey, John Fetterman, craven, Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse, Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican “ I’m, Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican “ Shocked, Marsha Blackburn, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Republican “ Israel, Bill Haggerty, Tennessee Republican “, John Cornyn, John Cornyn , Texas Republican “, Ted Cruz, Mitt, Vile, Peter Welch, Vermont Democrat “, Tim Kaine, Patty Murray, Washington Democrat “, Maria Cantwell, Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican “ Israel, Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Republican “, Jim Jordan, Jared Moskowitz, Abigail Spanberger, Elissa Slotkin, Don Bacon, perpetrating, Cori Bush, Missouri Democrat “, Kevin Hern, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma Republican “, ” Rep, Ritchie Torres, Ritchie Torres , New York Democrat “, Michael McCaul, Michael McCaul , Texas Republican “ I, Ilhan Omar Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Biden, House, Michigan Democrat, Minnesota Democrat, Virginia Democrat “, Senate Intelligence, Massachusetts Democrat, Islamic, Cory Booker , New, Cory Booker , New Jersey Democrat, West Virginia Democrat, Wisconsin Democrat, Gary Peters , Michigan Democrat, Nevada Democrat, Hawaii Democrat, State, Oregon Democrat, John Barrasso , Wyoming Republican, Iowa Republican, West Virginia Republican, Montana Republican, Utah Republican, Idaho Republican, Alabama Republican, Alaska Republican, Alaska Republican “, Arizona Democrat, John Boozman , Arkansas Republican “, Jewish, Arkansas Republican, California Democrat, Colorado Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Delaware Democrat, Israel, Florida Republican, Georgia Democrat, Hawaii Democrat “, Indiana Republican, Indiana Republican “, Kansas Republican, Kentucky Republican, Louisiana Republican, Maine Republican, Maryland Democrat, Roger Wicker , Mississippi Republican, Smith , Mississippi Republican, Josh Hawley , Missouri Republican, Missouri Republican, Montana Democrat, Nebraska Republican, Jeanne Shaheen , New, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire Democrat, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Democrat, Bob Menendez , New, Bob Menendez , New Jersey Democrat, New Mexico Democrat, New, New York Democrat, United, North Carolina Republican, John Hoeven , North Dakota Republican, Kevin Cramer , North Dakota Republican “, Ohio Democrat, Vance , Ohio Republican, James Lankford , Oklahoma Republican, Oklahoma Republican, “ Hamas, Rhode, Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican, South Carolina Republican, South Dakota Republican, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Republican, Tennessee Republican, John Cornyn , Texas Republican, Ted Cruz , Texas Republican, Vermont Democrat, Washington Democrat, Wisconsin Republican, Wyoming Republican, ”, Ohio Republican “, Missouri Democrat, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma Republican, Ritchie Torres , New, Ritchie Torres , New York Democrat, Jewish State, Michael McCaul , Texas Republican Locations: Israel, United States, Tehran, The United States, Iran, Michigan, U.S, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Vermont, Cory Booker ,, Cory Booker , New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Gary Peters , Michigan, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, John Barrasso , Wyoming, America, Iowa, West, Montana, Iranian, Utah, Idaho, Alabama, Alaska, Alaska Republican “ America, @Israel, Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona, John Boozman , Arkansas, Jewish State, Arkansas, Saudi Arabia, California, Gaza, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mazie Hirono, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Palestine, Roger Wicker , Mississippi, Smith , Mississippi, Josh Hawley , Missouri, Missouri, Nebraska, Jeanne Shaheen ,, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire, Bob Menendez ,, Bob Menendez , New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North, John Hoeven , North, Kevin Cramer , North, Ohio, Vance , Ohio, James Lankford , Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Lindsey Graham , South, South, States, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee, Tennessee, John Cornyn , Texas, Ted Cruz , Texas, Mitt Romney, Virginia, “ Hamas, Washington, Wyoming, Ohio Republican “ America, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma, Ritchie Torres ,, Ritchie Torres , New York, Michael McCaul , Texas

☆ Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Senate Finance Committee is looking into whether billionaire investor Leon Black’s $158 million payment to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was part of a greater strategy to avoid paying over $1 billion in federal gift and estate taxes. “The payments were inexplicably large; well in excess of what Black paid any other financial advisors and far higher than the median compensation of Fortune 500 CEOs at the time,” Wyden said in a statement released Tuesday. “At every stage of the committee’s investigation, Black has refused to answer questions or provide any documents that could demonstrate how Epstein’s compensation for tax and estate planning services was determined or justified,” Wyden said in the statement. Black has cooperated extensively with the Committee, providing detailed information about the matters under review,” Whit Clay, a spokesman for Black, said in a statement to CNN. An internal Apollo investigation that documented his $158 million payment to Epstein following the New York Times’ reporting, however, found no wrongdoing.

Persons: Leon Black’s, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Ron Wyden, Wyden, Dechert, ” Wyden, “, Black, Mr, Whit Clay, ” Epstein, Dechert didn’t, Joanna Rose, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Finance, Apollo Global Management, Oregon Democrat, Dechert LLP, Apollo, Fortune, CNN, New York Times Locations: New York

☆ New bipartisan bill in Senate could address TikTok security concerns without a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Much of the existing legislation addressing TikTok at the federal and state level has focused on bans of the app. Wednesday’s legislation, known as the Protecting Americans’ Data From Foreign Surveillance Act, does not identify TikTok by name. TikTok has faced criticism from US officials who say the company’s links to China pose a national security risk. Congress has made several attempts in recent months to address data transfers to foreign adversaries. In February, House lawmakers advanced a bill that would all but require the Biden administration to ban TikTok over national security concerns about the app.

Persons: Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyoming Republican Sen, Cynthia Lummis, —, ” Wyden, Wyden, TikTok, ByteDance, Biden, Justin Sherman, ” Sherman, Rhode Island Democratic Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sheldon Whitehouse , Tennessee Republican Sen, Bill Hagerty, New Mexico Democratic Sen, Martin Heinrich, Florida Republican Sen, Marco Rubio, Warren Davidson, Anna Eshoo Organizations: CNN, Oregon Democratic, Wyoming Republican, ByteDance, Commerce Department, Oracle, Texas, Commerce, Duke University’s Sanford School of Public, Rhode, Rhode Island Democratic, Sheldon Whitehouse , Tennessee Republican, New Mexico Democratic, Florida Republican, Ohio Republican, California Democratic Locations: China, United States, Russia, Rhode Island, Sheldon Whitehouse , Tennessee, New Mexico, Florida

☆ US senators question Twitter's FTC compliance under Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The lawmakers asked Musk and Yaccarino to respond to a series of questions about Twitter’s FTC obligations and whether the layoffs and resignations have hindered its ability to comply. Elon Musk under TwitterSince purchasing Twitter, Musk has said he’s laid off more than 6,000 employees, or roughly 80% of the company’s pre-acquisition headcount. Twitter is already under investigation by the FTC for possible breaches of its consent orders. But as both the FTC and now the senators have indicated, Twitter’s behavior under Musk is also covered by the consent agreements. House Republicans have alleged that the FTC probe is intended to “harass” Musk and represents an example of the “weaponization” of the US government.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Ella Irwin, Twitter’s, “ Mr, ”, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Elizabeth Warren ; Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, Hawaii Democratic Sen, Mazie, Twitter didn’t, Twitter, he’s, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, Zatko Organizations: Washington CNN —, Twitter, Federal Trade Commission, CNN, Massachusetts Democratic, Elizabeth Warren ; Oregon Democratic, Hawaii Democratic, FTC, Washington Post, House Republicans Locations: Elizabeth Warren ; Oregon

☆ Utah bicycling groups and Democrats call on Mitt Romney to rethink his comments calling bike lanes 'the height of stupidity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Romney faced widespread criticism after telling Insider that bike lanes are "the height of stupidity." "I love Mitt," Schatz told Insider recently in the Capitol. "We're not forcing anybody from an automobile onto a bike, but the truth is, the market is starting to demand that, but the bike lanes haven't caught up. And then in a matter of months, people are putting in their real estate advertisements that it's next to a bike lane. "As much as I ride my bike, unless it's a protected bike lane I don't trust it," he said.

☆ A 74-year old Democrat in Congress pushing to make roads safer thinks 'the bicycle is the key to much of what ails us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Biking advocates gathered on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to push for federal legislation. The 74-year-old lawmaker has a short ride to work, but "on a nice morning, you just sometimes keep going," he added. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, with his bicycle at a congressional bike ride organized by cycling advocacy groups. Romney's comments received significant backlash from biking advocates and others, who pointed out that there's plenty of evidence that better bike infrastructure gets more cyclists on the road, reduces driving, and cuts emissions. "Every person on a bicycle is somebody who's not in a car in front of you," Blumenauer said.

Washington CNN —Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor and friend of Clarence Thomas whose gifts to the Supreme Court justice have prompted fresh criticism about the ethical standards of the nation’s highest court, for more information about the expenditures. The letters also state that the recent revelations come amid a lack of American confidence in the Supreme Court, pointing to recent polling. Thomas had not financially disclosed the hospitality from or the deal with the Texas billionaire. Democrats have vowed to keep investigating the ethics of the nation’s highest court, and Chief Justice John Roberts declined an invitation to testify at a hearing on Supreme Court ethics. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin said “everything is on the table” as the panel scrutinizes new ethics concerns around Thomas.

☆ Reversing Trend, 2022 Saw Small Uptick in National Security Surveillance in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

tightened various rules and modified its systems, leading to a significant drop in the number of queries for information about Americans. disclosed that there had been 204,090 queries for information about Americans in 2022, down 93 percent from about 3.4 million in 2021. is changing how it measures such queries and will screen out duplicates — the practice of recounting multiple queries using the same identifier. made 119,383 such queries for information about Americans in 2022, down from nearly three million in 2021. The government has never used that authority and again sought no such orders in 2021, the report said.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - America's cybersecurity watchdog has no confidence that the cellular network used by American first responders and the military is secure against digital intrusions, U.S. The letter from the Oregon Democrat, a member of the intelligence committee, was addressed to the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It concerns FirstNet, a dedicated mobile network for public safety officials such as emergency workers, firefighters and law enforcement. "These security flaws are also a national security issue, particularly if foreign governments can exploit these flaws to target U.S. government personnel," his letter said. Wyden called on FirstNet to share any security audits with the NSA and CISA or - alternatively - for the government to commission audits of its own.

Then came the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train on February 3, releasing toxic chemicals into the air and nearby water, and he fears crashing the value of his home. There are too many unknowns.”Stewart, 65, recently voiced his fury and sadness about what he lost to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on a February 22 Town Hall about the derailment on CNN. Homeowners are worried that in addition to any health risks from the chemical release, the derailment has greatly diminished the value of their homes. I think they’re going to be in the crosshairs of the accountants of Norfolk Southern saying ‘We’re not going to pay full compensation.’”Norfolk can afford to compensate homeownersPaying the homeowners and businesses wouldn’t necessarily be difficult for Norfolk Southern. Those values are only a fraction of the money that Norfolk Southern earns.

☆ Live updates: Supreme Court hears Gonzalez v. Google case against Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brian Fung | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The US Supreme Court is seen in Washington, DC, on January 19. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)The Supreme Court is set to hear back-to-back oral arguments Tuesday and Wednesday on two cases that could significantly reshape online speech and content moderation. First up Tuesday is the Gonzalez v. Google case. The case involving Google zeroes in on whether it can be sued because of its subsidiary YouTube’s algorithmic promotion of terrorist videos on its platform. Beatrice Gonzalez and Jose Hernandez, the mother and stepfather of Nohemi Gonzalez, who was fatally shot and killed in a 2015 rampage by Islamist militants in Paris, are seen outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, on February 16.

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