DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ House Leaders Call for Release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia on March 29 while on a reporting trip and accused of spying. Here’s a breakdown of the events surrounding his arrest and what comes next. Illustration: Todd JohnsonDemocratic and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives condemned Russia’s detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich and businessman Paul Whelan , calling for the prompt release of the two Americans. “We strongly condemn Russia’s ongoing and illegal detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich and call for his immediate release,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) said Thursday in a joint statement . Messrs. McCarthy and Jeffries called the charges against Mr. Gershkovich “manufactured.”

☆ Storm Clouds Gather for Joe Manchin in West Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Photographs Nate Smallwood For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WHEELING, W.Va.—Democrat Joe Manchin has served the Mountain State for decades, as secretary of state, then governor, then senator. But the state’s hard-right turn and the emergence of formidable GOP challengers have thrown his political future into jeopardy, with some voters questioning whether he deserves another term. Mr. Manchin hasn’t said whether he plans to run for re-election. The state’s current GOP governor, Jim Justice, jumped into the race on Thursday, a crucial recruit for Senate Republican leaders. Another Republican, Rep. Alex Mooney , has also entered the field with the backing of some prominent conservatives, setting up what is expected to be a hard-fought primary.

☆ West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Enters 2024 Senate Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was first elected governor as a Democrat and then switched parties. Photo: Chris Jackson/Associated PressWASHINGTON—West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice has filed paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in 2024, challenging for the seat currently held by centrist Democrat Joe Manchin, with a formal announcement expected later Thursday. Mr. Justice, 72 years old, will be competing against Rep. Alex Mooney for the GOP nomination and is seen as the early favorite in that contest.

☆ Kevin McCarthy Has Plan to Raise Debt Ceiling, and Republicans Have Questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) met behind closed doors with members of his conference Tuesday as he pushed to cobble together 218 votes from within his narrow House Republican majority for a plan to raise the debt ceiling before the government loses the ability to pay its bills. Republicans left a morning meeting saying that important details of the plan, which Mr. McCarthy sketched out one day earlier in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange, were still unclear. Among their questions: whether the plan would increase the debt limit by a specific amount or suspend it until a particular date; which policy components would hitch a ride on the plan; and whether it would move through legislative committees or be devised by Republican leadership and brought directly to the House floor.

☆ Senate Republicans Target Biden Regulations With Disapproval Resolutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

More GOP-led votes on hot-button issues are expected, testing Democratic unity and potentially forcing vetoes from President Biden. WASHINGTON—Republicans don’t control the Senate. But on some days, they have controlled the Senate’s agenda on issues including crime and the environment. While Democrats run the Senate floor on account of their 51-49 majority, Republicans are using various tools to force votes on issues dear to the GOP, over the opposition of Senate Democratic leaders and President Biden. They have employed the Congressional Review Act and other provisions of federal law to target rules written by administration agencies and hold votes on hot-button issues, sometimes peeling off centrist Democrats positioning themselves ahead of the 2024 elections.

☆ FBI Headquarters Decision Pits Maryland Against Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The J. Edgar Hoover Building, headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Washington, D.C. , whose replacement location is to be chosen soon. WASHINGTON—After more than a decade of delay and escalating political volleys across the Potomac River in recent months, the agency that manages the federal government’s real estate is close to picking the location of a new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters campus in the capital’s suburbs. The decision to replace the deteriorating J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington has set off a heated competition between elected officials representing Virginia and Maryland, the two states vying to secure the future site to house at least 7,500 bureau employees and the bureau’s leadership, along with the economic development that will come with it. Maryland’s two potential sites are in Greenbelt and Landover, while Virginia’s is in Springfield.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s plan to overhaul his country’s justice system has stirred tensions with the U.S., with President Biden and congressional Democrats criticizing the proposal and Israeli lawmakers firing back that the legislation is an internal matter. Mr. Biden told reporters Tuesday that he was “very concerned” about a judicial overhaul in Israel that would grant the ruling coalition power to appoint more like-minded justices, allow the Israeli parliament to overrule the Supreme Court with a simple majority and sharply circumscribe judicial review. Mr. Netanyahu halted the legislation Monday after strikes rocked the country and dissent over the law inside Israel’s military escalated into a crisis.

☆ House Passes GOP Bill Giving Parents More Power in Public Schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Republican House members Elise Stefanik, Kevin McCarthy and Julia Letlow discussed the Parents Bill of Rights earlier this month on Capitol Hill. WASHINGTON—The House passed a Republican-backed bill that would expand parental rights over their children’s education, the latest development in the cultural fight over discussions about race, gender identity and sexual orientation in the nation’s public schools. The Parents Bill of Rights, introduced by Rep. Julia Letlow (R., La. ), would require that schools receiving federal education funds publish their curricula publicly and implement processes for parents to raise concerns about books and curricular units they deem inappropriate.

☆ Twenty Years After U.S. Invaded Iraq, Congress Wants Its War Powers Back
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Lindsay Wise | Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President George W. Bush signing the measure that authorized the president to use military force in Iraq in 2002. WASHINGTON—Two decades ago, the House and Senate voted to give President George W. Bush the authority to use military force in Iraq. With the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Iraq invasion approaching this week and the fighting long over, lawmakers now are weighing whether to repeal that authorization, with proponents saying the measure has outlived its initial intent and Congress needs to claw back some power from the White House on waging war. Critics say ending the authorization is unnecessary and could send a message of weakness abroad.

☆ Lawmakers Split on Tighter Rules After Silicon Valley Bank Failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Natalie Andrews | Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blamed the failure partly on President Biden’s spending policies that Republican lawmakers say contributed to inflation. WASHINGTON—Republican and Democratic lawmakers largely agree that bank regulators were right to step in over the weekend to stop the failure of Silicon Valley Bank from becoming a contagion. They also think bank examiners and the company’s management have many questions to answer. Democrats want to look at tightening regulations on midsize banks they say are too loose, while Republicans are pointing the finger at Democratic spending as a root cause of the bank’s weakness. These disagreements mean that any bipartisan legislation to get ahead of potential future bank problems faces an uphill fight.

☆ Eric Garcetti’s Nomination as India Ambassador Advances in Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lindsay Wise | Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Eric Garcetti has denied turning a blind eye to allegations against an ex-aide. WASHINGTON—The nomination of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be ambassador to New Delhi was advanced out of a committee Wednesday in a 13-8 vote, bringing him closer to final confirmation by the full Senate at a crucial moment for U.S.-India relations. The nomination has been held up for more than a year due to some lawmakers’ concerns that Mr. Garcetti turned a blind eye to allegations that a former top aide sexually harassed subordinates and made racist comments. Despite the headwinds, the White House has stood by Mr. Garcetti, who was a prominent ally of Mr. Biden during his presidential campaign, and President Biden renominated him this year.

☆ Biden Border Deterrence Plan Bets on Giving Asylum Seekers Legal Path to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Michelle Hackman | Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Biden administration is making a wager at the border: that in order to convince migrants seeking asylum not to enter the U.S. illegally, they must be given another option. Last fall, facing a sudden and unprecedented spike in migrants from Venezuela crossing the border to seek asylum in the U.S., the administration set up a new program allowing Venezuelans to apply to move here legally on temporary humanitarian grounds. The program was paired with tough new border restrictions using Title 42, a pandemic-era health measure, meaning Venezuelans crossing the border could be turned back to Mexico before they could ask for asylum. More recently, the same border strategy was broadened to include migrants of several other nationalities.

☆ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Under House Scrutiny for Met Gala Participation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Aurora James, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Riley Roberts are seen leaving the 2021 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. WASHINGTON—House of Representatives ethics officials said Thursday that their probe of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) centers on her participation in the 2021 Met Gala and whether she properly reimbursed vendors for her hair, makeup, clothing and transportation expenses. The focus of the probe was disclosed by the Office of Congressional Ethics, an internal, nonpartisan ethics office that reviews allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The probe had been disclosed in December, but neither the OCE nor Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s office had provided details.

☆ House Passes Bill Taking Aim at ESG Investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Ting Shen for The Wall Street JournalThe Labor Department late last year drafted the new rule under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The House passed a Republican-led bill Tuesday disapproving of a new Biden administration regulation that would allow retirement-plan managers to consider climate change and other factors when they make investment decisions. The legislation to overturn the regulation on environmental, social and governance guidelines, or ESG, passed 216-204. One Democrat joined with Republicans in support of the measure, which was introduced by Rep. Andrew Barr (R. Ky.).

☆ Virginia Holds Special Election to Fill Empty House Seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jennifer McClellan, a Democratic state senator, is the favorite to win Tuesday’s election. WASHINGTON—Voters in southern Virginia are casting their ballots in a special election Tuesday that could elect the first Black woman to Congress in the state’s history. Virginia’s fourth congressional district, a heavily Democratic area that runs from the capital of Richmond down to the border with North Carolina, has been without a member of Congress since Rep. Donald McEachin died late last November after winning re-election.

☆ Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline to Step Down June 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep. David Cicilline was first elected to Congress in 2011. Rep. David Cicilline (D., R.I.) said Tuesday he will leave Congress on June 1 to serve as the president and chief executive of the Rhode Island Foundation, a move that could trigger a competitive showdown between Democrats to fill the seat. “Serving the people of Rhode Island’s First Congressional District has been the honor of my lifetime,” Mr. Cicilline said. In his new role, he said he looks forward to “expanding on the work I have led for nearly 30 years in helping to improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders.”

☆ Democrat Jennifer McClellan Wins Virginia House Seat, Becoming State’s First Black Woman in Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jennifer McClellan, a longtime state lawmaker, emphasized in her campaign racial justice, the economy and abortion access. WASHINGTON—Democratic state senator Jennifer McClellan won a special House election in Virginia Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in Congress, the Associated Press projects. Virginia’s fourth congressional district, a heavily Democratic area that runs from the capital of Richmond down to the border with North Carolina, has been without a member of Congress since Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin died in November after winning re-election.

☆ Democrats Renew Push for Gun-Control Legislation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) reintroduced the Background Check Expansion Act on ThursdayWASHINGTON—Democrats are renewing their push for tougher gun control, seeking to expand background checks and build on the passage of a compromise firearms package last year. Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.), a longtime proponent of gun control in the Senate, reintroduced the Background Check Expansion Act on Thursday, a bill that would expand federal background checks to all gun sales and private transfers between individuals. Bipartisan legislation last year expanded checks for buyers under 21 years old.

☆ California Sen. Dianne Feinstein Says She Won’t Run for Re-Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat is up for election next year in what is expected to be an extremely competitive race. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein , who will turn 90 later this year, said she won’t run for re-election, clearing the way for what is expected to be a fiercely competitive fight in 2024 among fellow Democrats for her seat. “I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024,” she said in a written statement. She said she intended “to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends.”

☆ California Sen. Dianne Feinstein Says She Won’t Run for Re-election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), who will turn 90 later this year, said she won’t run for re-election, clearing the way for what is expected to be a fiercely competitive fight in 2024 among fellow Democrats for her seat. “I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024,” she said in a written statement. She said she intended “to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends.”

☆ Millions Could Lose Medicaid Coverage When Pandemic Health Emergency Ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Stephanie Armour | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The federal government is also shifting more responsibility for the Covid-19 response to the states. Up to 15 million people could lose Medicaid coverage after the pandemic public health emergency ends on May 11, the Department of Health and Human Services said. The estimate came during a call with reporters on Thursday, when administration officials outlined what could be expected as federal officials wind down the Covid-19 health emergency declared in 2020.

☆ House Votes 419-0 to Pass Resolution Condemning China for Spy Balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-votes-419-0-to-pass-resolution-condemning-china-for-spy-balloon-11675960364

☆ D.C. Crime Code Overhaul, Noncitizen Voting Spark Clash With Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser had vetoed the crime bill, but the D.C. Council overturned her veto. WASHINGTON—The House passed two bills Thursday that aim to overturn recent changes to the District of Columbia’s criminal code and voter eligibility laws, using a provision in federal law that allows Congress to reject measures passed by the city’s local government. The first resolution, introduced by Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.) and other Republican lawmakers, would block the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which expands voting rights in local elections to residents who aren’t citizens. The bill passed 260-162, with 42 Democrats joining Republicans.

☆ What Time Is the State of the Union Address Tonight—and What Will Biden Talk About?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Andrew Restuccia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden is set to deliver the State of the Union address Tuesday night in the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol. President Biden is set Tuesday to deliver his second State of the Union address. Given to a joint session of Congress, the speech will outline the president’s legislative agenda and priorities for the coming year. The White House has said that Mr. Biden looks forward to speaking about the economy, competitiveness, security and unity. In comments several days ahead of the address, Mr. Biden pointed to a stronger-than-expected monthly jobs report to say the “state of the economy is strong.” In last year’s speech, he highlighted the response of the U.S. and allies to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Search resuls for: "Eric Bazail-Eimil"

25 mentions found