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☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene attacks plans for Ukraine's president to visit Congress, calling Zelenskyy the 'shadow president' and Ukraine the '51st state'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene strongly criticised a surprise visit to the US by Ukraine's president. Far-right Republicans have opposed billions in aid sent by the US to help Ukraine fight Russia. "Of course the shadow president has to come to Congress and explain why he needs billions of American's taxpayer dollars for the 51st state, Ukraine. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 20, 2022Zelenskyy's visit comes at a key moment in the US political cycle, as well as in the war in Ukraine. However, analysts believe that broad bipartisan support for Ukraine remains strong, and attempts to cut off or seriously limit aid to Ukraine are unlikely to succeed.

"No more blank checks to Ukraine," Republican Representative Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter hours before Zelenskiy's visit to Washington. Biggs, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has emerged as the main challenger to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy in the House speakership election, slated for Jan. 3. Many House Republicans insist that they do support Ukraine. "I hope all House Republicans will attend the Zelenskiy address this evening. And when they do, they should listen to President Zelenskiy describe the horror his people have endured at the hands of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin," Schumer said.

☆ Donald Trump failed to mention dinner he had with 'racist antisemites' but still got standing ovations from conference of Orthodox Jews: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump spoke at a conference of Orthodox Jews on Friday. Conference attendees responded with multiple standing ovations, according to AP. Trump failed to mention a dinner in November with Ye and Nick Fuentes, who have both spewed antisemitic hate. Attendees of the annual President's Conference of Torah Umesorah at Trump's National Doral resort in Miami, Florida, responded to his remarks with several standing ovations, according to AP. During his address to the Orthodox Jewish conference, Trump referencing his past remarks on antisemitism from his own 2019 State of the Union address led to standing ovations, according to AP.

☆ Stephen Miller led-group emerges as top legal foe of Biden initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Chandelis Duster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A conservative legal group led by former top Trump aide Stephen Miller has emerged as a frequent opponent to several Biden administration initiatives by mounting court challenges, succeeding in blocking policies they say are examples of reverse discrimination. Miller touts America First Legal as “the long-awaited answer to the (American Civil Liberties Union),” and his group has garnered several legal victories against the Biden administration in the past few weeks and months, most notably on issues of racial discrimination. The lawsuits led to an injunction that blocked the debt relief payments. Several Black farmers and social justice advocates have said Miller’s actions are harmful. “I want to set the record straight – no one is against White farmers in this country,” John Boyd Jr., 57, a fourth-generation farmer who is founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, told CNN.

☆ The National Archives wants to release hundreds of pages of emails about Hunter Biden and Burisma — and the White House won't say whether it will let it happen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

National Archives is set to release White House emails about Burisma, the Ukrainian company that reportedly paid Hunter Biden $1.5 million. The White House now has 60 days to decide whether to stop the release of the emails by invoking executive privilege. The Biden White House repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether it intended to fight release. The Burisma emails are, of course, only one of the many ongoing Hunter Biden controversies. House Republicans have promised to launch their own far-reaching inquiry into Hunter Biden's finances and tumultuous personal life, and some of Hunter Biden's allies are discussing ways to counter-attack.

☆ Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh went to CPAC boss Matt Schlapp's holiday party, which Trump ally Stephen Miller and Rep. Matt Gaetz also attended: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh went to a holiday party at the home of Matt Schlapp Friday night. Schlapp is the chairman of the influential right-wing group Conservative Political Action Coalition. The appearance has sparked questions about possible conflicts of interest with a sitting Supreme Court justice attending a private party of right-wing leaders. Miller's conservative group, America First Legal, has filed briefs on cases that are pending before the Supreme Court, according to Bloomberg. Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to establish an enforceable code of conduct for the Supreme Court justices.

In one of the most high-profile and potentially explosive cases to come to the WTO, the three-person adjudicating panel said the U.S. measures were inconsistent with WTO rules and recommended the United States bring them into conformity. The United States said it strongly rejected the "flawed" interpretation and conclusions of the panel. Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% on aluminium in 2018, using Section 232 of a 1962 act that allows the president to restrict imports if they are threatening national security. The case hinged on the exemption from global trade rules the WTO allows in cases of national security. The central U.S. argument was that national security is for countries themselves to judge and certainly not something to be assessed by three WTO adjudicators sitting in Geneva.

☆ Liz Cheney resurfaced Paul Gosar's deleted tweet supporting Donald Trump's call to terminate the US Constitution: 'Time to condemn Trump yet?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Saturday, Trump suggested terminating rules in the Constitution that led to disputed voter fraud in the 2020 election. Rep. Liz Cheney resurfaced Gosar's tweet, calling on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to condemn the former president. Following backlash from GOP senators on his call to terminate the US Constitution, Trump attempted to walk back his remarks on Monday. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This week Trump said we should terminate all rules, regulations etc 'even those in the Constitution' to overturn the election.

☆ Biden's climate plan strains trade ties with Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The European Union and United States — together responsible for one third of global trade — have been at loggerheads in recent weeks over US President Joe Biden’s landmark $370 billion climate plan. While a trade war is unlikely, the plan is testing the transatlantic alliance and pushing Europe to consider mobilizing its own package of subsidies. The IRA is now law, and there is little appetite to bring it back to Congress to make substantive changes, he told CNN Business. The European Union has a couple of options at its disposal, analysts told CNN Business. On Monday, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that the bloc should create its own “European IRA plan,” according to a Reuters report.

☆ How High Will CD Rates Go in 2023?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Whether or not CD rates will continue to rise in 2023 depends a lot on what the Fed does to fight inflation, with higher inflation likely higher interest rates. Where will CD rates go in 2023? There is no direct relationship between CD rates and those set by the Federal Reserve, since banks can offer whatever interest rates they wish. And that means that CD rates likely have a little room to rise, but not a whole lot. While CD rates continually shift, it’s now possible to find rates of between 4% and 5% from well-known institutions like Capital One, BMO Harris, Synchrony and more.

☆ The inside story of Trump’s explosive dinner with Ye and Nick Fuentes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

“We saw everybody in the dining room get up and start applauding, and then the president entered,” Fuentes told NBC News. “He greeted us, and he invited Ye into dinner and Ye said that he wanted to bring us with him to the table. “Trump is really impressed with Nick Fuentes,” Ye said in the video. Giorno said she had been caught in the blast radius of the dinner with Ye and Fuentes but was an unwitting participant. About halfway to Mar-a-Lago, Giorno said in an interview, she realized that Ye, Fuentes and the other man weren’t properly attired.

☆ Liz Cheney calls on Kevin McCarthy to condemn Trump for meeting with 'neo-Nazi' Nick Fuentes: 'I know you want to be Speaker, but are you willing to be completely amoral?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Liz Cheney is calling on Kevin McCarthy to condemn Donald Trump for meeting with Nick Fuentes. Fuentes is widely known as a white supremacist and anti-semite. McCarthy has previously said Republicans should avoid Fuentes, but he hasn't spoken out against Trump. "Hey @GOPLeader - where is your condemnation of Donald Trump for meeting with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, the pro-Putin leader of the America First Political Action Conference?" The Anti-Defamation League describes Fuentes as a white supremacist, anti-semite, and 2020 election-denier "who seeks to forge a white nationalist alternative to the mainstream GOP."

☆ Nick Fuentes is well known as a white supremacist and anti-semite. That hasn't stopped Trump and at least 5 GOP lawmakers from associating with him since 2017.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Warren Rojas | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

White nationalist Nick Fuentes has associated with several MAGA stars who claim they don't know him. Fuentes has spent time with Donald Trump, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, among others. GOP leaders like Kevin McCarthy and Mitt Romney have urged others to stay away from Fuentes. Interactions with the America First Foundation leader have also prompted GOP lawmakers to deny knowing who Fuentes is and what he stands for. The Anti-Defamation League describes Fuentes as a white supremacist, anti-semite, and 2020 election-denier "who seeks to forge a white nationalist alternative to the mainstream GOP."

☆ Ex-GOP congressman says Trump's Mar-a-Lago dinner with white supremacist Nick Fuentes 'further diminishes' the former president as a 'serious' political figure
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ex-Rep. Charlie Dent on Saturday criticized Trump for dining with Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago. "This is simply inexcusable that he would have dinner with this noted white nationalist," Dent said. "This is simply inexcusable that he would have dinner with this noted white nationalist, antisemite Nick Fuentes, and of course, Kanye West with all of his baggage. "It also speaks to a larger problem for former President Trump — that there apparently are no gatekeepers. "But finally, I guess I would say this further diminishes Donald Trump as a serious political figure.

☆ Kanye West was seen at Trump's Mar-a-Lago with a white nationalist live-streamer who marched in Charlottesville: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ye was spotted at Mar-a-Lago with alt-right figure Nick Fuentes, per Politico and The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast confirmed with a source that Ye met Trump for dinner, but without Fuentes. Ye and Fuentes were first spotted together at an airport in Miami on Tuesday. —Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 23, 2022Politico and The Daily Beast both reported that Fuentes and Ye were seen together at Trump's golf club. Fuentes is well-known for being a participant at the 2017 white supremacist "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville.

☆ Analysis: Trump lesson on U.S. protectionism guides Canadian foreign policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

OTTAWA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government learned a lesson when former U.S. President Donald Trump forced the renegotiation of the North American trade pact five years ago: never underestimate U.S. protectionism. The next U.S. presidential election is less than two years away and Trump last week said he would run again, suggesting the "America first" trade policy could again be on the ballot. Even without Trump, the United States has shown signs of becoming increasingly leery of free trade in recent years. When America goes America first, they forget Canada's right next door," said a senior source familiar with the Canadian government's thinking on foreign policy. "I don't want to undermine the Indo-Pacific strategy by saying it's entirely about the United States, because it's not, but having a strong Indo-Pacific strategy is also important in our bilateral relationship with the United States," the senior source said.

☆ The Republican far-right is seeking to place new limits on aid to Ukraine after the GOP claimed a narrow House majority
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Far-right Republicans want Ukraine aid restricted, with some saying it should be cut off entirely. But one analyst told Insider that broader bipartisan support for Ukraine aid remains solid. Gunner Ramer, political director of the centrist Republican Accountability Project, told Insider that a narrow Republican majority in the House meant that lawmakers such as Greene would wield outsized influence. Ukraine aid bills have, to date, all passed with broad bipartisan backing. Ayres, meanwhile, cautioned House Republicans hostile to Ukraine aid that pressing the issue could alienate moderate voters, for whom core policy issues like crime and the economy remain key.

☆ Here are the suspended Twitter accounts that have been reinstated since Elon Musk took over
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, promising to uphold free speech, some accounts were reinstated. Some accounts previously banned or suspended have been revived, but in typical Musk fashion, the reinstatements haven't come without controversy. After 51% of respondents voted "yes," the billionaire owner restored Trump's Twitter account the next day. After five years, his Twitter account was reinstated. After being suspended, Peterson filmed a nearly 15-minute long YouTube video, saying he would rather die than delete the hateful tweet.

☆ It's not just GOP donors — even Trump's onetime spiritual advisor is turning on him after his 2024 announcement, calling him a 'little elementary schoolchild'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Even Trump's onetime spiritual adviser is ditching him, after he announced his 2024 presidential bid. "If Mr. Trump can't stop his little petty issues, how does he expect people to stop major issues?" Even Trump's one-time spiritual adviser has publicly slammed him, calling him childish, a day after he announced his 2024 presidential run. This was after Trump announced his 2024 presidential bid on Tuesday night at Mar-a-Lago, pledging to make America "great" and "glorious" again. Robison did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider on whether he would endorse Trump's 2024 bid.

☆ How did Democrats make it so close in the House midterm elections?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +18 min

While the GOP did still take the House, the close margin of victory was a performance well below what was possible. Here are eight perspectives from across the ideological spectrum on why the Democrats were able to make it so close. And this reality was essential given the defection of Black and Latino voters to the Republican Party and its candidates. America can credit Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s obstruction of a democracy bill and an economic bill for the narrow Republican House majority. But now, America needs to deal with a Republican House, thanks in good part to Manchin’s obstruction.

☆ Republican U.S. House will sharpen China focus, monitor Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican in line to head the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said his top priority will be competing with a rising China, including monitoring high-tech exports. To become law, any bills must be passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden. McCaul said he expected the aid to keep flowing, noting bipartisan support for the Kyiv government. The House Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees also plan a joint investigation of business dealings that Hunter Biden had with a Chinese energy firm in 2017. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump in 2019 on charges that he withheld military aid to Ukraine to put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch an investigation of Hunter Biden.

☆ GOP donor who gave Trump $120,000 in 2020 now says he won't give the former president anything
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A GOP donor who gave Donald Trump $120,000 in 2020 now says he won't give him a nickel. Andy Sabin, chairman of Sabin Metal Corp, told CNBC he blames Trump for the GOP's midterms results. Sabin gave Trump $120,000 in 2020, per CNBC. "At the end of the day, people stayed away because of Trump," Sabin said. Sabin told CNBC that he, too, blames Trump for the party's election failures.

☆ Half a world apart, Biden counters Russia by touting the alliances that Trump mocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Peter Nicholas Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Attending a summit meeting in Bali when the missile hit Poland, Biden quickly arranged the meeting with the leaders of France, Germany, Canada and other allies. Most of the leaders in attendance have agreed to sign on, a Biden administration official said. “We, of course, are ready to stand with our NATO allies and partners,” Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesman, told reporters. NATO, and the mutual defense obligation that underlies it, was nearly a casualty of the Trump administration. They’re still looking for him.” Left unsaid was that as president, Trump skipped summit meetings with Asian leaders in 2018, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place.

☆ Blackstone CEO and GOP megadonor Steve Schwarzman says he won't help Trump during 2024 primary
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman listens to U.S. President Donald Trump during Trump's strategy and policy forum with chief executives of major U.S. companies at the White House in Washington February 3, 2017. Blackstone CEO and Republican megadonor Steve Schwarzman has no plans to fund former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign for the White House — at least not in the GOP primary. Schwarzman first allied himself with Trump late in the 2016 presidential election. Since Trump's initial run for president, Schwarzman has become one the Republican Party's biggest donors. During the 2020 presidential election, he donated $3 million to America First Action, a super PAC that backed Trump's candidacy, according to OpenSecrets.

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Donald Trump said he would make a third bid for the U.S. presidency, in an announcement that was carried live on Fox News' “Hannity” show Tuesday. Trump received an upbeat response from host Sean Hannity, a longtime supporter who has interviewed the former president on myriad occasions, and guests including Fox contributor Mike Huckabee and “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth. “He is the preeminent fighter for freedom, for America First, of our generation,” said Hegseth in remarks after Trump’s announcement. The show’s enthusiasm about Trump’s candidacy runs counter to some of the harsher criticism that Fox and other news outlets controlled by Rupert Murdoch have levied against Trump in the days since the midterm elections. On midterm election night, some Fox News analysts singled out Trump for criticism when the "red wave" that was expected to sweep Republican candidates into office amounted to a trickle.

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