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Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm about how a nonfunctional House hurts national security. "If a national security crisis arises, the President of the United States is right down the street," he said. "I'm informed by House Security that, technically, I don't have a clearance," Gallagher, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer, told reporters. "I'm a member of the [House Intelligence Committee], I'm on the Armed Services Committee, and I can't meet in the SCIF to conduct essential business." "President Xi says, 'Our system of governance works because democracy don't,'" Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, told reporters.

SEOUL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A North Korean drone briefly entered a no-fly zone surrounding South Korea's presidential office when it intruded into the South's airspace last week, Seoul's military said on Thursday, fuelling criticism over its air defences. The drone was among five North Korean drones that crossed into the South on Dec. 26, prompting South Korea's military to scramble fighter jets and helicopters. The border crossing has sparked criticism over South Korea's air defences at a time of the North's growing nuclear and missile threats. Reclusive North Korea has pursued missile and nuclear weapons programmes in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

☆ What could GOP control of the House mean for U.S.-China tensions?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Megan Lebowitz | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

McCarthy also says he plans to create a House select committee on China, the first since the late 1990s. House Republicans will also investigate the origins of the coronavirus and “the CCP’s role in the spread,” the blog post said, although it is unclear whether that investigation would be part of the select committee. Tensions were further inflamed in August by Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, the first by a sitting U.S. House speaker since 1997. The most volatile issue in U.S.-China relations is the status of Taiwan, which Beijing has not ruled out seizing by force. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei, Taiwan on Aug. 3, 2022.

☆ TikTok might be too big to ban, no matter what lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“I would lose most of my sales.”For much of the past two years, talk of an outright TikTok ban seemed to recede. But suddenly, the future of TikTok in the United States appears more uncertain than at any point since July 2020. Two years later, she said a TikTok ban would cause her to "lose most of my sales." The tremendous reach of TikTok may only make it harder to ban the service outright, some national security experts say. Hootie Hurley, 23, a Los Angeles-based full-time creator with more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok, told CNN that he now makes most of his income through his TikTok following.

☆ U.S. Intelligence Agencies Unprepared for Next Global Health Crisis, House Panel Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Warren P. Strobel | Michael R. Gordon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A House report criticizes former President Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic as it spread from China around the globe in early 2020; a Massachusetts Covid-19 ward. WASHINGTON—Three years after Covid-19 began, U.S. intelligence agencies still haven’t made changes needed to provide better warnings of global health crises and support U.S. leaders when the next pandemic hits, a House Intelligence Committee report released on Thursday concludes. “The intelligence community has not recognized that health security is national security–and has not made organizational changes to make that realization manifest,” says the report on spy agencies’ response to the Covid pandemic, which has killed nearly 1.1 million Americans.

☆ U.S. should've spied on Chinese health officials who were hiding what they knew about Covid, Congress says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. intelligence agencies began warning that Covid-19 could become a pandemic just weeks after the coronavirus was first reported in China, but they missed an opportunity to better understand its spread because they didn’t quickly begin spying on Chinese health officials who were hiding what they knew, says a newly declassified report by the House Intelligence Committee. The report partly vindicates the CIA and other U.S. spy agencies, noting that they raised the specter of a pandemic well before the World Health Organization declared one on March 11, 2020. And it adds to the body of evidence showing that then-President Donald Trump misled the public about what he was hearing from advisers about the seriousness of the virus. Investigators said they were “unable to corroborate” reports by NBC News and ABC News that U.S. spies collected raw intelligence in November indicating a health crisis in Wuhan, China. The report says the first intelligence report mentioning the virus that would become known as coronavirus or Covid-19 came on the day of the first media report about it.

☆ Premarket stocks: Investors are hoping for the economic tide to turn. The wait may soon be over
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

What’s happening: Price increases in the United States cooled more than economists expected last month, recording the lowest level of growth since last December. This is the second consecutive month of moderating price pressures and could mean the underlying trend of inflation is finally decelerating. That’s a welcome and hopeful sign for consumers, policymakers and investors, said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors. The bill specifically names TikTok and its parent, ByteDance, as social media companies for the purposes of the legislation. In the past two weeks, at least seven states have introduced such measures, including Maryland, South Dakota and Utah.

☆ Biden chose humanity over geopolitics with Griner release
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But President Joe Biden’s decision to exchange WNBA star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout goes beyond the exchange’s bottom line. And it prompted top Republicans to charge that he had prioritized a basketball superstar over an ex-marine who benefited from a vocal political pressure campaign on Biden. This adds another layer of complication for Biden as he seeks to get Whelan free, since it involves another government and would require German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to potentially agree to supersede his country’s own legal system. While Biden is being castigated by some political opponents in Washington for doing a bad deal, administration officials insisted that he got the best one on offer. It was a choice between bringing home one particular American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none,” a senior administration official told reporters on Thursday.

Trump’s post came after Twitter CEO Elon Musk promoted a series of tweets Friday revealing internal documents about how the company handled a New York Post article about Hunter Biden in 2020. While he said he “vehemently disagrees” with the former president’s statement, Turner did not directly answer the question, even after host Margaret Brennan pressed repeatedly. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a vocal opponent of Trump who serves on the House Jan. 6 committee, called Trump's statement “insane." Meanwhile, Democrats swiftly rebuked Trump’s statement shortly after it was posted. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he “vociferously” condemns Trump’s remarks and urged his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same.

☆ New poll suggests Americans' support for Ukraine is softening as GOP vows to slow the massive aid effort
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new Morning Consult poll shows Ukraine is not a top foreign policy priority for US voters. The Ukraine war ranks sixth among Democrats and 10th among Republicans in foreign priorities. This comes as House Republicans signal they'll move to slow US aid to Kyiv. Earlier on in the war, polling showed strong support among US voters for US aid to Ukraine. The incoming Republican majority in the House has signaled that it won't support massive aid packages to Kyiv.

☆ Schiff says McCarthy will 'misrepresent his record' and oust him from his committee position thanks to the 'QAnon caucus'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Adam Schiff accused House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of following the "QAnon caucus." McCarthy, nominated for Speaker, pledged to remove Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee. However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she would vote for McCarthy after he promised to reinstate her committee assignments. McCarthy has also pledged to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Eric Swalwell from their committees and investigate DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on his approach to border security. He will misrepresent Eric Swalwell or Ilhan Omar, whatever he needs to do to get the votes of the QAnon caucus within his conference."

Shortly before Pelosi’s announcement Thursday that she was stepping down, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff signaled he would not run for House leadership and would focus his efforts on a future Senate bid instead. 2 leadership post, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal of Washington decided to run for another term leading her caucus of roughly 100 House liberals. Aguilar originally had his eyes set on the assistant leader position, but Clyburn’s move forced him to run for caucus chair. 4 and Democratic Caucus chair will move up to No. That left Rep. Joe Neguse, 38, who had been campaigning behind the scenes for months for caucus chair, as the odd man out.

☆ Schiff responds to McCarthy's threat to remove him from committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) responds to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) threatening to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee if he's elected House Speaker.

☆ House election results put McCarthy on track for speaker, and Democrats on track for retribution
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( W. James Antle Iii | W. James Antle Iii Is The Washington Examiner'S Politics Editor | Author Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, likely the chamber’s next speaker, is holding firm to his pledge to strip three liberal Democrats of their committee assignments when the new Congress is seated next year. That’s not sitting well with Democrats, as they are about to enter the House minority for the first time in four years. By breaking tradition and meddling with committee assignments across the aisle, they had to know they were triggering years of partisan tit for tat. Republicans considered punishing her by taking her committee assignments, but Greene apologized for some of her worst statements, and her colleagues relented. Many lawmakers are discovering social media and cable news are a better path to influence than committee assignments.

☆ Chinese-made drones are flying in restricted DC airspace, sparking new spying fears in the nation's capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There are rising concerns in DC about the potential for recreational Chinese-made drones to be used for spying. Congressional lawmakers have received classified briefings from US agencies on these concerns, per a Politico report. Chinese-made drones have repeatedly flown into restricted airspace over Washington, DC, the report said. A spokesperson for DJI told Politico that though the firm makes an effort to ensure customers follow regulations "we can't control the end users' behavior." Insider reached out to the Senate Homeland Security, Commerce, and Intelligence committees for comment but has not yet received a response.

House Democrats swiftly pushed back at Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in response to his threat to strip them of their committee assignments if he is elected as speaker. After Republicans narrowly won back control of the House in the midterm elections, McCarthy this weekend doubled down on his pledge to remove several prominent House Democrats from their committee assignments if he becomes speaker. McCarthy said he would not allow Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to serve on their committees. “He will adhere to the wishes of the lowest common denominator,” Schiff said when asked about McCarthy’s vow to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee. Removing Democrats from their committee assignments would require a vote of a majority of the House.

☆ Adam Schiff slams Kevin McCarthy after he promises to remove 3 prominent Dems from their committees: 'He will do whatever Marjorie Taylor Greene wants him to do'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is seeking to become House Speaker next year. He's promised to remove Rep. Adam Schiff and two other Democrats from their committees if elected. Some Republicans have criticized McCarthy — including Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who said that McCarthy has been "siding with the insurrectionists," and Rep. Liz Cheney, who called McCarthy the "leader of the pro-Putin wing." Under his leadership, he has said he will reinstate her on committee assignments despite her far-right ideologies. Representatives for McCarthy and Schiff did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Top U.S. House Republican McCarthy plans special committee on China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We will put a stop to this and no longer allow the administration to sit back and let China do what they are doing to America." McCarthy also said he would keep his promise to oust a number of Democrats from key House committees, including Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the intelligence committee. He said he would also remove Representative Eric Swalwell from the intelligence committee and Representative Ilhan Omar from the foreign affairs committee. China's Embassy in Washington acknowledged the existence of volunteer-run sites in the United States, but said they were not "police stations." Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Leah Douglas; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON — New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, said Friday that he will run to replace House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the party's leader after Republicans took back control of the chamber in last week’s midterm elections. The ascension of the 52-year-old Jeffries to minority leader would also represent generational change. Clark, 59, announced a bid for Democratic Whip, while Aguilar, 43, is running for Democratic Caucus Chair. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said Thursday she was confident that the powerful bloc of more than 50 Black lawmakers would line up behind Jeffries. “I’m very comfortable saying I believe that every member of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote for Hakeem Jeffries,” Beatty told reporters Thursday.

☆ Russia keeps mum on CIA director's warning over nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] CIA Director William Burns speaks during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 15, 2021. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns warned Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, about the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, a White House official said. It was the first known high-level, face-to-face U.S.-Russian contact since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Zelenskiy said the CIA director had spent time in a bomb shelter before the two men met amid Russian missile strikes. Putin has said Russia will defend its territory with all available means, including nuclear weapons, if attacked.

☆ Trump-endorsed Republican Joe Lombardo defeats Gov. Steve Sisolak in Nevada's gubernatorial election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Steve Sisolak was defeated by Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial race. (3 Districts) Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. NV-01NV-03NV-04 House Governor Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Steve Sisolak was defeated by Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial election. His opponent, Lombardo, raised $3.7 million, spent $4.7 million, and had $1.8 million on hand, as of September 30.

☆ Live Results: Gov. Steve Sisolak faces off against Trump-endorsed Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Steve Sisolak ran against Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial race. (3 Districts) Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. NV-01NV-03NV-04 House Governor Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Steve Sisolak faced off against Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial election. His opponent, Lombardo, had raised $3.7 million, spent $4.7 million, and had $1.8 million on hand, as of September 30.

Trump’s mendacity is arguably the Second Big Lie. Four years earlier, the Hillary Clinton campaign and leading Democrats refused to acknowledge the outcome of the 2016 election, by claiming Donald Trump was not a legitimate president. “He knows he’s an illegitimate president,” said Clinton, also three years later. She repeated this sentiment in 2020, telling The Atlantic the election “was not on the level,” and again when she called Trump’s win illegitimate. These two phenomena are inextricably linked: The 2016 election denial paved the way for Trump’s lies four years later.

☆ Former US ambassador says Putin using a nuke would spell 'the end of the Russian military'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former US ambassador said Russian use of nukes in Ukraine would "end" Putin's military. Putin recently said he wouldn't use nuclear weapons, following earlier hints that he would. US intelligence learned that senior Russian military leaders recently held discussions over using a tactical nuclear weapons, as The New York Times reported. Russia is estimated to have around 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons amid an even larger stockpile of bigger, strategic nukes. "They also know that there would be a devastating military response against Russian forces if they did it," he said.

☆ Gov. Steve Sisolak faces off against Trump-endorsed Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Steve Sisolak is running against Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial race. Steve Sisolak faces off against Republican Joe Lombardo in Nevada's gubernatorial election. Nevada's gubernatorial candidatesSisolak is the governor of Nevada, with voters first electing him in 2018. Sisolak's win in 2018 established Nevada's Democratic state trifecta — where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature — for the first time since 1992. His opponent, Lombardo, has raised $3.7 million, spent $4.7 million, and has $1.8 million of cash on hand, as of September 30.

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