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☆ AOC to GOP: Don't tell me you're condemning anti-Semitism when a Republican 'who has talked about Jewish space lasers' gets a plum committee assignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AOC unloaded on Republicans for hypocrisy with their vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from her committee. She said Republicans have been rewarded with plum committee assignments after doing worse. "This is about targeting women of color in the United States of America," she said. Republicans voted to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee because of her controversial comments in the past about Israel. After being stripped of committee assignments last Congress for her rhetoric, she now sits on prestigious committees on oversight and homeland security.

☆ 2 House Republicans caught saying Ilhan Omar removal was the 'stupidest vote in world' before begging reporters to not tell GOP leadership what they said
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Warren Rojas | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Republicans removed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from one of her committees on Thursday. The party-line vote struck at least a pair of GOP members as a dumb move. The dejected duo called it the "stupidest vote" and panned leadership for making Omar a "martyr." The not-so-private condemnation of Speaker Kevin McCarthy's campaign to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs panel happened after Republicans clinched the retaliatory strike on a party-line vote of 218-211. After Buck decreed it the "stupidest" political move, Simpson said the expulsion would probably make the Minnesota Democrat into a "martyr."

They were joined by the parent of a student who died in the 2018 shooting at Santa Fe, Texas, high school. Duran's sister, Irma Garcia, was one of the two teachers and 19 killed in the May 4, 2022 shooting in Uvalde. The Uvalde massacre was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and one of the deadliest in the country. Eric Gay / APThe sorrow of the losses for the Uvalde families were visible in tears, sniffles and anger, as some of the family members made statements at the conference in Austin, which was livestreamed. It has to be the session where we do something on gun safety,” Gutierrez said.

☆ Sen. Joe Manchin criticizes Biden’s handling of classified documents: ‘Irresponsible’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on Sunday criticized President Joe Biden for his handling of classified documents after six additional items were found at the president’s Delaware home. In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Manchin called Biden having classified documents in unsecured places “irresponsible” and voiced his support for Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to appoint a special counsel to review the materials. Biden, Manchin continued, should own up to making mistakes after batches of classified records were found in recent weeks at his residence and a Washington office he used. Biden's personal attorney said Saturday that six additional items, including documents with classified markings, were found at the president’s home after Justice Department officials searched the residence. The DOJ has appointed special counsel Robert Hur, a former federal prosecutor who has worked with many Republicans throughout his law enforcement career, to oversee the investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents.

☆ AI bot that lets you chat with Jesus, Hitler is latest GPT-3 controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

But this week, it sparked viral controversy online over its inclusion of Hitler, his Nazi lieutenants and other dictators from the past. Historical Figures, which also uses GPT-3, launched the first week of January, and as of Wednesday, it had about 9,000 signups, app creator Sidhant Chadda said in a phone interview. “People expect these historical figures to be truthful, but in reality, people are not always 100% honest,” he said. Asking a question costs one coin, and the app charges extra to get access to high-profile historical figures. The possibility of digitally re-animating historical figures has been gaining ground ever since, from the “The Simpsons” to holograms of dead idols such as Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston.

☆ March for Life anti-abortion rally set to take place for the first time since Roe was overturned
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Organizers of the annual rally and march say they need to continue holding the event despite the high court's decision last year to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The activists say they will continue to march every January "until a culture of life is restored in the United States of America." The Supreme Court overturned Roe in a 5-4 decision on June 24 — nearly 50 years after the landmark ruling — in a case about Mississippi’s abortion ban, which it upheld in a 6-3 ruling. And as conservatives implement restrictions across the country, Democrats are expanding access to abortion in states where they control the legislatures. The Biden administration has also sought to protect abortion rights despite the end of Roe.

An Arkansas man who was photographed on Jan. 6 with his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office took the witness stand at his criminal trial Thursday and said he regretted his actions during the attack on the Capitol. “I shouldn’t have put my feet on the desk,” Richard "Bigo" Barnett told jurors while testifying in his own defense on riot-related felony charges. Barnett testified that going inside the building was “against his instinct” and compared the experience to being in a dream. Barnett also told jurors that he hadn't intentionally sought out Pelosi's office. He said he did not realize it was Pelosi’s office until he picked up an envelope with her name on it, which he said he did out of curiosity.

☆ Ukraine's top general outlines 'urgent needs' in talks with U.S. military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top general said he had outlined the "urgent needs" of his armed forces on Tuesday at a first personal meeting with the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in Poland. "I outlined the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the fulfilment of which will accelerate our Victory," General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in a statement on Telegram. The United States has been by far the biggest supplier of military assistance for Kyiv during the war. In his statement, Zaluzhnyi said he thanked Milley for "the unwavering support and assistance provided by the United States of America and allies to Ukraine". Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder Editing by Jon Boyle and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US labor secretary says he wants more women to be CEOs and board members so the gender pay gap can immediately close
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Marty Walsh, the labor secretary, said at the WEF the US needs more women as CEOs and board members. Having women in these positions could close the gender pay gap, he said. The WEF estimated in its Global Gender Gap Report, published in July, that it would take 132 years to close the gap. Businesses need to understand that they need to close the pay gap, he said. The WEF said in its July report that the global gender pay gap had been closed by around 68%.

Share this -Link copiedMcCarthy elected speaker in 15th round McCarthy was elected House speaker Saturday shortly after midnight on the 15th ballot. Share this -Link copiedHouse reconvenes to hold 14th round of speaker votes The House has reconvened to begin the 14th round of speaker votes. Read the rest of the story, The House speaker election, in three charts. Share this -Link copiedHouse begins 13th round The House is beginning the 13th round of speaker votes. At least 14 House GOP flip to support McCarthy in twelfth speaker vote Jan. 6, 2023 01:52 Share this -Link copied

☆ Biden wants Republican-led House to get its 'act together' over leadership
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on lawmakers in the Republican-led House of Representatives to "get their act together," saying the messy battle to determine the chamber's leader reflects poorly on the United States. The fight over who will lead the House after Republicans gained a majority in November's midterm elections entered its second day on Wednesday after the expected frontrunner Kevin McCarthy weathered three failed votes the day prior. "This is not a good look," Biden, a Democrat, said in remarks to reporters at the White House. The White House is eager to portray itself as focused on issues important to voters while House Republicans fight over their leadership. Tuesday marked the first time in 100 years that the House failed to elect a speaker on its first day in session.

☆ Kellyanne Conway says Donald Trump 'reserves fear for one person' — his wife Melania
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kellyanne Conway says Melania Trump is the one person Donald Trump fears. "I texted Melania Trump that day, though, for sure," Conway told the panel's investigators. "He reserves — he listens to many of us, but he reserves fear for one person, Melania Trump." Grisham told The Washington Examiner that "MT" was Melania Trump. Conway and representatives for Donald and Melania Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ ‘The Ghost at the Feast’ Review: When America Kept to Itself
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Paul Kennedy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The 19th-century world was emphatically multipolar, even if the British Empire held outsize influence in some areas outside Europe. The decades after 1945 were dominated by two nuclear powers—America and the Soviet Union. But the years before World War II cannot be summarized simply, or explained in a sentence or two. It was an economic force, all right, but it usually declined membership in international bodies or security arrangements. In 1919 the experienced British diplomat Harold Nicolson had called it “the ghost at all our feasts.”

☆ Elon Musk tweeted another photo of his bedside table, saying the US Constitution is the 'most treasured' item on it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk said the US Constitution was the "most treasured item" on his bedside table. Musk tweeted the image in response to an account that tweets reported quotes from the billionaire. Musk said the books were the "most treasured item on my bedside table." The first November tweet of his bedside table drew scrutiny for its bizarre collection of items. The November tweet inspired public figures and influencers, like Logan Paul, to post their own parody pictures of their bedside table.

☆ The Michigan lawyer pushing Trump’s voter-fraud fictions in U.S. court
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +27 min

Lambert started in her home state of Michigan, joining four lawsuits on behalf of Trump supporters. As Trump zeroed in on vote-rigging allegations in Michigan, Lambert emailed the White House, according to her July 2021 video interview with two right-wing websites. Cotton and Penrose also were involved in examining breached voting machines in Michigan for DePerno and Lambert, according to the Michigan attorney general investigation. In the process, the commissioners were accused of flouting a court order by allowing a forensics company to inspect county voting equipment. In August 2021, a federal judge reprimanded Lambert, Powell and seven other lawyers who joined the failed lawsuit seeking to overturn Michigan’s vote after Trump’s 2020 defeat.

Brent crude futures were up 93 cents, or 1.15%, at $80.92 a barrel by 1040 GMT. U.S. crude inventories fell by about 3.1 million barrels in the week to Dec. 16, said market sources, citing data from the American Petroleum Institute. Worries about surging COVID-19 cases in China as the country begins dismantling its zero-COVID policy kept oil prices from moving higher. Overall, Russian oil exports fell by 11% month on month for Dec. 1-20 after the European Union's embargo on Russian oil came into force, the Kommersant daily reported. Reporting by Shadia Nasralla and Dmitry Zhdannikov; Additional reporting by Isabel Kua in Singapore Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil prices little changed as U.S. crude drawdown offsets China COVID worries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Isabel Kua | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies United States of America FollowSINGAPORE, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday as a larger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude stocks offset worries about rising COVID-19 cases in top oil importer China. Gasoline inventories rose by about 4.5 million barrels, while distillate stocks rose by 828,000 barrels, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "A larger-than-expected draw in U.S. inventories, coupled with U.S. plans to refill their Strategic Petroleum Reserve have supported oil prices," said Serena Huang, head of APAC analysis at Vortexa. Oil prices were boosted by these comments which suggest that OPEC+ may continue to keep supply tight to support oil prices, CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said. Growing worries about a surge in COVID-19 cases in China as the country begins dismantling its strict zero-COVID policy kept oil prices from moving higher.

☆ India to step up COVID surveillance as cases increase elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - India's government has asked all states to step up surveillance for any new variants of the coronavirus, citing an increase in COVID-19 cases in China and elsewhere. India has reported the most COVID cases in the world after the United States but its tally of confirmed infections has fallen sharply in the past few months. A recent surge of infections in neighbouring China after it ended its strict COVID restrictions has led to concern that new variants could emerge. Data from the World Health Organization shows that infections have inched up in Japan, Korea, the United States, France and Brazil in recent days. The government has asked all states to ensure that samples of all positive cases are sent to the 54 designated genome sequencing laboratories.

☆ Jan. 6 committee highlights: Panel votes on criminal referrals for Trump and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Rebecca Shabad | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +48 min

“By the time President Trump was preparing to give his speech, he and his advisors knew enough to cancel the rally. “Some have suggested that President Trump gave an order to have 10,000 troops ready for January 6th. On far-right groups drawing inspiration from Trump: Trump has not denied that he helped inspire far-right groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, to violently attempt to obstruct the official certification proceedings on Jan. 6. "There is no question from all the evidence assembled that President Trump did have that intent." Share this -Link copiedInside the final Jan. 6 committee meeting The Jan. 6 committee met for what’s likely its final public meeting, with many of the usual faces present.

☆ Jan. 6 committee live updates: Panel votes on criminal referrals for Trump and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +42 min

Committee details Trump allies' efforts to obstruct its investigation In its report summary, the committee detailed some of the efforts to obstruct its investigation. On far-right groups drawing inspiration from Trump: Trump has not denied that he helped inspire far-right groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, to violently attempt to obstruct the official certification proceedings on Jan. 6. "There is no question from all the evidence assembled that President Trump did have that intent." Share this -Link copiedInside the final Jan. 6 committee meeting The Jan. 6 committee met for what’s likely its final public meeting, with many of the usual faces present. The committee will likely reveal Eastman’s referrals during Monday’s meeting, in addition to expected criminal referrals for Trump.

☆ Father of Highland Park parade shooting suspect charged with reckless conduct
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The father of the Highland Park, Illinois, parade shooting suspect has been charged in connection with helping his son obtain a firearm and ammunition, officials announced Friday. The shooting suspect was 21 at the time of the attack but 19 when he bought the semiautomatic rifle and ammunition, they said. Crimo Jr. turned himself in to Highland Park police Friday afternoon. Authorities allege the shooting suspect climbed to the top of a Highland Park building, used that elevated spot as a sniper’s nest, and opened fire on people attending the town’s July Fourth parade. Crimo Jr. is a former Highland Park mayoral candidate who has voiced support for Second Amendment protections.

☆ Putin was 'calculated' when he chose to send Brittney Griner back to the US while 'leaving others in custody in Russia,' Rep. Adam Schiff says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Adam Schiff said Russia's Vladimir Putin made a "calculated" choice to only swap Brittney Griner. Other Americans, like Paul Whelan, remain in Russian custody despite efforts to get them home. Putin made a one-for-one swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout to "roil the American" people, Schiff said. Paul Whelan and Marc Fogel remain held in Russia. And I'm so impressed with both the Whelan and Fogel families for their gratitude that one American is free," Schiff said.

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will appeal the dismissal of a lawsuit against casino magnate Steve Wynn, who it accused of acting as a Chinese agent. Wynn defeated the lawsuit in October when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., said the casino tycoon could not be ordered to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent of China. The Justice Department in May sued for a court order forcing Wynn, the former CEO of Wynn Casinos, to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Wynn's attorneys denied that he was ever an agent of the Chinese government. He also said the Justice Department could pursue criminal sanctions against Wynn for failing to disclose the alleged lobbying, if the statute of limitations had not expired.

CNN —A Republican senator became emotional as he spoke in deeply personal terms about the importance of mental health care in America. A loved one, a friend, someone you know, that has serious mental illness.”For Cassidy, the issue is personal. Or, we can say we’re going to attempt to do something about it,” he told CNN. In May, Cassidy, alongside Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, introduced legislation to expand and improve upon a bipartisan mental health measure that had expired in September. “Whether or not it’s passed, at the end of the year, I can’t tell you that,” Cassidy told CNN.

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

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