DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ TikTok CEO to testify before Congress in March amid app security questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Rose Horowitch | Rose Horowitch Is An Intern With Nbc News Digital Politics. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will appear before Congress in March to field questions about the viral video app's security measures amid mounting efforts to ban it because of privacy concerns. TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has come under increased scrutiny after media reports showed possible security breaches. Several lawmakers are supporting legislation to ban the app from the U.S. entirely. The ban Biden approved, which was wrapped into the omnibus spending bill, included limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security and security research purposes. Last month Congress banned it on all government devices.

☆ TikTok CEO to testify before Congress in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify at an upcoming hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a committee spokesperson confirmed to CNN Monday. “We’ve made our concerns clear with TikTok,” said the committee’s chair, Washington Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, in a statement. The high-profile hearing underscores the rising political risk for TikTok as its negotiations with the US government on a national security deal continue to drag on. Chew, who took over as TikTok CEO in April 2021, has largely stayed out of the spotlight at a time when the app he leads can’t seem to avoid it. Members of Congress previously grilled TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas, arguably the public face of the company in the United States, during a Senate hearing last year.

☆ TikTok CEO to testify before House panel about app's security and ties to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The New Economy Forum is being organized by Bloomberg Media Group, a division of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. Photographer: Bryan van der Beek/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesTikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before a House panel on March 23 about the app's security and privacy practices and its ties to China through parent company ByteDance. TikTok has been engaging with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which can determine if certain risk mitigation measures are adequate to dampen national security concerns. Still, those negotiations have reportedly been delayed at least as of last month, as officials continue to worry about the implications of the app's ownership by Chinese parent company ByteDance. Fears over TikTok's national security and privacy implications for consumers have spanned both sides of Congress, and stretched across the Trump administration into the Biden administration.

☆ TikTok CEO to testify before U.S. Congress over security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The news comes as the House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to hold a vote next month on a bill aimed at blocking the use of TikTok in the United States over national security concerns. "ByteDance-owned TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data," McMorris Rodgers said, adding that Americans deserve to know how these actions impact their privacy and data security. TikTok said on Friday "calls for total bans of TikTok take a piecemeal approach to national security and a piecemeal approach to broad industry issues like data security, privacy, and online harms". The U.S. government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a powerful national security body, in 2020 ordered ByteDance to divest TikTok because of fears that U.S. user data could be passed onto China’s government. CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for more than two years aiming to reach a national security agreement to protect the data of U.S. TikTok users.

☆ Iheanacho sends Leicester into FA Cup fifth round, Leeds also win
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Leicester scrape past fourth-tier WalsallLeeds win 3-1 at Accrington StanleyFulham salvage 1-1 draw with SunderlandWALSALL, England, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Kelechi Iheanacho spared Leicester City from a potential FA Cup giant-killing as his second-half goal saw the Foxes beat fourth-tier Walsall 1-0 and progress to the fifth round on Saturday, while Leeds advanced with a 3-1 win over Accrington Stanley. Southampton put their Premier League woes aside to beat Championship strugglers Blackpool 2-1 while Bristol City eased to a 3-0 win over fellow second-tier side West Bromwich Albion. Leicester, who beat fourth-tier strugglers Gillingham with an Iheanacho goal in round three, faced a stern test from a hard-working, high-energy Walsall outfit. Leeds reached the fifth round for the first time since 2016 as they avoided a slip-up at third-tier Accrington. Reporting by Adam Millington and Martyn Herman; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ House Speaker McCarthy spoke with Musk about making Twitter 'fair on all sides'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) arrives to a meeting with the House Republican Steering Committee at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. Twitter CEO Elon Musk discussed how to make the social media site "fair on all sides" in a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the lawmaker told reporters on Friday. "He wants to have a level playing field" and for everybody to have a voice, McCarthy said of the meeting in remarks reported by NBC News. On Friday, McCarthy also confirmed that Jeffries was in the Thursday meeting and that he had not previously met Musk. An aide to Jeffries told The Washington Post his encounter with Musk was only coincidental and happened as Musk was leaving his meeting with McCarthy.

☆ House Republicans pass bill to limit drawdowns on Strategic Petroleum Reserve
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A maze of crude oil pipe and equipment is seen with the American and Texas flags flying in the background at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas. WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Friday aimed at limiting the president's ability to draw down the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve for any reason other than a "severe energy supply disruption." Friday's legislation marked the second time that the GOP-controlled House has passed a bill related to the SPR. Following Friday's passage, the bill's chief sponsor, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, applauded the vote. "President Biden has turned a longtime bipartisan strategic asset, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, into a political tool to cover up the consequences of his expensive rush-to-green agenda," she said in a statement.

☆ U.S. House backs bill limiting drawdowns from oil reserve
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday limiting the ability of the energy secretary to tap the strategic oil reserve without developing plans to increase the amount of public lands available for oil and gas drilling. The bill is expected to face an uphill battle in the Senate, which unlike the House, is controlled by Biden's fellow Democrats. "The SPR should be used as a tool of ‘last resort,'" said Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and co-sponsor of the bill. The Biden administration has said it sold the oil to counter gasoline prices that had risen to $5.00 a gallon that helped fuel inflation to the highest in decades. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters at the White House this week that Biden "will not allow the American people to suffer because of the backwards agenda that House Republicans are advancing."

☆ U.S. House passes bill limiting drawdowns from strategic oil reserve
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday limiting the ability of the energy secretary to tap the strategic oil reserve without developing plans to increase the amount of public lands available for oil and gas drilling. President Joe Biden would veto the legislation should it pass Congress, the White House said this week. The bill is expected to face an uphill battle in the Senate, which unlike the House, is controlled by Biden's fellow Democrats. The SPR should be used only to address true emergencies, said Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican and chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters at the White House this week that Biden "will not allow the American people to suffer because of the backwards agenda that House Republicans are advancing."

☆ Snapchat's role in fentanyl crisis probed during House roundtable: 'It's a Snap-specific problem'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The roundtable featured the mother of a child who died after taking a drug containing fentanyl allegedly purchased over Snapchat, apparently believing it was a prescription painkiller. "Big Tech has many problems," said Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer who works on cases seeking to hold tech platforms accountable for often offline harms. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice are also investigating Snap's role in fentanyl sales. That's because it does not incentivize safety features, she said, and also prevents tech platforms from reaching the discovery stage in many cases, which could otherwise reveal internal information. But legislation weakening encryption for law enforcement investigations would also likely be at odds with the committee's other goal of increasing digital privacy protections.

☆ Lawmakers Call for Oversight of Telehealth Ads Promoting Drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Khadeeja Safdar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers has said she has gotten in touch with the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to address deceptive telehealth ads. Congressional leaders involved in healthcare policy-making are calling for more oversight of telehealth advertising after The Wall Street Journal published an analysis showing companies flouting advertising rules. Federal regulators must work to address regulatory gaps that were made apparent because of the Journal’s reporting, according to several members of Congress. While the Food and Drug Administration closely monitors advertising by pharmaceutical companies, and the Federal Trade Commission scrutinizes advertising generally, an apparent lack of oversight of telehealth startups makes it possible for consumers to get bombarded on social media by ads promoting prescription drugs with no risk disclosures and for uses that aren’t FDA approved, the Journal reporting has found.

Biden repeatedly tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) last year to manage rising gasoline prices and disruptions to supply caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. McMorris Rodgers now chairs the House Energy & Commerce Committee, after Republicans took over the chamber this month from Democrats. "This bill would significantly weaken this critical energy security tool, resulting in more oil supply shortages in times of crisis and higher gasoline prices for Americans," Granholm said in the letter to the House energy panel, first seen by Reuters. Rodgers said in an email the committee was still reviewing the letter, but that the bill would have "absolutely no effect" on the department's emergency authorities regarding the oil reserve. The White House has criticized the legislation, calling it "backwards" and an attempt by House Republicans to help oil companies make more profits.

☆ The Visionaries Network at Davos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe Visionaries Network at DavosCNBC brings together leaders looking to make a difference. This specially curated panel brings together young people from the Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Foundation and pairs them with current C-Suite executives. Publicis Sapient CEO Nigel Vaz, President & CEO of GLAAD Sarah Kate Ellis, Tiwale founder Chmba Chilemba and Elio co-founder & CEO Kami Krista join the discussion.

“One of the worst things you can hear from your child is them screaming ‘I don’t want to die! Residents across the state are just beginning to understand the full extent of the damage, especially in marginalized communities, as they recover from the deluge. But instead of work, Naranjo and other farmworkers are faced with some 20,000 flooded farmland in Salinas, according to early estimates from the Monterey County Farm Bureau, a nonprofit association of farmers and ranchers. When asked if he would return to work soon, Naranjo answered: “I don’t know.”Cars driving through a flooded roadway in Planada, Calif., on Jan. 10. “In my head, I thought if it was that bad, someone would come tell us, but no one ever did.

Biden repeatedly tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) last year to manage rising gasoline prices and supply disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The sales shrunk the SPR to about 380 million barrels, the lowest level since 1984, raising concerns about energy security. McMorris Rodgers now chairs the House Energy & Commerce Committee after Republicans took over the chamber earlier this month from Democrats. "This bill would significantly weaken this critical energy security tool, resulting in more oil supply shortages in times of crisis and higher gasoline prices for Americans," Granholm said in the letter to the House energy panel, which was first seen by Reuters. The White House has criticized the legislation, calling it "backwards" and an attempt by House Republicans to help oil companies make more profits.

☆ U.S. House passes bill banning exports of reserve oil to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies U.S. House of Representatives FollowWASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Thursday to ban releases of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve from being exported to China, though the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate. The bill passed 331-97 in the House, which Republicans took narrow control of this month. Through October last year U.S. oil companies exported nearly 67 million barrels of oil to China. But in all of 2020, when Republican Donald Trump was president, the United States exported 176 million barrels to China. U.S. House lawmakers also voted overwhelming this week to create a select committee on China to counter Beijing's growing international influence.

☆ The House of Representatives will have more guys named 'Mike' than women chairing committees under the new Republican majority
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

House Republicans have announced a new slate of committee chairs for the new Congress. Six of the committees will be chaired by a man named Mike or Michael. On Monday, House Republicans sorted out a number of contested chairmanships, and House Majority Steve Scalise released a list of recommendations for chairmanships that were ratified by the conference on Tuesday. The result: men named "Mike" will outnumber women two-to-one among committee chairs. Under Democratic leadership in the previous Congress, 7 House committees were chaired by women.

☆ Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to weigh what's next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

January 9 - What's next for Aaron Rodgers with the Packers missing the playoffs? Rodgers said Sunday night in the wake of a season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions that his future is up in the air. Rodgers offered no timeframe for making a decision on returning to Green Bay for the 2023 season. Six weeks passed between the Packers' final game and the declaration from Rodgers on March 8 that he was returning for the just-completed 2022 season. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday night the team welcomes Rodgers back, but knows "ultimately, he will decide that."

☆ Bills will try to ride emotional rollercoaster to top of AFC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"It's going to be a celebration of life an ongoing life," Beane told reporters looking ahead to Sunday's game. "It will be a challenge for our team to manage the emotions, there's going to be tears out there. PLAYOFF RACEWhile Hamlin and the Bills will be at the emotional centre of the weekend there is plenty of suspense up and down a full slate of games. While a victory would earn the Chiefs a first round bye it might not necessarily bring them home field advantage. Should the 49ers and Eagles both fall the Dallas Cowboys could snatch the NFC crown with a win over the Washington Commanders.

☆ Kevin McCarthy elected speaker of the House, ending days of Republican chaos and division in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kevin McCarthy finally realized his goal and was elected speaker of the House. McCarthy was elected after days of failure amid the most chaotic speaker election in over a century. McCarthy clinched the speaker's gavel after 15 ballots and in the wee hours of the fifth day of voting. House GOP leaders then scrambled to delay future votes until Monday before abruptly reversing and forcing an immediate 15th vote. He'll also have to grapple with a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House, which will certainly block many conservative priorities.

☆ Everything that could go wrong as the House speaker fight leaves the chamber leaderless
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

House lawmakers are still not agreed on who will lead them. The lack of a speaker of the House has some very real consequences. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tamped down on any "significant risks" related to the delay. As we indicated above, the House can't pass its rules until it has a speaker. But House lawmakers have complained that they are unable to effectively coordinate due to their current unofficial status.

☆ Revenge of the Geezer Quarterbacks: Brady, Rodgers Back From the Brink
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Like a pair of grizzled deputies in a movie Western, left for goners in a corn silo by the outlaws three scenes ago…Like a couple of vintage, chrome-bumpered pick-ups found under dusty tarps in an abandoned barn…

☆ NFL roundup: 49ers clip Raiders in OT, win 9th straight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Jones completed 19 of 24 passes for 177 yards and had 11 carries for a team-high 91 rushing yards. Buccaneers 30, Panthers 24Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes to Mike Evans and orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback as Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South by beating visiting Carolina. Jerick McKinnon caught two touchdown passes and Blake Bell also made a scoring grab for the Chiefs (13-3). Cooper caught touchdown passes of 46 and 33 yards and running back Nick Chubb had 104 yards on 14 carries. Seahawks 23, Jets 6Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes as Seattle remained in the playoff race with a win against visiting New York.

☆ Why have semiconductors gone from a shortage to a glut?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy have semiconductors gone from a shortage to a glut? T.J. Rodgers, former CEO of Cypress Semiconductors, joins Brian Sullivan and the 'CNBC Special: Taking Stock 2023' to discuss how we've gone from not having enough semiconductors to having a glut of the technology.

☆ Privacy and crypto will likely lead tech policy under split Congress as hope for passing ambitious antitrust reforms dwindles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

After what started as a hopeful year for tech policy, the 117th Congress is about to close out its term with many key efforts tabled. That's the case with privacy legislation, where a bill proposed this year gained bipartisan support, passing out of a House committee with a near-unanimous vote. The pair blamed the bills' failure to advance on intense lobbying efforts by the tech industry against them. One prominent bipartisan bill in the Senate would put the CFTC in charge. "But the importance of tech policy issues will still be strong."

Search resuls for: "rodgers"

25 mentions found