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☆ OpenAI sets rules to combat election misinformation. It’s been tried before
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Under its policies, OpenAI said in a blog post, users may not create chatbots posing as political candidates or government agencies and officials, such as the secretaries of state who administer US elections. But even social media firms that are much bigger than OpenAI, and that dedicate massive teams to election integrity and content moderation, have often shown that they struggle to enforce their own rules. OpenAI is likely to be no different — and a lack of federal regulation is forcing the public to simply take the companies at their word. Meta said last year it would bar political campaigns from using generative AI tools in their advertising and require politicians to disclose the use of any AI in their ads. In Congress, some lawmakers have proposed a national ban on the deceptive use of AI in all political campaigns, but that legislation has not advanced.

Persons: OpenAI, Meta, “, Chuck Schumer, deepfakes, Joe Biden’s, Arpit Garg, Biden Organizations: CNN, Big Tech, YouTube, Commission

☆ Mike Johnson seeks to avoid McCarthy's fate as he navigates shutdown and immigration
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Sahil Kapur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. Under pressure from right-wing members, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faces stark challenges in keeping the government funded and responding to a potential Senate deal that would toughen immigration laws while providing funding for Ukraine. But passing the spending deal could make it politically more difficult for Johnson to support an emerging bipartisan Senate immigration deal that the right wing of the GOP is turning against. 2 is his position, but he was careful not to reveal specifics of what the House would accept if a Senate immigration deal came together, the sources said. Johnson's allies believe GOP opponents of the spending deal may vote against it but doubt they'll come for his job.

Persons: Mike Johnson, He's, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Chip Roy, Steve Deace, Schumer, Brian Fitzpatrick, We've, it's, Doug Heye, Heye, Sen, James Lankford of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, It's, Kevin McCarthy, Johnson's, they'll, Jodey Arrington Organizations: Republican, Ukraine, White, Congress, Republicans, GOP, Fox News, Democrats, United States Congress Locations: Louisiana, Washington , DC, Iowa, Texas, Ukraine, Russia, James Lankford of Oklahoma

☆ Senate Advances Stopgap Bill to Avert a Partial Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Senate on Tuesday took the first step in advancing a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the week, buying time to enact a broader bipartisan funding agreement for the remainder of the year. By a 68-to-13 vote, senators voted to take up the legislation, which would temporarily extend funding for some federal agencies until March 1 and for others through March 8. Their opposition means that Mr. Johnson is all but certain to be forced once again to turn to Democrats for help in passing crucial spending legislation, in a vote expected later this week. “The key to finishing our work this week will be bipartisan cooperation in both chambers,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader. “You can’t pass these bills without support from Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate.”

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, ”, Chuck Schumer, “ Organizations: Louisiana Republican, Senate, Republicans, Democrats Locations: Louisiana, New York

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders and other lawmakers to the White House on Wednesday as members have struggled to reach agreement on U.S. aid for the Ukraine war. Republicans have insisted on pairing it with their own demands for securing the U.S. border. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesWhite House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this week. In an appearance Tuesday following the meeting, Sullivan said he remained confident the Biden administration would come to an agreement on Ukraine aid in the coming weeks. Republicans have demanded that the funding be paired with significant border security changes.

Persons: Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Mike Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, —, Biden, ”, Shalanda Young, Young, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sullivan, we’ve, ” Sullivan, Børge Brende, “, ” Biden, Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, Seung Min Kim Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Republicans, U.S, Democratic, Republican, Ukraine, Management, Pentagon, Capitol Hill, Economic, Russia, Press Locations: Ukraine, Israel, D, Ky, Kyiv, Russia, Davos, U.S, Mexico

☆ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to be deposed in Texas facial recognition case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Facebook co-founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sits in his seat inside a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum for all U.S. senators hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2023. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg must take part in a deposition as part of an ongoing lawsuit in Texas involving the company's facial recognition technology. In Tuesday's ruling, the state of Texas claimed that Zuckerberg has "had unique personal knowledge of discoverable information" that's relevant to its lawsuit, alleging that Meta violated state laws related to the collection of biometric data and deceptive trade practices. Meta settled a facial recognition-related class action lawsuit in 2021 for $650 million. WATCH: Three Buys and a Bail: Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Chuck Schumer, Jeff Rambin, Zuckerberg, Ken Paxton, Meta Organizations: Facebook, Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Appeals, Texas, Meta, Texans, Microsoft, Apple Locations: Washington ,, Texas, Texas's

☆ Congressional Leaders Unveil Stopgap Bill to Head Off Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Congressional leaders unveiled stopgap legislation on Sunday to avert a partial government shutdown, teeing up a race to pass the bipartisan spending deal into law before a deadline at the end of the week. The bill, which came out of a spending deal negotiated by Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, would temporarily extend funding for some federal agencies until March 1 and for others through March 8. It would keep the government funded at its current spending levels, without any policy changes or conditions. In a sign that Democrats were preparing to muster the bulk of the votes to pass the bill, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, signaled his backing of the bill on Sunday night. He wrote to his caucus that he was “in strong support of the effort to keep the appropriations process moving forward and avoid a disruptive partial government shutdown.”

Persons: Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Johnson, —, Republicans —, Kevin McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: Republicans Locations: New York

☆ The biggest risks US businesses face in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But, while businesses have plenty to be grateful for and much to be optimistic about, the coast isn’t clear. Last week, surveys from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and The Conference Board detailed the biggest risks that businesses are currently worried about. Here are some of the biggest risks for American businesses in 2024. Those financial stresses can reduce the willingness of banks to lend to others businesses and also to consumers,” she said. Bank earnings look really bad this quarter.

Persons: there’s, “, John Maynard Keynes, ”, ” Dana Peterson, Bill Dunkelberg, ” Peterson, ” Suzanne Clark, We’re, Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Fitch, Clark, JPMorgan Chase, Nicole Goodkind, Krystal Hur, FactSet, Martin Luther King Jr, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal, National Federation of Independent Business, Board, US, of Commerce, of American, Conference Board, Conference, CNN, Fed, Corporate, US Chamber of Commerce, chamber’s State of American, AAA, Moody’s Investors Service, US Chamber, Commerce’s, Google, Citigroup, Bank, JPMorgan, FactSet, Revenue, Profit, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Bank of America, FDIC, Citi, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Alcoa, National Statistics, US Commerce Department, US Labor Department, Federal Reserve, University of Michigan, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington, Wells, Corporate America, chamber’s State, BlackRock, Amazon, Argentina, Japan

WASHINGTON — House and Senate leaders have reached an agreement on a short-term spending deal that would avert a government shutdown in the next few weeks, three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. The deal would keep the government funded until March, buying legislators more time to craft longer-term, agency-specific spending bills, following the agreement last weekend to set the overall spending level for fiscal year 2024 at $1.59 trillion. Speaker Mike Johnson is set to hold a call with fellow House Republicans at 8 p.m. Sunday to discuss spending negotiations. Several hard-right Republicans have objected to the top-line spending deal he previously cut with Senate Democrats and have urged Johnson to go back on it, though he said Friday that the agreement remains intact. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats praised the top-line spending agreement after it was announced last weekend, even as they acknowledged that a short-term bill would be needed to buy more time to negotiate.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, pushback, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: U.S . Capitol, U.S, Congress, WASHINGTON —, NBC News, Republicans, Democrats, New York Democrats Locations: Washington , U.S, Jan, Louisiana

☆ Moderate Democrats could save House Speaker Johnson from wrath of hard-line conservatives over spending deal, says report
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some Democrats are prepared to defend Speaker Mike Johnson from far-right Republicans, NBC News reported. Dissent has grown among Republicans after Johnson brokered a bipartisan spending deal. AdvertisementA group of moderate Democrats has signaled their readiness to support Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson if hard-line conservatives attempt to remove him from power, echoing the ousting of his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, NBC News reports. The pledge of support provides Johnson with a stronger standing amid fresh threats from far-right members dissatisfied with the bipartisan spending deal he brokered. In a meeting with conservatives, including MAGA sentinel Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who opposes the spending deal, Johnson maintained, "Our top-line agreement remains."

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Scott Peters, —, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Johnson's speakership, MAGA, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, NATHAN HOWARD Organizations: Republicans, NBC News, Service, Republican, NBC, Democrat, Democratic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders are preparing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government running into March and avoid a partial shutdown next week. The stopgap bill, expected to be released Sunday, would come as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been under pressure from his hard-right flank in recent days to jettison a recent bipartisan spending deal with Senate Democrats. Johnson insisted Friday that he is sticking with the deal he struck with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., despite pressure from some conservatives to renegotiate. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“Our top-line agreement remains,” Johnson said Friday, referring to the budget accord reached Jan. 7. That accord sets $1.66 trillion in spending for the next fiscal year, with $886 billion of the tally going to defense.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, ” Johnson Organizations: WASHINGTON, Congressional, Democrats

☆ Ukraine and Russia say they want the war to end. But military and political experts say they're nowhere near peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Fighting remains intense in southern and eastern Ukraine, where Russian units are deeply entrenched, preventing Ukraine's forces from making significant advances. They note that neither Russia nor Ukraine seems to be at a point where a political resolution is palatable, however. 'Red lines' firmly drawnBoth Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said they want the war to end — but on their terms. For its part, the Kremlin said in December that it saw no current basis for peace talks, and called Kyiv's peace plan an "absurd process" as it excluded Russia. One big stumbling block in any potential peace talks now is their respective positions on territorial integrity.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, It's, Sam Greene, Pierre Crom, Stephen Twitty, Vladimir Putin, Sam Cranny, Evans, Putin, there's, Zelenskyy, Mario Bikarski, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Bill Clark Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Economic, King's College London, CNBC, U.S, Army, U.S . European Command, Economic Forum, Royal United Services Institute, Kremlin, Kherson —, Anadolu Agency, CIS, Senators, Capitol, Cq, Inc Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Switzerland, Davos, Kyiv, Malta, China, Crimea, Avdiivka, Europe, Moscow, Russian, Estonia, Belarus, Turkey, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Ky

One could practically see the temper tantrum that was sure to materialize from hard-line conservative House members when over the weekend House Speaker Mike Johnson cut a deal with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to back a top-line funding total key to preventing a government shutdown. At a closed-door GOP House caucus meeting Wednesday morning, Johnson was skewered by the far-right flank of his party, who scoffed at the funding deal. “Mike Johnson doesn’t work for Chuck Schumer and the White House. Johnson, who has garnered respect from his far-right colleagues as an outspoken Christian conservative, surely knew the deal with Schumer would irk hard-liners. Nor does there appear to be an appetite for another wrenching and divisive battle for yet another speaker, especially as House Republicans seek to present a united political front in this critical election year.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Johnson, Joe Biden, ” Johnson, ”, Schumer, Kevin McCarthy of, Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene, “ Mike Johnson, Warren Davidson, –, Donald Trump, “ It’s, I'm, That’s, “, McCarthy, Chip Roy, Texas Organizations: Democratic, GOP, ”, White, ” Ohio, Republicans foisted, Republicans, Republican, Fox News, Republican Party Locations: Mexico, Kevin McCarthy of California, Georgia

☆ Days from government shutdown, Speaker Johnson may need short-term spending bill he previously opposed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Senate Republicans repeatedly said this week that a short-term spending bill may be necessary to keep the government open, a harsh reality for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is balancing a looming shutdown deadline with the demands of hardline Republicans. The last temporary spending bill Congress passed, in November, established a laddered schedule of funding deadlines, the first on Jan. 19 and the other on Feb. 2. Meanwhile, eyes are on Johnson to follow through on the hardline Republican demands he was elected to champion. If not, he could meet the same fate as his predecessor, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted in part for conceding to Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. While following through on the hardline demands would earn Johnson points with some House Republicans, it makes negotiating with Democrats harder, adding time to budget talks that he does not have.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Jan, Sen, John Cornyn, John Thune, Mitch McConnell, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Hugh Hewitt, dwindles, Chuck Schumer Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republicans, Republican, CRs, Street Locations: Texas, Ky

☆ House Republicans are considering a 3rd impeachment push just days before a partial government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewHouse Republicans are plowing ahead toward a partial government shutdown amid conservative grumbling about Speaker Mike Johnson's dealmaking abilities. At the same time, the party is already juggling two potential impeachment pushes. The first potential shutdown would be on Jan. 19, covering roughly 20% of the federal government, per The Post. The top Republican's words are also a great reminder of why this current impeachment push is unlikely to go anywhere. AdvertisementEven if an official is impeached, some Senate Republicans have previously expressed unease about how commonplace impeachment is becoming.

Persons: —, Mike Johnson's, Matt Rosendale, Lloyd Austin, Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, James Comer, General Merrick Garland, Garland doesn't, Hunter Biden, Comer, Jim Jordan, It's, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Chip Roy, Warren Davidson, Hugh, Hugh Hewitt, Mayorkas Organizations: Service, Montana Republican, Pentagon, Business, Homeland, The Washington Post, Republicans, Committee, Texas Republican, Ohio Republican Locations: Montana, Texas, Ohio

Congressional leaders announced a $1.59 trillion deal on top-line spending Sunday as the government races to avoid a potential shutdown. The deal establishes an overall spending budget of $1.59 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year, allocating $886 billion to military spending and $704 billion for non-defense spending, said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said in a Sunday note. The deal comes as the House and Senate inch closer to a key Jan.19 deadline, when funding runs out for many federal agencies. "It will also allow us to keep the investments for hardworking American families secured by the legislative achievements of President Biden and Congressional Democrats." Some of the concessions made include a $10-billion cut to IRS mandatory funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and $6.1 billion of the "COVID-era slush funds."

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Biden, year's Schumer, Pelosi Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Congressional, Republican, Committee, America Locations: Washington , DC, Louisiana

☆ Congress could punt Ukraine aid to 2024, snarl government funding talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I would stay here indefinitely, but I don't know that all our colleagues will be able to do that," Speaker Johnson said at a Wall Street Journal conference on Monday. A small but vocal group of hardline House Republicans nearly shut down the government over their opposition to $6 billion of Ukraine aid included in the federal budget. Hours before a government shutdown deadline of Oct. 1, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to strip out the Ukraine aid to pass a bill to keep the government open. If Ukraine funding talks get delayed to 2024 and become a pawn in the coming budget negotiations, Speaker Johnson could be at risk of meeting the same fate McCarthy did. Johnson already faces an uphill budget battle, without the added burden of Ukraine aid talks.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's, Joe Biden's, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Zelenskyy, we're, I'm, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: White, Republican, Democratic, Street, Top, Republicans, House Republicans Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Ukraine, Ky

☆ Facebook and Instagram content enabled child sexual abuse, trafficking: New Mexico lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Facebook and Instagram created "prime locations" for sexual predators that enabled child sexual abuse, solicitation, and trafficking, New Mexico's attorney general alleged in a civil suit filed Wednesday against Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The suit was brought after an "undercover investigation" allegedly revealed myriad instances of sexually explicit content being served to minors, child sexual coercion, or the sale of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez said in a press release. The suit alleges that "certain child exploitative content" is ten times "more prevalent" on Facebook and Instagram as compared to pornography site PornHub and adult content platform OnlyFans, according to the release. "Child exploitation is a horrific crime and online predators are determined criminals," Meta said in a statement to CNBC. The lawsuit argues that Meta's algorithms allegedly promote sex and exploitation content to users and that Facebook and Instagram lack "effective" age verification.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Chuck Schumer, Instagram, Raúl Torrez, Meta, Zuckerberg, Mr, Torres Organizations: Facebook, Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Meta, CNBC, National Center for Locations: Washington ,, New Mexico, Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced on Tuesday that he's ending his blockade of hundreds of military promotions, following heavy criticism from many of his colleagues in the Senate and clearing the way for hundreds to be approved soon. Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions was over a dispute about a Pentagon abortion policy. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said a vote on the nominations could come quickly, possibly even in the afternoon. There were 451 military officers affected by the holds as of Nov. 27. It’s a stance that has left key national security positions unfilled and military families with an uncertain path forward.

Persons: — Sen, Tommy Tuberville, he’s “, ”, Chuck Schumer, Tuberville, Joe Biden’s, Pat Ryder, “, Critics, Sen, Dan Sullivan, overreach, ” Tuberville, We've, Lolita C, Baldor Organizations: WASHINGTON, Alabama Republican, Pentagon, Biden, GOP, Associated Locations: Alaska

☆ Tuberville finally caves and lifts hold on the vast majority of military promotions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced an end to his hold on hundreds of military promotions. Republicans, Democrats, and military leaders alike have each said he's damaged military readiness. AdvertisementRepublican Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced on Tuesday that he'll lift his hold on promotions for the vast majority of the hundreds of service members. After months of service members getting blocked from receiving promotions, the secretaries of the Navy, Army, and Air Force each spoke out in September against Tuberville. AdvertisementAt the end of November, Tuberville signaled his willingness to end his block except for "woke" service members.

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, —, Republican Sen, Tuberville, We've, Roe, Wade, he's, we've, Carlos Del Toro, Tuberville's, Chuck Schumer, it's Organizations: Pentagon, Republicans, Democrats, Service, Republican, Republicans aren't, Department of Defense, Navy, Army, Air Force, Tuberville, Tuberville's Republican Locations: Alabama

☆ Ukraine’s US lifeline is hanging by a thinning thread
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In a grave blow to its prospects, Ukraine aid has now been embroiled by Republicans in a separate imbroglio over immigration. While Ukraine’s survival is at stake, so is the reputation of the United States as a global leader. Johnson may struggle to retain his tenuous hold on his job if he uses Democratic votes to pass a Ukraine funding package. The Ukraine aid package is now caught in the most intractable US political issue — immigration. “We are at a moment in history.”But a group of Republican senators who normally back Ukraine aid signaled Monday they couldn’t move forward without immigration changes attached to the measure.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Joe Biden, Israel —, “, Jake Sullivan, Vladimir, ”, Sullivan’s, Shalanda Young, Mike Johnson, United States Oksana Markarova, CNN’s Wolf, Volodymyr Zelensky, Lloyd Austin, Zelensky, Donald Trump, Putin, Trump –, Republican Sen, Jim Risch of, “ Vladimir Putin, …, he’s, outlasting, ” Risch, Ben Hodges, ” Hodges, Johnson, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Texas Sen, John Cornyn Organizations: CNN, White, of Management, GOP, Wing, Kremlin, Trump, Republican, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, Halifax International Security, US Army, of, Republicans, Democratic, New York Democrat, Texas, Ukraine, US Defense Department, Internal Revenue Service, – Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Russian, U.S, United States, Russia, Moscow, North Korea, Iran, Kyiv, Washington, China, Jim Risch of Idaho, Canada, Ret, — Washington, Berlin, Paris, London, of America, Europe, Crimea, Ukrainian, Mexico, Taiwan

Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced Tuesday he would end his hold on most military promotions under pressure from fellow Republicans 10 months into a standoff sparked by the Pentagon’s abortion policy. “I’m releasing everybody,” Tuberville said, adding that he still has a hold on some four-star generals. But senators on both sides of the aisle have grown agitated in recent months over his tactic, which they say threatens military readiness and unfairly punishes service members. Tuberville appeared to be eyeing a handful of face-saving off-ramps in recent days to justify the end to his protest. Gen. Pat Ryder said after Tuberville’s announcement that the Defense Department is “encouraged” by the news but will continue to urge Tuberville to lift all of the holds.

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, ” Tuberville, ”, servicewomen, Mitch McConnell, “ we’re, Tuberville, Chuck Schumer, “, ” Schumer, discombobulation, Brig, Pat Ryder Organizations: Alabama Republican, GOP, Pentagon, Tuberville’s, Defense Department

A classified briefing Tuesday on Ukraine devolved into a shouting match about border security as senators described a tense meeting that did little to break the Senate’s stalemate over whether to include tighter immigration policies in the aid package. The first question instead of asking our panelists, he called on Lankford to give a five-minute talk about the negotiations on border,” Schumer said. “It was just obvious, elephant in the room issue of the administration, in their supplemental request – the second-largest element in the supplemental request is for the border. Schumer said earlier Tuesday that Republicans are free to bring up a border security package as an amendment, and if it can get 11 Democratic votes, it can pass. “They have a golden opportunity if they wanted to do border,” Schumer said.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, GOP Sen, James Lankford of, McConnell, ” Schumer, Arkansas Republican Sen, Tom Cotton, Cotton, “, Joe Biden, …, Chuck Schumer’s, Schumer –, Lindsey Graham of, ”, Lankford, ” Lankford, briefers, Sen, Kevin Cramer, you’ve, Republican Sen, Mitt Romney, ” Romney, ” Sen, Roger Marshall, Vladimir, Putin, Volodymyr, Zelensky, ” Marshall, Schumer, Mark Warner, ” Warner Organizations: Republican, GOP, CNN, Arkansas Republican, Republicans, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Democratic Locations: Ukraine, Kentucky, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Schumer, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, North Dakota, Israel, Utah, Kansas, Virginia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators are investigating ExxonMobil's $60 billion deal to acquire a Texas oil company in what would be one the largest mergers in the energy industry in two decades, according to securities filings. The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces federal antitrust law, has asked for additional information from the companies about Exxon’s proposed acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. Exxon reported $9.1 billion in profits in the quarter that ended Sept. 30, while Chevron reported $6.5 billion in profits. Exxon has said the proposed deal with Texas-based Pioneer Resources would enhance U.S. energy security and benefit the American economy and consumers. Chevron said its proposed deal with New York-based Hess would strengthen long-term performance while “delivering higher returns and lower carbon” dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Hess, Exxon, Alex Witt, Witt Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Federal Trade Commission, Natural Resources, FTC, Exxon, Pioneer, Hess Corporation, Chevron, Justice Department, Resources, Climate, Center for American Progress Action Fund, League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club Locations: Texas, Chevron, Ukraine, New York

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., arrives for President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with U.S. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., announced Tuesday that he is dropping the bulk of his monthslong hold on hundreds of military nominations. Tuberville told reporters that he has lifted his hold on all military promotions three-star and below, amounting to over 400 promotions. Tuberville told reporters. Tuberville had signaled last week that he might drop some of his holds on military promotions "very soon."

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Bill Clark, WASHINGTON — Sen, Tuberville, Nikki Haley, Lloyd Austin, Chuck Schumer, John Thune Organizations: U.S, Senators, Inc, Getty Images, Alabama Republican, Defense, Pentagon, GOP, Tuberville's, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Israel

☆ Republicans prepared to block Ukraine-Israel aid package if border policy changes not included
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lauren Fox | Ted | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Schumer would need nine Republicans to overcome a procedural hurdle, something that many Republicans signaled Monday they wouldn’t help Democrats do. “It may require a failed cloture vote on the supplemental before Sen. Schumer realizes we are serious,” Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, told reporters. She added she too would vote against advancing the supplemental package if “we don’t have substantial changes” to border policy. But Thune complained Monday the White House “hasn’t gotten the sufficient level of seriousness yet” about the border crisis. Murphy warned US allies should “be very worried about what Republicans are doing.”“Listen, I have all sorts of domestic priorities I care about.

Persons: Ukraine –, John Thune, “, It’s, ”, Sen, James Lankford of, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, ” Sen, John Cornyn, ” West Virginia GOP Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, “ I’m, ” Lankford, Iowa Sen, Joni Ernst, Chuck Grassley, ” Grassley, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden, Thune, hasn’t, we’re, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Murphy, ” Murphy, CNN’s Sam Fossum Organizations: Republican, ”, Republicans, Texas Republican, ” West, ” West Virginia GOP, GOP, White, Democratic, Ukraine, Democrats Locations: Ukraine, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Washington, Israel, Texas, ”, ” West Virginia, Iowa, Connecticut

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