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☆ People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look so good, he should just join the Chinese Communist Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Weibo users called Trump "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's helping China by hurting the US. "Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" Screenshot/WeiboMeanwhile, a livestream of a faux news broadcasts announcing Trump's indictment plays heroic themes from Hollywood films, such as music from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. "Nation Builder — if it doesn't work out, then just come home," another posted with a crying emoji. Trump's indictment is linked to the Stormy Daniels hush-money payments case, which is thought to be central to the investigation into the former president.

"Please make a contribution – of truly any amount – to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024," said an email sent by a Trump fundraising group called the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee. A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who has denied making any payment, has claimed the charges are evidence of a left-wing plot - an argument made in the fundraising email to supporters on Thursday. Trump's online fundraising has shown signs of weakening over the last year, according to financial disclosures made to the Federal Election Commission. At the end of 2022, Trump and an allied super PAC reported having close to $80 million across several fundraising accounts.

Biden's 2024 race will be different, aides and Democratic party officials say. The race to host the party convention is now down to two cities, sources say: Chicago and Atlanta. Chicago's pull is rooted in tradition, deep-pocketed donors and union ties, while Atlanta's appeal reflects the power of Georgia's grassroots networks and the importance to the party of Black voters and a racially diverse electorate. Top Democratic political officials in eight Midwestern states wrote Biden last week to push for a Chicago convention. CHICAGO, UNION TOWNHolding the convention in Chicago would put Biden in a Democratic powerhouse, where the party controls the legislature and executive branches.

☆ Donald Trump's fans sent him $1.5 million in 3 days after he falsely claimed that he'd get arrested on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He raised $1.5 million in the three days after saying he'd be arrested, per multiple reports. The Trump campaign brought in $11.8 million in the six weeks before the announcement, averaging out at $280,000 per day. And in the six weeks after Trump announced his run, his campaign raised $9.5 million, or $226,000 per day. As the anticipation of an indictment grew, Trump's campaign capitalized on the rumors by highlighting them in almost every fundraising message. The former president's fundraising efforts appeared on Truth Social as well.

Heading into a state election on Saturday, the conservative coalition has promised to rein in the powerful "pokies" industry in a jurisdiction with nearly one-tenth of the world's million machines, second only to Las Vegas. "This is the first time in our state's history ... that poker machine reform is actually an election issue," said Stu Cameron, CEO of Wesley Mission, a charity that supports the homeless, addicts and others. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics"We are the epicenter of pokie machine addiction not just in Australia but across the world. McMillan, the air conditioning repairman, said cashless machines alone could not stop problem gambling, but "I would promote any change that could help people". Since then, a quarter of its 400 groups have taken grants from slot machine interests, Reuters' analysis of publicly available documents showed, in a sign of the industry's grassroots hold.

☆ Nikki Haley's road to the White House will be difficult, but she has a key polling advantage her rivals lack.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Nikki Haley faces a number of challenges — namely Donald Trump — as she runs for the White House. But the former governor still has the potential to overcome her current standing as the Republican primary season heats up. And if it works, she could position herself as a forward-thinking leader who can move the GOP past the tumult of the 2020 presidential election. And in a mid-March Morning Consult poll, Haley's favorability among GOP voters sat at 47%, while only 16% had an unfavorable view of her; roughly 1 in 5 respondents said they were unfamiliar with the ex-governor. AP Photo/Alex BrandonA push to move beyond the 2020 electionSince November 2020, Trump has continued to question his election loss, alleging voter fraud despite no evidence of widespread malfeasance.

Security analysts who monitor far-right chatter on social media, said initially the impulse of Trump's followers was to heed his call and hit the streets. But by Monday, the tone had shifted, according to the analysts and messages on several social media platforms examined by Reuters. "QAnon-related folks and some MAGA adherents are talking about how this is one big trap in some cases, that this is an operation intended to get (Trump's) supporters in trouble," Segal said. Almost immediately thereafter there was a second wave of, 'Don't protest, it's a trap just like January 6th,' that really overtook the first," Burghart said. Activist Laura Loomer, a prominent Trump supporter in Florida, called on Saturday for a "peaceful" Tuesday protest outside Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

☆ As John Fetterman heals, his Senate staff soldiers on with the help of veteran lawmakers and crisis bonding: 'We all have each other's back'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Sen. John Fetterman has been hospitalized for clinical depression since February 15. Casey is coordinating with Fetterman staff on constituent services issues and legislative priorities, according to recent reports, but doesn't call Fetterman directly so as not to disturb his ongoing recovery. Some of the others working hard to meet that internal standard include legislative assistant Madeleine Marr, a former aide to Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. Conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller has been more blunt, accusing Fetterman's staff of unduly wielding power in his absence. "John Fetterman's chief of staff is not an elected senator," Miller wrote in an op-ed run by the Delaware Valley Journal.

A successful no-confidence vote would fell the government and kill the legislation, which is set to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday called the votes "a moment of truth" for the government. Senior officials from the conservative Les Republicains (LR) party have said they will not get behind the no-confidence motions. Le Monde calculated that at least 26 LR lawmakers would need to back the motion for it to succeed. Even if the motions flop, Macron's failure to find enough support in parliament to put his pension system overhaul to a vote has undermined his reformist agenda and weakened his leadership, observers say.

Google (GOOGL), which for years ranked as the top company to work for in the United States, laid off thousands of workers by e-mail. During her early years there, she worked in marketing and became known as the “The Bard of Google” for the internal emails she sent celebrating the company’s culture. Google employee affected by January layoffs“The problem was, suddenly, you didn’t work for a company that was sending stuff to space or building autonomous cars,” Rout said. Hundreds of Google employees in Switzerland staged a walkout last week to protest layoffs, partly out of frustration with the lack of transparency. About a month before the January layoffs, one former employee said Google painted “You Belong” on one of the walls in their working area.

☆ Former Trump campaign advisor says ex-president wants 'someone cut from the same cloth' as his 2024 running mate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump wants a VP running mate with more similarities to himself as he looks to 2024, per an ex-advisor. "Trump's going to be looking for someone cut from the same cloth he is," Michael Caputo told the AP. Trump has reportedly indicated an interest in selecting a female running mate. "I think the president learned a lot from his experience with Pence," Caputo, who was a 2016 presidential campaign advisor for Trump, told the news outlet. Ron DeSantis, the only other Republican who now threatens Trump's dominance in the nomination contest, has not yet officially announced whether he'll pursue a 2024 presidential campaign.

The Alzheimer's Association and the pharmaceutical industry say the drug companies are not directly involved in the campaign. But the Alzheimer's Association says patients simply don't have the time to spare. The agency did not address the Alzheimer's Association campaign. Association members have met 30 times with staffers for the state's 20 members of Congress, Ryan Schiff, the chapter's public policy manager, said. Spokespeople for all three companies said they do not work with the Association on its campaign to expand Medicare coverage of the drugs.

☆ Gen Z congressman Maxwell Frost calls out Biden for breaking climate promise to young voters that helped him win in 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

President Joe Biden's positions in recent weeks have put him at odds with some members of his party. That includes Rep. Maxwell Frost who says Biden broke his promise to young voters. Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen-Z member of Congress, says he is "very disappointed" in Biden for approving the $8 billion ConocoPhillips Willow oil project in Alaska, one of the largest-ever drilling projects on federal land. In November, Frost praised Biden in an interview with CNN, saying: "He's been unafraid to put forth bold, transformational ideas and policies, and that's really what excites young voters." When contacted after the Willow project decision, which Bowman opposed, he said his thinking had not changed.

☆ EPA cracks down on 'forever chemicals' in tap water: What PFAS are, where they are, and why they're harmful
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US Environmental Protection Agency just released a proposal for enforceable standards for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. The new EPA proposal would set the threshold for those two substances at 4 nanograms per liter of drinking water. It also proposes a "hazard index" to set a limit on the combined quantity of four other PFAS in drinking water: PFNA, GenX, PFBS, and PFHxS. Communities across the US have especially high PFAS contamination in their drinking water, often due to a nearby industrial or military facility. "You can't just regulate in drinking water, without addressing the other side," Sunderland said, adding that you have to "turn off the source."

Last month, Google started testing limited news censorship as a potential response to a Canadian government bill that aims to compel online platforms to pay publishers in Canada for news content. Google has claimed that the test is like thousands of other product tests the company conducts on a regular basis. The tests, which the company says affected less than 4% of Canadian users, began on Feb. 9 and were scheduled to run for five weeks. Speaking to a parliamentary committee investigating the tests, Google's public policy manager Jason Kee confirmed that the tests would end next week. During the panel, questions were raised about local journalism outlets, like the 13-14 local, weekly papers that MP Martin Shields has in his riding.

☆ A former Trump official has launched a PAC backing Ron DeSantis for a 2024 run, calling him the 'strongest Republican available'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Trump official Ken Cuccinelli has launched a super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. "DESANTIS 2024! Run, Ron, Run!" Cuccinelli's Thursday announcement backing DeSantis — one of Trump's top political rivals — marks a shift in his loyalties.

☆ Ex-Trump official sets up 2024 fundraising group for rival DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"America's future is Ron DeSantis. Ron DeSantis doesn't just talk he acts, but most of all he never backs down," Cuccinelli said in a video promoting the PAC, Never Back Down. "Governor DeSantis, today I'm asking you to run for president." So having someone like a Cuccinelli come in and beg DeSantis to run is significant," said John Feehery, who was press secretary for former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert. There was no immediate reaction from DeSantis or Trump to Cuccinelli's announcement.

☆ Is the U.S. falling behind China in Africa’s lithium industry?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The demand for lithium is rising as it has become a critical component needed in electric vehicle batteries. Zimbabwe has been mining lithium for 60 years and the government estimates that its Chinese-owned Bikita Minerals Mine, which is located 300 kilometers south of the capital Harare, has about 11 million metric tons of lithium resources. In December 2022, Zimbabwe passed the Base Mineral Export Control Act that banned the export of raw lithium. That includes Chinese firms Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt , Sinomine Resource Group and Chengxin Lithium Group which have invested $678 million into lithium projects in Zimbabwe. Both the Bikita mine, which is the largest lithium mine in the country, and the Arcadia Lithium mine are Chinese owned.

☆ Oklahoma Republican tells Teamsters president 'shut your mouth' in terse exchange at Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker Wednesday told Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien to "shut your mouth" in a terse exchange at a hearing examining so-called union busting by U.S. companies. O'Brien said the International Brotherhood of Teamsters had examples of employers illegally pressuring workers not to join unions. When O'Brien said Mullin was out of line, the lawmaker shot back: "You need to shut your mouth." "You think you're smart? You think you're funny?

Mithat Sancar, co-leader of the left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), parliament's third biggest, made the appeal late on Monday after the six-party opposition bloc announced that Kemal Kilicdaroglu would be its candidate. "The open support of the HDP would draw (negative) reactions, notably from the IYI Party and its grassroots," he said of the nationalist party, second-biggest in the alliance. "HDP support is extremely critical," he said, but added it could undermine backing elsewhere. In campaigning, Erdogan will likely play up alleged links and the HDP's opposition role, analysts say. The second official, who was not authorised to speak on the record, said some Kurdish voters would not back the opposition alliance due to IYI's involvement.

☆ Exclusive: As 2024 election approaches, White House jumps into states' abortion battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The previously unreported, behind-the-scenes effort has caught the attention of state lawmakers for the level of support offered by the administration. In some cases, the White House is leaning on key lawmakers in states with important abortion-related legislative fights this session. North Carolina is a special focus where the White House thinks it has the opportunity to fend off restrictions, one of the White House officials said. Republicans have largely shrugged off White House efforts at beating back efforts to limit abortion rights. The White House sees three different approaches to defend abortions rights and has broken down states into what they call either "battleground," "extremist" or "proactive" states, White House officials and advisors say.

[1/2] Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, accompanied by IYI Party leader Meral Aksener and Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoglu, talks to media following a meeting of the opposition alliance in Ankara, Turkey March 6, 2023. A cost-of-living crisis amid rampant inflation and years of economic turmoil have eroded Erdogan's support, giving Kilicdaroglu another advantage. Recent polling showed Erdogan's support had edged up since last summer thanks to measures including a raise in the minimum wage. The following year, he was elected unopposed as CHP leader after his predecessor's resignation in the wake of scandal. His election fuelled party hopes of a new start, but support for CHP has since failed to surpass about 25%.

☆ At right-wing CPAC forum, Trump shows why he'll be tough to topple
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., March 4, 2023. The three-day conference illustrated the iron grip he holds over the right-wing, grassroots base of his party and how hard it could be for a challenger to deny Trump the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. DeSantis also attended a gathering for Republican donors in Florida held by the anti-tax group Club for Growth to which Trump was not invited. In his remarks, Bannon maintained that Trump should be the Republican nominee, saying DeSantis and other potential challengers lacked experience. Trump and DeSantis both are scheduled in the coming days to visit Iowa, which holds the first Republican nominating contest next year.

In North Carolina, party activists are seeking to punish Republican Senator Thom Tillis for his support for same-sex marriage rights. North Carolina State Representative Mark Brody, who supports censuring Sen. Tillis, says it is better to address differences directly. Law, who served as a senior member of Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns in Nevada, and the county party did not respond to requests for comment. Although Tillis retains support among the party establishment, Jim Womack, a county party chair, says the Senator’s critics are gaining strength. “The North Carolina Republican party will eventually be decentralized to the point where the grassroots will actually run the party,” Womack said.

☆ A New York Times book critic says Ron DeSantis' memoir reads like it was 'churned out by ChatGPT'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The New York Times' nonfiction book critic Jennifer Szalai tore into Ron DeSantis' book on Monday. Szalai wrote that DeSantis' new book "reads like a politician's memoir churned out by ChatGPT." Szalai is a full-time book critic and writes weekly book reviews for The Times. The new DeSantis book gives readers a closer look at his life"The Courage to Be Free," a deeper look into DeSantis' life, was released on February 28. I didn't want Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck in our wedding photos," DeSantis wrote.

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