DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Jan. 6 committee releases nearly 50 more witness transcripts — including Ivanka Trump, Bill Barr, and Mike Pompeo — to little fanfare
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The January 6 committee released a new trove of nearly 50 witness transcripts on Friday. Testimony from Ivanka Trump, Mike Pompeo, and Bill Bar was included in the release. Testimony from several high-profile witnesses were included in the Friday release, including Ivanka Trump, former Attorney General Bill Bar, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The committee released testimony transcripts from 46 witnesses in total on Friday, having already published several transcripts earlier in the week. Testimony from Trump-aligned attorney Sidney Powell, former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, and former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was also released Friday.

WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides record military funding and sends emergency aid to Ukraine, hours before a midnight deadline. "The bipartisan funding bill advances key priorities for our country and caps off a year of historic bipartisan progress for the American people," Biden said. While some of the work was done in a bipartisan manner, that was not the case with Friday's $1.66 trillion funding bill, opposed by House Republican conservatives and some Senate conservatives. They have threatened to oppose any legislation introduced by any of the Senate Republicans who supported the bill. [1/4] The U.S. Capitol is seen as Congress continues work on passing a $1.66 trillion government funding bill in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022.

Ali Alexander said he believed White House wanted him to lead rallygoers to Capitol "Stop The Steal" organizer Ali Alexander believed the White House wanted him to lead attendees of Trump's Jan. 6 rally to the Capitol, the report said. Alex Jones, who has claimed the White House told him to lead the march, texted Wren at 12:27 p.m. Finally one of the staffers told Trump they thought he should focus on his speech. Trump told Jan. 6 demonstrators at the Capitol in a Twitter video that he loved them but that they should go home. The information was expected to be available as soon as Thursday — the day the House Jan. 6 committee is set to issue its final report on the riot.

WASHINGTON — The House Jan. 6 committee on Thursday unveiled its formal report, the final product of its historic 18-month investigation into the deadly attack on the Capitol and former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. It was the first time in history that a congressional committee had made criminal referrals for a U.S. president. A video of former President Donald Trump is shown at the House Jan. 6 committee's final meeting Monday. "Among the most shameful of this committee’s findings was that President Trump sat in the dining room off the Oval Office watching the violent riot at the Capitol on television. At her final news conference as speaker Thursday, Pelosi praised Thompson, Cheney and the other Jan. 6 members for their "persistent, patriotic leadership."

So yeah, I’m proud of it,” McConnell said, hailing it as an “extremely important” win for conservatives. He said it’ll mean they no longer “pay a ransom on the domestic side” in order to secure hefty military spending. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.. said he’s “disappointed” in the unequal spending levels but argued that the Kentucky Republican was using his leverage. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks alongside Sens. Democrats say McConnell was pushing for deals due to the rising support in the Democratic Party in recent years to end the filibuster.

It could be worse, the president could have tried to kill’ — he didn’t say kill — ‘the president could have tried to strangle you on Jan. 6,’” Hutchinson said. Hutchinson recalled how during a drive to New Jersey she began wondering whether any aide in the Richard Nixon administration had held a position similar to her own during the Watergate scandal. In remarks, she thanked the Jan. 6 Committee for its work ahead of the final report's release. Hutchinson, who delivered bombshell testimony to the Jan. 6 committee this summer, had previously been represented by Stefan Passantino, who had also worked as a lawyer in the Trump White House. Share this -Link copiedCommittee releases Cassidy Hutchinson transcripts The committee released more transcripts on Thursday, making public the closed-door interviews with White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.

☆ The Ugliest Omnibus Bill Ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The 117th Congress has been the most spendthrift in history, and this week it plans to go out with one final bipartisan back-slapping hurrah—a 4,155-page omnibus spending bill that is the worst in history. This is no way to govern in a democracy, but here we are. The Members, in their efforts to disguise what they’re doing, rolled out the final product late Monday night. They plan to whip it through by Thursday while Americans are busy with pre-Christmas plans and before even the Members know what they’re voting on.

WASHINGTON — Officials in Washington are preparing for a possible visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, according to five sources familiar with the planning. Zelenskyy could address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening, three sources said. A European official also familiar with the planning confirmed that preparations are underway for a potential visit Wednesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested members attend Wednesday's session in person in a letter to colleagues Tuesday. Weeks after the war got underway in March, Zelenskyy made an emotional virtual address to Congress asking for support with more aggressive measures to curb the conflict.

☆ Democrats run out the clock on a congressional stock-ban bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Madison Hall | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After months of wrangling over a congressional stock-trade ban, Pelosi is getting that wish. Some government ethics advocates had hoped that congressional stock-ban legislation would be packaged with the 2023 omnibus spending bill. Meanwhile, lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties continue violating the STOCK Act while 11th-hour pleas from Democratic stock-ban advocates go unanswered by Democratic leaders. A ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks and cryptocurrencies will officially die on January 3, when the 118th Congress is seated. Any stock-ban bill introduced next year will therefore require bipartisan support across Congress' two chambers.

WASHINGTON — The first week of the 117th Congress opened with an attack on the Capitol that rattled the nation and tested American democracy. On Monday, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot will vote to adopt its sweeping, much-anticipated report, present major findings and recommend criminal referrals to the Justice Department, which are expected to include former President Donald Trump. The full report is expected to be made available to the public on Wednesday. Transcripts from those depositions and voluntary interviews, as well as other written and video evidence, will also be shared with the public. “So whereas other reports have just been a bunch of pages, we think the digital part will add another dimension to it.”

☆ Argentina win incredible World Cup final in shootout
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Mitch Phillips | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Argentina win World Cup for third time after 3-3 drawMessi scores two and nets in shootoutMbappe scores hat-trick as France come from 2-0 downSecond World Cup final penalties defeat for France after 2006LUSAIL, Qatar, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Argentina won their third World Cup in an extraordinary final on Sunday as they beat France 4-2 on penalties after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw that featured a hat-trick for Kylian Mbappe as the holders recovered from 2-0 down. Messi put Argentina ahead again but Mbappe levelled with another penalty, becoming the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966. Argentina have now won six of their seven World Cup shootouts, including the quarter-final against the Netherlands a week ago when they also blew a 2-0 lead, while France have lost three of five, but with two of those defeats coming in finals. It seems all the more incredible coming a month after his team began the tournament by suffering statistically the biggest upset in World Cup history when they were beaten by Saudi Arabia. He and Messi both converted the opening spot-kicks of the shootout but then had to stand back and let their team mates decide their destiny.

☆ REVIEW Soccer-Whatever the ending, Qatar World Cup duly delivered
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country. But for a month the so-called beautiful game did, in the words of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, spread some joy. The marquee names of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered storylines. In five second-half minutes Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari wrote themselves into Saudi sporting folklore by scoring the goals to overturn a Messi penalty and seal the biggest statistical shock in World Cup history. Messi, channelling his inner-Maradona, inspired Argentina to beat Croatia and few would begrudge the diminutive number 10's record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance ending with him holding aloft the gleaming trophy.

The committee obtained six years' worth of Trump's tax returns in November, following a years-long court fight for documents that other presidents have routinely made public since the 1970s. The meeting in "consideration" of the Trump documents comes just before Republicans are set to reclaim control of the House — and the committee — next month. While tax returns are confidential under federal law, there are some exceptions — including if the chair of the Ways and Means committee requests them. “No one believes that Chairman Neal requested President Trump’s tax returns so he can study legislation about IRS audits. Every president since Richard Nixon has made their tax returns public.

☆ Biden and Senate Democrats set to close out historic two years in judicial confirmations, pledging more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Phil Mattingly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Biden and Senate Democrats, even while holding the barest of majorities, confirmed 97 Article III judges over the last two years, including a Supreme Court justice, 28 circuit court judges and 68 district court judges, according to White House data obtained by CNN. “You can be sure that judges will remain a top priority in the Congress to come,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. For Biden and other Democrats, the filling of federal judicial openings took on a new level of significance in the wake of the historically successful push by former President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans. While a Senate rule change easing the pathway to confirmation rapidly accelerated McConnell’s efforts in Trump’s final two years, the pace Biden and Senate Democrats have maintained make clear what officials continue to pledge will be followed by action: that judicial nominations will remain a top priority. Biden’s senior team and counsel’s office tightly coordinated with their Senate counterparts throughout first two years to prioritize the efforts.

☆ Scandal-plagued Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn failed to report another trade of 'Let's Go Brandon' coin — a violation of the federal STOCK Act
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Madison Cawthorn just violated a federal conflict-of-interest law, the STOCK Act, for the third time this year. Cawthorn in January sold up to $50,000 in Let's Go Brandon coin, a cryptocurrency, but waited months to disclose it. The House Ethics Committee recently fined Cawthorn $15,000 for purchasing the cryptocurrency on terms more favorable than available to the public. Cawthorn's latest personal financial disclosure, mandated by federal law, shows he sold an amount of "Let's Go Brandon" coin valued between $15,001 and $50,000 in January. He waited until earlier this month to report the trade, in violation of the federal Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012.

☆ Brazil's best shooters should have taken penalties first, says Klinsmann
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Croatia, the 2018 runners-up, stunned Brazil 4-2 on penalties after Marquinhos and Rodrygo failed to convert. "After conceding the equaliser in the 117th minute, Brazil had no time to switch gears. From the disappointment of conceding a last minute goal to the penalty shootout, there was no time to settle and approach the shootout positively. "With Argentina, they had extra time to play, even with the shock of the (Wout) Weghorst equaliser in the last minute," Klinsmann added. At the end of the game they were far more clearer (in the head) going into the penalty shootout."

☆ Croatia beat Brazil on penalties to reach semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Quarter Final - Croatia v Brazil - Education City Stadium, Doha, Qatar - December 9, 2022 Croatia's Dominik Livakovic celebrates with teammates after winning the penalty shootout and qualifying for the semi final REUTERS/Hannah MckayAL RAYYAN, Qatar, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Dominik Livakovic saved Rodrygo's first penalty and Marquinhos hit the post to give Croatia a 4-2 shootout win over Brazil on Friday after their World Cup quarter-final finished level at 1-1. After a scoreless 90 minutes Brazil took a 1-0 lead with a bit of extra time solo magic from Neymar but gritty Croatia refused to quit, Bruno Petkovic equalising in the 117th minute to send the contest to penalties. Croatia now await the winner of Argentina and the Netherlands who clash later on Friday. Reporting by Steve Keating in Al Rayyan. Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on Tuesday that the long-awaited legislation ought to clear the House in coming days. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate last week, was designed as a backstop to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. He attributed the shift partly to the fact that such marriages had ceased to be unusual in the United States since the Supreme Court legalized them. "The sky didn't fall because same-sex marriage began happening," said Raushenbush, who is in a same-sex marriage himself. The amendment's support from various religious groups that are theologically opposed to same-sex marriage reflects the fact that attitudes have changed, said Tim Schultz, the president of the 1st Amendment Partnership, which advocates for religious liberty.

☆ On the Edge: The Sustainability of American Innovation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOn the Edge: The Sustainability of American InnovationDespite a prevailing narrative that both Democrats and Republicans have been unfriendly to big businesses over the past 2 years, American corporations have plenty of reasons to be pleased with the 117th Congress. The CHIPs act opens the door for more U.S. based semiconductor production, while the bipartisan infrastructure bill not only pays to fix and replace aging roads and bridges, but also allocates funding for new research and development. In this panel, we discuss how the business community and its representatives in Washington will continue to promote innovation and fair competition in the next Congress, while navigating the choppy political waters on both sides of the aisle. CNBC's Eamon Javers speaks with Jay Timmons, National Association of Manufacturers President & CEO at the 2022 CNBC CFO Council Summit on November 30, 2022.

☆ Congress is about to get a little bit younger, with lawmakers' median age dropping by two-and-a-half years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Walt Hickey | Annie Fu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On January 2, the median member of Congress will be 61.7 years old. On January 3, when the 118th Congress takes over, the median member will be 59.2 years old. Indeed, on the last day of the current 117th Congress, the median member will be 61.7 years of age, the oldest on record. On the first day of the 118th Congress, there will be 107 members over the age of 70. Assuming current membership holds, the median age of Congress will be 61.1, as of December 1, 2024 — just short of the current Congress' advanced age.

☆ Jamie Raskin: Trump thought he could enter the Capitol on January 6 'like Mussolini being carried on the shoulders of his supporters'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He said Trump likely thought he would enter "like Mussolini being carried on the shoulders of his supporters." "I imagine that he thought that he would enter like Mussolini being carried on the shoulders of his supporters and enter the Capitol," Raskin said, likening Trump to the Italian fascist dictator. Raskin was speaking after Secret Service agent Robert Engel — who was with Trump during the riot — testified to the House panel on Thursday. Raskin added that Trump was "adamant that he be able to join the mob and approach and enter the Capitol with them." The House panel in October unanimously voted to subpoena Trump, following several hearings chock-full of damning testimony about the former president's conduct on January 6, 2021.

Republicans won the House on Wednesday when they picked up a 218th seat, the majority needed to control the chamber. How House district results compare with presidential election results in Florida 2022 House margin 2020 presidential margin Voted more Democratic than presidential election 2020 presidential margin 2022 House margin Voted more Republican than presidential electionwon Republicanwonwon Democratwon Notes: Chart shows all districts where there was one candidate from each major party. How House district results compare with presidential election results in Michigan 2022 House margin 2020 presidential margin Voted more Democratic than presidential election 2020 presidential margin 2022 House margin Voted more Republican than presidential electionwon Republicanwonwon Democratwon Notes: Chart shows all districts where there was one candidate from each party. Clinton-Biden districts where Republicans won in 2022 Where Democrats won the presidential vote in 2016 and 2020 and a Republican won the House in 2022 Vote margin Rep. win by ≥10% Rep. win by <10% Dem. Trump-Biden districts where Republicans won in 2022 Where Trump won the presidential vote in 2016, Biden won in 2020 and a Republican won the House in 2022 Vote margin Rep. win by ≥10% Rep. win by <10% Dem.

☆ Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is fighting to retain Democratic control of Congress' upper chamber, faces off against Republican Joe Pinion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Explore more race results below. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer is running against Republican Joe Pinion in New York's Senate race. Schumer is working to extend his run as senate majority leader by at least two more years. NY-03NY-18NY-19NY-22NY-01NY-17 HouseSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer seeks a 5th Senate term — and some much needed breathing room in the 50-50 Senate — while facing off against longshot Republican hopeful Joe Pinion. Voting history in New YorkSchumer has held the seat since 1999, serving as Senate minority leader throughout the Trump administration.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy both the Democrats and Republicans are so dislikedJust two political parties have long dominated American government. The 117th Congress had just two independent members in the Senate, who both caucus with the Democrats. It's been more than half a century since a candidate who wasn't a Democrat or a Republican won any electoral votes in a presidential election. But an increasing number of Americans are expressing their discontent, with a study [cite source here] saying that nearly 4 in 10 of them want more parties to choose from.

Brian Kemp to become the state’s first Black governor — she’d also be the first Black woman in the country’s history to hold a governor seat. In Maryland, Rep. Anthony Brown could be the state’s first Black attorney general if he defeats Republican Michael Peroutka. Smaller historic races include Rep. Karen Bass’ bid to become Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor. Flowers would be the first Black woman to hold the office in Alabama, and she’s already made history as the first Black woman from either major party to win the nomination for governor. If successful, she would be the first Black woman elected to the chamber in the state’s history.

Search resuls for: "117th"

25 mentions found