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☆ Paid canvassers for DeSantis are showing up 'a little stoned' in neighborhoods, knocking on doors, and ignoring 'no solicitation' signs, WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Washington Post reported that paid canvassers are supporting Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign. In one conflict, captured via Ring camera, a door knocker told a voter he was "a little stoned" as he worked. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. In another incident, a paid DeSantis canvasser didn't even look up from his phone to speak with a homeowner whose door he had knocked on. DeSantis' presidential campaign representatives declined to comment on the canvassers' behavior.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, canvassers, DeSantis, combatively, South Carolina indignantly, canvasser, Mike Hogan, Donald Trump, Steve Cortes Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Post, PAC, GOP, Politico Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida, South Carolina

☆ Twitter executives were hesitant to ban Trump after Jan. 6, challenging the right-wing narrative that the company was quick to de-platform conservatives, WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Republicans have argued that Twitter had a liberal bias and was quick to censor conservatives. Records obtained by WaPo show how Twitter's management hesitated to ban Trump after Jan. 6, 2021. Twitter ultimately decided to ban Trump on January 8, 2021, following in the footsteps of other social media platforms. However, the safety policy team reassessed their conclusion after internal lawyers, who advised the safety policy team, argued the tweet could have violated Twitter's rules around "glorification of violence," the document said, according to the Post. The lawyers argued that the phrase "American Patriots" could be referring to the rioters who stormed the Capitol, which could then violate Twitter's policy.

Persons: WaPo, Jan, Trump, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Anika Collier Navaroli, Musk, Navaroli Organizations: Twitter, Trump, Elon, Morning, The Washington Post, Capitol, Post, Republican, American Patriots, Patriots

☆ As Casey DeSantis prepared to become the first lady of Florida, she sought to model herself after Melania Trump: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Casey DeSantis sought to model herself after Melania Trump as she prepared to become Florida's first lady, per WaPo. DeSantis inquired with an aide about the sort of clothes that Melania Trump wore, per the report. Casey DeSantis, a former television journalist, was known by her colleagues for skillfully preparing for assignments and interviews during her professional career. But Casey DeSantis also made it clear that she wanted to pursue a different course than Florida's previous first ladies. Throughout her husband's political career, Casey DeSantis has been a huge force that has helped guide him.

Persons: Casey DeSantis, Melania Trump, DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis —, readying, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Florida Gov, The Washington Post, The, Sunshine State, Republican Party of Florida, GOP Locations: Florida, Tallahassee

☆ A former Florida GOP state lawmaker says many people in the state capital are 'terrified' of Ron DeSantis and his political enforcers: 'They just chop off heads and move on'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ex-Florida lawmaker told WaPo that many in Tallahassee are "terrified" of DeSantis and his team. "There's no inner circle because they just chop off heads and move on," the former lawmaker said. This year, boosted by a GOP supermajority, DeSantis ramped up his conservative policymaking agenda. DeSantis has earned the endorsements of 100 of the 113 Republican state lawmakers in Florida, with 12 remaining neutral and only one backing former President Donald Trump. A former Republican state lawmaker told The Post that people are "terrified" of DeSantis and his political operation.

Persons: WaPo, DeSantis, DeSantis ramped, —, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, deriding, they're Organizations: Service, Sunshine State, The Washington Post, Florida Republicans, Republican, Post, GOP, Growth Locations: Florida, Tallahassee

☆ An ex-DeSantis staffer said the onetime congressman used to call Trump an 'idiot': report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An ex-DeSantis House staffer said the then-congressman used to joke about Trump, per a WaPo report. "Ron always said this guy was just an idiot," the former staffer told the newspaper. Now, both men are facing off for the 2024 GOP presidential nod. A former congressional staffer for the now-governor told the newspaper that the two of them used to joke about the then-president — with DeSantis reportedly slamming Trump's intelligence. While Trump remains the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, DeSantis is now the biggest threat to the former president becoming the party's standard-bearer next year.

Persons: Trump, Ron, DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump Organizations: DeSantis, Service, Gov, GOP, Trump, The Washington Post, US Navy, Republican Locations: Florida, Tallahassee

☆ Tech companies are getting tougher on remote workers as their office mandates show
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Many of them either embraced or tolerated remote working but now they seem less keen. Earlier in June, Meta announced that workers must go into the office three days a week, starting September 5. Musk has criticized remote work on several occasions and recently called it "morally wrong." Martha Stewart has also weighed in on the productivity of remote workers, saying: "You can't possibly get everything done working three days a week in the office and two days remotely." The employer backlash against remote work follows a period of upheaval in the tech industry.

Persons: Platformer's Zoë Schiffer, Parag Agrawal, he'd, Elon, Musk, Martha Stewart Organizations: Meta, Apple, Staff, Google, Twitter, The Washington Post Locations: WaPo

☆ Ron DeSantis is drawing from the Trump Supreme Court playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appeared for the first time before the Florida Federalist Society in January 2020, Florida Gov. Some of DeSantis’ state court appointees became Trump federal court appointees, and their entire approach to the bench is fueled by Federalist Society figures like Leo. WaPo: Supreme Court justice's wife received thousands in 'hidden payments' 01:49 - Source: CNNUsing the Trump playbookBy using Leo for advice on state judicial appointments, DeSantis already is following a Trump playbook. He has filled a majority of the seats on the seven-member Florida Supreme Court, some twice over. Midway through his term, he wrote on Twitter, “The Supreme Court was one of the main reasons I got elected President.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Ron DeSantis, Thomas, Leonard Leo, Leo, Donald Trump’s, DeSantis, “, ” Leo, Ginni Thomas, ”, ProPublica’s, Thomas ’, Harlan Crow, Octavio Jones, Roe, Wade, Sullivan, Don McGahn, Gregory Katsas, Trump, ” DeSantis, ” Thomas, Katsas, WaPo, DeSantis ’, Jesse Panuccio, ” Panuccio, Barbara Lagoa, Robert Luck, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lagoa, Amy Coney Barrett, “ I’ve, Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Barack Obama’s, Antonin Scalia Organizations: CNN, Florida Federalist Society, Florida Gov, Disney, Federalist Society, White, Harvard Law School, Politico, Representatives, Trump White House, Republican, Trump, Republicans, DeSantis, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Press, GOP, New York Times, US, DC Circuit, Gov, Orlando Federalist Society, Appeals, Circuit, Florida Supreme, Twitter Locations: Florida, Iowa, ’, Washington, Georgia, America, New Hampshire

☆ Instagram reinstates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amid presidential bid launch - WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 4 (Reuters) - Meta Platform's (META.O) Instagram on Sunday lifted its suspension against the account of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy, The Washington Post reported. "As he is now an active candidate for president of the United States, we have restored access to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Instagram account," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement, according to the newspaper. On Thursday, Kennedy in a series of tweets said that Instagram had still not reinstated his account and that "to silence a major political candidate is profoundly undemocratic." loadingIn 2019, Kennedy's relatives, including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Maeve Kennedy McKean - wrote a Politico op-ed, criticizing his previous statements on vaccines as "misinformation." In September 2021, Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) YouTube also banned channels associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other prominent anti-vaccine activists Joseph Mercola.

Persons: Instagram, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, John F, Kennedy, Biden, Jr, Andy Stone, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P, Kennedy II, Maeve Kennedy McKean, Joseph Mercola, Meta, Yana Gaur, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Sunday, The Washington Post, Democratic, YouTube, Thomson Locations: COVID, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Biden plans to pick physician Mandy Cohen to lead CDC -WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden plans to select former North Carolina health secretary Mandy Cohen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing three people with direct knowledge of the announcement. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mandy Cohen, Akriti Sharma, Leslie Adler Organizations: North, for Disease Control, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: North Carolina, Bengaluru

☆ A farmer who lives near Elon Musk's Texas campus says the state's lack of regulations means it's like the 'Wild West' for developers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Texas' is a "Wild West" for developers like Elon Musk's Boring Company, a farmer told The WaPo. The Boring Company and SpaceX both have built sites in Bastrop, a rural area near Austin. A farmer who lives near Elon Musk's Texas campus around 30 miles east of Austin says that the boom in development in the area means it's like "the Wild West." The Boring Company, Musk's construction company — which builds tunnels under cities to help alleviate traffic congestion — began work on its Bastrop facility in 2021. At the public meeting, however, some local residents did show support for the boost to Bastrop's economy that Musk's investments would bring.

☆ Most remote workers say they'd take a pay cut to continue being allowed to work from home, a new poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

55 percent of fully remote US workers say they're willing to take a pay cut to keep working from home, a WaPo and Ipsos poll finds. Still, the majority of workers polled say they would return to the office if they got a salary bump. Many remote workers want to stay at home — and they're willing to make less money doing just that. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, said that remote work is "morally wrong" and that remote workers need to "get off the goddamn moral high horse." "The laptop classes are living in la-la land," Musk told CNBC during an interview in regards to remote workers.

☆ Archaeologists discover a lost world of 417 ancient Mayans cities buried in remote jungle, connected by miles of 'superhighways,' WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists in Guatemala have discovered "the first freeway system in the world," The Washington Post reports. Archaeologists have found ancient Mayans built 417 cities interconnected by 110 miles of "superhighways." Historians to rethink what they know of ancient Mayan civilization. The findings have unveiled "a whole volume of human history that we've never known," he told the Post. It allowed the scientists to see ancient dams, reservoirs, pyramids, platforms, causeway networks, and even ball courts, per the study.

☆ Republicans reject White House tax loophole proposal in debt talks -WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The White House last week gave Republican lawmakers a list of proposals to reduce the deficit by closing tax loopholes as part of debt ceiling talks, and each item was rejected by Republican negotiators, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing three sources. Senior White House officials floated the tax plans on a phone call with Republicans, the Post reported. They included a measure aimed at cryptocurrency transactions and another for large real estate investors, it reported. Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Jasper Ward; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amid feud with Putin, Wagner mercenary leader offered Ukrainians the locations of invading troops in exchange for sparing his for-hire army, leaked documents reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been feuding with Putin over supplies for his mercenaries. WaPo reported leaked intelligence showed Prigozhin offered to sell out Russian troops to Ukraine. In exchange, Prigozhin wanted Ukraine to ease off his for-hire army on the front lines in Bakhmut. Some versions of the leaked documents circulating online have been edited, Insider previously reported, but two anonymous Ukrainian officials confirmed to WaPo that Prigozhin has spoken to Ukrainian intelligence officers on multiple occasions. The document does not specify which Russian troop positions Prigozhin offered to reveal, WaPo reported, and US officials similarly cast doubt on the Wagner leader's intentions.

☆ Zelenskyy proposed bombing a Russian pipeline and using long-range missiles to hit targets outside Ukraine's borders, leaked documents show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Intelligence documents leaked last month offered a glimpse into Ukraine's wartime strategy. Among the Ukrainian's secret plans: occupy Russian villages and bomb an oil pipeline. Among the extreme strategies Zelenskyy considered: occupying Russian villages, bombing an oil pipeline that transfers Russian oil to Hungary, and firing long-range missiles at targets beyond the Russian border. In another meeting, the Ukrainian leader lamented, "Ukraine does not have long-range missiles capable of reaching Russian troop deployments in Russia nor anything with which to attack them." Representatives for the Pentagon and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Leaked documents reveal China's plans to launch a supersonic spy drone that could fly 3 times the speed of sound, WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some of the documents showed China's plans for a supersonic drone, The Washington Post reported. China's WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones can travel three times the speed of sound. The drones could assist China in real-time mapping that would inform strategy or enable high-speed missile strikes in a future conflict, The Washington Post reported. The documents reported on by the outlet included flight paths for the drone, as well as the bomber plane used to launch the device. Representatives for the Department of Defense and China's Ministry of National Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Leaked Pentagon docs show the shot-down Chinese spy balloon may have had a feature known as 'synthetic aperture radar' that can see through certain materials, WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The shot-down Chinese spy balloon may have had synthetic aperture radar, the Washington Post reports. SAR is used around the world by organizations like NASA and the European Space Agency. "The amount of solar power generated by the panels on the Chinese stratospheric balloon that NSA named Killeen-23 is excessive for a weather balloon," the document reads. Synthetic aperture radar is the solution to the problem with real aperture radar, which cannot create high-resolution images without an impractically large antenna. These sensor readings then allow the radar to create a reconstruction of whatever objects are below the energy beam.

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas received between $270,000 to $750,000 within the past 17 years from a real estate company that no longer exists, Washington Post reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Clarence Thomas received rental income from a firm called Ginger Limited Partnership, WaPo reported. The real estate firm's partners included Thomas' wife Ginni Thomas, her parents, and her 3 siblings. But since then, Thomas reported receiving a total of $270,000 to $750,000 from the defunct firm, records reviewed by WaPo showed. A Supreme Court spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Federal law stipulates that government employees, including Supreme Court justices, must disclose real estate transactions worth more than $1,000.

☆ The man who may have leaked top-secret Pentagon documents was a fit and armed military guy who controlled a group of young gamers united by their worship of guns and God: WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He was the leader of a group of young gamers who loved guns, military gear, and God, per the outlet. As early as 2020, OG began sending the classified information to his Discord server, which was once named "Thug Shaker Central," per The Post. And at least 10 documents were later sent to another Discord server dedicated to the video game "Minecraft," Toler reported. "He said something had happened, and he prayed to God that his event would not happen," one of the young Discord members told The Post. The "Thug Shaker Central" server has been deleted, Bellingcat reported.

☆ A DeSantis-aligned super PAC will work to build crowds for the Florida governor, in part, to counter Trump's focus on crowd sizes: WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A DeSantis-aligned super PAC is working to build crowds for the Florida governor, per WaPo. A source told WaPo that the PAC, Never Back Down, was looking to counter Trump's preoccupation with crowd sizes. DeSantis embarked on a book tour this year, which has attracted interest among many Republicans. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA super PAC aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is working to build crowds for the likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate to counter former President Donald Trump's longstanding preoccupation with crowd sizes, according to The Washington Post.

☆ ChatGPT reportedly made up sexual harassment allegations against a prominent lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

OpenAI's ChatGPT made up sexual harassment accusations against lawyer Jonathan Turley, WaPo reported. In its response, ChatGPT apparently cited a Washington Post article published in 2018 — but the publication said that article doesn't exist. In the post, Turley added that he initially thought the accusation was "comical," but that "after some reflection," it "took on a more menacing meaning." He said the false sexual harassment accusations could damage his reputation as a legal scholar. "As part of that reality in our age of rage, there is a continual stream of false claims about my history or statements."

☆ Trump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated' after the indictment: WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One adviser told The Post that Trump had been joking about "golden handcuffs" before the indictment. The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. The New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman reported on Thursday that Trump and his team were blindsided by the indictment. Less than 24 hours before his indictment, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had gained "SUCH RESPECT" for the grand jury. In a Truth Social post after his indictment, Trump said he had been indicted by "Thugs and Radical Left Monsters."

☆ White House preparing call for new bank rules - WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The White House is readying plans to push federal banking regulators to impose new rules on midsize banks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the preparations. The planned recommendations for Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden would push for rules to be reinstated for banks with between $100 billion and $250 billion that were deregulated by Congress and the Federal Reserve during former Republican President Donald Trump's administration, the Post said. Representatives for the White House could not be immediately reached for comment on the reported plans. Potential moves include requiring banks to have higher capital requirements, more safe assets relative to riskier loans, and crisis-ready plans for dissolution as well as more frequent so-called stress tests, the Post reported. Writing by Susan Heavey in Washington; additional reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ An anti-abortion judge overseeing a Texas lawsuit that could ban an abortion pill wanted to delay announcing the hearing date, The Washington Post reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is overseeing a lawsuit that challenges the FDA approval of mifepristone. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, but the judge hoped to delay publicizing the date, per WaPo. But the Texas judge overseeing the case — who is known for his conservative politics and anti-abortion stance — hoped to hide the date of the hearing until right before the scheduled date, The Washington Post reported. In addition, he told attorneys on the call that members of the courthouse have received threats due to the lawsuit, the Post reported. According to the report, the Post had attempted to seek information about the date of the hearing before the Friday call but received no response.

☆ Biden proposes to raise taxes on high earners to avert Medicare funding crisis- WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 7 (Reuters) - The White House will propose raising taxes on people earning more than $400,000 and reduce what Medicare pays for prescription drugs in a bid to keep the program stable, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. "The president's budget extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by at least 25 years," the report said citing the plan. The White House's proposal would raise the net investment income tax, created by the Affordable Care Act, from 3.8% to 5% for all Americans earning more than $400,000 per year, according to the report. The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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