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☆ Rupert Murdoch says some Fox News anchors 'endorsed' false election fraud claims in Dominion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said some anchors of the company's TV networks parroted false fraud claims in the months following the 2020 election, according to new court papers out Monday. In new filings as part of Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox and its networks, Murdoch said he doubted the election fraud claims being aired on Fox News and Fox Business Network. Murdoch also acknowledged that Fox's TV hosts endorsed the false election fraud claims. In unveiled question and answers from Murdoch's deposition, when Murdoch was asked if he was "now aware that Fox endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election," Murdoch responded, "Not Fox, no. Dominion sued Fox and its right-wing cable networks, Fox News and Fox Business, arguing the networks and its personalities made false claims that its voting machines rigged the results of the 2020 election.

☆ Putin's KGB past is key to grasping what he might do next in his failing Ukraine war, ex-spies say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Putin's time in the KGB helps explain his worldview and brutal approach to warfare, ex-spies say. As Western intelligence agencies vie to stay two steps ahead of the Russian leader and get inside his head, peering into Putin's KGB past may offer clues on what he's thinking. "Putin's KGB background tells us a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the war. He is a creation of the KGB, and the KGB was a terrorist organization," John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served in Russia, told Insider. The Ukraine war has seen Putin and his propagandists make a series of assertions — ranging from plausible to preposterous — to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

☆ A Florida GOP congressman sent his colleagues inert grenades as a welcome gift to the House
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Florida congressman Cory Mills gifted his colleagues inert grenades. The grenades, Mills said, were made for an MK19 grenade launcher. The letter to his colleagues assured them in a postscript that "these Florida manufactured 40mm grenades are inert." Mills' letter was posted to Twitter on Thursday by Daily Mail reporter Morgan Phillips. It's unclear how many grenades Mills gifted to his colleagues.

☆ Elaine Chao, Trump-era transportation secretary and Mitch McConnell's wife, hits back at Trump for giving her the racist nickname 'Coco Chow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has spoken out against Trump's attacks on her. Trump on Monday again referred to Chao as "Coco Chow" in a Truth Social post. Chao said the racist nickname said more about Trump "than it will ever say about Asian Americans." Chao released her statement after Trump in a Truth Social post on Monday once again referred to her by the nickname "Coco Chow." When approached for comment about Chao, Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, told Politico: "People should stop feigning outrage and engaging in controversies that exist only in their heads."

☆ The far-right wore Brazil's national soccer team jersey during anti-democratic riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Brazilian national team's soccer jersey has been appropriated by Bolsonaro for years. When Brazil's national team won the 2019 Copa America, Bolsonaro sat squarely with the players and trophy, smiling ear to ear as he parroted the win. "The Brazilian national team shirt is a symbol of the joy of our people," the CBF tweeted on Monday. "Brazil's yellow shirts shimmered and sparkled in the blistering white sunlight of the Mexican noon — the appointed time of kick-offs to support European TV schedules." "We can't be ashamed of wearing our green and yellow shirt," da Silva said in late November, per The Guardian.

☆ It might be possible to fight a traffic ticket with an AI 'robot lawyer' secretly feeding you lines to your AirPods, but it could go off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DoNotPay wants to put AI to the courtroom test, and plans to use it to advise defendants in traffic cases. Judges could alert bar associations to a rogue "robot lawyer" on the loose, legal experts said. But DoNotPay's founder Joshua Browder plans to put his app's AI "robot lawyer" to just such a test in an upcoming traffic court case in February, according to a report in the New Scientist that heralds the first AI-powered defense in court. "The traffic court judge might have questions about who's really doing the talking here." As Browder courted headlines with the bold move to take DoNotPay's "robot lawyer" to court, he also tweeted an incredible offer on Sunday.

☆ Mike Lindell says he'll drop 'everything' and fly to lobby Elon Musk in person to unban him from Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell wants to sit down for an ask-me-anything with Elon Musk. He told Insider that he wants to show Musk "evidence" that could reverse his Twitter ban. Lindell also told Steve Bannon that if Musk wants free speech on Twitter, he should be let back on. Everyone's got their Twitters back and so on," Lindell told Bannon. "I want to show him the evidence of why Twitter kicked me off," Lindell told Insider.

☆ Democrats retain grip on U.S. Senate, defying Republican 'red wave' predictions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Tim Reid | Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

“We were on the edge of autocracy and, thank God, the American people pulled us back in this election,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference on Sunday. As of late on Saturday, Republicans had won 211 seats and the Democrats 205, with 218 needed for a majority. House Republicans, should they prevail, have pledged to try to roll back Biden-led legislation to battle climate change and want to make permanent a series of 2017 tax cuts set to expire. Slideshow ( 2 images )“That has to be a focal point of every single committee in the Congress, especially in the House under Republican control,” Banks said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday”. Continued control of the Senate means Democrats will still be able to approve Biden’s nominees such as federal judges.

☆ Meet the 23-year-old Indian American who flipped a Republican Illinois district
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

An Indian Muslim American who wears a hijab, she remembers the former president’s 2016 Election Day with perfect clarity. Her social media accounts are full of these selfies, thanking the voters who spoke to her by name. Social media helped her broadcast her messages louder than she could have hoped, she said. “There are so many other young South Asian folks that are doing incredible things. Whether it’s politics, comedy, social media, medicine, it’s incredible to see how powerful this demographic is.”

☆ Midterm elections live updates: Pennsylvania races, New Hampshire Senate race too early to call
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Brandy Zadrozny | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Sahil-Kapur-Headshot.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +109 min

Share this -Link copiedWisconsin Senate and governor's races too early to call It is too early to call the Senate and gubernatorial races in Wisconsin, according to NBC News. Share this -Link copiedNew Hampshire Senate race too early to call The Senate race in New Hampshire is too early to call, according to NBC News. Share this -Link copiedPennsylvania Senate and governor races are too early to call After polls closed at 8 p.m. While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. According to the poll, 46% of voters said their family’s financial situation is worse than it was two years ago. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

By the end of Election Day, approximately 21,000 total interviews will be conducted. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said. Share this -Link copiedSunny weather in most battleground states on Election Day It’s a bright and sunny Election Day in many battleground states!

How the midterm election outcome could impact Biden's agenda Nov. 8, 2022 02:02 Read the full story here. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said. Share this -Link copiedSunny weather in most battleground states on Election Day It’s a bright and sunny Election Day in many battleground states!

☆ Putin's time in the KGB taught him 'how to lie' and to think like a terrorist, ex-spies say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Putin's time in the KGB helps explain his worldview and brutal approach to warfare, ex-spies say. A former KGB agent told Insider the biggest thing Putin learned from the Soviet spy agency was "how to lie." But ex-spies and Russia experts told Insider that Putin's time in the KGB — the Soviet Union's primary and much-feared security agency — played an instrumental role in shaping his mindset. "Putin's KGB background tells us a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the war. He is a creation of the KGB, and the KGB was a terrorist organization," John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served in Russia, told Insider.

☆ Factbox: These U.S. election deniers want to run the 2024 elections in battleground states
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fear is they could help Trump, if he decides to run again, or another like-minded Republican, overturn election results in 2024. Here are the Republican secretary of state candidates in the three states. He supported an audit of Arizona's election results and co-sponsored a bill that would give the state's Republican-controlled legislature the power to overturn election results. After the 2020 election, he also called for the arrest of the state's Democratic secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor in this election. Marchant is a member of the America First Secretary of State Coalition, a group supporting a slate of candidates supporting Trump's baseless claims about the 2020 election.

☆ Elon Musk has been called Putin's 'useful idiot.' Here are 4 other powerful figures who have parroted Kremlin talking points.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

'A useful idiot'Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime are well known for spreading propaganda about the war effort in Ukraine — but they've also had help disseminating their messages from influential and powerful public figures. Among them are Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and billionaire who is known for sharing his takes on just about any topic on Twitter — which, notably, he owns as of last week. Puck's Julia Ioffe, a journalist and expert on Russia, wrote last month that Musk has been "simply acting as a messenger for the Kremlin." "A useful idiot." Musk is hardly alone among powerful figures repeating Putin talking points.

☆ Trump is spreading conspiracy-theory lies about the Paul Pelosi attack that have already been debunked
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump's spreading false far-right theories about the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband. Trump parroted claims that Paul Pelosi knew his attacker and that the glass was broken from the inside. "Well, it's weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks," Trump said. "Well, it's weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks," Trump said. The affidavit, however, explains that Paul Pelosi had said in the call the man who identified himself as David was waiting for Nancy Pelosi, and he didn't know him.

☆ 'Stop the Steal' leader Ali Alexander calls for a military coup in Brazil to intervene in its presidential election after Jair Bolsonaro's defeat
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Far-right activist Ali Alexander is pushing election conspiracy theories in Brazil. He called on the Brazilian military to start a coup and deny the election defeat of Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, a Trump ally and divisive far-right leader, has parroted MAGA election denial rhetoric. Alexander called for an "audit" on Brazil's presidential election and for the military to "arrest any bad guys on either side," echoing the election denial rhetoric spread by MAGA conspiracy theorists in recent years. Alexander misleadingly used the screenshot to support his baseless claim that the Biden administration rigged Brazil's election.

☆ Trump spent the day complaining on social media while lawmakers of both parties condemned the assault on Pelosi's husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But Trump spent the day posting on social media, including complaints about his legal woes. The attacker was reportedly looking for the House Speaker, who is one of the most vilified lawmakers by the far right in the US. Trump used Twitter to spread baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, among other topics, which the suspect had apparently parroted to some degree on their social media. Police identified the suspect in the assault on Pelosi as David DePape. He posted conspiracy theories on social media, according to CNN, including on COVID-19 vaccines, the 2020 election, and the January 6 attack.

☆ Roger Stone cautioned Ron DeSantis that it would be 'ingratitude and treachery' to run against Trump in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Roger Stone told Ron DeSantis that it would be "ingratitude and treachery" to run against Trump. He also hit out at DeSantis' wife, comparing her to Lady Macbeth. Ron DeSantis that it would be treacherous for him to run against Trump in 2024. In the post, Stone also hit out at DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis. "Have you ever noticed how much Ron DeSantis' wife Casey is like Lady Macbeth?"

☆ 'Run, don't walk' from index funds, says a hedge fund manager who ran one of the best-performing mutual funds. He breaks down why most funds aren't ready for a two-stage bear market that could last ov
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

George Noble says most fund managers and index funds aren't equipped for the changing economy. He admits that equity hedge funds haven't fared well in the last decade when their performance became mediocre. Between 1991 to 2009, he ran two hedge funds that eventually closed. He points to the Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund VIP Index, a collection of the top long-equity holdings within the portfolios of fundamentally driven hedge fund managers, as an example. For this reason, index funds, technology funds, and high-growth funds are a disaster.

☆ Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is floating a peace plan for Ukraine that, like Elon Musk's, requires giving major concessions to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman floated a peace plan for Ukraine on Sunday. Like Elon Musk's controversial plan, Ackman's involves giving concessions to Russia. Ackman's ceasefire plan comes two weeks after Tesla CEO Elon Musk drew ire for tweeting out a peace proposal of his own that parroted Kremlin talking points. While Ackman's plan differs from Musk's, both billionaires have taken the position that Ukraine should take steps to secure a ceasefire and let Russia keep Crimea. Both Ackman and Musk also seem to agree that Ukraine should remain neutral, and not join NATO.

☆ Elon Musk's pro-Russian peace deal is 'classic Putin,' and there's a clue of the Russian leader's role, Fiona Hill argues
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk's foray into the Russia-Ukraine war is being guided by Putin, according to Fiona Hill. The Russia expert told Politico that Putin frequently uses prominent people as intermediaries. "Putin plays the egos of big men, gives them a sense that they can play a role," Hill said. But in reality, they're just direct transmitters of messages from Vladimir Putin," Hill told Politico this week, noting that the Tesla billionaire has tipped his hand in an obvious display of Putin's influence. Musk's sudden emergence as an apparent player in foreign affairs may seem curious, but it's actually a "classic Putin play," Hill said.

☆ Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke with Vladimir Putin before pitching his Ukraine peace plan on Twitter that repeated Kremlin talking points, political scientist says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Before tweeting a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine that parroted Russian demands, Elon Musk reportedly met privately with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an email to Eurasia Group subscribers, Ian Bremmer said that he spoke with Musk two weeks ago — who had previously met with Putin. According to Bremmer, Putin told Musk that these were goals he'd accomplish "no matter what," or else he would turn to "major escalation." Last week, Musk shared a public poll pitching a plan to stop the war; Musk's proposal matched the demands Putin reportedly said he was seeking. Elon Musk did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment to confirm he met with Putin.

☆ Economic policy is full of false assumptions that benefit the wealthy and undercut average Americans — just look at how CEOs are paid
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-19 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Recently, he spoke with author Tom Bergin about the problem with CEOs acting like shareholders. A 2021 study found that typical CEO compensation has risen 1,322% since 1978, while worker compensation over that same time only increased by 18%. The problem with CEOs behaving as shareholdersThe National Bureau of Economic Research reports that in 1980, stock options were rarely included in CEO compensation. When they were a part of the compensation package, average stock options rarely made up even 20% of the total direct pay for CEOs. But today, according to Lawrence Mischel from the Economic Policy Institute, "Stock-related compensation comprises around 85% of CEO compensation."

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