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☆ New Oral History Peers Back at Obama, His Era and the Tradeoffs He Made
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first tranche of interviews being made available does not include those of the former president, first lady or other major recognizable figures from the Obama era. Instead, it is tightly focused on one issue that the researchers deemed vital to his presidency, a wonk’s feast of policy discussion rather than a broader look at Mr. Obama himself or his overall eight years in power. As he sucked down his favorite Fiji water, Mr. Obama would tease scientists and engineers. We don’t need to look at any more of those.”The focus on climate change in the first set of interviews also highlighted the larger trade-offs Mr. Obama made between competing priorities. At one point as he was expending all of his influence to pass the Affordable Care Act, he ruefully explained his priorities to Mr. Chu.

Persons: Obama, “, ”, I’m, Steven Chu, Steve, we’ve, We’ve, ruefully, Chu Organizations: “ Energy Locations: Fiji

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks attract millions of visitors each year. "Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment," the company said. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in Florida, had been enjoying unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight body on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks are located and attract millions of visitors each year. In the action filed in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney said it had no choice but to take legal action. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in the Florida, had been operating with unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight board on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

April 26 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a court to overturn state efforts to control the Walt Disney World theme parks and intensifying a battle between a global entertainment giant and a potential White House contender. A DeSantis spokesman called Disney's action "an unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of Florida voters." Disney also argues it was denied its First Amendment rights to free speech. State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis. But before the takeover by DeSantis' appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board's action for decades.

☆ Explainer: How did the battle between Ron DeSantis and Disney escalate?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 26 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a federal court to overturn state efforts to exert greater control over the Walt Disney World theme parks. DeSantis responded by urging the legislature to abolish a special district that gave Disney virtual autonomy over the development of its theme parks in central Florida. The Florida State legislature created the Reedy Creek Improvement District in 1967 to promote the development of Walt Disney World on a 38.5-square miles of land. HOW DO VOTERS FEEL ABOUT THE DESANTIS VS. DISNEY BATTLE? Forty-four percent of Republican respondents in an April Reuters/Ipsos poll said they had a more favorable view of DeSantis because of the fight with Disney.

☆ DeSantis could win Republican votes with Disney clash -Reuters/Ipsos poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Independents were evenly divided in the Reuters/Ipsos poll. Polling shows DeSantis trailing former President Donald Trump among Republican voters. DeSantis has argued that his actions against Disney were rightfully rolling back special treatment for the company. Some 64% of Republicans in the Reuters/Ipsos poll agreed, with 37% of them siding with the vast majority of Democrats, who said DeSantis was punishing Disney for exercising free speech. The new Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 1,005 adults across the United States, including 450 self-described Democrats and 366 Republicans.

☆ Susan Rice to step down as Biden's domestic policy chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Susan Rice speaks on December 11, 2020, after being nominated to be Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council by US President-elect Joe Biden (R), in Wilmington, Delaware. President Joe Biden's domestic policy adviser, Susan Rice, is stepping down from her post next month, multiple current and former senior administration officials told NBC News. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said Rice, who served as national security adviser during the Obama administration, has been critical to driving Biden's agenda and has taken the Domestic Policy Council "to new heights." Rice, who was on Biden's short list for vice president, entered the job without a domestic policy background, having served in foreign policy roles during the Obama and Clinton administrations. Deputy White House chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon echoed Klain's praise in a written statement.

☆ Premarket stocks: Is Big Oil running out of gas?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Oil and gas stocks have been on a two-year tear, ripping ahead as natural gas prices surged due to supply chain kinks, a strong economy, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What’s happening: Brutally high oil and gas prices were the talk of the town last year and one of the largest contributing factors to sky-high inflation. That’s bad news for automobile drivers, but ended up being great for the energy industry as oil prices and energy stocks are closely interlinked. Blackstone is feeling the commercial real estate slumpThe ongoing commercial real estate slowdown has a new victim: Blackstone. Profits from the sale of commercial real estate assets fell 54% to $4.4 billion, down from $9.5 billion last year.

☆ Markets are starting to get worried about US debt default
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But that’s starting to change, in what is shaping up to be a nail-biting game of debt ceiling squabbling as the shot clock is winding down. When the debt ceiling was breached in January, five-year CDS spreads hovered around 35 basis points. How does this compare to the 2011 debt ceiling debacle? In 2011 a debt ceiling standoff led to credit-rating agency Standard and Poor’s downgrade of US debt from the highest possible status, AAA, to AA+. After that occurred, the cost of insuring against US debt for a year jumped to 63 basis points.

New York CNN —A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office for a temporary restraining order to stop a House Judiciary Committee subpoena of former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said Pomerantz must appear for a deposition as the House panel investigates Bragg’s recent indictment of former President Donald Trump. Bragg’s office says it will appeal. During the hearing, an attorney for Bragg’s office argued – unsuccessfully – that Pomerantz ignored cautions from the DA before publishing the book, so the district attorney’s office should not be penalized. The clash between federal and state powers began in March when Jordan asked Bragg’s office for documents and communications after news organizations reported that Bragg’s office was moving closer to seeking to indict Trump.

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas Defends Luxury Travel Paid for by Billionaire GOP Donor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jan Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Justice Thomas said he consulted with other judges years ago and determined that he didn’t need to disclose the gifts on his annual financial disclosure forms. WASHINGTON—Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday defended his decision not to disclose years of lavish vacations and private-jet travel paid for by a billionaire friend, calling the trips personal hospitality that federal judges in the past haven’t been required to report. The statement, issued through the court’s spokeswoman, came in response to an investigative report by ProPublica on Thursday. The ProPublica article documented how Justice Thomas and his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, have gone on several luxury trips involving travel subsidized by and stays at properties owned by Republican Party megadonor Harlan Crow . The report prompted calls from Democratic lawmakers for legislative action to strengthen ethical standards for Supreme Court justices.

☆ Social Security is in jeopardy of cutting benefits in just a decade, and no one's stepping in to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The latest Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees report lays out estimates for both programs. The trustees find that Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits in about 10 years. Importantly, that doesn't mean that, past 2033 or 2034, there will be no Social Security benefits or the program will be bankrupt. "House Republicans are determined to cut Social Security and Medicare," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "With informed discussion, creative thinking, and timely legislative action, Social Security can continue to protect future generations."

[1/2] The White House is seen from the top of the Washington Monument April 3, 2003. REUTERS/Molly RileyWASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The White House made an emotional plea on Wednesday for Republican action to curb mass shootings, criticizing conservative lawmakers for saying nothing can be done after the nation's latest high-profile mass shooting at a school in Tennessee this week. "It's unacceptable that Republicans are saying there is nothing that we can do," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday. He told reporters this week he has done what he could through executive action but needs Congress to step up. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has often been a harsh critic of his administration, according to the White House.

☆ EU's von der Leyen says she will tackle US green subsidies, overcome e-fuels impasse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen walk following a closed German cabinet meeting at the government's guest house in Schloss Meseberg, near Gransee, Germany, March 5, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschFRANKFURT, Germany, March 5 (Reuters) - EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday she is determined to counter challenges from U.S. subsidies for green technologies and to speed a currently blocked law on phasing out combustion engines from 2035. A Commission report on competitiveness, due at the same time, would help lower barriers inside the internal EU market and address shortages of specialised labour, which von der Leyen called a "brake on growth." Scholz and von der Leyen said that trade agreements were also being eyed with Indonesia and India. Von der Leyen also said the EU was keeping a close watch on whether China sticks to commitments not to help arm Russia in the Ukraine war.

☆ Trump and Kushner's Saudi Ties Are an Ethical Minefield: Watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Weeks after leaving office, Jared Kushner obtained a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government. The Saudi support came despite the kingdom's own financial advisers urging against any investment in Kushner's new company, citing the "inexperience" of its top brass. Let's start with Jared Kushner before we get into the LIV Golf situation. You have John Bolton, Trump's own national security advisor, making it very clear that you had somebody, like Jared — and President Trump, apparently — working to promote their business interests. Trump, not only did he keep his company, the Trump Organization, but he's a transactional president, right?

☆ Kamala Harris tells Tyre Nichols' funeral attendees that Congress must pass a sweeping police reform bill: 'It's non-negotiable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vice President Kamala Harris demanded passage of police reform legislation at the funeral for Tyre Nichols. As a senator, she co-authored a bill mirroring the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. Harris told mourners on Wednesday that "Tyre Nichols would be here with us today" if police had been in pursuit of public safety. Speaking directly to Nichols' mother and stepfather, she called them "extraordinary." Biden and Harris both spoke with Nichols' mother and stepfather to offer support, and Biden pledged to continue pushing Congress to pass the bill, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.

Biden personally adds mentions of an assault weapons ban to his planned public remarks, a White House official said. "We're going to ban assault weapons again," he said on Thursday at a Lunar New Year reception at the White House, to applause. As vice president, he spearheaded a set of gun control proposals for Barack Obama after Sandy Hook that included a recommendation for a new assault weapons ban. However the Quinnipiac and other polls show that just about half of Americans support an assault weapons ban. Even though an all-out assault weapons ban seems unlikely, a very thin Republican majority in the House means that something more modest, such as raising the age to 21 to buy assault weapons, could be possible, the University of New Hampshire's Scala said.

WASHINGTON — A top Republican who negotiated the bipartisan gun law that passed last year said he doesn't expect to see new legislative action on gun violence despite the recent mass shootings in California. Asked whether the House intends to take up legislation to combat mass shootings, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., gave no indication that it would. Biden negotiated the assault weapons ban of 1994, which expired in 2004. “It’s time we pass an assault weapons ban in this country. I’m the author of the assault weapons ban in 1994.

☆ The 'JR-15,' an AR-15 rifle for kids, is being marketed again weeks after a 6-year-old shot a teacher
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Illinois gunmaker is again advertising its AR-15 rifle for kids, called the "JR-15." A company spokesperson told Vice's Motherboard it will take orders for the rifle later in 2023. The JR-15 is a .22 long rifle roughly 20% smaller than a standard AR-15 that weighs less than 2-and-½ pounds. The state later passed a law banning gun marketing toward children, and this week several pro-gun groups lost an initial bid to block the ban. Wee 1 Tactical confirmed to Motherboard that the JR-15 would be at the show.

Republicans are on a collision course with the White House, which is demanding that Congress raise the debt limit without conditions. Republicans have waged heated battles over the debt ceiling, most notably in 2011, but they have always been resolved in time. Why does a GOP House complicate debt ceiling negotiations? Republicans have floated everything from budget cuts to socially conservative legislation as part of a debt ceiling increase. The White House had laid down a marker: no negotiations, no policy strings attached to raise the debt ceiling.

☆ South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a ban on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction enacted by the Deep South state violates a state constitutional right to privacy. With federal abortion protections gone, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued in July under the South Carolina constitution’s right to privacy. Currently, South Carolina bars most abortions at about 20 weeks beyond fertilization, or the gestational age of 22 weeks. In South Carolina, lawyers representing the state Legislature have argued the right to privacy should be interpreted narrowly. South Carolina Democratic House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said any continuation of Republicans’ “war on women” is a deliberate waste of taxpayer dollars.

☆ Silvergate extends sell-off into 2nd day as Bank of America sees 35% downside after the crypto bank disclosed huge run on deposits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BofA downgraded Silvergate Capital on Friday and said it sees another 35% downside for the crypto-focused bank. Silvergate shares plunged Thursday after it was revealed customers withdrew billions in deposits. BofA whittled down its price objective on Silvergate by 78% to $8 a share from $37. "Silvergate's preliminary 4Q22 results introduced a new overhang on the stock: negative earnings growth," Bank of America analyst Brandon Berman wrote in a note published Friday. It now sees those earnings coming in at $0.67 and $0.90, respectively, primarily reflecting a 50% reduction to its revenue growth forecast.

[1/2] 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. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday will vote on a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides more money for Ukraine's defense, restricts the Chinese-owned TikTok app and reforms presidential election certification, a top Democrat said. 2 House Democrat Steny Hoyer said the lower chamber would not take up the legislation until Friday morning as it performed some final legislative actions to pass it. "As soon as we get the document ... we will proceed as quickly as possible," he said on the House floor. House Republicans wanted to delay negotiations on the full-year legislation until early next year, after they take the majority.

☆ Senate passes legislation to ban TikTok from US government devices
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Senate passed legislation Wednesday evening to ban TikTok from US government devices, in a move designed to limit perceived information-security risks stemming from the social media app. The vote by unanimous consent approved the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, a bill authored by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. “Once again, Sen. Hawley has moved forward with legislation to ban TikTok on government devices, a proposal which does nothing to advance U.S. national security interests,” a spokesperson for TikTok said in a statement. (Another state, Nebraska, banned TikTok from state devices in 2020.) Already, the US military, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have restricted the app from government-owned devices.

The climate bill that favors domestic production could possibly restrict trade, European countries say. Europe's industry fears that the bill, which gives tax credit for each eligible renewable energy component produced in a U.S. factory, would take away potential investment from the continent. The IRA, which was signed into law in August, also provides a tax credit of 30% of the cost of new or upgraded factories that build renewable energy components. "We're going to continue to create manufacturing jobs in America but not at the expense of Europe," Biden said. Biden in August signed the $52.7 billion semiconductor chips manufacturing subsidy and research law, which subsidizes U.S. chip manufacturing and expands research funding.

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