DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Smartmatic subpoenas Flynn, Bannon in defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Trump allies Michael Flynn and Steve Bannon have been subpoenaed by Smartmatic as part of the voting technology company’s massive defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax over their promotion of 2020 election lies. Court filings made public last week in New York and Delaware indicate that Flynn and Bannon were hit with subpoenas, demanding that they sit for depositions and answer questions under oath. Fox News and Newsmax deny wrongdoing and are fighting the lawsuits. Both Flynn and Bannon played a key role in Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Bannon was federally indicted in a fraud scheme in 2020, through Trump pardoned him before trial.

Persons: CNN — Trump, Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon, Smartmatic, Flynn, Bannon, Trump, Donald Trump, Fox News –, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Republican, Fox, Systems, Electoral College, Trump, FBI, Trump - Locations: New York, Delaware, Florida, Washington

Now, the man who had been tasked with reviving a nuclear deal to constrain that program has been sidelined. Progress on nuclear talks, as well as the fate of detained Americans in Iran, is likely to boost the incumbents in the polls, analysts have said. Malley was one of the architects of the 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran under the Obama administration. The administration began negotiations to re-enter an Iran nuclear agreement later that year. “US policy is informed by the administration’s national security calculations, and not any one person in the national security apparatus,” Vaez said.

Persons: Biden, Rob Malley, Malley, Abram Paley, Paley, Jake Sullivan, sidelining, Obama, Donald Trump, Obama’s, Israel, Malley’s sidelining, Nasser Kanani, Javed Gurban Oghli, Israel ”, Gabriel Noronha, Trump, “, ” Noronha, ”, Ali Vaez, Vaez, ” Vaez, Foad Izadi, Ebrahim Raisi, Brett McGurk, McGurk, ” McGurk Organizations: CNN — United, CNN, State Department, Representative, US National, Crisis Group, ICG, Islamic, Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian, Jewish Institute for National Security of, Iran, US State Department, “, University of Tehran’s Faculty of World Studies, US National Security Council, Middle, National Security Council Locations: Iran, Tehran, Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Middle East, Oman, Syria

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene believes rap videos 'glorify drugs and violence' but attempts to participate in hip-hop culture in a MAGA-themed music video
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene stars in a new rap music video in which she is declared "MAGA's MVP." Florida-based rapper Kurt Jantz, who goes by Forgiato Blow, released a new music video on Sunday dedicated to the Georgia representative. Throughout the video, Greene silently nods her head next to Jantz or remains in the background, sitting on a throne or atop a red convertible. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) July 16, 2023This is not the first time Greene has tried to insert herself into hip-hop culture. "We don't care if you're white/Don't care if you're black/We don't care if you're gay/We're all under attack," they sing.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, MAGA, Marjorie Taylor Greene's, she's, Kurt Jantz, Forgiato Blow, Marjorie, RINOs, Greene, Jantz, Greene's, Joe Biden, —, Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 ( Organizations: Trump, Service, Georgia, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida, Georgia

☆ The weaponization of the dollar will reverse globalization and kill the WTO, it was warned. That's a real threat today as dedollarization gathers force.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US economic sanctions have spawned something of a global backlash, in the form of the dedollarization movement. This was anticipated as early as 2019, by an expert who warned the weaponization of the dollar could have serious consequences for the global economic system. Back in 2023, dedollarization is a thingFast forward to 2023, and some of the recent rumblings across the global currency and monetary landscape are strikingly in line with Sen's prognostications. All that could come at a huge cost to the global economy – and drive a "complete reversal of global economic integration," he wrote. The dollar's share of global reserves could slowly decline, but no alternatives exist that could completely displace the US currency, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last month.

Persons: Julius Sen, Donald Trump, Sen, prognostications, Emmanuel Macron, Elon Musk, –, optimists, Paul Krugman, Janet Yellen, Putin Organizations: London School of Economics, Service, UN, SWIFT, Allianz, WTO, FX Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Brazil, Iran, Tehran, Russia, Ukraine, India, Europe

☆ Iraq-Iran gas-for-oil barter would likely violate US sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Arshad Mohammed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, three former U.S. officials said a barter would likely run afoul of U.S. sanctions. There has been speculation the waiver might be amended to allow barter, an issue the official declined to address. We have no comment at this time regarding reports of a barter arrangement between Iraq and Iran," the official said. Former U.S. officials said the Treasury Department, which oversees most U.S. sanctions against Iran, defines the term "transaction" so broadly that it would cover a barter exchange. "As far as a strictly legal question, it absolutely does violate U.S. sanctions," he added.

Persons: Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Richard Goldberg, Goldberg, Antony Blinken, that's, Arshad Mohammed, Josie Kao Organizations: Iraqi, Foundation for Defense, Democracies, Trump, State Department, Iran, U.S, Treasury Department, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Tehran, U.S, Iraq, Iran, Baghdad, Iraqi, Washington

☆ FTC chair defends tenure as lawmakers battle over consumer agency's impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Diane Bartz | David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Representative Kevin Kiley, Republican from California, asked Khan about the cases that the agency had lost. “We fight hard when we believe there was a law violation, and unfortunately things don’t always go our way,” responded Khan. The agency also lost a fight to stop Facebook parent Meta Platforms from buying VR content maker Within Unlimited. Democrats on the committee sought to defend Khan, occasionally joined by Republicans on the panel including Rep. Ken Buck. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, a Republican, however, worried about investors in small businesses losing their exit strategies.

Persons: Lina Khan, Lina M, Khan, Bill Nelson, Graeme Jennings, Activision Blizzard, Kevin Kiley, “, don’t, ”, ” Kiley, ” Khan, Darrell Issa, Trump, Ken Buck, Michael Kikukawa, Scott Fitzgerald, “ you’re, you’re, Black Knight, Jim Jordan, Elon, Jerry Nadler, Nadler Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Republican, Commerce, Science, NASA, Capitol, Committee, Microsoft, “, Activision, Facebook, Republicans, White House Press, Rep, Black, Horizon Therapeutics, Twitter, FTC, Democrat Locations: Washington , U.S, California, U.S

[1/2] The sun sets behind the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, U.S., on midterm election day, November 6, 2018. It was not the first loss for the agency under Khan. In addition, an internal FTC judge ruled for Illumina's (ILMN.O) purchase of Grail (GRAL.O). Lawmakers are also expected to bring up the committee's requests for documents regarding the agency's review of billionaire Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter. Conservatives have accused social media companies, including Twitter before it was acquired by Musk, of seeking to stifle conservative voices.

Persons: James Lawler Duggan, Lina Khan, Jim Jordan, Trump, Black Knight, Amgen's, Elon Musk's, Diane Bartz, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Republican, Committee, FTC, Microsoft, Activision, Khan, Facebook, Illumina's, Black, Horizon Therapeutics, Twitter, Musk, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington

☆ House Republicans target proxy advisors in latest hearing picking apart ESG investing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — A Republican-led House Financial Services subcommittee held a second hearing Thursday scrutinizing the Biden administration's environmental, social and governance disclosure proposals for public U.S. companies. The hearing zeroed in on the influence of proxy advisors on shareholder voting decisions on questions related to ESG investing. Republicans pushed back against what they called the prioritization of ESG shareholder resolutions, while Democrats say shareholders deserve to be informed of all possible risks to their investments. The hearing was the second of six scheduled this month on ESG investing by House Republicans. The GOP's push against policies designed to promote ESG investing has garnered the support of some of the largest business advocacy groups, such as the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Ann Wagner, Glass Lewis, Wagner, Gary Gensler, Trump, Chris Netram, — rescinding, Netram Organizations: Republican, Financial Services, Biden, Capital Markets, House Republicans, GOP, SEC, Securities, Exchange, Business, National Association of Manufacturers, NAM Locations: Bonn, Germany

☆ Larry Summers warns US deficits have never looked as ominous as they do now and are on a 'completely unsustainable path'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said US deficits are on an unsustainable trajectory. Deficits are stoking inflation and forcing the Fed to raise rates more than it would otherwise, he told the Atlantic. "I don't think there's ever been a moment when the trajectory looks nearly as ominous as it does now." During the Great Financial Crisis, he was among the top voices in the Obama administration to support federal deficit spending to jump start the economy and avoid long-term stagnation. For Summers, there's no reason the government should continue to run massive deficits, noting that the economy is growing at a healthy pace.

Persons: Larry Summers, Summers, Obama, Trump, there's Organizations: Fed, Service, Republican, Social Security, Medicare, Federal Reserve Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ 'This fight is not over': What to know about Biden's new plan to forgive student debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

President Joe Biden announces new actions on June 30, 2023 to protect borrowers after the Supreme Court struck down his student loan forgiveness plan. Biden had hoped to move quickly canceling people's student debt, promising people the relief within six weeks of them completing their paperwork. Unlike Biden's first attempt to forgive student debt quickly through an executive order, this time he's turning to the rulemaking process. It's unlikely that Biden's Plan B for student loan forgiveness will be successful, Kantrowitz said. He expects the president's second attempt at forgiving student debt to be met by many of the same lawsuits as the first.

Persons: Joe Biden, Chip Somodevilla, overreach, John Roberts, Roberts, Biden, Lyndon B, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, didn't Biden, Herrine, Trump, Biden's, Kantrowitz, Luke Herrine Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, Republican, Supreme, GOP, South Carolina —, Job, Network Foundation, Biden, . Nebraska, Education Department, Higher, University of Alabama Locations: delinquencies, — Nebraska , Missouri , Arkansas , Iowa , Kansas, South Carolina, .

☆ Presidency Doesn’t Shield Trump From Carroll’s Suit, Justice Dept. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Benjamin Weiser | More About Benjamin Weiser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Justice Department said Tuesday that it would no longer argue that President Donald J. Trump’s derogatory statements about E. Jean Carroll in 2019 were made as part of his official duties as president — a reversal that gives new momentum to her case. Ms. Carroll, 79, who already has won a trial accusing Mr. Trump of sexual abuse years ago and defamation after he left the White House, now is trying to push forward a separate lawsuit that has been mired in appeals. If a judge ultimately finds that Mr. Trump’s comments were part of his official duties, that case could be dismissed because a president cannot be sued for defamation. The Justice Department had taken the position, first during the Trump administration and later under President Biden, that Mr. Trump was acting in his official capacity when he called Ms. Carroll a liar and denied her accusation that he had raped her nearly 30 years ago in a Manhattan department store dressing room. But the department said in a court filing Tuesday that new evidence had surfaced since Mr. Trump, 77, left office in January 2021 — including in the recent civil trial in which a Manhattan jury found Mr. Trump liable for sexually assaulting Ms. Carroll.

Persons: Donald J, Jean Carroll, —, Carroll, Trump, Trump’s, Biden Organizations: Department, White House, Justice Locations: Manhattan

☆ Hunter Biden prosecutor says Justice Dept didn't interfere in probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I have not requested Special Counsel designation," wrote Weiss, who was appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump. Weiss' office last month revealed that it was charging Hunter Biden with two misdemeanor tax charges, to which the president's son is expected to plead guilty later this month. Hunter Biden also has agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion program to avoid facing a more serious felony count of possessing a firearm while he was using illegal drugs. Their criticism has been fueled in part by claims from Gary Shapley, an IRS criminal supervisory agent who worked on the Hunter Biden investigation. Hunter Biden's attorney has also denied that his client received any special treatment.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Hunter, David Weiss, Lindsey Graham, General Merrick Garland, Hunter Biden, Weiss, Donald Trump, Gary Shapley, Shapley, Trump, Garland, Sarah N, Lynch, Scott Malone, Peter Graff Organizations: U.S, Justice Department, Internal Revenue Service, Delaware U.S, Republican, Attorney, D.C, Thomson Locations: Delaware, Washington, California

What the administration was doing seems to me like a serious infringement on people’s freedom of speech, but I’d like to know your view. And it’s not as if the Biden folks marched in and removed a bunch of posts themselves. Conferring with the social media companies seems like something they ought to do. Bret: One good way of thinking about the issue is putting the shoe on the other foot. Look — the whole world changed with the advent of social media.

Persons: Gail, Biden, Gee, Steele, illicitly, Hillary Clinton, Trump, Rachel Maddow, you’ve Organizations: Biden, Democratic National Committee, MSNBC

☆ Analysis: 'Just so needy.' Brexit strained the UK-US relationship -- but officials say it's now back on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The UK’s standing in the world has long been defined by its closeness to America,” a US administration official told CNN. “After Brexit, under Boris (Johnson) and (Liz) Truss, the UK was just so needy. US officials deny that this is true, but that they say they are aware of its significance in Europe. And rather than cling onto the special relationship, the British are very happy with this new accolade. This is the point that UK officials now seem to understand.

Persons: Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, ”, Obama, Trump, Boris, Johnson, Liz, Truss, Bill Clinton, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Reuters Brexit, Theresa May’s, Biden, Sunak, –, Evelyn Hockstein, Antony Blinken, James, Leon Neal, Blinken Organizations: CNN, British, European Union, White, Northern Ireland, Ulster University, Reuters, EU, Northern, Windsor, US, UK, Framework, Labour Party, Labour Locations: London, Washington, Iraq, America, United States, Brexit, Northern, Belfast, Belfast , Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Brussels, British, Windsor, Ukraine, Washington , DC, Russia, China, EU, Europe, Britain

☆ Ukraine cluster munitions: A top House Republican supports Biden's decision while a prominent Democrat disagrees
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Shawna Mizelle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Over 100 countries, including the UK, France and Germany, have outlawed the munitions under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but the US and Ukraine are not signatories to the ban – a point that McCaul emphasized on Sunday. CNN previously reported that President Joe Biden mulled over the decision before approving the weapons transfer on Friday. “The president’s been doing a good job managing this war, this Putin aggressive war against Ukraine. 3 Republican in the Senate, welcomed the sending of cluster munitions to Ukraine but said the US was taking “too long” to supply weapons to the country. “I don’t believe the (Biden) administration deserves any blame for this,” Lee said.

Persons: “, ”, Michael McCaul, Barbara Lee, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ” McCaul, Volodymyr, Zelensky, McCaul, Joe Biden mulled, Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, John Kirby, ” Lee, Putin, Tapper, Lee, Virginia Sen, Tim Kaine, ” Kaine, Wyoming Sen, John Barrasso, ” Barrasso, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Biden, ” “, we’d Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, Sunday, Biden, Democrat, House Foreign, Texas Republican, California Democrat, Union, CNN, Cluster Munitions, US National Security, ABC, Ukraine, US, Fox News, State Department, Trump, White, United Nations Locations: Ukraine, Texas, California, “ State, Russia, France, Germany, Wyoming, Afghanistan, United States, Qaeda

☆ Opinion: The election that couldn’t happen in high school
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —In the classic 1999 film, “Election,” the high school student government vote has everything: naked ambition, campaign poster shredding, ballot manipulation, infidelity and more. But what the gifted writer Tom Perotta likely couldn’t imagine was an election in which two unpopular candidates square off for president. That doesn’t happen in high school, even in a satirical movie. The president supports stripping that state of its first-in-the-nation primary status in favor of South Carolina, the state that energized Biden’s 2020 campaign. “In the runup to the 2024 elections, Democrats plan to put the Supreme Court on trial,” wrote David Mark.

Persons: Reese Witherspoon, Tracy Flick, ” Matthew Broderick, Jim McAllister, Tracy, Tom Perotta, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Harry Enten, “, Julian Zelizer, ” Biden, Biden, specter, … ” Dana Summers, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, — Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, George H.W, Bush —, Kennedy, ”, MAGA, Sen, Lindsey Graham’s, Trump’s, Dean Obeidallah, Graham, Michael Flynn, Flynn, Peter Bergen, Erik German, Bill Bramhall, ” “ Flynn, ‘, America’s, …, Geoff Duncan, Drew Sheneman, Roe, Wade, David Mark, … ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com, Biden romped, Jack Ohman, Kara Alaimo, Coles Whalen, ’, Alice Driver, Clay Jones, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Meta, David Zurawik, Victoria, Olesya Khromeychuk, Victoria Amelina, Andrei Kartapolov, Sharp, ” Khromeychuk, ” Don’t, Sheikh Mohammed Al, Issa, David A, Nicole Hemmer, Jill Filipovic, Sonia Pruitt, Lynda Lin Grigsby, Sara Stewart, Jharrel Jerome, Boots Riley, Holly Thomas, Phoebe Waller, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, He’s, goddaughter Helena, Archimedes, Jones, Waller Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Biden, Agency, Republicans, RFK Jr, New, ”, FBI, Economic, Republican National, Republican Party, GOP, Democratic, McKinsey & Company, Twitter, Facebook, Russian Duma Defense, Hollywood, “, Indy Locations: New Hampshire, South Carolina, ” Bergen, German, Davos, Georgia, California, “, Russian, Ukrainian, Kramatorsk, Ukraine, New York, Donetsk, Auschwitz, Here’s, Oakland , California

☆ 14 promises Donald Trump has made in his campaign for a second term
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump has hit the 2024 campaign trail and is giving voters a preview of what a second Trump presidency could look like if he’s elected. Drug cartels“The drug cartels are waging war on America—and it’s now time for America to wage war on the cartels,” former President Donald Trump said in a January campaign video. Trump also said in the campaign video that he would cut funding for schools that teach critical race theory and gender ideology. The former president added in a campaign video that he would stop lobbyists and government contractors from pushing senior military officials towards war. We will reverse almost all of them,” Trump said in a campaign video.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, He’s, –, it’s, ”, ” Trump, “, Joe Biden, … ” Trump, Equity “, Biden Organizations: CNN, America, Department of Defense, Education, of Justice, Department of Education, Conference, Marxist, Trump, Democrats, National Guard, Department of Justice, Cities, FBI, CIA, Trump Reciprocal Trade, Congress, Soros District, Rifle Association, Legislative Action, Equity, Pharmaceuticals Trump Locations: Ukraine, America, Washington, Russia, New Hampshire, New, China, United States

☆ Analysis: How Michael Flynn went down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

When you have General Flynn and Sidney Powell suggesting somehow the military should indeed seize voting machines. As we say in the podcast, Trump called him publicly at a recent conference in May, where he vowed to bring back Mike Flynn again, implying that Flynn would be part of his national security team. WOLF: Do you have any insight into how this kind of conspiracy theory fever afflicts a person? Why does it happen to Michael Flynn and not retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who I learned from your podcast was a mentor to Flynn in Afghanistan? From intelligence work to conspiracy theoriesWOLF: You talk in the podcast about encountering Flynn in his previous line of work – somebody involved in the intelligence community.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, Patrick Byrne, Giuliani, Powell, Flynn, Byrne, Jack Smith, Peter Bergen, ”, who’s, Smith, WOLF, “, ” He’s, President Trump, Mike Flynn, It’s, Covid, Stanley McChrystal, Richard, Hofstadter, ” There’s, that’s, You’ve, they’re, Vladimir, Putin, That’s, Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Locher, Osama bin Laden Organizations: CNN, … Prosecutors, Trump, Twitter, New, Apple, Spotify, White, Defense Intelligence Agency, World Economic, Army, State Department, Republican, New America, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Black Panthers, Puerto Locations: New America, Bergen, BERGEN, Washington ,, United States, America, Davos, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Russian, Ukraine, Bedford , New Hampshire, New York, Miami, Puerto Rican

☆ Stamp prices are going up starting Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —The US Postal Service will increase prices on first-class mail stamps to 66 cents from 63 cents. The Postal Service said the hike was necessary to offset a rise in operating expenses. Surging prices have dented business across the globe over the past two years, in many cases pushing up workers’ wages and increasing the costs of doing business. “These price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue,” the agency said in a statement. Domestic postcards will also increase from 48 cents to 51 cents, and international postcards from $1.45 to $1.50.

Persons: General Louis DeJoy, Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Postal Service, Postal Service, Service Locations: New York

☆ China's Xi urges greater innovation amid tech curbs from US
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 7 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping, on an inspection tour of a major industrial province, renewed his call for greater innovation and technological self-reliance, as the United States intensifies curbs on Chinese access to advanced technologies. "With the rapid development of information technology and the emergence of disruptive technologies at any time, it is necessary to maintain a solid footing on the path of innovation and contribute to the realisation of high-level self-reliance in technology," Xi said. The United States is also considering restricting flow of its investments and know-how into Chinese companies working on advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Yellen's trip to China comes weeks after a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who agreed with Xi that the mutual rivalry should not veer into conflict. Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ellen Zhang; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Joe Biden's, Janet Yellen, Li Qiang, Antony Blinken, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Himani Sarkar, Ros Russell Organizations: Xinhua, Trump, Washington, Treasury, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, United States, China, Jiangsu, U.S, Beijing

☆ Trump Asked About I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials, Ex-Aide Says Under Oath
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michael S. Schmidt | More About Michael S. Schmidt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing. “President Trump questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies should be undertaken into Mr. Strzok and/or Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said in the statement. It appeared, however, that he wanted to see Mr. Strzok and Ms.

Persons: John F, Kelly, Donald J, Trump’s, Trump, Strzok, ” Mr, “, Page, Mr, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page Organizations: White House, Internal Revenue Service, Mr, Justice Department Locations: Russia, ’

Just four years ago, a joint American and Chinese effort to stem the flow of fentanyl produced in China from reaching the United States appeared set to take off. Beijing had unveiled a sweeping new law banning the synthetic opioid, leading the Trump administration to praise China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, for “a wonderful humanitarian gesture.”Soon, Chinese and American law enforcement agents joined forces to investigate and prosecute fentanyl traffickers in China. But today, cooperation between the two countries on fentanyl is at an impasse. Mutual efforts to crack down on a narcotic responsible for tens of thousands of drug overdoses in the United States each year have been thwarted by wider geopolitical tensions over trade, human rights, Russia and Taiwan. The failure to cooperate on fentanyl interdiction is emblematic of the myriad ways the bilateral relationship has run aground.

Persons: Trump, China’s, Xi Jinping, Antony J, Blinken Locations: China, United States, Beijing, Russia, Taiwan

☆ Biden wants to roll back Trump’s expansion of short-term health insurance plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration wants to crack down on short-term health insurance plans, which it says can leave patients saddled with hefty medical bills. The proposal would largely reverse former President Donald Trump’s expansion of short-term plans in 2018, which extended the duration of the policies to just under a year and allowed them to be renewed for a total of up to 36 months. Short-term plans do not have to adhere to Obamacare’s consumer protections. The Trump administration heralded them as a cheaper alternative to Affordable Care Act policies since the limits on benefits allow short-term plans to carry lower premiums. Also, the Biden administration announced new guidance to strengthen rules protecting patients from surprise medical billing.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Neera Tanden, Joe Biden, ” Rohit Chopra Organizations: CNN, Affordable, Biden, House, of Health, Human Services, Treasury Department, Consumer Financial, Bureau, “

☆ Biden's junk fee crusade turns to short-term health insurance plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Friday announced new steps to crack down on short-term health insurance plans and surprise medical bills, stepping up his war against so-called junk fees to lower healthcare costs. The Obama administration in 2016 limited short-term insurance plans to three months to try to get more people on year-round plans, but regulations adopted by the Trump administration in 2018 allowed people to stay on such plans for 12 months and renew them for three years. "These plans leave families surprised by thousands of dollars in medical expenses when they actually use health care services like a surgery," the White House said on Friday. Surprise bills can occur when people are taken to the nearest hospital for emergency care or when someone goes to an in-network hospital but one of the doctors who treat them there is out-of-network, leading to surprise bills, the White House said. Reporting by Nandita Bose; additional reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Sonali Paul and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Neera Tanden, Obama, Trump, Biden, Tanden, Nandita Bose, Doina Chiacu, Sonali Paul, Mark Potter Organizations: White, Biden, Reuters, Thomson

☆ 2020 election interference probe: New glimpses into investigation suggest peril could be growing for Trump and his associates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Revelations that special counsel Jack Smith has been digging into efforts to overturn former President Donald Trump’s Arizona election loss in 2020 bolster growing indications that his investigation is nearing a critical point. Smith has already made Trump the first former president to be formally accused of federal crimes. But a flurry of details about Smith’s inquiries into alleged election-stealing efforts suggest his investigators have had an industrious summer. He said he talked about a call that he had with Trump and Giuliani after the election, and a second call just from Trump. Prosecutors were also set to talk to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, CNN reported in June.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump’s, Smith, Trump, pushback, Rusty Bowers –, –, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Rudy Giuliani, He’s, specter, it’s, Bowers, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Giuliani, Smith’s, Adrian Fontes, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Brad Raffensperger, Robert Costello, Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, Patrick Byrne Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, Arizona House, FBI, GOP, Capitol, Arizona Republican, Arizona Republic, Arizona’s, Prosecutors Locations: Donald Trump’s Arizona, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Washington, Manhattan, Trump, Nevada, York

Search resuls for: "Trump Administration"

25 mentions found