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☆ House GOP's 'all-star' oversight panel features 13 election deniers, 10 impeach-Biden-world advocates, and 3 congressional subpoena dodgers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

House Republican leaders have stocked the oversight panel with partisan bomb-throwers. Many of the new panelists voted to overturn the 2020 election and defied Jan. 6 investigators. Retired Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who chaired the House Oversight Committee last session, asserted that this new cast of characters were getting into it for the wrong reasons. "The personal vendettas these committees pursue are not a legitimate use of the oversight power. "These are basically the people who own Kevin McCarthy at this point," Bardella told Insider at the Facts First event.

☆ After criticism for silence, Biden White House takes questions on classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Peter Nicholas Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

A White House official, Ian Sams, spoke to reporters Tuesday about documents dating back to Biden’s vice presidency — the first time the White House has solicited questions about the classified materials. Sams, a senior adviser to the White House Counsel’s office, said in the press briefing that because of an ongoing Justice Department investigation, the White House is limited in what it can responsibly disclose. At issue is whether the White House kept quiet about documents that had been stored improperly in hopes of sparing Biden the political fallout from such a disclosure. Biden’s personal attorneys found more classified documents while searching his home in Wilmington on Dec. 20. Yet the White House didn't acknowledge the found documents until a CBS News report earlier this month.

Aides previously found another batch of classified documents at his residence, and at a Washington think tank where he had an office after his time as vice president in the Obama administration. The White House has largely been on the defensive since the initial revelations that the documents had been found. The department is separately probing Trump's handling of highly sensitive classified documents that he retained at his Florida resort after leaving the White House in January 2021. Sams said the White House had received a "few letters" from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee on the issue, is reviewing them and will make a determination about its response in due course. The White House reiterated on Tuesday Biden's commitment to cooperating with the Justice Department’s investigation.

☆ Biden is 'fully cooperating' with DOJ probe of his handling of classified documents, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The White House disclosed Saturday that Biden's lawyers turned over new classified documents that were discovered at Biden's Delaware home. Last week the White House disclosed that classified government documents from the Obama administration were found in Biden's possession on four separate occasions. Though the documents were found on Nov. 2, the White House did not make the news public until last Monday. Other classified documents were found in Biden's possession at other locations in searches on Dec. 20, Jan. 12 and Jan. 14, according to the White House. Trump is the focus of a criminal probe by the DOJ for his removal of the records from the White House in January 2021.

☆ There's a simple reason Biden didn't keep visitor logs at the Delaware home where he held classified documents — it's not an official residence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The White House said there are no visitor logs for Joe Biden's Delaware home. Biden is facing criticism after classified documents from his time as VP were found there. It is not standard for visitor logs to be kept at a president's private residence, the WH said. The White house counsel office said that it is not standard for presidents to keep visitor logs at private residences. Visitor logs are kept at the White House.

The White House and U.S. Secret Service said Monday they do not maintain visitor logs for President Joe Biden’s personal home in Wilmington, Del., a day after a top House Republican called for their release. “Like every President across decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” White House counsel’s office spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement. The White House acknowledged on Saturday that more pages with classified markings were discovered at Biden's Delaware home than had been previously disclosed. On Saturday, the White House said additional pages marked classified from the Obama administration were found at Biden’s Wilmington residence, in addition to the two batches that were previously disclosed earlier in the week. In a Sunday interview with CNN”s “State of the Union,” Comer was pressed why his committee was focused on Biden’s documents but not Trump’s.

☆ U.S. National Parks, including Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, will be free on MLK Day—and 4 other days this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The US National Park Service will be offering no-cost admission to all of its parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Zion National Park on Monday, Jan. 16 as part of its 2023 "fee-free days." If you've been looking for an excuse to visit one of America's more than 400 national parks, now is your chance. The Colorado River wraps around Horseshoe Bend in the in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Arizona. "National parks are really amazing places and we want everyone to experience them," NPS director Chuck Sams said in a statement announcing the free 2023 dates. "The entrance fee-free days encourage people to discover the beauty, history and inspiration awaiting them ... throughout the country."

☆ House GOP seeks Biden family 'suspicious activity reports' from Treasury
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — House Republicans asked the Treasury Department Wednesday to turn over documents related to the business ventures of President Joe Biden's family members, including "suspicious activity reports" connected to Biden's son Hunter Biden and brother James Biden. And Hunter Biden is under investigation by federal prosecutors in Delaware. Trump and congressional Republicans have called on the Justice Department to prosecute Hunter Biden for a variety of alleged misdeeds. In Wednesday's letter, Comer asked Treasury for records of suspicious activity reports related to Biden family members and their business associates. In addition to Hunter Biden and James Biden, the letter names Sara Biden, James Biden's wife and President Biden's sister-in-law, and Biden family business associates Rob Walker, Eric Schwerin and Devon Archer.

While there is still much that is not known about the Biden documents, there are key differences between the two cases — as well as some similarities. Court papers show officials found classified documents in 14 of the 15 boxes, including 25 that were marked top secret. Justice Department investigationIn both cases, the Archives reported the discovery of classified documents to the Department of Justice. The FBI then learned Trump had not fully complied with the subpoena and still had more classified documents. McQuade posted on Twitter that the Justice Department prosecutes the mishandling of classified documents when there is an aggravating factor present.

☆ Biden classified documents: White House won't say why it didn't disclose earlier that records were found
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a bilateral meeting at the North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico City, Mexico, January 10, 2023. "Why didn't the 'Justice' Department announce the Highly Classified documents found in the Biden Office before the Election?" Trump wrote in a post on his social media site, Truth Social. U.S. President Joe Biden attends a news conference at Waldorf Astoria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia July 15, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters"This discovery of classified information would put President Biden in potential violation of laws protecting national security, including the Espionage Act and Presidential Records Act," Turner wrote.

With subpoena power, it will be tasked with investigating law enforcement agencies as part of a mandate to probe the “weaponization of the federal government." Language to establish the panel is tucked inside a House rules package expected to pass on Monday. Once a backbencher who had frosty relations with GOP leaders, Jordan has risen through the ranks in a reflection of the conference’s rightward shift. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he will serve on the new weaponization committee. Members of the committee will be formally named after the House passes the resolution.

☆ House Republicans to investigate Big Tech's communications with Biden administration
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

House Republicans are planning to launch a new subcommittee this week that will investigate communications between Big Tech companies and the Biden administration, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNBC. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who supported McCarthy in his bid for the speakership, is expected to chair the new subcommittee. The panel will investigate communications between the tech companies and the executive branch and search for signs of pressure leading to conservative censorship online. The three other companies Jordan included in the letters did not respond to previous requests for comment. Twitter later reversed the decision and its then-CEO said the actions the platform took were "wrong," changing its policies to prevent a recurrence.

☆ The legendary SR-71 spy plane first flew 58 years ago, and enemy jets and missiles could never catch up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Brent M. Eastwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The spy plane set a number of flight speed records. Spy planes such as the SR-71 Blackbird could really boogey. This allowed it to outrun and evade over 4,000 enemy missiles that were fired at it over the years. Sometimes enemy radar worked; sometimes it didn'tThe SR-71 Blackbird Judson Brohmer/USAFAnother thing that helped the SR-71 was its reduced radar cross section. The Swedes came closeAn underside view of an SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft in flight at an undisclosed location.

☆ Ancient anti-aircraft guns are taking on a new mission amid Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia and Ukraine have both turned to older anti-aircraft guns to bolster their air defenses. During World War II, half of the Allied bombers shot down over Germany may have victims of "flak" — a shortened version of a German word for 1930s-era anti-aircraft guns. SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty ImagesRussia and Ukraine are both using Soviet-made S-60 anti-aircraft guns that date to the 1940s. Older anti-aircraft guns also offer a political advantage. Even as more sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons have been deployed, anti-aircraft guns have remained useful, albeit in more limited roles.

Appearing with Republicans in El Paso, Texas, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign for failing to secure the southern border. If Mayorkas does not resign, McCarthy warned, House Republicans will investigate him and his department to determine whether to launch impeachment proceedings. Our country may never recover from Secretary Mayorkas’s dereliction of duty,” said McCarthy, flanked by fellow House Republicans. Many conservatives who are withholding support are insisting that House Republicans impeach Mayorkas when they take power next year. In April," White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a tweet.

☆ Russian forces were suffering from 'electronic fratricide' within days of attacking Ukraine, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Early in Russia's attack on Ukraine, Russian forces used electronic warfare to great effect. The problem for Russian forces is that their electronic warfare also jammed their own communications. Initially, Russia's jamming offensive was devastating and validated Moscow's heavy investment in electronic warfare. Not surprisingly, Russia cut back on electronic warfare after the first two days of the war. A Russian Su-35 downed by Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region in April.

A White House statement accused House Republicans of planning to go after Biden "with politically motivated attacks chock full of long-debunked conspiracy theories." Hunter Biden never held a position in the White House or on his father's campaign. The House Republicans' probe will begin to unfold next year, as the U.S. political calendar heads toward the 2024 presidential election, in which Biden said he currently intends to seek re-election. More than a dozen House Republicans appeared alongside Comer at a Wednesday press conference, many of them staunch allies of Trump, who announced his own 2024 White House run on Tuesday. The looming House Oversight investigation of Biden will coincide with a House Judiciary Committee probe into allegations of political influence at the Justice Department under Biden.

☆ Frankfurter Wars: Sam’s Club Undercuts Costco With $1.38 Hot Dog Combo
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/frankfurter-wars-sams-club-undercuts-costco-with-1-38-hot-dog-combo-11668550596

☆ Ukraine in danger of running out of air defenses as Russia launches relentless drone attacks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, the Iranian government acknowledged for the first time Saturday that it had sent a number of drones to Russia, but insisted this was before Russia invaded Ukraine. The U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley rejected that claim, saying Tehran supplied drones to Russia in the summer. He also warned that Russia needed Iranian missiles for a "possible repetition of mass attacks on our infrastructure." For its part, Ukraine continues to plead for more air defense weapons to help it combat Russian drone and missile attacks. RUSI's analysts agree that Ukraine requires urgent assistance to ensure that "Kyiv can counter Moscow's updated approach to the air war in Ukraine."

☆ ‘Dying Inside’: Chaos and Cruelty in Louisiana Juvenile Detention
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Megan Shutzer | Rachel Lauren Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +47 min

But inside the walls at Ware, one of the state’s largest juvenile detention facilities, children have been trying to kill themselves with stunning regularity. In Louisiana, where brutal conditions prompted juvenile justice reform two decades ago, the system is again in crisis. Most Ware guards are Black, as well, though nearly all of its leaders are white, as are the local judge, sheriff and district attorney. “Of course, they still do.” In reports to the state, Ware’s nurses described carpet burns on children’s faces and head-to-toe bruises from restraints. In fact, of the four guards convicted of sexually assaulting children at Ware, Mr. Peace would be the only one imprisoned.

☆ 2 of Russia's most modern multi-role fighters are leading Putin's air war over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Sebastian Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Two of Russia's most modern fighters have led its air war over Ukraine: the Su-30SM and the Su-35S. Two of Russia's most modern multi-role fighters have spearheaded Moscow's air war over Ukraine: the two-seat Sukhoi Su-30SM (code-named Flanker-H by NATO) and its successor, the single-seat Su-35S Flanker-E. Su-35S units active in UkraineSu-35S jet fighter of the Russian Air Force taking off, Kubinka, Russia. Artyom Anikeev/Stocktrek Images via Getty ImagesThe Russian Air Force (VKS) is currently receiving the last of 128 Su-35s ordered, most now committed to the war in Ukraine. Russia evidently lacks enough longer-range/endurance surveillance and combat drones to hunt Ukrainian air defense assets through laborious optical scanning.

☆ It's time to get rid of managers. All of them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-12 | by ( Molly Lipson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

What would happen if a company completely got rid of middle managers? In 2012, the publishing company Medium restructured its organization and moved away from centralized management power. The model gets rid of managers and spreads their responsibilities across different roles, giving average workers more of a voice. The reality is that psychological safety isn't intrinsically available to everyone, and holacracy doesn't have anything in it to ensure that safety." It's true that holacracy doesn't eliminate the power structures determined by characteristics such as race, gender, age, and sexuality.

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