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☆ TikTok could be a valuable tool for China if it invades Taiwan, FBI director says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Chinese government could use TikTok to control data on millions of people and harness the short-form video app to shape public opinion should China invade Taiwan, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday. Wray responded affirmatively to questions from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the panel’s ranking member, on whether TikTok would allow Beijing widespread control over data and a valuable influence tool in the event of war in the Taiwan Strait. Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate panel, argued that TikTok presents “a substantial national security threat for the country of a kind that we didn’t face in the past.”Wray’s comments come a day after Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of the US National Security Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he worried TikTok could censor videos to shape public opinion in a way that threatens US national security interests. The company is also negotiating a possible agreement with the Biden administration that could allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States under certain conditions. In a statement this week, a TikTok spokesperson said a US government ban would stifle American speech and would be “a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide.”– CNN’s Brian Fung and Catherine Thorbecke contributed to this report.

☆ White House backs Senate bill to boost US ability to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bill gives the Commerce Department the ability impose restrictions up to and including banning TikTok and other technologies that pose national security risks, said Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who chairs the Intelligence Committee. He said it would also apply to foreign technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. TikTok said in a statement that any "U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide." Warner said it was important the government do more to make clear what it believes are the national security risks to U.S. from the use of TikTok. McCaul said he thinks the full U.S. House of Representatives could vote on bill this month.

☆ TikTok data collection, influence operations potential draw U.S. NSA concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone on Tuesday expressed concern during congressional testimony about Chinese-owned video app TikTok's data collection and potential to facilitate broad influence operations. Asked by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville about any concerns he has about TikTok's influence on American children, Nakasone told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, "TikTok concerns me for a number of different reasons." Nakasone ended his comments by asserting that the TikTok platform could enable sweeping influence operations. The NSA, part of the Defense Department, is the agency responsible for U.S. cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for more than two years aiming to reach a national security agreement.

☆ US senators unveil bipartisan bill empowering Biden to ban TikTok and other services
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —A dozen US senators unveiled bipartisan legislation Tuesday expanding President Joe Biden’s legal authority to ban TikTok nationwide, marking the latest in a string of congressional proposals threatening the social media platform’s future in the United States. The legislation, called the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act, does not target TikTok specifically for a ban. In the case of TikTok, lawmakers have said China’s national security laws could force TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, to provide access to TikTok’s US user data. The bill specifically directs the Secretary of Commerce to “identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit, investigate, or otherwise mitigate” national security risks associated with technology linked to those countries. But those have expanded to include makers of surveillance cameras and, more recently, apps and software makers such as TikTok.

The White House threw its support behind a new bipartisan Senate bill on Tuesday that would give the Biden administration the power to ban TikTok in the U.S. The White House issued a statement publicly endorsing the bill while Warner was briefing reporters. Sullivan's statement marks the first time a TikTok bill in Congress has received the explicit backing of the Biden administration, and it catapulted Warner's bill to the top of a growing list of congressional proposals to ban TikTok. As of Tuesday, Warner's legislation did not yet have a companion version in the House. "The RESTRICT Act is more than about TikTok," Warner told reporters "It will give us that comprehensive approach."

☆ Ben Savage of 'Boy Meets World' launches bid to replace Adam Schiff in Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ben Savage speaks onstage at the Boy Meets World 25th Anniversary Reunion panel during New York Comic Con 2018 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 5, 2018 in New York City. Savage, 42, filed paperwork in January with the Federal Election Commission to run in the 30th Congressional District as a Democrat. The district Savage seeks covers a chunk of LA that includes Hollywood, Burbank and Glendale and is home to major players in the entertainment industry such as Disney Studios and ABC Studios. The biography on Savage's campaign website touches on his experiences in the entertainment industry as a child actor, though it does not specifically mention "Boy Meets World," the show that made him a household name for a generation of Americans. Savage is the younger brother of Fred Savage, who starred in another coming-of-age TV series, "The Wonder Years."

☆ New bipartisan Senate TikTok bill will be unveiled Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pictured here is the TikTok download page on an Apple iPhone on August 7, 2020. WASHINGTON — A highly anticipated bipartisan Senate bill to give the president the authority to respond to threats posed by TikTok and companies like it will be unveiled Tuesday afternoon by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, a committee spokeswoman told CNBC. "TikTok is one of the potentials," that could be targeted by the bill, Warner said. Warner's bill comes nearly a week after the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a Republican-sponsored bill that aims to do much of the same thing. The House legislation passed the GOP-controlled committee 24-16 along party lines, with unanimous GOP support and no Democratic votes.

☆ TikTok a potential target in upcoming US bill to ban some foreign tech - Senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) speaks to the media following a classified briefing for U.S. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoWASHINGTON March 5 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators plan to introduce legislation this week aimed at letting the government "ban or prohibit" foreign technology products such as Chinese-owned TikTok, Senator Mark Warner said on Sunday. Warner, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said TikTok would be "one of the potentials" for review under the bill. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday to give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok, in what would be the most far-reaching U.S. restriction on any social media app. He said he planned to introduce the legislation this week with Republican Senator John Thune.

☆ The top Democrat and Republican on the House Intel committee say the FBI hasn't been forthcoming about what's exactly in the classified docs seized from Biden, Pence, and Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Top House Intel committee members told NBC News the FBI hasn't told them what's in seized documents. The DOJ has seized classified documents from Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Mike Pence. "Administration after administration is apparently sloppy and messy" with such docs, Rep. Turner said. Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the "FBI is not being forthcoming. The FBI also searched one of Biden's old offices last year after aides said they found classified documents there.

☆ Senators to launch bill that will help ban or prohibit foreign technology like TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., said Sunday he is introducing a broad bipartisan bill this week that will outline an approach to banning or prohibiting foreign technology, like the popular video-sharing app TikTok. TikTok is a short-form video platform that is used by more than 100 million Americans. Warner's legislation comes after U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance a bill that would grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok. The bill passed the Republican-controlled committee 24-16 along party lines, with unanimous GOP support and no Democratic votes. TikTok is no stranger to challenges from U.S. officials, as former President Donald Trump declared his intention to ban the app by executive action in 2020.

☆ Lawmakers Seek More Information on Biden, Trump Classified Documents Following Briefing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mark Warner (D., Va.) and Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) said they still had questions following their Tuesday meeting with intelligence officials. WASHINGTON—Top lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee said they would continue to press for information about the classified documents that ended up in the personal possession of two presidents, after a Tuesday briefing from U.S. officials “left much to be desired.”The meeting with officials from the Justice Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and intelligence community “helped shed some light on these issues,” Chairman Mark Warner (D., Va.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), the panel’s vice chairman, said in a statement, adding that they would “continue to press for full answers to our questions.”

Wray's comments Tuesday came after Baier noted that the Energy Department had cited the FBI's earlier findings in its report. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said earlier Tuesday that China has "always been open and transparent" about Covid. In its assessment, the Energy Department also described the "likely" laboratory-related leak as an "accident," the official added. The Energy Department is one of 18 government departments and agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said, "China obviously is very threatened by this," but "the lab leak story is not anti-Chinese.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, on Sunday called for "extensive public hearings" if the U.S. intelligence community conclusively determines that Covid-19 leaked from a Chinese laboratory. The committee is "reviewing the classified information provided," the spokesperson said. "There is a variety of views in the intelligence community. Some elements of the intelligence community have reached conclusions on one side, some on the other. "But right now, there is not a definitive answer that has emerged from the intelligence community on this question."

☆ Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, blasts a Texas GOP congressman after he questioned her loyalty to the US: 'It is racist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Judy Chu criticized Lance Gooden after he seemingly questioned her "loyalty" to the US on Fox News. "I think she has drug along the other Chinese American members to sign this letter. I very much doubt that he would be spreading these lies were I not of Chinese American descent." "Lance Gooden's slanderous accusation of disloyalty against Rep. Chu is dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic," Jeffries said in a statement. Rep. Gooden accused Democrats of bringing up race after his criticism of Rep. Chu.

☆ A growing group of lawmakers think TikTok is 'digital fentanyl' and want to ban it. Many others remain skeptical.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Some members of Congress have begun pushing to ban TikTok in the US. "I'm a little less enthusiastic about an all-out ban of it," said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. "I'm an incrementalist on a lot of things, and I would be on this as well," said Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on social media and the internet's impact on children. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, another committee member, said she's most concerned about how social media platforms are impacting kids.

☆ North Korea may fire ICBM at normal angle, conduct nuclear test - S. Korean lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - North Korea could test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles at a normal angle and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year to perfect its nuclear and missile capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials. The isolated country has so far conducted ICBM tests on lofted trajectories, but has already secured capabilities to launch them at a normal angle, which it might do to pressure the United States, the lawmakers said after a briefing by Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS). North Korea is also likely to launch a spy satellite this year in line with its previous warnings, said Yoo Sang-bum, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee. Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea may try to pressure U.S. with ICBM, nuclear tests - S.Korean lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is launched at Pyongyang International Airport, in Pyongyang, North Korea February 18, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - North Korea could test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles on a lower, longer trajectory and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year to perfect its weapons capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials. The briefing came as the U.S., South Korean and Japanese navies staged joint tactical drills on Wednesday in waters between the Asian neighbours. A Japanese escort vessel and U.S. and South Korean destroyers joined the training aimed at stepping up trilateral ballistic missile responses, Tokyo's defence ministry said. Youn Kun-young, another member of the committee, said North Korea might also develop solid fuel-based ICBMs this year, and confirmed the defence ministry's report that Chinese spy balloons did not enter South Korean airspace.

☆ How Putin's Russian goon squad used Mexican gig workers to troll an American election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Posting to social media sounded like an easy work-from-home gig, so he applied. This post from the Prigozhin-backed Social CMS network in Mexico referred to America as "we." He verified his account by providing chat transcripts, screenshots, contracts, and internal company documents. But just because Social CMS didn't yield an immediate, large-scale impact doesn't mean it should be ignored. "I didn't know who are you," wrote the person who is listed in the corporate directory as Prigozhin's media liaison.

☆ How many Chinese spy balloons did we miss and when did they start flying above the U.S.?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan De Luce | Ken Dilanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

There are currently five known Chinese balloon flights into U.S. territory, including two during the Biden administration and three during Donald Trump's presidency, according to the Biden administration's public statement. The congressman said he expected more Chinese balloon flights to be identified. Other countries are also examining whether Chinese balloon flights over their territory went undetected. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said his government will review the country's security in light of the Chinese balloon flight over the U.S.Australia was not aware of any Chinese surveillance balloons flying over its territory, an Australian official said. It remains unclear if new information could indicate that those balloon sightings were in fact Chinese surveillance airships.

MUNICH, Germany Feb 17 (Reuters) - Nearly 50 lawmakers from both major U.S. political parties on Friday attended the start of Europe's premier annual security conference to affirm bipartisan support for U.S. aid to Ukraine. But Lindsey Graham, a leading advocate of aiding Ukraine, said in Munich that China would be encouraged to invade Taiwan if the United States and its European allies failed to back Ukraine. But Republicans and some Democrats also say President Joe Biden's administration should better explain its Ukraine policy. The United States is Ukraine's leading military aid supplier at some $30 billion, including long-range artillery, air defence systems and advanced armored vehicles. There are now calls on both sides of the Atlantic for Ukraine to receive advanced Western fighter jets.

☆ The DOJ will brief lawmakers on the classified documents recovered from Trump and Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DOJ will brief some lawmakers on the nature of the classified records recovered from Trump and Biden. The DOJ has so far resisted bipartisan calls from lawmakers to get access to the documents themselves. FBI personnel swept Biden's properties at least three times as part of its investigation into his handling of classified documents. The documents were turned over to the Archives shortly after, and the FBI also searched the office in mid-November and began assessing whether classified documents had been mishandled. Trump, meanwhile, is facing his own criminal investigation after the FBI executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago property last August and recovered troves of classified documents that Trump had resisted turning over to the government.

☆ U.S. Senator Rubio seeks review of Ford technology deal with China's CATL
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Anna Rose Layden/Pool via REUTERSWASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Senator Marco Rubio on Tuesday asked the Biden administration to review Ford Motor's (F.N) deal to use technology from Chinese battery company CATL (300750.SZ) as part of the automaker's plan to spend $3.5 billion to build a battery plant in Michigan. The $430 billion IRA imposes restrictions on battery sourcing and is designed to wean the United States off the Chinese supply chain for electric vehicles (EVs). Treasury declined to comment, but Granholm said on Twitter on Monday that "bringing advanced manufacturing capabilities from overseas to the United States is key to our competitiveness, will stimulate our economy, and create good-paying American jobs." Ford said the plant would create 2,500 jobs and begin producing lower cost and faster recharging lithium-iron-phosphate batteries in 2026. Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise tweeted criticism of the Ford deal, while Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said last month that his state had withdrawn from the competition to attract the Ford plant over concern's about China's potential involvement.

☆ 89-year-old Dianne Feinstein won't seek re-election in 2024 as Democrats launch bids for her seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California won't seek reelection in 2024. Feinstein, 89, is the oldest senator and longest-serving senator of California. The path is now cleared for California Senate hopefuls to fight for the open seat held by Feinstein since 1992. With a storied political career spanning five decades, Feinstein has broken records as the longest-serving senator of California and the longest-serving female senator in history. Before the Senate, Feinstein was mayor of San Francisco for a decade, and a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors prior to that.

☆ Dianne Feinstein won't run in 2024, opening up a California Senate seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California announced Tuesday that she will retire at the end of her current term, setting up a major Democratic competition for her coveted seat. "Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives," Feinstein said in a statement. The fight for the open Senate seat in the powerful, reliably blue state of California promises to be one of the most competitive — and expensive — races of the 2024 election cycle. While Feinstein's announcement officially puts her seat in play for the 2024 election cycle, multiple California Democrats had already launched Senate campaigns weeks earlier. More California Democrats, including Reps. Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna, are expected to announce their Senate campaign plans soon.

☆ Kevin McCarthy is working tirelessly and spending a lot of his political capital to win fights that don't actually matter.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Kevin McCarthy rallied GOP lawmakers to oust Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. But taking Omar off the Foreign Affairs panel took a good deal more effort on his part. The Omar vote was seen as a huge victory for the party, especially coming off McCarthy's protracted 15 rounds of balloting to secure the House speakership. Republicans led a successful effort to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. While Republican leaders were pleased with the outcome, the behind-the-scenes work to push through a successful vote against Omar took up a lot of political oxygen.

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