DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Twitter is the modern public square and should not censor journalists, says Rep. Ro Khanna
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTwitter is the modern public square and should not censor journalists, says Rep. Ro KhannaRep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss the recent release of internal documents from Twitter, known as the "Twitter Files," that detail the inner workings of the social media company before Elon Musk's acquisition.

☆ Big Oil has engaged in a long-running climate disinformation campaign while raking in record profits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( René Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Big Oil companies have engaged in a “long-running greenwashing campaign” while raking in “record profits at the expense of American consumers,” the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee has found after a year-long investigation into climate disinformation from the fossil fuel industry. The committee found the fossil fuel industry is “posturing on climate issues while avoiding real commitments” to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Lawmakers said it has sought to portray itself as part of the climate solution, even as internal industry documents reveal how companies have avoided making real commitments. Many of their requests for internal documents were heavily redacted by the companies, which did not specify reasons for withholding the information. “These companies know their climate pledges are inadequate but are prioritizing Big Oil’s record profits over the human costs of climate change,” Maloney said.

☆ Twitter’s Duty to Protect Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Ro Khanna | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Defending free speech is easy when it’s speech you agree with. Defending speech you dislike, or speech that doesn’t advance your interests, is more challenging. But it is in exactly those uncomfortable situations that American democratic principles call on us to protect the free exchange of ideas and freedom of the press. Free speech is a foundational value of our democracy. Attacks on public officials and candidates for office have continued.

☆ Rep. Ro Khanna urges Twitter to protect free speech online after 'Twitter Files'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRep. Ro Khanna urges Twitter to protect free speech online after 'Twitter Files'Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said in a new op-ed for The Wall Street Journal that Twitter went too far in censoring a news story about Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 election.

WASHINGTON — If it’s Monday ... It’s the last day of campaigning before tomorrow’s Georgia Senate runoff. ... NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard covers the closing messages by Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. And just looking at the campaigns, which get the biggest bang per advertising buck, it’s Warnock at $25.2 million, versus Walker at $10.1 million. But now it’s $11.8 million — behind Warnock’s $25 million and the $20.3 million from Georgia Honor, a Democratic Super PAC. Runoff watch: Walker accuser speaks to NBC NewsDays after she first revealed an allegation of domestic abuse against Georgia Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker, a former girlfriend of his sat down with NBC News to detail those allegations.

☆ Biden's 2024 primary calendar gives Kamala Harris an edge in a future White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's push to make South Carolina the first major battleground in Democratic presidential primaries has a second big beneficiary: Vice President Kamala Harris. "It's a good demographic mix of having to appeal to Black voters, White working-class voters and Latino and Asian American voters." “How many Black voters are persuaded that the Democratic Party cares about them because South Carolina goes first? South Carolina, one of the most Republican states in the country, isn't competitive at the presidential level in general elections. “South Carolina is also known to be kind to those who’ve been kind to her,” he said.

☆ Elon Musk promotes release of internal Twitter documents rehashing platform’s block of Hunter Biden story
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The controversy involving Twitter and Hunter Biden dates to October 2020, weeks before the presidential election between Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump. Taibbi wrote that he has seen no evidence that there was government involvement in Twitter’s move to block the New York Post story. Shortly after the New York Post published the article, Twitter pointed to concerns about hacked materials as the reason for blocking the story. Zuckerberg cited warnings from the FBI about election-related threats, though none about Hunter Biden in particular. Hunter Biden has said that federal prosecutors in Delaware are investigating his taxes.

☆ Twitter's clumsy handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story spurred enough bipartisan criticism to risk the existence of the internet as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Twitter's decision to throttle stories about Hunter Biden's laptop prompted bipartisan criticism. Some lawmakers have since called to repeal Section 230, a law "that created the internet." The criticism has since intensified a movement to repeal Section 230, which could change the Internet forever. Much of Taibbi's thread focused on Twitter's handling of the New York Post's October 2020 story about Hunter Biden's laptop, which the Post reported was left in a Delaware repair shop. Representatives for Khanna did not answer questions about the congressman's current position on whether or not to repeal Section 230.

☆ Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna reached out to Twitter as it suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story to voice concerns about violating free speech and press freedom principles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In October 2020, Twitter initially blocked users from sharing a New York Post story about Hunter Biden's laptop. Rep. Ro Khanna sent Twitter concerns about the decision, according to materials published Friday. Less than a month before the 2020 election, the Post published a story that claimed to contain emails retrieved from a laptop that belonged to President Joe Biden's son Hunter. Giving an example, Khanna said if materials uncovering a war crime were hacked and obtained by The New York Times, the Times should be able to publish them. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan established that public figures suing for defamation must establish "actual malice."

☆ Released Twitter emails show how employees debated how to handle 2020 New York Post Hunter Biden story
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It showed employees on Twitter’s legal, policy and communications teams debating – and at times disagreeing – over whether to restrict the article under the company’s hacked materials policy, weeks before the 2020 election, where Joe Biden, Hunter Biden’s father, ran against then-President Donald Trump. The Taibbi posts undercut a top claim by Musk and Republicans, who have accused the FBI of leaning on social media companies to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop stories. The tweet thread also highlighted how officials from both political parties routinely wrote to Twitter asking for specific tweets to be removed. A CNN review of those tweets on an archive site showed some purported photos of Hunter Biden, including nudity, that may have violated Twitter policy. He also did not say that Democrats requested that Twitter suppress the Post story, and his account did not suggest that the US government had ever pressured Twitter to suppress the story.

☆ Marco Rubio slams Biden shutting down a rail strike for workers who want more paid sick leave: 'I will not vote to impose a deal that doesn't have the support of the rail workers'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rail workers were threatening to strike over lack of paid leave, potentially devastating the economy. "But if Congress is forced to do it,I will not vote to impose a deal that doesn't have the support of the rail workers." Congress is able to vote to step in and impose a deal for rail workers, overruling the normal bargaining process. Workers wanted 15 paid sick days, according to Reuters, but railroad companies agreed to just one paid personal day in the tentative agreement. Michael Paul Lindsey, a locomotive engineer in Idaho and steering committee member for Railroad Workers United, told Insider it was a "blatant betrayal," but he wasn't surprised.

Authorities have identified the man whose foot was found floating in a Yellowstone National Park hot spring three months ago, the park said Thursday. His foot in a shoe was found floating in the hot spring in Wyoming on Aug. 16. No one is believed to have seen what happened, and how he died was not clear, the park service said. It is one of the deepest hot springs in the park, at more than 50 feet, according to the park’s website. Yellowstone National Park warns visitors to always stay on boardwalks and trails and to use extreme caution around the features.

☆ Democrats who want to 'stop Wall Street landlords' and rein in the $4.4 trillion single-family-rental industry will likely be foiled by Republicans who will soon run the House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A recently introduced bill promises to rein in corporate owners of single-family rental homes. They scooped up thousands more during the COVID-19 pandemic as interest rates dropped and demand for rental housing soared. The introduction of the Stop Wall Street Landlords Act marks the latest escalation. "Low- and middle-income families in my district and across the country are being pushed out because of profiteering and unfair practices by large corporate landlords." But the watchful eye of federal lawmakers is sparking concern among large SFR companies.

☆ Amazon is taking another shot at offering healthcare — and this time, it plays to the tech giant's key strengths
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Blake Dodge | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Amazon Clinic" plays to Amazon's strengths as an ecommerce behemoth. On Tuesday, Amazon announced "Amazon Clinic," a virtual care service that will treat patients' common conditions such as allergies and hair loss. The launch comes just a couple of months after the tech giant said it was shuttering Amazon Care, a telehealth service that provided care through people's employers. By contrast, Amazon Clinic could have more success doing what it knows best, especially if it can lure Prime members. Amazon Clinic.

After oil prices soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European governments already have imposed windfall taxes on their oil industries. But most U.S. lawmakers show little appetite to reverse that trend after oil companies like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp <CVX.N. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Ro Khanna, both Democrats, are among legislators who have already introduced bills to tax excess oil company profits. Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona and Joe Manchin from West Virginia would likely oppose a windfall profits tax, dimming its prospects, congressional sources and research groups said. Administration officials conceded privately that it may be difficult to enact a federal windfall profits tax, and said no deadline has been set for a next step.

WASHINGTON — Which party controls Congress next year could have big implications for Twitter — and its new “Chief Twit,” Elon Musk. A Jordan spokesman had no comment about Musk and Twitter, but Republicans expect the company will be more cooperative with any future GOP investigations with Musk at the helm. But upon taking control of Twitter, Musk said he would first form a “content moderation council,” and Yoel Roth, head of Safety and Integrity at Twitter, insisted that the company’s policies on hate speech have not changed. “If Elon Musk has said now that he’s going to start a content moderation board, that was one good sign, but I continue to be concerned about that,” Klobuchar said. Other Democrats are raising national security concerns about how Musk financed the $44 billion Twitter deal.

☆ First on CNN: Senate Democrat warns Fed it’s ‘foolish’ to keep lifting interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the concern is the Fed is doing too much too soon,” Hickenlooper wrote in a letter on Thursday to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. In a bid to get inflation under control, the Fed has raised interest rates more rapidly than at any point since the early 1980s under legendary Fed chairman Paul Volcker. “I write to urge the Federal Reserve to pause and seriously consider the negative consequences of again raising interest rates,” Hickenlooper wrote, adding that families have been stung by surging borrowing costs for homes and cars. “Will raising interest rates lead to more oil, lower prices of oil, more food, lower prices of food? Former President Donald Trump repeatedly slammed Powell — his handpicked Fed chairman — for raising interest rates and shrinking the Fed’s balance sheet.

☆ Democratic Rep. who signed withdrawn letter on Ukraine said nobody told them it was getting released: CNN
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A controversial letter went out without those who signed it knowing, per a Rep. who spoke to CNN. 30 progressive Democrats signed a letter urging diplomacy with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Unnamed aides to other members of Congress told CNN the same thing. In withdrawing the letter, Jayapal said it "was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting." The anonymous member who said that Jayapal's office did not check back with signatories before the letter's release told CNN that the "timing is terrible."

☆ Top Senate Democrat warns the Fed against causing mass job losses
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“For working Americans who already feel the crush of inflation, job losses will make it much worse. The comments from the Ohio Democrat, who publicly supported Powell’s renomination as Fed chair, underscore the intense pressure facing the Fed ahead of next week’s decision on interest rates. Bank of America estimates the US economy will start losing 175,000 jobs a month early next year due to the Fed’s rapid interest rate hikes. California Rep. Ro Khanna slammed the central bank for “failed policy” that led to high inflation and expressed concern the Fed will now overcompensate. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren has described the Fed’s rate hikes as “extreme” and set the stage for blaming the central bank for a downturn.

☆ Inflation remains on voters' minds ahead of midterm elections, says Rep. Ro Khanna
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInflation remains on voters' minds ahead of midterm elections, says Rep. Ro KhannaRep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss inflation's potential impact on the upcoming midterm elections and weighs in on President Joe Biden's energy plan.

☆ Bidens host largest White House Diwali celebration ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Bidens hosted Monday the largest Diwali celebration ever held in the White House, with some 200 guests in attendance as the president lit a diya, a ceremonial lamp, and addressed the holiday’s significance. Before he addressed the room full of South Asians, Biden invited two young kids to join him on stage. The president was joined at the ceremony by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was greeted with loud cheers as she took the stage to talk about her own relationship with Diwali. Dancers from the Sa Dance Company perform during a reception to celebrate Diwali at the White House, on Oct. 24, 2022. Yuri Gripas/ABACA / Sipa USA via AP“I have such fond memories of celebrating Diwali as a child,” Harris said.

☆ House Democrats Urge Biden to Speak Directly With Russia to End Ukraine War
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A group of 30 House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden on Monday asking him to seek direct talks with Russia to reach a diplomatic settlement to the war in Ukraine, marking a new sign of unease in Congress over America’s approach to the fighting. The letter’s signatories include Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D., Wash.), the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as influential progressives Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.). Rep. Barbara Lee (D., Calif.), the only member of Congress to vote against the resolution authorizing war in Afghanistan in 2001, also signed the letter.

☆ Can liberals win tough Senate races? Fetterman and Barnes hope to prove it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

WASHINGTON — At stake in this year’s key Senate races is not just the balance of power between the parties, but within them. Now this year's Senate races represent one of the toughest electoral challenges yet for the modern progressive movement. These groups will back progressives in open Senate races, but have yet to recruit someone to run against an incumbent Democrat. But both Fetterman and Barnes then went on to be elected lieutenant governor, statewide victories that helped them convince party insiders they could win U.S. Senate races. John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, greets supporters at Nether Providence Elementary School, in Wallingford on Oct. 15.

☆ Democrats struggle with message on inflation in final midterm push
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

“What is our message about why inflation is going to be worse if Republicans win?” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told NBC News in an interview. Even as President Joe Biden and some candidates sharpen their focus on inflation, many Democrats are worried it may be coming too late. “Ads for both parties discussed inflation during the early summer, but since then, pro-Democratic ads have avoided mentions of inflation while pro-Republican ads have increased their discussion of inflation,” the researchers wrote. Economic issues are hitting voters particularly hard in states where Democrats’ control of the Senate hangs in the balance, including Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. In campaign appearances and ads, she’s frequently attempted to explain to voters that the Inflation Reduction Act will lower costs for voters.

☆ Analyst says Kakao has 'poor risk management'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAnalyst says Kakao has 'poor risk management'Seungjoo Ro of CLSA discusses the problems faced by South Korean messaging app Kakao after a data center outage that happened over the weekend.

Search resuls for: "Ro"

25 mentions found