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TOKYO — Lawmakers in Japan voted Monday to retain the embattled Shigeru Ishiba as prime minister despite his long-governing party’s dismal showing in parliamentary elections last month. Ishiba, a straight-talking former defense minister, received 221 votes compared with 160 for Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party. Many Japanese officials assume Trump is going to be “more straightforwardly anti-China,” and that Japan will be “somehow miraculously left off the hook,” he said. Though Japan has already pledged to double defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2027, “that’s probably not going to be enough to satisfy Trump,” Boling said. While Abe was “extraordinarily skillful” in dealing with Trump, Ishiba has a different personality, Boling said.

Persons: Shigeru Ishiba, Ishiba, Donald Trump, Yoshihiko Noda, ” Ishiba, Yuichi Yamazaki, Trump, Koichi Nakano, Shinzo Abe, ” Nakano, David Boling, “ that’s, ” Boling, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Takahiro Mori, Abe, Boling, “, I’m, Jeff Kingston, ” Kingston, Arata Yamamoto, Jennifer Jett, Peter Guo Organizations: Lawmakers, Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party, Getty, Trump, Japan Relations, NBC News, U.S, Eurasia Group, Nippon, Pittsburgh, . Steel, Democratic, Nippon Steel, United Steelworkers, ”, Japan Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Washington, Tokyo, China, Russia, North Korea, U.S, York, Japanese, Pittsburgh, ” Japan, United States, Temple, Hong Kong

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers averted a government shutdown 40 days before the election, but they’ll face another funding crunch right before the holidays and a new Congress and president take office. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., predicted that the two parties could come to a deal and avoid a shutdown in December. Congratulations, congressmen.”The full House has already passed five of the 12 appropriations bills for the new fiscal year. The Senate Appropriations Committee sent 11 out of 12 spending bills to the floor, where none of them have had votes. "What Leader Schumer should have done is brought the appropriations bills to the floor.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Johnson, “ We’ve, ”, appropriators, they’ve, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, “, doesn’t, Tom Cole, ” Cole, it’s Donald Trump, Harris, Chip Roy, Roy, we’ve, Schumer, Sen, Susan Collins, Chuck Schumer, Byron Donalds, ” Donald, Mitch McConnell, Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, Republicans, CRs, Democrats, Wednesday's, Senate, White, Republican, GOP, Freedom Caucus, SAVE, Conservative Locations: Washington, haven’t, Texas, Maine, D

☆ Japan’s Kishida says he will not run in September, paving the way for a new prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a surprise move Wednesday, announced he will not run in the upcoming party leadership vote in September, paving the way for Japan to have a new prime minister. Kishida was elected president of his governing Liberal Democratic Party in 2021 and his three-year term expires in September. His drop out of the race means a new leader who wins the party vote will succeed him as prime minister because the LDP controls both houses of parliament. Local election losses earlier in the year eroded his clout, and LDP lawmakers have voiced the need for a fresh face ahead of the next general election. It involved more than 80 LDP lawmakers, mostly belonging to a major party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Shinzo Abe, — Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ New AI deepfake porn bill would require big tech to police and remove images
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are scrambling to address the boom in deepfake AI pornographic images, which have targeted everyone from celebrities to high school students. Now, a new bill will seek to hold social media companies accountable for policing and removing deepfake porn images published on their sites. The measure would criminalize publishing or threatening to publish deepfake porn. Additionally, the sites would also have to make a reasonable effort to remove any other copies of the images, including ones shared in private groups. They will be joined in the Capitol by victims of deepfake porn, including high school students.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Sen, Ted Cruz, Taylor Swift, Alexandria Ocasio Organizations: WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, Capitol, CNBC, Federal Trade Commission, Rep Locations: Texas, Alexandria, Cortez

☆ Swing-district Republicans in New York decried Trump's conviction. It could cost them politically.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewFor GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill, former President Donald Trump continues to wield immense power over their political futures. AdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump at his criminal hush-money trial in New York. But in a decidedly Democratic state like New York, Biden is likely to gain some ground ahead of the election. AdvertisementAcross the country, suburban voters were already turning away from Trump even before his conviction — as former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has continued to win significant blocs of GOP voters even after suspending her presidential campaign in March.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Marc Molinaro, Anthony D'Esposito, Biden, Steven Hirsch, Mike Lawler, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, Kathy Hochul, hyperpartisan, Nick LaLota, Hochul, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, it's, Nikki Haley Organizations: Service, Capitol, Business, Republicans, New York Police Department, Attorney, hyperpartisan New York Democrats, GOP, New York State, Emerson, Trump, Republican, New York House Republicans Locations: New York, New York City, Hudson, Manhattan, D'Esposito's, Democratic, Long, Trump

☆ Louisiana Lawmakers Vote to Make Abortion Pills Controlled Substances
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Emily Cochrane | Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Louisiana lawmakers passed legislation on Thursday to make the state the first in the nation to designate abortion pills as dangerous controlled substances. Possession of the drugs without a prescription would be a crime punishable with jail time and thousands of dollars in fines. The legislation, which passed the State Senate by a vote of 29 to 7, now goes to Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who previously defended the state’s stringent abortion ban in court as attorney general. But the Food and Drug Administration does not consider the two medications to have potential for abuse or dependence, and years of research have overwhelmingly shown both pills to be safe.

Persons: Jeff Landry Organizations: Senate, Gov, Republican, and Drug Administration Locations: Louisiana

☆ Lawmakers release text of $1.2 trillion spending bill as shutdown deadline nears
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Sahil Kapur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers early Thursday morning released the text of a $1.2 trillion government funding bill negotiated by the White House and leaders of both parties to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend. Those federal agencies are scheduled to shut down on Saturday if the funding package is not passed by Friday night. President Joe Biden has said he'll sign the bill, but it's unclear whether Congress has enough time to pass it before the deadline. It is the last remaining funding package that Congress has to pass this fiscal year, which ends after September. After the House passes the bill, the Senate will require unanimous consent to vote quickly.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Mitch McConnell, — Frank Thorp Organizations: WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, White, Homeland Security, Defense, State, Labor, Health, Human Services, DHS, Internal Revenue Service, Republicans, House Republicans, House, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Washington, Washington , DC, D, Ky

The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. “The prime minister pledged to convene parliament to urge parliament to act at its earliest opportunity. Kristersson has said that he will make the trip, but only after Hungary approves his country's NATO membership. But Vadai, the lawmaker, said that there was no guarantee that Orbán's party would commit to a swift approval. “I’m not sure whether the opening session will start with the Swedish ratification, unfortunately,” she said.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Hungary's, Orbán, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, didn't, David Pressman, Pressman, expeditiously, Sen, Ben Cardin, Agnes Vadai, “, it’s, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, “ I’m Organizations: — Lawmakers, NATO, Fidesz, U.S, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, ”, Democratic Coalition, Associated Press, Swedish Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, NATO, U.S, Maryland, Budapest, Swedish, Hungary's

BRUSSELS (AP) — Lawmakers on the European Parliament’s environment committee on Wednesday backed a proposal to relax rules on genetically modified plants produced using so-called new genomic techniques, prompting strong criticism from environmental groups. But lawmakers agreed Wednesday to create two different categories and two sets of rules for genetically modified plants produced using NGTs. Those considered equivalent to traditional crops would be exempt from GMO legislation, but other NGT plants would have to follow current requirements. The committee agreed that all NGT plants should remain prohibited in organic production. It aims to ensure that what is developed does not breach EU citizens’ rights to health and environmental protection.”

Persons: “, Jessica Polfjard, Eva Corral, ” Organizations: — Lawmakers, European Union, Environment, Public Health, Food Safety, EU, Greenpeace Locations: BRUSSELS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers who had been sitting in stunned silence gasped at the declaration: The office of speaker “is hereby declared vacant. ”For the first time ever, a House speaker had been voted out of the position, plunging Congress into a new degree of turmoil. “Chaos is Speaker McCarthy,” Gaetz said on the floor, suggesting a series of reforms could make Washington work better. “Shocking … just the finality of it," said Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Relations Committee. Republicans will try to coalesce around a new leader after McCarthy ruled out another bid to become speaker.

Persons: gasped, “, Kevin McCarthy, Brian Fitzpatrick, McCarthy, ” McCarthy, Donald Trump, Hakeem Jeffries, “ Kevin McCarthy, ”, Jamie Raskin, Matt Gaetz, ” Gaetz, Republicans —, —, Patrick McHenry of, Michael McCaul, Republicans seething, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Democrats —, Mary Claire Jalonick, Farnoush Amiri, Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking Organizations: WASHINGTON, — Lawmakers, California Republican, Lawmakers, Republican Party, Republicans, ”, Pennsylvania Republican, Capitol, Democratic, Republican, Texas Republican, Foreign Relations, —, Democrats, Associated Press Locations: California, United States, Washington, Pennsylvania, “ Ukraine, Russia, Maryland, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Texas, Gaetz

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Lawmakers in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan, voted to elect a new separatist president on Saturday in a move that was strongly condemned by the Azerbaijani authorities. Samvel Shakhramanyan's election as the new president of Nagorno-Karabakh follows the resignation of Arayik Harutyunyan, who stepped down on Sept. 1 as president of the region — which the Armenians call Artsakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is a region within Azerbaijan that came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military after a six-year separatist war that ended in 1994. Armenian forces also took control of substantial territory around the region. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesAzerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020.

Persons: Samvel, Arayik Harutyunyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin, ” Organizations: —, Azerbaijan's, Ministry, Azerbaijan, Russian, Security, Organization, United States, Criminal Court, Russian Foreign Ministry Locations: YEREVAN, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Russia, Stepanakert, Moscow, Yerevan, Russian, Soviet, Ukraine

☆ Congress must find debt solution without cutting Social Security, Medicare, Sen. Coons says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers must address the trillions of dollars that make up the national debt and deficit without touching Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, Sen. Chris Coons said Monday. "I recognize that the art of politics is finding one that both parties can support," Coons, D-Del., said of debt reduction aims while on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "But frankly, at the end of the day, Democrats are not going to cut benefits under Social Security." Coons said Congress needs "to find a way forward in the middle that balances revenue and spending in a positive way" following Fitch's decision to downgrade the nation's long-term debt this month. The credit rating agency dropped U.S. long-term debt to AA+ from its AAA rating due in part to the drawn-out debt ceiling debate earlier this year.

Persons: Sen, Chris Coons, Coons Organizations: WASHINGTON, Social Security, AAA

☆ Congress hands the crypto industry two wins and a loss before August recess
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The House Financial Services Committee advanced a measure Thursday to establish a clear regulatory framework for the issuance of payment stablecoins. The bills' approvals, after a roughly 14-month debate between committee Republicans and Democrats, can be viewed as wins for the crypto industry, whose reputation on Capitol Hill was battered by the failure of crypto giant FTX last fall. Late Thursday night, the Senate passed a massive defense funding bill that included several measures from different bills the digital-assets industry has opposed. Warren also highlighted the National Defense Authorization Act rider this week by reintroducing her bill, the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act. The House crypto bills would likely garner enough support to pass in the Republican-controlled House, but struggle to gain traction in the Democratic-controlled Senate

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Patrick McHenry, Jim Himes, Josh Gottheimer, Crypto, Sen, Warren, Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, Roger Marshall of, Lindsey Graham of Organizations: Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, Capitol, Financial Services Committee, Financial Services, Connecticut, Republicans, Democrats, Treasury Department, Treasury, Defense, Money, Democratic, Senate, Republican Locations: Massachusetts, Washington , DC, R, New Jersey, crypto's, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

☆ House Democrats shelve effort to censure George Santos — for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

House Democrats are punting an effort to force a vote on censuring Rep. George Santos. It could now be weeks before that happens — lawmakers won't return after this week until September 12. The Democratic trio — which also includes Rep. Robert Garcia of California and Rep. Dan Goldman of New York — had pitched their effort as a backstop against an ongoing House Ethics Committee inquiry into Santos' misdeeds. If the censure effort eventually succeeds, Santos would become the 26th member of Congress in American history to be formally censured by the House. Those other censure efforts include:But unlike those efforts, the Santos censure effort enjoys bipartisan support, and would likely pass when it's eventually brought to the floor.

Persons: George Santos, That's, —, Ritchie Torres, Torres, Robert Garcia of, Dan Goldman, New York —, Santos, Garcia, New York Republicans —, Nick LaLota, Axios, Kevin McCarthy, Adam Schiff of, it's Organizations: censuring Rep, Service, Republicans, Democratic, New York Republican, New, Robert Garcia of California, New York Republicans, Democrats, Democratic Rep, Adam Schiff of California, Trump Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York, Washington, masse, Santos, Russia

☆ New report shows Ticketmaster controls the vast majority of the live event business, and any promises of 'transparency' just mean they'll overcharge concertgoers more brazenly
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Live Nation Entertainment announced new "transparent" pricing where it will display fees at the beginning of the transaction. While this has been on Biden's agenda for months, he hasn't addressed the grip Live Nation Entertainment has on the entertainment industry. Republican state Sen. Scott Wilk introduced a bill in early 2023 to ban exclusivity contracts in the ticketing industry. Ultimately, she said, it's up to the Department of Justice to investigate and potentially take action on Live Nation Entertainment. According to the New York Times, the DOJ opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation Entertainment in late 2022.

Persons: hasn't, —, Biden, Krista Brown, Sen, Scott Wilk, Wilk, Brown Organizations: Nation Entertainment, Service, Ticketmaster, American Economic Liberties, Nation, Congress, Entertainment, California's State Senate, Department of Justice, New York Times, DOJ, Live Nation Entertainment Locations: United States, California's

☆ House lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill requiring total disclosure of ticketing fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers introduced a new bill on Thursday targeting ticketing fee disclosures in an effort to increase transparency in the entertainment industry. The "Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act,'' or TICKET Act, is modeled after current advertising guidelines for airline tickets, which require disclosing the full ticket price before purchase. With every ticketing debacle, from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift, and so many more, their frustration grows," Schakowsky said in a statement. The House bill mirrors the Senate measure in mandating ticket vendors to display the total price of a ticket, including all required fees, in any advertisement or piece of marketing. Bilirakis said the bill will bring "much-needed transparency to the whole ticketing industry."

Persons: Jan Schakowsky, Gus Bilirakis, Taylor Swift, Schakowsky, Sens, Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Biden, Cantwell, Bilirakis, Taylor Organizations: WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, Senate, New York, Office, Ticketmaster Locations: Beyoncé, Texas

☆ Lawmakers praise First Republic sale, but efforts to pass new bank rules are fizzling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers who sit atop key banking committees praised the federal takeover of First Republic Bank on Monday, and held up the sale of its assets to JP Morgan Chase as a successful public-private collaboration to protect the U.S. financial system. His statement contrasted from the reaction of the Senate banking committee's chairman, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. He did not directly respond to the federal intervention, choosing instead to direct his ire at the failed bank. "First Republic Bank's risky behavior, unique business model, and management failures led to significant problems, and it's clear we need stronger guardrails in place," Brown said in a statement. "We must make large banks more resilient against failure so that we protect financial stability and ensure competition in the long run."

I love writing about personal finance, but personal responsibility isn't the be-all and end-all. How disability shapes my family's finances »Demographic disparities persist through educationLike all areas of education, financial education suffers from disparities in school funding, which exacerbate racial inequality. As one instructor told the USBE auditors, "Financial literacy is critical to the financial wellbeing of our country. Financial education is under-resourced and undersupportedThe problems with financial education aren't surprising, given the lack of attention the subject receives from decision-makers. I'm glad I ignored mainstream financial advice »Financial literacy needs to include our history of inequalityPersonal finance media, gurus, and educators love to tout financial literacy as the missing puzzle piece to the American dream.

☆ House Republicans target the CFPB as the agency takes aim at 'junk fees'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers discussed ways to reform, or altogether defund, the nation's foremost consumer protection agency on Thursday, as the regulator takes aim at illegal "junk fees" levied on consumers. GOP lawmakers in the hearing criticized the Biden administration's push to eradicate "junk fees," largely regulated by the CFPB. On Wednesday, the agency released a list of illegal junk fees encompassing deposit accounts; auto and mortgage loan servicing; and payday and title lending. Subcommittee member Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., said Chopra has used junk fees as an excuse to expand his authority. The CFPB's working definition of junk fees is "any fee they don't like," argued Devin Watkins, an attorney at the conservative-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute.

☆ Lawmakers call on 8 states to pass wealth taxes to help pay for childcare, affordable housing, and ending homelessness
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawmakers and advocates are pushing to pass wealth taxes in eight states, after a federal plan failed to pass. The taxes would target both realized and unrealized capital gains, assets like stocks and bonds. "Funding our future means using the revenue generated from the Washington state wealth tax to expand access to affordable homes for working Washingtonians," Frame said. In California, a wealth tax on the unrealized capital gains of the top 0.1% would yield nearly $22 billion, according to California assembly member Alex Lee. Targeting capital gains and unrealized gains are not a new idea, but haven't been able to pick up the federal traction they need to be implemented across the country.

On its face, Moore v. Harper, the case being considered by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, deals with whether the North Carolina Supreme Court acted within its rights last year. In 2021, the state's highest court overturned the congressional redistricting maps drawn by the GOP-controlled state Legislature for being gerrymandered along partisan lines. The Independent State Legislature doctrine could open the door to giving state legislators the power to decide, for example, which presidential candidate will receive their state’s Electoral College votes. With the Supreme Court potentially lending their imprimatur to ISL this spring, each state legislative election could put the integrity of our democracy at risk. For those of us who believe in democracy, that means only one thing: We cannot rest on our laurels.

☆ Police officers to receive Congressional Gold Medals for Jan. 6
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

To recognize the hundreds of officers who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, the medals will be placed in four locations — at U.S. Capitol Police headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Capitol and the Smithsonian Institution. Awarding the medals will be among House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s last ceremonial acts as she prepares to step down from leadership. Officers suffered physical wounds, including brain injuries and other lifelong effects, and many struggled to work afterward because they were so traumatized. Two police officers died by suicide in the days that immediately followed, and a third officer, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed and later died after one of the rioters sprayed him with a chemical. The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow, has been handed out by the legislative branch since 1776.

☆ Same-sex marriage is now legal in all of Mexico's states
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY — Lawmakers in the border state of Tamaulipas voted Wednesday night to legalize same-sex marriages, becoming the last of Mexico’s 32 states to authorize such unions. The president of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, Arturo Zaldívar, welcomed the vote. Love is love,” he said on Twitter. A day earlier, lawmakers in the southern state of Guerrero approved similar legislation allowing same-sex marriages. In 2015, the Supreme Court declared state laws preventing same-sex marriage unconstitutional, but some states took several years to adopt laws conforming with the ruling.

☆ Americans think the government is too old — and wide margins support term limits, age caps, and cognitive tests, an Insider/Morning Consult poll finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Walt Hickey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Most Americans want to see age caps in Congress, according to an Insider/Morning Consult poll. Congressional term limits and medical examinations for elected leaders are among the measures garnering overwhelming support among poll respondents. Indeed, respondents were more supportive of age limits for people who steer legislation than they were for people who steer heavy machinery. More respondents want to see age caps in Congress — 75% — than maximum ages for police officers (73%) and truck drivers (64%). All told, 76% of respondents overall — and 66% of Democrats — said Biden is too old to serve in public office.

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