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☆ Reactions as former President Donald Trump arraigned in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 4 (Reuters) - Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. The charges from an investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg come as Trump seeks the Republican nomination to run again in 2024. REPRESENTATIVE JAMAAL BOWMAN:“Take responsibility, hold yourself accountable, and go away,” Bowman, a Democrat of New York, said when reporters asked if he had a message for Trump. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER:Schumer, a Democrat of New York, tweeted: "I believe that Donald Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law. Trump was a president of many firsts — none of which were good for our country.

☆ Texas will play an outsized role in selecting the next GOP presidential nominee. So Trump isn't leaving anything to chance.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Trump has previously indicated that he wouldn't leave the 2024 presidential race if he was indicted. Among the bold-named Texas figures who have signed on to Trump's 2024 campaign are Lt. Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been floated as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, was also not on the list. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won his home state in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Cruz took home the lion's share of Texas' GOP delegates in what is a winner-takes-most system.

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday unveiled stricter electric vehicle tax rules that will reduce or cut tax credits on some zero-emission models but grant buyers another two weeks before the new requirements take effect. The EV battery sourcing guidance issued on Friday triggers new requirements for critical minerals and battery components and takes effect for vehicle purchases starting April 18. The government will publish by April 18 a revised list of qualifying models and tax credit amounts. The $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed by Biden in August eliminated manufacturer's EV sales caps but imposed new conditions on EV credits. Republican Senator Marco Rubio introduced legislation this month seeking to block EV tax credits for batteries produced using Chinese technology, saying it would "significantly restrict the eligibility of IRA tax credits and prevent Chinese companies from benefiting."

☆ Republican staffers are ditching Trump to help DeSantis win. But Trump, despite being famously obsessed with loyalty, is likely to forgive anyone who comes crawling back to him as long as they 'bend t
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former Trump staffers have joined a pro-DeSantis super PAC as the primary season heats up. "It's a time for choosing," a source close to Trump told RealClearPolitics last week. "If you work for Ron DeSantis' presidential race, you will not work for the Trump campaign or in the Trump White House." "What Trump really likes is when someone bends the knee to him — when someone comes back with their tail between their legs and apologizes." "What is obvious is how much they really, really do not want him, not only to run, but to win.

☆ Trump faces a potential indictment by the Manhattan DA's office. His GOP opponents are far behind him in the 2024 presidential race, and falling further.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former President Trump remains at the top of the 2024 GOP pack as he faces several criminal probes. Trump decried a potential indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office during a rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesTrump versus the worldDuring the 2016 GOP presidential primaries, Trump's political brand was built on rejecting the political establishment. Ron DeSantis of Florida is among several high-profile Republicans who may challenge Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. In 2020, Trump faced near-unanimous support for a second term, with the campaigns of former Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, former Gov.

☆ Sen. Rand Paul says the GOP would 'permanently lose elections for a generation' if TikTok is banned
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Rand Paul is speaking out against a possible ban on TikTok, contradicting much of his own party. He said a ban amounts to a "national strategy to permanently lose elections for a generation" for the GOP. "Before banning TikTok, these censors might want to discover that China's government already bans TikTok," wrote Paul. In recent weeks, calls to ban TikTok over concerns over Chinese government surveillance have only grown in Washington. Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, who have both introduced nationwide TikTok ban bills.

☆ Asian Americans are anxious about hate crimes. TikTok ban rhetoric isn’t helping
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

And the Chinese government’s authoritarian approach to numerous other issues clashes with important American values, said many Asian Americans interviewed for this article. Concerns about China have gone mainstream as US national security officials and lawmakers have publicly grappled with state-backed ransomware attacks and other hacking attempts. People rallied during a "Stop Asian Hate" march to protest against anti-Asian hate crimes on Foley Square in New York, on April 4, 2021. But to Chu, the incident was an example of the way politics surrounding China, technology and national security have fueled anti-Asian sentiment. “Asian American issues are American issues, and all Americans deserve to be treated with respect.

Some 65% of respondents - including 46% of Republicans and 68% of independents - said they were less likely to vote for a presidential candidate in 2024 who supports laws banning or severely restricting abortion access. DeSantis last year signed a Florida law banning abortions after 15 weeks, saying the measure would protect "the rights of unborn children." The online Reuters/Ipsos poll had a credibility interval of between around two and four percentage points. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 61% of respondents nationwide, including 66% of independents, prefer a candidate who opposes allowing medical treatment for minors related to gender identity. Reuters GraphicsThe Reuters/Ipsos poll found that nationwide, women were more likely than men to oppose severe abortion restrictions and permitless concealed guns.

☆ DeSantis opens up for the first time about 'shattering' death of his sister, Christina, at age 30
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DeSantis opened up for the first time about the sudden death of his sister, Christina, at age 30. DeSantis teared up as he spoke about Christina, Morgan wrote in excerpts of the interview published Wednesday in the New York Post. When she died, Christina had been engaged to Stephen Pasiewicz, a British film editor. When Christina died, DeSantis' family set up an account in her name to fund a scholarship to Florida state. Christina died before DeSantis became governor.

☆ After calling the Russia-Ukraine war a 'territorial dispute,' DeSantis says Putin is a 'war criminal' and 'basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis called the Russia-Ukraine war a "territorial dispute" last week. When asked about the comment, DeSantis said Russia's invasion was "wrong" and Putin was a "war criminal." Ron DeSantis used some of his harshest words yet for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine. DeSantis's comments come after he downplayed the US interest in the war, referring to it as a "territorial dispute" between Russia and Ukraine. When asked about his "territorial dispute" comment, DeSantis told Morgan his words had been "mischaracterized," adding that "obviously" Russia invaded last year, as well as Crimea in 2014, and was "wrong" to do so.

Courts blocked a prior bid by the Trump administration to ban the app in part on the grounds that such a move violated free speech protections. Courts struck down former President Donald Trump's bid to block TikTok in 2020 with an executive order that granted the Commerce Department similar authorities as the RESTRICT act. But the bill will likely provide no immediate solutions for those calling for a ban on the app. Some experts said using the new legal tools to ban TikTok could still invite First Amendment challenges. "And there will most likely be a legal challenge if its used to ban TikTok."

☆ Senate GOP populists push Republican colleagues to back railway regulations, arguing 'their voters' are the most affected by disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Vance, Hawley, and Rubio are touting a bill to enact new regulations on the rail industry. They're trying out a new argument for their Republican colleagues: these are your voters. Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Marco Rubio of Florida, are touting the Railway Safety Act of 2023. "When derailments occur, it is predominantly Republican voters—their voters—who bear the brunt and who rush to put out the fires." "Look, I think if the vote were held today, we'd get 65 votes in the Senate," he told Insider.

☆ GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley appeared to shade Ron DeSantis, referencing his comments on the Ukraine war and calling it 'weakness'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Haley made reference to Republicans who refer to the Ukraine war as a "territorial dispute." Some call it a mere 'territorial dispute,'" Haley wrote. The quote "territorial dispute" is a possible reference to a statement DeSantis made on March 13, when he called for an end to US aid for Ukraine. Prior to this statement, DeSantis had supported aid to Ukraine and later became defensive when a reporter asked him about his position earlier this month. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu also criticized DeSantis using the term "territorial dispute" to describe the war in an op-ed for the Washington Post.

☆ Senate Republicans say the increasingly nasty Trump-DeSantis sparring is how you get to the best possible 2024 candidate and they expect a no-holds-barred fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In fact, some said that's exactly what the party needs to produce a winning presidential candidate the next time around. "Heck, I hope 10 or 15 people run," Tuberville told Insider at the US Capitol, urging other White House hopefuls to "put out what you need to, go raise money, and put your best foot forward." When asked how DeSantis might hit back at the scandal-plagued former president, Rubio said that's for 2024 contenders to figure out. A follow-up question about his possibly entering the race compelled Rubio to say that he was not running for president. "There's an old statement, 'What Peter says about Paul tells you more about Peter than it does about Paul," he told Insider in the Senate subway tunnels.

☆ General Motors' China business is hurting, and it's not just because of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

He purchased his Nio over models from rival Chinese automakers Xpeng , Li Auto and IM Motors. GM's operations in the country are much larger than those of its crosstown rival Ford Motor, for example. Equity income from GM's Chinese operations and joint ventures has fallen 67% since its peak of more than $2 billion in 2014 and 2015. And the rising quality of domestic-made electric vehicles helped support — and tap — growing nationalistic pride among China's consumers. In February, Ford named Sam Wu, a former Whirlpool executive who joined the automaker in October, as president and chief executive of its China operations, starting March 1.

Once the party of foreign policy "hawks," Republicans have increasingly cooled on foreign entanglements and military support for allies, particularly after Trump took office in 2016. Republican senators Marco Rubio, who is from DeSantis' home state, and Lindsey Graham, both former presidential candidates, criticized isolationists within their party. "People care about foreign policy, but I think it's kind of mixed on Ukraine funding," said Trudy Caviness, a member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee. By embracing Trump's hands-off brand of foreign policy, DeSantis risks turning off some of the white-collar Republicans that are most eager to move on from the former president. That will give the eventual winner of the Republican nomination significant power to shape the party's foreign policy preferences going forward.

☆ Liz Cheney blasts DeSantis over his comments about Russia's invasion of Ukraine: 'Weakness is Putin's greatest weapon'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The governor told Tucker Carlson in a statement that the war should not be a priority for the US. "This is not 'a territorial dispute,'" Cheney said in a statement to The New York Times. Ron DeSantis in a statement Tuesday, saying the Governor was "wrong" for his comments on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "Weakness is provocative and American officials who advocate this type of weakness are Putin's greatest weapon. Abandoning Ukraine would make broader conflict, including with China and other American adversaries, more likely," Cheney said in the statement to the Times.

☆ Senate confirms Eric Garcetti as U.S. ambassador to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sahil Kapur | Frank Thorp V | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Senate voted 52-42 on Wednesday to confirm former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti to be the next U.S. ambassador to India. The long-delayed Garcetti nomination grew unusually contentious and sparked some last-minute drama. Several Democrats voted against advancing his nomination, but enough Republicans backed Garcetti to give the U.S. its first permanent ambassador to India under President Joe Biden, more than two years into his term. "The United States-India relationship is extremely important, and it's a very good thing we now have an ambassador," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. But a group of Republicans voted yes and helped secure the necessary support, including Sens.

☆ Top Republicans bash DeSantis for calling Ukraine war a territorial dispute: 'Obviously, he doesn't deal with foreign policy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis called the Ukraine war a "territorial dispute" and said it's not a "vital" US interest. "Obviously, he doesn't deal with foreign policy every day as governor," said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. His comments quickly elicited pushback from other Republicans, both for his characterization of the conflict as a "territorial dispute" and for suggesting that defending Ukraine is not a vital national interest. Rubio went on to say that "foreign policy is about nuance" while taking pains not to criticize DeSantis directly. And Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told POLITICO that he was "disturbed" by DeSantis' statement.

☆ Xi adds oversight risk to China EV battery growth plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Three battery industry executives - including two at CATL - and two people close to regulators working with the industry told Reuters they understood Xi’s remarks as a warning to both the company and the wider battery industry. Consultant Rystad Energy estimates that battery production capacity in China will reach 1,338 gigawatt hours (GWh) by year end, up 23%. But EV sales in China have started to slow, prompting CATL to offer discounts to smaller EV makers in China in February in exchange for locking in future orders. EXCESS CAPACITY RISKZeng told investors in May that the recent wave of investment worth billions of dollars in battery production could leave excess capacity as technology evolves. CATL told investors that the partnership, which it said was based on "commercial considerations" has been moving ahead.

Like Trump, Bush has experienced what it's like to watch a younger man overshadow him, a man he worked hard to support. Bush and Rubio were allies in Florida government, and Rubio was widely viewed as a Bush protége. There is nobody who can even come close to generating the excitement and enthusiasm as President Trump has and will do in 2024." In the end, Trump branding Bush as "low energy" wasn't the only thing standing between Bush and the nomination. "DeSantis is like the one person who has gotten more out of Trump than Trump has gotten out of them."

☆ CATL’s battery ram is losing power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, March 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (300750.SZ) posted earnings growth of 61% for the quarter ended December on Thursday. The company led by Robin Zeng boasts unrivalled economies of scale, allowing it to drive down costs for clients including Tesla (TSLA.O). Alas, in China, which accounts for four fifths of CATL’s top line, such dominance is drawing unwanted attention. On Monday, during a meeting between Zeng and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Party leader expressed mixed feelings about CATL’s 37% global market share. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Daylight-saving time is one of the most controversial and impossible issues of our age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Shayanne Gal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

No policy — permanent daylight-saving time, permanent standard time, keep switching back and forth — is near a majority. Interestingly, respondents in the West are 14 percentage points more likely to prefer permanent standard time compared to respondents from the Northeast. When asked by the poll to rank those benefits, the ones favoring permanent standard time won out, big. The three most important values for respondents – keeping the time in line with circadian rhythms, promoting morning safety, and better sleep – are all specifically benefits of permanent Standard Time over permanent daylight-saving time. On a federal level, there have been political moves towards ending the status quo and pushing for permanent daylight-saving time.

☆ Daylight-saving time is literally killing us — it's time to end this switch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Phones and other devices will automatically tick forward one hour, and we'll lose an hour of sleep. But every year on the Monday after the switch, hospitals report a 24% spike in heart-attack visits around the US. "That's how fragile and susceptible your body is to even just one hour of lost sleep," sleep expert Matthew Walker, author of "How We Sleep," previously told Insider. iStock; InsiderThe reason that springing the clocks forward can kill us comes down to interrupted sleep schedules. Walker said daylight-saving time, or DST, is a kind of "global experiment" we perform twice a year.

☆ Rubio wants to block Ford from tax breaks for using Chinese battery technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

US Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday introduced legislation that takes aim at Ford’s deal to use technology from Chinese battery company CATL as part of the automaker’s plan to spend $3.5 billion to build a battery plant in Michigan. No other entity will get US tax dollars for this project.”Last month, Rubio asked the Biden administration to review Ford’s deal to use technology from CATL. Rubio called for an immediate Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review of the licensing agreement between Ford and CATL. 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). The IRA will eventually bar credits if any EV battery components were manufactured by a “foreign entity of concern,” in a provision aimed at China.

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