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☆ Trump said he'd 'fight like hell' for Marjorie Taylor Greene if she ran for the Senate: 'People don't realize how brilliant she is'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former President Trump said he'd "fight like hell" for MTG if she decided to pursue a Senate bid. While speaking at his rally in Waco, Tex., Trump praised Rep. Greene as a tough GOP politician. Greene has also been floated as a potential vice presidential running mate for the former president. But Greene, a national conservative star, has also been mentioned as a potential vice presidential running mate for Trump next year. "People don't realize how brilliant she is," Trump said of Greene.

☆ 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.

☆ U.S. House speaker McCarthy says lawmakers to move forward with TikTok bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), joined by fellow Republican lawmakers, holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday lawmakers will move forward with legislation to address national security worries about TikTok, alleging China's government had access to the short video app's user data. "The House will be moving forward with legislation to protect Americans from the technological tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party," McCarthy said on Twitter. McCarthy, a Republican, said in a tweet on Sunday, "It's very concerning that the CEO of TikTok can't be honest and admit what we already know to be true — China has access to TikTok user data." Former U.S. President Donald Trump lost a series of court rulings in 2020 when he sought to ban TikTok and another Chinese-owned app, WeChat, a unit of Tencent.

☆ Where TikTok users may go if the app gets banned
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —On the eve of a high-profile TikTok hearing this week, the company shared that it now has more than 150 million US monthly active users. “This uncertainty could push some TikTok content creators to focus more on, and possibly begin, pushing their audiences to other social network platforms,” Mogharabi said. Snap’s stock rose in the days leading up to TikTok’s appearance before Congress amid renewed talks among federal officials of a TikTok ban. Alex Brandon/APIf that happens, Lian Jye Su, an analyst with ABI Search, believes users will follow their favorite TikTok influencers and content creators wherever they go. For now, talk of a TikTok ban may still be premature.

☆ GOP Rep. Jim Jordan says he can't comment on Trump's post threatening violence because he's unable to read it without his glasses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jim Jordan said he couldn't comment on Trump's statement that there could be "death" and "destruction" if he's indicted. Jordan initially said he hadn't read Trump's Truth Social post. When a reporter showed him the post, Jordan said he couldn't read well without his glasses. NBC News' Sahil Kapur reported that he asked Jordan about his thoughts on Trump's warning, but Jordan said he hadn't seen the former president's Truth Social post. Kapur added that when he showed Jordan Trump's post, the Ohio congressman replied that he couldn't read it well without his glasses.

☆ US Trade Rep fires back at GOP House member who said she has 'too nice a smile' to do her job: 'I don't need your pity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US House member said the US Trade Representative had "too nice a smile" to do her job. "I don't need your pity. "I don't need your pity. "You don't need his crocodile tears," she added. A member of Biden's Cabinet, Tai is the principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy.

☆ The US government is seeing ‘an increasing number’ of TikTok-like data security cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US government is tracking a growing number of foreign-linked business transactions that pose potential data risks to national security similar to those raised by TikTok, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers Thursday. At a House Appropriations Committee hearing, Yellen said regulators charged with screening foreign investment deals for national security risks have witnessed a rise in such cases, but she declined to discuss specifics. “When it comes to data, we’re seeing an increasing number of cases that do present risks around this issue of the type that have been mentioned in connection with TikTok,” Yellen told Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson. “We’ve requested increases to be able to do that, especially given the role that the Department plays in imposing sanctions,” Yellen said. “We are a target of a serious number of cyberattacks and we are investing very heavily in cybersecurity to meet very high standards.”

☆ Fact Check-Marjorie Taylor Greene photo ‘without makeup’ is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photograph circulating alongside the claim that it shows U.S. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene without makeup is digitally altered to make her appear older. Greene, 48, first posted the unaltered photograph on Twitter in December 2020, with the description: “Absolutely loved getting a workout in this morning with @CawthornforNC! Madison is a real champion, and I’m thrilled that we will battle together against the Socialist Squad’s radical plans for America. STOP SOCIALISM!”The tweet has since been deleted, but archived versions are available (bit.ly/3yZ17qA) and (bit.ly/40o91Gl). The photograph has been digitally altered to make Marjorie Taylor Greene appear older than in the original.

☆ The TikTok hearing is mostly lawmakers berating the CEO and loudly asking 'Yes or no?' to detailed questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Dan Whateley | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok CEO Shou Chew appeared before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday. Chew's remarks were often cut short as Congress members pressed him for "yes" or "no" responses. "Welcome to the most bipartisan committee in Congress," Republican Rep. Earl LeRoy "Buddy" Carter said, addressing Chew as "Mr. Chew's responses to questions were often cut short as members of Congress asked for shorter "yes" or "no" responses. In the days leading up to the committee hearing, TikTok helped arrange a press conference with Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman that it described as a push "in support of free expression."

☆ Is TikTok’s time up? CEO’s skewering before Congress raises questions about app’s future in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“TikTok’s fate in the US is on shakier ground than ever following lawmakers’ grueling questioning of Chew,” Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg said. The 40-year-old Harvard-educated Chew was never going to get a warm welcome from US lawmakers. Chew, welcome to the most bipartisan committee in Congress,” Republican Rep. That said, Chew needed to provide clear, direct answers to questions posed by lawmakers, particularly those regarding fears of potential Chinese authority over the company. Instead, his murky answers on questions pertaining to the Communist Party of China led to added confusion at times.

☆ What would a federal expansion of deposit insurance look like?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

That’s the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s standard limit, meaning any bank deposits up to that amount are protected by the independent government agency. But now there’s growing support for raising that insurance cap. A higher insurance cap doesn’t automatically mean banks will be subject to tighter regulations, Dollar noted, but there could be some call for it. The FDIC insurance limit has been raised seven times since 1950 — and $250,000 also isn’t a calculated number, Collins said. In 2008, the FDIC used the same system for temporary unlimited deposit insurance guarantee on certain accounts.

☆ Rep. Jamaal Bowman says the push to ban TikTok is 'xenophobic' and 'part of another Red Scare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But Rep. Jamaal Bowman — among the most prolific TikTokers in Congress — is pushing back. And amid growing bipartisan calls in Washington for a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing app, he's decided to speak up. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers increasingly speak of TikTok as a potential vector for malign influence from the Chinese Communist Party. "Me being against a ban of TikTok is not about thinking TikTok is the greatest thing ever, and that there aren't regulations and reforms needed." The Biden administration, meanwhile, is threatening to ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn't sell its stake in the company.

☆ Pelosi lamented that Biden would help raise 'a million dollars' for Marjorie Taylor Greene by mentioning her in a speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden recently alluded to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in a speech about his budget. While watching the speech, Pelosi lamented to a reporter that Biden shouldn't have done that. Pelosi also cringed at Biden referring to former President Donald Trump as "the former president — and maybe future president." Earlier this month, Biden said Marjorie Taylor Greene is an asset for Democrats. "You know, a little bit more Marjorie Taylor Greene and a few more, you're gonna have a lot of Republicans running our way," he said at the House Democrats' 2023 Issues Conference.

☆ U.S. lawmakers to examine merits of higher bank deposit insurance cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Signs explaining Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and other banking policies are shown on the counter of a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. "I think that lifting the FDIC insurance cap is a good move," Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, said on CBS's "Face The Nation" program, referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's current $250,000 limit per depositor. During the financial crisis that erupted in 2008, the FDIC temporarily backstopped all deposits to safeguard smaller banks. Pressure on midsized and smaller banks from deposit outflows continued on Friday despite a move by several large banks to deposit $30 billion into First Republic Bank (FRC.N), an institution rocked by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O). McHenry said he wanted to examine the trade-offs of higher deposit insurance limits, "the moral hazard of having more risk taking in the financial sector, and also the impact it would have on community banks."

☆ U.S. lawmakers to examine merits of higher FDIC bank deposit insurance cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I think that lifting the FDIC insurance cap is a good move," Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, said on CBS's "Face The Nation" program, referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's current $250,000 limit per depositor. "What I will do though, legislatively, and in an oversight function, is to determine whether or not we need to address the FDIC deposit level," McHenry told the same CBS program. During the financial crisis that erupted in 2008, the FDIC temporarily backstopped all deposits to safeguard smaller banks. Pressure on midsized and smaller banks from deposit outflows continued on Friday despite a move by several large banks to deposit $30 billion into First Republic Bank, an institution rocked by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. McHenry said he wanted to examine the trade-offs of higher deposit insurance limits, "the moral hazard of having more risk-taking in the financial sector, and also the impact it would have on community banks."

☆ 'That's a lie' accusation obscures bipartisan Social Security reform talks -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

When Yellen responded that Biden "stands ready to work" with lawmakers, Cassidy shot back, "That's a lie because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social (Security) ... we have not heard anything on our requests." For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks. The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised. "That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

☆ 'That's a lie' accusation obscures bipartisan Social Security reform talks, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks. The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised. I tend to be conservative and say this worked once, let's try that again," Republican Representative Tom Cole told Reuters. "That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene adds defunding ongoing DOJ Trump investigations to list of hard-right demands to avoid fiscal crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she won't vote for a budget without cuts to DOJ and FBI. It adds to a long list of steep conservative demands in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. The unprecedented demand will likely garner momentum among the furthest-right members of the House Republican caucus. Once a fringe member of the caucus, Greene has emerged as a key ally of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) March 17, 2023Greene spokesman Nick Dyer clarified that the congresswoman was alluding to the use of the Holman rule, which allows Congress to target specific federal employees' salaries and zero-out specific government programs.

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday welcomed the "landmark" deal between Saudi Arabia and the Boeing Co (BA.N), saying it will support U.S. jobs and marked a milestone in cooperation between Saudi Arabia and American industry. Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said in an interview the planemaker got "support from the Biden administration and from key members of Congress every step of the way... The Biden Administration has done a terrific job in moving the ball forward and was instrumental in landing this purchase." A U.S. official said the Saudi contract was a "white whale" for Boeing, something the planemaker pursued for several years. Senior U.S. officials have been in regular engagement with the Saudis over the deal, but Biden did not have any direct talks with Saudi leaders.

☆ Rep. George Santos files 2024 statement of candidacy — but it doesn't mean he's running for reelection
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos of New York took a step Tuesday toward a possible bid for a second term in the House, where he is currently under investigation. Santos' campaign filed a statement of candidacy for the 2024 election cycle with the Federal Election Commission, a move that could signal the freshman lawmaker's intent to run for reelection. After winning his seat, the New York Times reported that Santos appeared to have fabricated key details of his background. Joseph Murray, a lawyer for Santos' campaign, could not confirm whether the congressman was indeed seeking reelection. Santos was sworn into Congress under a cloud of scandal earlier this year, after the bombshell New York Times report questioned key details about his personal and professional life.

☆ George Santos signals that he'll run for re-election despite cloud of scandal and possible criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An FEC filing from Rep. George Santos signals he may run for re-election in 2024. The New York Republican has faced calls from within his own party to resign. But paperwork filed Tuesday hints that Santos may not be ready to leave Washington. The legislation would affect politicians beyond Santos, but the changes are clearly aimed at the freshman's own future. Santos represents a competitive New York seat, giving House Speaker Kevin McCarthy more reasons to keep him around to preserve the GOP's slim five-seat majority.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that while Washington was not directly involved, Saudi Arabia kept U.S. officials informed of the talks with Iran. NUCLEAR TALKSThe agreement comes as Iran accelerates its nuclear program after two years of failed U.S. attempts to revive a 2015 deal that aimed to stop Tehran producing a nuclear bomb. "Saudi Arabia is deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear program," he said. "If this new opening between Iran and Saudi Arabia is going to be meaningful and impactful, it will have to address the concerns about Iran's nuclear program - otherwise the opening is just optics." Friday's agreement also offers hope for more durable peace in Yemen, where a conflict sparked in 2014 has widely been seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

☆ Biden challenges Republicans with budget that raises taxes, sets up 2024 run
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden's proposal, which resurrects many items stripped from last year's budget plan, faces even stiffer opposition in Congress this year, after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. A White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, contrasted Biden's vision with that of Republicans, saying the budget would reduce the U.S. deficit while lowering costs for families. It also proposes raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, the official said, and "tackles wasteful special interest giveaways." Biden's budget plan proposes funding higher outlays and closing the deficit by imposing a 25% minimum tax on billionaires and doubling the capital gains tax from 20%, the White House official said. Biden has also said the budget will propose quadrupling a 1% stock buyback tax, while going after corporations and rich individuals who skip paying taxes.

☆ These 14 Democratic senators broke with Biden and voted against striking down the DC criminal code
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Most Democratic senators voted for a GOP-led resolution overruling recent changes to DC's criminal code. The 14 who voted against the resolution framed it in part as a show of support for DC statehood. Just 14 Democratic senators voted against the resolution. Ahead of the vote, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson even attempted to withdraw the criminal reform legislation in an attempt to prevent a Senate vote. Here are the 14 Democratic senators who voted against the resolution:

Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the full Senate could vote on the legislation in the next few weeks. That would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the March 19, 2003, invasion of Iraq. For example, Republican then-President Donald Trump said the 2002 AUMF provided legal authority for the 2020 killing in Iraq of senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. Despite support from members of both parties in both the Senate and House of Representatives, there is also significant opposition. "Piecemeal repeal of those Iraq authorities is not a serious contribution to war powers reform," McCaul said in a statement.

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