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[1/2] Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends an Arab summit with U.S. President Joe Biden (not seen), in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 16, 2022. If the resolution passes, the administration must submit the report within 30 days, or all security assistance to the country automatically stops. After the report is received, the act stipulates that Congress may adopt a joint resolution terminating, restricting or continuing security assistance to that country. Aides said it was too soon to assess how the resolution would be received, but they hoped it would trigger a broader conversation about human rights. Murphy, long a vocal critic of the conflict in Yemen and Riyadh's record on human rights, praised Biden for being willing to reassess ties.

[1/5] Grain farmer Oleksandr Klepach points at trenches in his field, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Snihurivka, southeast Ukraine, February 20, 2023. Agricultural companies, which plant most of Ukraine's fields, are short 40 billion hryvnia ($1.08 billion) to carry out spring work, the Agrarian Council said. Grains have traditionally dominated Ukraine's fields, but lower-cost and higher-priced oilseeds are gaining popularity during war. Ukraine was the world's fourth-largest corn exporter before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and the biggest sunflower oil exporter. Companies lacking demining certification are charging farmers up to $3,000 per hectare to clear fields, Ukrainian media reported on Tuesday.

☆ Ted Cruz keeps dodging on whether he agrees with his former podcast co-host's call to eradicate 'transgenderism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Conservative personality Michael Knowles called for the eradication of "transgenderism" in a CPAC speech. "I think the extreme left's ideology has been very harmful," Cruz initially told Insider on Tuesday before boarding an elevator in the Capitol building. "I get that you have a story you want to write," Cruz told Insider. "The press is being silly and deliberately taking him out of context," Cruz told Insider when first asked about the issue on Tuesday. But even so, Knowles' comments go well beyond what most Republican lawmakers have articulated.

☆ GOP Sen. Mike Lee's 'based' personal Twitter account briefly suspended after he tweeted at Japanese prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter suspended "BasedMikeLee," Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee's personal account, on Wednesday. "My personal Twitter account – @BasedMikeLee – has been suspended," the senator wrote on his official Twitter account, saying the company "did not alert me ahead of time, nor have they yet offered an explanation for the suspension. "This account is no cap — bussin, forreal forreal," Lee tweeted that same day. After a midnight deadline previously set by Lee passed early Wednesday morning, Lee tweeted again. "You've made your choice," tweeted Lee.

☆ Ted Cruz shouts over Merrick Garland about the DOJ's response to protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Ted Cruz pressed AG Merrick Garland over the DOJ's response to protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes. Cruz accused Garland and the DOJ of being politically biased. The Texas Republican condemned the protestors as rioters and extremists organizing harassment campaigns against the justices and accused Garland of inaction. Other Republicans on the committee, including Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, similarly raised concerns about DOJ's handling of the protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes last year. "It's very clear that they're trying to influence in one way or another those serving on the United States Supreme Court," Lee said.

☆ Sen. Mike Lee says his personal Twitter account was suspended
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ The Senators who grilled Ticketmaster's executives over Taylor Swift tickets want the Department of Justice to keep examining the company's merger with Live Nation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee are asking the DOJ to keep examining Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The letter and hearing come after renewed interest in the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Neither Live Nation Entertainment nor the Department of Justice immediately replied to Insider's request for comment. The senators note that, following their hearing on Ticketmaster and Live Nation, they, like Swift, had a question. They said they asked how many concerts every year were simultaneously promoted by Live Nation and ticketed by Ticketmaster.

☆ After being attacked by both Democrats and the GOP, Rick Scott edits his plan to sunset all federal laws every 5 years. He now wants to make exceptions for Social Security, Medicare, and the military.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He edited the plan on Friday to say he "never intended" to include Social Security, Medicare, and the military. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, clarifying that the five-year rule was "never intended" to apply to Social Security, Medicare, and the Navy. Scott's plan has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans who have vowed to preserve Social Security and Medicare. That was the Rick Scott plan," McConnell told Kentucky radio host Terry Meiners. He also wants to make any potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security subject to a two-thirds vote from Congress.

☆ How Social Security and Medicare became the latest battleground in Biden's showdown with the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Social Security and Medicare have taken the spotlight in the battle to raise the debt limit. Then came the big question of what exactly Republicans want to cut, and Social Security and Medicare entered the frame. "So, folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now. White House, Biden double down on GOP attacksThe receipts kept coming once Republicans claimed they never proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare. It noted, though, that Social Security and Medicare "are earned benefit programs that must be saved and strengthened."

☆ Republican senators want Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott to stop their 'petty bickering': 'Can't we all just get along?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott are feuding over the Florida Republican's "12 point plan" yet again. "I don't think we need petty bickering within the Republican conference," said Sen. Cruz of Texas. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images"They're good at that," observed Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, referring to Biden's use of the plan. mused Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah on Twitter over the weekend. "If you want to go out and say that you want to change Social Security and Medicare, go right ahead," said Hawley.

☆ Republicans called Biden a 'liar' for saying some of them wanted to sunset Social Security and Medicare. But there are several examples of lawmakers supporting cuts or weakening programs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said cuts to Social Security and Medicare are off the table. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has insisted that cuts to Medicare and Social Security are off the table. But there are several examples of Republicans suggesting cutting or weakening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. "I want to save Social Security," Johnson said, according to local WKOW. It also involved decreasing Social Security benefits over time and for higher-earning retirees, as well as increasing Medicare premiums for some.

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Ticketmaster is preparing to sell tickets for Beyonce's first tour in six years in a different way, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's Taylor Swift debacle. Ticketmaster tweeted on Thursday that the demand to register for a chance to buy tickets for concerts in the nine cities in Group A, whose registration closed on Friday, exceeded the number of tickets by more than 800%. The North American leg of Beyonce's tour opens in Toronto on July 8 and closes in New Orleans on Sept. 27, according to the Ticketmaster website. After loud complaints from Taylor Swift fans, the company blamed more than 3.5 billion requests from fans, bots and scalpers for its overwhelmed website. On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee retweeted a news report about the Beyonce tour announcement and tweeted to @Ticketmaster, "We're watching."

☆ Republicans are lashing out at DirecTV for supposedly ‘censoring’ conservative voices. Here’s what’s really going on
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Several Republican senators unleashed on the satellite carrier Wednesday over its move to drop the right-wing channel Newsmax from its lineup, adding to mounting pressure DirecTV has faced over the matter. The senators suggested DirecTV’s move was all part of a nefarious plot to “censor” conservative viewpoints. DirecTV also balked at paying for the same content that streams to users for free on other platforms, such as Roku. But the right-wing channel, led by Chris Ruddy, who is well-connected in GOP circles, has sought to leverage its political power to pressure DirecTV into paying up. Last week, it added to its lineup the right-wing channel The First, which features hosts such as Bill O’Reilly, Dana Loesch, Liz Wheeler, and Jesse Kelly.

☆ U.S. Senate Republicans put Biden on notice over debt ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A debt ceiling increase would require support from nine Republicans, 48 Democrats and three independents who caucus with Democrats to meet the Senate's 60-vote filibuster rule for most legislation. The one-page letter surfaced a day after Biden characterized Republicans as a party of "chaos and catastrophe" while criticizing their refusal to approve a debt ceiling increase without spending cuts. The White House, which has repeatedly voiced opposition to debt ceiling negotiations, was not immediately available for comment. On Tuesday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said any solution to the debt ceiling debate would have to come from talks between Biden and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It was not clear whether the Senate Republicans notified McCarthy about their letter ahead of time.

☆ The DOJ's antitrust case against Google is ambitious but risky
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

But alongside the possibility of great reward comes significant risk in seeking to push the boundaries of antitrust law. "All antitrust cases are an uphill battle for plaintiffs, thanks to 40 years of case law," said Rebecca Haw Allensworth, an antitrust professor at Vanderbilt Law School. But, Allensworth added, the government's challenges may be different than those in many other antitrust cases. Like all antitrust cases, this one is unlikely to be concluded anytime soon. "This is clearly the blockbuster case so far from the DOJ antitrust division," Francis said.

Amy Edwards demonstrates against the live entertainment ticket industry outside the U.S. Capitol January 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Senate Judiciary Committee slammed concert giant Live Nation on Tuesday, calling on activists and artists to speak to competition in the ticketing industry following a botched sale of Taylor Swift tickets in November. Opponents intensified their complaints in November when presale tickets for Swift's Eras Tour were plagued by disruptions and slow queues. Live Nation was supposed to open up sales for 1.5 million verified fans ahead of general public ticket sales. The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation's practices, however, that probe predates the Swift ticket sale fiasco.

☆ Live Nation president apologizes to Taylor Swift and her fans for ticketing fiasco and says the industry is still competitive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold apologized to Taylor Swift and fans for the ticket debacle. Berchtold said that the company faced bot attacks during the Swift ticket sale, impacting service, and apologized to Swift and fans. This power over the entire live entertainment industry allows Live Nation to maintain its monopolistic interests over the primary ticketing market," Groetzinger said. "This is all a definition of monopoly, because Live Nation is so powerful that it doesn't even need to exert pressure," Klobuchar said. Lawrence, who's written for the New York Times on Live Nation and its impact on artists, said Live Nation often functions as three different things: promoter, venue, and ticketing company.

☆ Ticketmaster under fire: 6 takeaways from hearing over Taylor Swift concert fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The venues controlled by Live Nation set fees that are “consistent with the other venues in the marketplace,” he said. Entertainment industry pushes back at Ticketmaster’s dominanceMembers of the entertainment industry and one rival spoke out against Ticketmaster’s dominance in the industry. Andrew Harnik/APClyde Lawrence, a singer-songwriter on the witness panel, explained how the company acts as a promoter, a venue and the ticketing company, which eats into performing artists’ revenues. Artists, he said, have no leverage over Live Nation. Lawmaker says Ticketmaster merger should ‘be on the table’Lawmakers repeatedly questioned the US government’s past handling of the Live Nation merger with Ticketmaster.

☆ Mitt Romney could face a 'divisive' re-election campaign in 2024 after backing both Trump impeachments and breaking with conservatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Mitt Romney is perhaps the most anti-Trump Republican senator and has often broken with the GOP. Romney voted to convict the former president during both of his impeachments, first on abuse of power charges in 2020 and then incitement of an insurrection in 2021. If Romney chooses to run again, he'll have to explain all of that to Republican primary voters back home. The Utah senator told Insider at the Capitol last month that he had not yet decided whether to run, but was "keeping my options open." In Washington, Romney can count on the backing of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who told Politico that it's "important for the Republican Party and the country" that the Utah Republican seek re-election.

☆ Rudy Giuliani filming himself as his voice is drowned out by a cover band playing 'Footloose' is the highlight of Trump's New Year's event at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rudy Giuliani attended Donald Trump's New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago. In a video posted to Twitter, Giuliani films himself speaking while partygoers wave to the camera. In a video posted to Twitter with the caption "Mar-a-Lago 2023 New Year headed right to 2024!" Giuliani did not appear to notice and posted the video as people danced around him and photobombed the camera. Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump arrive for a New Years Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

☆ Home Depot's 93-year-old cofounder who said 'nobody works' anymore because of 'socialism' has donated $64 million to elect Trump and the Republican party over the years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bernie Marcus, the billionaire cofounder of Home Depot, said Thursday "nobody works" anymore. Marcus donated millions to Trump in 2016 and 2020, and more to other Republicans over the years. In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, 93-year-old Bernie Marcus said "nobody works, nobody gives a damn," blaming the change on "socialism." In 2020, he made two separate donations of $5 million each to the Preserve America PAC, a single-candidate PAC that supports Trump. Marcus has also donated extensively to House and Senate races, contributing to a long list of Republican lawmakers that includes Sens.

☆ Here are the 5 senators who voted against giving workers break time to pump breast milk
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Five senators voted against expanding protections for breastfeeding workers. The PUMP Act will now be included in the federal Omnibus bill, which the president is expected to sign. In online statements on Thursday, Merkley and Murkowski celebrated the passage of the PUMP Act. "I am encouraged to see the PUMP Act pass the Senate—good progress toward ensuring no mother ever has to choose between a job and nursing her child," Murkowski said. Merkley and Murkowski initially tried to get the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act voted on as a standalone bill on Tuesday, but the attempt was blocked by Paul.

☆ GOP Sen. Mike Lee said that 'Rudy is walking malpractice' after Giuliani left him an accidental voicemail on January 6
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

GOP Sen. Mike Lee described Rudy Giuliani as "walking malpractice" following the Capitol riot. Lee texted then national security advisor Robert O'Brien after getting a voicemail from Giuliani that was intended for GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville. I just got this voice message [from] Rudy Giuliani, who apparently thought he was calling Senator Tuberville," Lee's text said. And, you know, sure enough, you know, Mayor Giuliani tried to, you know, get in my office and ordered her to unlock the door, and she didn't do that, you know." Some of the claims Giuliani and his allies made were so outlandish that even Trump found them hard to believe.

[1/2] The U.S. Capitol is seen as Congress continues work on passing a $1.66 trillion government funding bill in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday will vote on a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides more money for Ukraine's defense, restricts the Chinese-owned TikTok app and reforms presidential election certification, a top Democrat said. 2 House Democrat Steny Hoyer said the lower chamber would not take up the legislation until Friday morning as it performed some final legislative actions to pass it. "As soon as we get the document ... we will proceed as quickly as possible," he said on the House floor. House Republicans wanted to delay negotiations on the full-year legislation until early next year, after they take the majority.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought up two rival amendments related to preserving the Title 42 immigration rule. WASHINGTON—Senators closed in on passing a $1.65 trillion spending bill just ahead of the Christmas holiday and a looming winter storm, after breaking an impasse related to immigration policy. In a compromise, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) brought up two rival amendments related to preserving the Title 42 immigration rule, after Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) insisted on a vote for his bill as a condition for moving ahead. Both the Lee amendment and one from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I., Ariz.) and Sen. Jon Tester (D., Mont.)

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