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☆ George Santos' first House race took days to call in 2020. So he came to DC for new member orientation and had a blast before finding out he lost.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In 2020, Santos ran his first campaign and lost — but still went to DC for new member orientation. 'He seemed nice'In cases where a congressional election takes more than a few days to fully determine, both candidates are sometimes invited to take part in new member orientation. Adam Frisch, a Democrat who almost unseated Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert this past year, attended the orientation sessions in November as the vote-counting in Colorado dragged on. In 2018, current Republican Rep. Young Kim of California attended as well, despite ultimately losing her race that year. Santos at 2020 new member orientation, seated near Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas and Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs of California.

☆ Republicans are mostly ignoring a $9.4 million sexual assault lawsuit against the Trump-aligned head of CPAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A GOP staffer accused CPAC head Matt Schlapp of sexually assaulting him, filing a $9.4 million lawsuit. A screenshot of the staffer's texts with Matt Schlapp on the morning after the assault on October 20, 2022. "I had a private life before Matt Schlapp, and I want to have that life post-Matt Schlapp," he said. "Those are simply allegations, and I'm not going to comment on them," said Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. "All matters pertaining to CPAC, I leave to CPAC internally," he said when asked if Matt Schlapp should remain atop the organization.

“There have been about 1,300 Russian tank losses … so the actual numbers of new tanks [for Ukraine] in a military sense are not that significant. There’s a lot of Ukraine and 20, 30, 40 tanks does not go that far,” said Ronald Ti, an expert in military logistics at King’s College, London. Nevertheless, the move to create a new “tank coalition,” as some officials called it, has been widely welcomed in Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine requires around 300 tanks in order to successfully defend its territory from an expected Russian spring offensive, and to begin winning back territory ceded to Moscow since the invasion began last February. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, seen in Berlin on Wednesday, has faced prolonged criticism for a reluctance to send military equipment to Ukraine.

McCarthy made good on his promise to block former House Intelligence chair Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell — both California Democrats — from serving on that panel. In addition to keeping Schiff and Swalwell off the Intelligence Committee, McCarthy previously said he intended to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who backed McCarthy but has caused headaches for GOP leadership in the past, also got a slot on the panel. The coronavirus committeeRep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, will chair the special committee investigating the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, McCarthy named GOP members to a third select committee, focused on competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.

☆ How the gas vs. electric stove debate became the latest culture war, with AOC and Ted Cruz chiming in: 'Gas stoves for me but not for thee'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It was the kind of exclamation that would feel entirely normal if only "gas stove" was replaced with another object of the culture wars. A peer-reviewed study published in December linked 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the US to air pollutants released by gas stoves. Some researchers have also found gas stoves have a greater impact on climate change by releasing more greenhouse gas emissions. "Did you know that ongoing exposure to NO2 from gas stoves is linked to reduced cognitive performance," she wrote. "Gas stoves for me but not for thee," the tweet said alongside the photos.

☆ We’re not taking away your gas stove, regulator tells CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The federal government isn’t going to take away your gas stove, a top consumer regulator told CNN on Wednesday. Trumka confirmed to CNN that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to gas stoves, but stressed that any ban would apply only to new gas stoves, not existing ones. That study found almost 13% of current childhood asthma in the United States is attributable to gas stove use. “I’ll NEVER give up my gas stove,” Jackson tweeted on Tuesday. If the exhaust is not vented outside the home, Trumka said gas stove users should open a window or turn on a fan to clear the air.

☆ Trump calls on FBI to raid Biden over classified files, misleadingly comparing the situation to documents found at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The discovery of classified documents in a former Biden office set Trump on a Truth Social tear. The former president called for the FBI to raid Biden's home, as they did his Mar-a-Lago resort. The case appears to bear limited parallels to the one that sparked the FBI's raid on Trump's home. In Biden's case, per Sauber's statement, the documents were turned over as soon as they were located. GOP lawmakers also jumped on the bandwagon, with suggestions that the situation was equivalent to or worse than the case against Trump.

The most chilling moment in Gerard Johnstone’s new horror film, “M3GAN,” comes early. Its wildly popular — and immediately viral — trailer seems to give away the entire story, beat by beat, but what it can’t convey is the picture’s delightfully oddball tone, which is poised at a peculiar juncture of slasher horror and self-aware satire. Gemma, dressed in flannels, so you know she’s an antisocial nerd, has developed M3GAN, short for Model 3 Generative ANdroid. As a character, M3GAN is a marvel of design, combining body actor (Amie Donald), voice (Jenna Davis), animatronics, makeup and special effects. (“Humanity kills every day, just to make its existence more bearable,” M3GAN cackles, presumably after doing some online reading about Apple and Foxconn’s Longhua facility.)

☆ ‘M3gan’ Review: She Walks, Talks and Kills
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

In “M3gan,” the titular gadget—a “Model 3 Generative Android” that looks like the lost Olsen sister—teaches a little girl proper bathroom procedure with military rigor while the kid’s guardian occupies herself with more diverting activities. All things considered, some parents might be willing to overlook the cuddly robot’s shortcomings, such as a sarcastic streak and a tendency to commit homicide. “M3gan,” a mildly scary movie built around a valid underlying fear, became a social-media phenomenon months before it was released thanks to the killer dance moves exhibited by its title figure. Bored by the demands of a small child and pressured by her volcanically demanding boss ( Ronny Chieng ) to create a next-level toy, Gemma solves both problems by programming a lifelike ambulatory doll that, learning from feedback, can read emotions and take part in spontaneous conversations exhibiting real emotional intelligence. Within a distressingly short period of time, however, M3gan starts to turn self-aware, posing questions like, “Will I die?”

☆ Biden's climate plan strains trade ties with Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The European Union and United States — together responsible for one third of global trade — have been at loggerheads in recent weeks over US President Joe Biden’s landmark $370 billion climate plan. While a trade war is unlikely, the plan is testing the transatlantic alliance and pushing Europe to consider mobilizing its own package of subsidies. The IRA is now law, and there is little appetite to bring it back to Congress to make substantive changes, he told CNN Business. The European Union has a couple of options at its disposal, analysts told CNN Business. On Monday, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that the bloc should create its own “European IRA plan,” according to a Reuters report.

☆ Trump has just a handful of vocal 2024 supporters in Congress. We asked them why they back him over Ron DeSantis and others.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Trump has just a handful of open supporters of his 2024 presidential bid in Congress. We asked some of them why Trump was preferable to DeSantis, who's been heralded as a savvier alternative. DeSantis, who's increasingly caught the former president's ire amid speculation that the popular governor could mount his own 2024 campaign, is viewed as a savvier, less problematic alternative to the twice-impeached former president. I think DeSantis will run, I think Trump will run, I think you'll have two or three of my friends here in the Senate will run," he added. "DeSantis hasn't announced he's running," said Greene, who's offered praise for his performance as Florida governor.

☆ Canada imposes new sanctions on Haitian politicians - statement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Canada on Friday imposed sanctions on three Haitian politicians, including a former president of the country's Chamber of Deputies, with Ottawa accusing them of aiding gang leaders and laundering their illicit earnings, according to a statement. "These individuals are using their status as current or previous public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption," the statement said. "Today's sanctions are intended to stop the flow of illicit funds and weapons and to weaken and disable Haiti's criminal gangs," said the statement, issued by the foreign ministry. The sanctions will freeze any assets held in Canada by Senator Ronny Célestin, Former Senator Hervé Fourcand, and Former President of the Chamber of Deputies Gary Bodeau, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. The sanctions, which implement a U.N. Security Council resolution and build on earlier actions imposed by the United States and Canada, aim to stop the illegal flow of money and weapons into Haiti that help criminal gangs, the ministry said.

"There's now a big push to get nature into sovereign debt markets," said Simon Zadek, executive director at NatureFinance, which advises governments on debt-for-nature swaps and other types of climate-focused finance. At that level, it would be the biggest debt-for-nature swap struck to date. The combined value of swap deals to date is $3.7 billion, according to the data. Securing the buy-in of development banks is usually key for the economics of a deal. The WWF has projects in Central and South America where they are monitoring deforestation by tracking jaguars, said Brenes, who has worked on debt-for-nature swaps for the last 25 years.

☆ 'The Daily Show' faces backlash after segments about Rishi Sunak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Daily Show is being criticized after a segment about Britain’s first Asian and nonwhite prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Monday’s episode included a 6 1/2 minute segment in which senior correspondent Ronny Chieng said Sunak wasn’t Asian because he was Indian. “I know everyone is excited that this is the first Asian prime minister but let’s be clear, Indians are not Asians, OK? I bet if I show up in a Bollywood film, I’m just going to blend right in, right? Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis make up the largest demographic of Asians and Asian British in the country, according to the Office of National Statistics.

☆ Logistics Operators Find Robots Are Helping Recruit Tech-Savvy Workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The impact of robots on logistics operations is growing more complicated as companies weigh how automation affects recruiting both management leaders and staffers for the warehouse floor. Manufacturers and retailers such as snack-food giant Mondelez International Inc. and department store chain Nordstrom Inc. say the investments are also changing their supply-chain workforces. Newsletter Sign-up The Logistics Report Top news and in-depth analysis on the world of logistics, from supply chain to transport and technology. The buy jump-started the company’s rollout of greater automation in its growing logistics network and expanded the pipeline of engineers and other technology workers into the business. Lee Beard, senior vice president of transportation at Seattle-based Nordstrom, said the retailer has been highlighting its technology investments to job recruits.

☆ France enters 'white gold' rush as top producer aims to supply Europe with lithium
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The EU is looking to increase the number of electric vehicles on its roads in the coming years. Alongside its use in cell phones, computers, tablets and a host of other gadgets synonymous with modern life, lithium — which some have dubbed "white gold" — is crucial to the batteries that power electric vehicles. "So we will identify strategic projects all along the supply chain, from extracting to refining, from processing to recycling," she added. The construction capital expenditure of the proposed lithium project is estimated to be around 1 billion euros (roughly $980 million), Imerys added. "In May 2022, lithium prices were over seven times higher than at the start of 2021," it added.

☆ How the mind of an 80-year-old president is biologically different from a 45-year-old president's
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

It was 1988, and he'd approached President Ronald Reagan in the Cabinet room at the White House. People scoffed at the glowing hourlong media conference that President Donald Trump's White House doctor gave about his health. Reagan publicly announced he had Alzheimer's disease five years after he left the White House. Francis Shen, who teaches psychiatry at Harvard Medical School's Center for Bioethics, would like to see information about political leaders' cognitive health made public. Cognitive health should be no different, he said, because it also might affect the way presidents and members of Congress make important decisions.

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