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☆ Washington quiet as debt ceiling deadline inches closer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Nathan... Read moreWASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - White House and Republican congressional negotiators on raising the federal $31.4 trillion debt ceiling were quiet on Saturday after meetings on Friday failed and President Joe Biden said in Japan he believed a default could be avoided. Biden said in Japan late on Friday Washington time that he still believed a default could be avoided. Biden was upbeat despite the White House acknowledging that "serious differences" remained with Republicans, who control the House of Representatives. Democrats have been pushing to hold spending steady at this year's levels, while Republicans want to return to 2022 levels. A plan passed by the House last month would cut a wide swath of government spending by 8% next year.

A main focus of Trump's attacks has been Social Security - the federal pension system - and Medicare. I will always protect Social Security and Medicare for our great seniors." Today, party leaders and many Republican voters oppose reforming Social Security and Medicare because so many Americans rely on the programs. They are reliant on Social Security and Medicare and they worry about this stuff," Feehery said. INSULTS KEEP COMINGThere is so far no clear polling on how Trump's attacks on entitlement spending have impacted DeSantis.

☆ Fact Check-Image of Ron DeSantis in burger restaurant captured in May 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An image of Florida governor Ron DeSantis sitting across from former vice president Mike Pence in a burger restaurant was captured in May 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing measures in restaurants were still in place. Some shared the image of Pence sitting across from DeSantis with the false claim that it was captured ahead of former president Donald Trump’s rally in Iowa on May 14 (here). IOWA — Just ahead of Trump’s rally, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence sit down to eat in the same state” (here). DeSantis lifted all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants in September 2020, months after the image of DeSantis and Pence was captured (here). The image of Pence and DeSantis dates to May 2020.

☆ Explainer: Tax cuts, balanced budget: What's not in Republican McCarthy's debt plan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Some House Republicans have called for balancing the budget within 10 years, but McCarthy's proposed cuts would almost certainly not hit that goal. McCarthy's plan would not repeal two tax hikes secured by Democrats in last year's Inflation Reduction Act: a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks. It also does not try to make permanent the temporary individual tax cuts contained in the 2017 Republican tax-cut package that are due to expire in 2025. His former budget director, Russell Vought, called for cuts to housing, education and health programs in a proposal released earlier this year. McCarthy's plan would not repeal Obamacare, or roll back enhancements secured by Democrats in 2021 and 2022.

Members of the public wait to enter the Leonard Williams Justice Center where the Dominion Voting Systems defamation trial against FOX News is taking place on April 18 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)The court is back in session after a lunch break and opening statements are expected to begin soon in the historic defamation lawsuit brought by election technology company Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News. Here’s what you need to know about the high-stakes case:Why is Dominion suing Fox News? The company alleges that people at Fox News acted with actual malice and "recklessly disregarded the truth" when they spread this disinformation about Dominion. According to Dominion’s theory of the case, Fox promoted these election conspiracy theories because "the lies were good for Fox’s business."

☆ Clarence Thomas' billionaire benefactor Harlan Crow has also spent thousands boosting Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and an anti-Trump super PAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They include Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, major Senate campaigns, and an anti-Trump PAC. The Texas billionaire also gave $50,000 in 2015 to "Right to Rise," a super PAC associated with Jeb Bush. Senate super PAC spendingIn addition to being a major super PAC spender at the presidential level, Crow has given thousands to outside spending groups supporting the party's Senate candidates over the years. He also gave $50,000 to "Show Me Values PAC," a super PAC set up to prevent the scandal-plagued former Gov. And in 2016, he gave $55,000 to "Let America Work," a super PAC boosting Sen. Ron Johnson against former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold.

☆ Judge in Fox News Defamation Trial Says He Would Require Rupert Murdoch to Testify
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Erin Mulvaney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Delaware judge said Wednesday that Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch can’t avoid testifying in person in a looming defamation trial about false election-fraud claims that aired on Fox News. Superior Court Judge Eric Davis said during a pretrial hearing that if plaintiff Dominion Voting Systems issues a trial subpoena for Mr. Murdoch to testify, he “would not quash it.” The same goes for Fox Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch , Fox chief legal and policy officer Viet Dinh and former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan , who sits on the Fox board, Judge Davis said.

☆ Dominion urges judge to compel Murdochs to testify live in Fox trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dominion Voting Systems urged a Delaware judge to compel Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, and his son, Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch, to appear live in court during the upcoming trial over its $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox and its networks. In a letter to Judge Eric Davis on Wednesday, Dominion urged the judge to compel both Murdochs to appear live. In earlier court papers Dominion did not included the Murdochs on its list for live testimony, although it had been earlier discussed in court. Fox had opposed Murdoch, as well as the other Fox Corp. executives, giving their testimony live in court. They had also pointed to the elder Murdoch's age, 92, as a reason for why he couldn't appear live in court.

Companies Fox Corp FollowRupert Murdoch FollowWILMINGTON, Del, April 5 (Reuters) - Fox Corp (FOXA.O) executives Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch can be called to testify at this month's defamation trial over a $1.6 billion lawsuit claiming the media company lied about voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a judge said on Wednesday. Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old chair of Fox Corp, and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, its CEO, were not on the list of witnesses that Fox intends to make available for the trial, in a case brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Davis said Fox board member Paul Ryan, a former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, could also be issued a trial subpoena. The judge said there was an objection by Fox to Rupert Murdoch's testimony which would probably have to be resolved at trial. The trial already features a parade of Fox's biggest on-air personalities, including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo.

☆ A gag order for Donald Trump is 'extremely likely' once he's before a judge, legal expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But once he's arraigned, it's "extremely likely" he'll be put under a gag order, one expert said. But the judge is likely to issue a gag order on the lawyers from both sides, along with Trump, he said. If there's a gag order, Levin said Trump will be "very limited" in what he's able to say, even if there may be proxies who speak for him. Former Indiana Attorney General Jeff Modisett said he also expected that a judge could narrowly craft a gag order that could survive an appeal. "Theoretically, a litigant who breaks a gag order could be thrown in jail," he said.

Fox News, however, did suggest it wants to put Scott, Wallace, Hannity, Carlson, Bartiromo, and Baier on the stand as witnesses. But in past court filings, Fox News has highlighted the fact that Baier said on-air shortly after the 2020 election that there weren’t indications of widespread fraud. Both Fox News and Dominion asked Davis in court this week to declare them the outright winner without a trial. Fox News has argued that it can’t be held liable for airing inherently newsworthy allegations from public figures that Dominion rigged the 2020 election, even if those claims were false. Fox Corporation has argued that Dominion overstated its role in Fox News’ editorial coverage of the 2020 election and asked to be dropped from the lawsuit – but the judge let the case move forward.

☆ Trump tried to mock Ron DeSantis at his Texas rally. He was met with mostly silence from the audience.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis during his rally speech in Waco, Texas. Ron DeSantis during a rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday were met with a muted response from his usually adoring audience. During his speech, Trump said DeSantis begged him for an endorsement with "tears in his eyes" when running for Florida governor in 2018. In contrast, Trump's rally crowd jeered loudly when he trash-talked other people. Representatives for Trump and DeSantis did not immediately reply to Insider's requests for comment made outside regular business hours.

☆ Trump tried to mock Ron DeSantis at his Texas rally and acted out how the governor supposedly cried in front of him. He was met with mostly silence.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis during his rally speech in Waco, Texas. Ron DeSantis during a Saturday rally in Waco, Texas, were met with a muted response from his usually-adoring audience. At his rally on Saturday, Trump said DeSantis had "tears in his eyes," when asking for support in the gubernatorial race. In contrast, Trump's rally crowd jeered loudly when he trash-talked other people. Representatives of Trump and DeSantis did not immediately reply to Insider's requests for comment made outside regular business hours.

☆ Trump kicks off 2024 with a lifeless stump speech, folding indictment hysteria into a growing list of grievances
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump's first stump speech of 2024 saw the ex-president lashing out at a growing list of enemies. 'Final battle' rhetoricThe former president is seeking another term in the White House while multiple criminal and civil cases against him keep building. Trump categorized every investigation poking around his personal life, single-term presidency, and post-presidential life as bogus "witch hunts." "Put me back in the White House and their reign will be over," Trump told the thousands in the crowd, their cheers rising up to greet him. Earlier in the day, one of the local officials who helped warm up the crowd told attendees he had a foolproof plan for overcoming just about any issue.

☆ Fox bosses ‘shut down’ fact checking with 2020 conspiracies, Dominion lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Dominion is suing Fox News over the right-wing channel’s airing of false claims of election fraud around the 2020 presidential election. Fox News argued that Dominion should instead rely on the “lengthy depositions” that these witnesses already gave. It claims Dominion hasn’t shown anything strong enough to overcome the high bar that the First Amendment provides, protecting good-faith journalists from speech-chilling defamation lawsuits. Dominion lawyer Rodney Smolla said its high-stakes defamation case against Fox News will protect the public discourse and hold accountable people who deliberately lied about the 2020 election. “They endorsed,” Murdoch said, referring to Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and former host Lou Dobbs.

☆ Analysis: Trump, DeSantis offer stark contrast in first Iowa forays
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstDAVENPORT, Iowa, March 14 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis descended upon the same Iowa town in recent days, putting the differences between the potential Republican presidential rivals in stark relief. "I don't think you're going to do so well here," Trump said of DeSantis, "but we're going to find out." Leaving Trump's event, Iowa City voter John Schneider, 69, said he has supported Trump in the past but now will be eyeing DeSantis and other potential contenders as they barnstorm the state in the coming months. Reporting by James Oliphant in Davenport, Iowa Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why Trump is being called out in the Silicon Valley Bank collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some Democrats have been blaming Trump-era regulations for Silicon Valley Bank's collapse. In 2018, Trump signed into law a bill that rolled back provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act and loosened oversight over banks. On Friday, regulators shut down Silicon Valley Bank following a tumultuous few days of failing to raise capital and a flood of customers withdrawing their funds from the bank. "Greg Becker, the chief executive of Silicon Valley Bank, was one of the ‌many high-powered executives who lobbied Congress to weaken the law," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote in a Monday opinion piece. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement that the "failure of Silicon Valley Bank is a direct result of an absurd 2018 bank deregulation bill signed by Donald Trump that I strongly opposed."

☆ All President Biden’s New Spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When President Biden releases his fiscal 2024 budget this week, one of his more fantastic claims will be that he has cut federal deficits and is now a deficit hawk. This is as accurate as Donald Trump’s claim that he can end the war in Ukraine in “one day.”Allow us to provide a reality check by reporting Mr. Biden’s contributions to record debt and deficits. As Mr. Biden took office, the Congressional Budget Office budget “baseline” released in February 2021 showed 10-year outlays of $61.23 trillion and cumulative deficits of $12.27 trillion from 2022-2031. That included the spending that Donald Trump agreed to during the pandemic and the impact of the 2017 Paul Ryan -Trump tax reform.

☆ Paul Ryan Says Even MAGA Diehards Believe Trump Can’t Win in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +23 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk Paul Ryan Says Even MAGA Diehards Believe Trump Can’t Win in 2024For a good long time during the George W. Bush and Obama presidencies, Paul Ryan was considered one of the intellectual leaders and shining stars of the Republican Party. Get out of this race.” But I don’t think Trump is going to get the nomination. I don’t think we want the lack of liberty that comes with government-made equality. Where I part company with the left is I don’t believe in socialism. I don’t believe in equality of outcomes.

☆ Rupert Murdoch testified that Fox News hosts lied about the 2020 election. Here's why it wasn't a misstep.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Rupert Murdoch admitted Fox News hosts endorsed falsehoods about the 2020 election. Murdoch chairs Fox Corporation, which argues it isn't responsible for claims made on subsidiary Fox News. Here was the chair of Fox Corporation, a 91-year-old mogul atop a conservative media empire, admitting to lies that damaged democracy. When asked by Dominion's lawyers in a January deposition whether he thought Fox hosts were truthful about the election, Murdoch was candid. Fox Corporation also manages subsidiaries like Fox Sports, a large number of local TV stations, TMZ, Tubi, and a blockchain company.

☆ Trump drafted a 5-part attack plan to try and stop Ron DeSantis from running — or winning — in 2024: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis in the coming weeks. Axios obtained Trump's 5-point plan which includes shaming DeSantis for his likeability and disloyalty. Trump also reportedly plans to castigate DeSantis for his likeability and for being disloyal to Trump after the former president supported his 2018 gubernatorial candidacy. "There's a pre-Trump Ron and there's a post-Trump Ron," a Trump ally told Axios of DeSantis. Despite his carefully-laid plans, Trump continues to publicly posture as being unbothered by DeSantis' rising star, all the while, launching semi-regular, rage-filled Truth Social rants targeting his likely opponent.

☆ Fair and Balanced? Murdoch’s private messages show Fox News was instructed to help Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But a deposition and private messages made public in recent weeks has exposed that even Rupert Murdoch doesn’t treat Fox News like an actual news organization. But at Fox News, that’s not the case. It’s just striking to hear Fox leadership like Ryan talk openly behind the scenes about what the company is at its core. Fox News has accused Dominion of having “cherry picked” statements to unfairly malign the network. But it’s hard to see how, under any circumstances, these instructions to a supposed network news chief would be appropriate.

☆ Paul Ryan didn't hesitate to blame Tucker Carlson when asked about the 'toxic sludge' and 'disinformation' on Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Paul Ryan blamed Tucker Carlson for pushing toxic and racist content on Fox News. Ryan was asked why he, as a Fox board member, did not stand up to people spreading disinformation. During the interview, Sykes asked Ryan why he did not stand up to people at Fox News who pushed "toxic sludge, racism, disinformation, and attacks on democracy." "Donald Trump, sitting down at Mar-a-Lago, is convinced that you are pulling the strings at Fox News," Sykes said. Representatives for Ryan and Carlson at Fox did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Schumer, Jeffries pressure Murdoch, Fox News over Trump's false election fraud claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Trump has repeatedly spread false claims that the election was stolen from him. Earlier this week, Dominion filed court papers that revealed parts of the testimony from Murdoch and other top Fox Corp leadership. In his deposition, Murdoch acknowledged that some of Fox's top TV hosts endorsed false election fraud claims. When Murdoch was asked if he was "now aware that Fox endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election," Murdoch responded, "Not Fox, no. Fox News has consistently denied that it knowingly made false claims about the election.

☆ Paul Ryan grilled for remaining on Fox board of directors amid election fraud revelations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Former House Speaker Paul Ryan was grilled Tuesday over his decision to remain on the board of directors of Fox News’ parent company after damning court documents showed that the right-wing network knowingly peddled election lies to its audience. I have a responsibility to offer my opinion and perspective and I do that, but I don’t go on TV and do it, right. So I offer my perspective, my opinion, often,” Ryan replied. Instead, Ryan said, “I want to see the conservative movement get through this moment. And I think Fox is a big part of the constellation of the conservative movement.”“Is it the solution or the problem?” Sykes asked.

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