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Does Section 230 apply to generative A.I.? search engines? Typically, search engines are considered vehicles for information rather than content creators, and search companies have benefited from Section 230 protection. Generative A.I. And hallucinations — the falsehoods that generative A.I.

Persons: drafters, ”, Ron Wyden, don’t, Chris Cox, ” Wyden, Eric Goldman Organizations: Democrat, Republican, Microsoft, Google, Santa Clara University Locations: Oregon, California

CNN —The FBI improperly searched an intelligence database for information on suspects in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot and people arrested at 2020 protests after the police killing of George Floyd, according to a court opinion that was unsealed and released Friday. The new details about the database misuse are likely to complicate the Biden administration’s efforts to renew a key foreign surveillance program. The FBI searches were not “reasonably likely” to retrieve foreign intelligence information or evidence of a crime, Justice Department officials who reviewed the searches concluded, according to the opinion from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees US spy agencies. Analysts at the FBI and other agencies can then search the data gathered for leads related to foreign intelligence missions. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said Friday that congressional action was needed to curb the privacy violations of Americans revealed by the court opinion.

☆ I.R.S. Acknowledges Black Americans Face More Audit Scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The acknowledgment came after the publication of research this year showing that Black taxpayers were disproportionately audited, prompting calls from members of Congress for a review into the methodology and algorithms that help determine who is selected. “While there is a need for further research, our initial findings support the conclusion that Black taxpayers may be audited at higher rates than would be expected given their share of the population,” Daniel Werfel, the I.R.S. commissioner, wrote in a letter to Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Mr. Werfel said the I.R.S. could consider basing audits on “broader tax issues” rather than focusing on people who might be improperly claiming earned-income tax credits.

☆ Democratic lawmakers are skeptical about using a $1 trillion coin or the 14th amendment to get around the debt ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Minting a $1 trillion platinum coin or using the 14th amendment could solve the crisis while sidestepping Congress. The 14th amendment, on the other hand, contains a clause that could declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional and get rid of it forever. 'That's beyond my paygrade and my mental capacity'Insider asked some Democratic senators what they thought of minting a coin or using the 14th amendment to get around the debt ceiling crisis. Sen. Ron Wyden, top lawmaker on the Senate Finance Committee, said that when it comes to the 14th amendment, "I'm not there yet. Yellen also said at a new conference in Japan on Wednesday that "it's legally questionable whether or not that's a viable strategy," referring to the 14th amendment.

☆ GOP law cut Big Pharma tax rates by 40%, Senate report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A Republican law has slashed the average tax rates of big pharmaceutical companies by more than 40% since it was enacted in 2017, Senate Finance Committee Democrats said in a report Thursday. That provision allowed U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies to access lower tax rates on their foreign income, the report said. Pharmaceutical companies report 75% of their taxable income overseas, the report said. The report said the average rate fell to 11.6% in 2019 and 2020, which resulted in billions of dollars in tax savings for pharmaceutical companies. Wyden also obtained similar information about other U.S. pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott Laboratories , Amgen , Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck .

"That combination of overclassification and then too many people having clearances has led us to this problem," Warner told a news conference. He said more than 4 million people in the United States now have security clearance. Attorney General Merrick Garland has also appointed special counsels to investigate the handling of classified records by Republican former President Donald Trump and the handling of classified records from his time as vice president by current Democratic President Joe Biden. The path forward for the bills was not immediately clear but the senators said they hoped the recent attention on the clearance issue would help. "This is a piece of legislation that can become law and it is desperately needed for that to happen," Moran said.

☆ The Senate Judiciary Committee just asked GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for a list of any gifts he's given to a Supreme Court justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Harlan Crow on Monday. The letter asks Crow to list any gifts he's given to a Supreme Court justice or their family worth more than $415. The letter follows reporting from ProPublica documenting the many vacations Crow's paid for with Justice Clarence Thomas. The Judiciary Committee sent its letter to Crow a week after it held a hearing on ethics reform for the Supreme Court, which Chief Justice John Roberts declined to attend. "They've done a pretty good job in the last week or two of unfairly slamming me and more importantly than that, unfairly slamming Justice Thomas."

Washington CNN —Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor and friend of Clarence Thomas whose gifts to the Supreme Court justice have prompted fresh criticism about the ethical standards of the nation’s highest court, for more information about the expenditures. The letters also state that the recent revelations come amid a lack of American confidence in the Supreme Court, pointing to recent polling. Thomas had not financially disclosed the hospitality from or the deal with the Texas billionaire. Democrats have vowed to keep investigating the ethics of the nation’s highest court, and Chief Justice John Roberts declined an invitation to testify at a hearing on Supreme Court ethics. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin said “everything is on the table” as the panel scrutinizes new ethics concerns around Thomas.

☆ Senate Democrats ask billionaire Harlan Crow to list gifts to Clarence Thomas and any other justices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

They also asked Crow to provide a full list of real estate transactions, transportation, lodging and admission to private clubs he might have provided. All 11 Democrats, including Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., who has been absent from the Senate due to health issues, signed the letter. Republicans on the committee and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment. Wyden asked for answers by May 8, the same day Durbin issued his latest letter to Crow. The Supreme Court in March tightened some of its rules on what judges and justices need to include in annual financial disclosure statements.

☆ Five ways the rich save big on estate taxes, from putting houses in trusts to buying offshore life insurance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Thanks to tax cuts made during the Trump administration, Americans can give or hand down nearly $13 million in assets without paying federal estate tax. Currently, individuals and married couples can gift or bequeath $12.92 million and $25.84 million, respectively, before a 40% federal estate tax kicks in. Private-placement life insurance, or PPLI, can be used to pass on assets from stocks to yachts to heirs without incurring any estate tax. The assets in the trust are treated as premiums, and if structured correctly, the benefit and assets in the policy are bequeathed free of estate tax. These trusts pay a fixed annuity during the trust term, which is usually two years, and any appreciation of the assets' value is not subject to estate tax.

☆ Democratic lawmakers are having a blast on 'Bluesky,' the latest alternative to Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some Democratic lawmakers have begun posting on "Bluesky," the latest alternative to Twitter. And for the Democratic lawmakers who use the platform, it's a place that feels safer and more gentle than Twitter. "The invite tree accountability makes people more judicious about bringing in solid people," wrote Ocasio-Cortez in a "skeet" this week. But I've [posted] triple digits in less than a week [on Bluesky]," she wrote in an earlier post. In a "skeet" on Bluesky, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez declares the platform to be "safer and more fun" than Twitter.

☆ Senators say new US Postal Service pay plan will cut rural worker compensation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - A group of six U.S. senators on Friday urged the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to delay implementation of a new compensation system that it says will reduce pay for tens of thousands of rural postal delivery workers. The senators -- Democrats Ron Wyden Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Ed Markey and John Fetterman and independent Bernie Sanders -- in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the automated Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System should not be used "until the system’s serious flaws are rectified." They also asked how USPS "will reimburse rural carriers for lost earnings when the system makes an inaccurate determination about their routes." Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Reactions: US Treasury's new June 1 debt ceiling X-date
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

We must change course, cleanly raise the debt ceiling, and avert widespread economic pain and instability while we still can." The clock is ticking - and much faster than many suspected - so House Republicans need to drop their dangerous opposition to paying our nation’s bills." The President must negotiate on raising the debt ceiling." Let's get the debt ceiling taken care of, but let's talk about how we can reduce the deficit and common-sense ways. If we don't get the debt ceiling, then we go into it a depression."

☆ Reversing Trend, 2022 Saw Small Uptick in National Security Surveillance in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

tightened various rules and modified its systems, leading to a significant drop in the number of queries for information about Americans. disclosed that there had been 204,090 queries for information about Americans in 2022, down 93 percent from about 3.4 million in 2021. is changing how it measures such queries and will screen out duplicates — the practice of recounting multiple queries using the same identifier. made 119,383 such queries for information about Americans in 2022, down from nearly three million in 2021. The government has never used that authority and again sought no such orders in 2021, the report said.

That is because algorithms that power generative AI tools like ChatGPT and its successor GPT-4 operate in a somewhat similar way as those that suggest videos to YouTube users, the experts added. While the case does not directly relate to generative AI, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that AI tools that generate "poetry" and "polemics" likely would not enjoy such legal protections. Section 230 protections generally apply to third-party content from users of a technology platform and not to information a company helped to develop. 'CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR OWN ACTIONS'Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, who helped draft that law while in the House of Representatives, said the liability shield should not apply to generative AI tools because such tools "create content." They said tools like ChatGPT operate like search engines, directing users to existing content in response to a query.

☆ Sen. Wyden asks billionaire Harlan Crow for list of gifts to Supreme Court Justice Thomas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Monday asked GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for a complete list of gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and evidence that the billionaire real estate developer complied with federal tax law in connection with the long-undisclosed largesse to Thomas. "This unprecedented arrangement between a wealthy benefactor and a Supreme Court justice raises serious concerns related to federal tax and ethics laws," Wyden, who heads the Senate Finance Committee, wrote in a six-page letter to Crow. Thomas had not disclosed any of the gifts from Crow, or the property purchases by him, until they were revealed by ProPublica. "The secrecy surrounding your dealings with Justice Thomas is simply unacceptable," Wyden wrote in his letter to Crow. "The American public deserves a full accounting of the full extent of your largesse towards Justice Thomas, including whether these gifts complied with all relevant federal tax and ethics laws," he wrote.

☆ Senator calls for investigation after Reuters facial recognition report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lena Masri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Ron Wyden has called for the Biden administration to carry out an investigation after a Reuters report showed how Russian authorities are using facial recognition to curb dissent with the aid of U.S. technology. Wyden, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said that "American technology shouldn’t be a linchpin in Russia’s authoritarian surveillance machine." His comments came in response to Reuters reporting last month that showed that surveillance and facial recognition have played an important role in the arrests of hundreds of protesters in Moscow -- and that after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, authorities began using facial recognition to prevent people from protesting. The facial recognition system in Moscow is powered by algorithms produced by one Belarusian company and three Russian firms. Russian customs records showed the companies' technologies were still arriving in Russia via third parties between April 1, 2022, and Oct. 31 2022.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - America's cybersecurity watchdog has no confidence that the cellular network used by American first responders and the military is secure against digital intrusions, U.S. The letter from the Oregon Democrat, a member of the intelligence committee, was addressed to the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It concerns FirstNet, a dedicated mobile network for public safety officials such as emergency workers, firefighters and law enforcement. "These security flaws are also a national security issue, particularly if foreign governments can exploit these flaws to target U.S. government personnel," his letter said. Wyden called on FirstNet to share any security audits with the NSA and CISA or - alternatively - for the government to commission audits of its own.

☆ Credit Suisse has violated U.S. tax evasion deal, Senate Committee finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) violated a 2014 plea deal with U.S. authorities by continuing to help ultra-wealthy Americans evade taxes and concealing more than $700 million from the government, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee found on Wednesday. After concluding a two-year investigation into Credit Suisse - which this month agreed to a rescue takeover by rival UBS (UBSG.S) - the committee said it had uncovered "major violations" of the 2014 agreement between the Swiss lender and the U.S. Department of Justice for enabling tax evasion. In an emailed statement, Credit Suisse said it did not tolerate tax evasion and had been cooperating with U.S. authorities. Credit Suisse in 2014 became the largest bank in 20 years to plead guilty to a U.S. criminal charge, agreeing to pay a $2.5 billion fine to authorities for helping Americans evade taxes in a conspiracy that spanned decades. Swiss authorities engineered the rescue of Credit Suisse earlier this month as they scrambled to prevent the lender from collapsing.

☆ Credit Suisse still helping wealthy dodge U.S. taxes, U.S. Senate Committee finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) is still helping ultra-wealthy Americans evade taxes, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee said on Wednesday following an investigation into the Swiss bank. In an emailed statement, Credit Suisse said it did not tolerate tax evasion and that it had been cooperating with U.S. authorities. "Credit Suisse’s new leadership team has cooperated with the Committee’s inquiry and has supported the work of Senator Wyden, including in respect of suggested policy solutions to help strengthen the financial industry’s ability to detect undisclosed U.S. persons," the bank said. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru and Tommy Reggiori Wilkes in London, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Credit Suisse whistleblowers say Swiss bank has been helping wealthy Americans dodge U.S. taxes for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

In this article CSCSG.N-CH Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA sign of Credit Suisse bank is seen at their headquarters in Zurich on March 20, 2023. "To date, no Credit Suisse employees involved in the scheme have faced any consequences from the United States government for their participation." "It's not a question of whether Swiss banks continue to do this, it's a question of which Swiss banks still do this." In a statement to CNBC, a Credit Suisse spokeswoman said it does not tolerate tax evasion. "DOJ must correct its lax oversight of Credit Suisse and hold Credit Suisse accountable for any violations of its plea agreement," he said.

☆ Credit Suisse is still helping ultra-wealthy Americans evade taxes, Senate panel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Senate investigation also found that former senior bankers at Credit Suisse were involved in the management of these large and undeclared offshore accounts. In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, a Credit Suisse spokesperson said the bank does not tolerate tax evasion. Credit Suisse said its new leadership has cooperated with the Senate inquiry. In 2014, Credit Suisse pled guilty to federal charges that it illegally allowed some US clients evade their taxes for decades. The latest allegations come just days after Credit Suisse reached an emergency deal to be acquired by rival UBS.

Obrador's decision to roll back reforms aimed at opening Mexico's power and oil markets to outside competitors sparked the trade dispute. If not, the U.S. will request an independent dispute settlement panel under the Unites States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USCMA, they said. The United States and Canada demanded dispute settlement talks with Mexico in July - 250 days ago. Under USMCA rules, after 75 days without a resolution, they were free to request a dispute settlement panel, a third party that rules on the case. In my view, it’s long past time to say enough is enough and escalate this into a real dispute settlement case," Wyden said.

☆ Republican senator to Yellen in hearing: 'That's a lie'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Bill Cassidy repeatedly told Yellen during a Senate Finance Committee hearing that Biden has not been willing to meet with a bipartisan group of senators to address problems with Social Security. Cassidy replied he wasn't accusing the Treasury secretary of lying and understood she was repeating what she had been told. Later, another Republican senator, Ron Johnson, exhibited impatience with Yellen. Johnson asked Yellen how much the total deficits were over the 10-year period covered in Biden's budget. When Yellen paused to look at some documents, Johnson quipped, "You don't know that off the top of your head?"

☆ A TikTok ban or forced sale could lead to major collateral damage for US tech companies like Apple and Chinese apps like Shein
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"A big Chinese balloon in the sky and millions of Chinese TikTok balloons on our phones. But US tech companies that rely on data collection for advertising sales or other business practices have fought to curb such regulations. Still, efforts by members of Congress to pass federal legislation around data privacy, such as the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, have faced an uphill battle. Apple's 2021 user privacy changes stunted ad revenue at Facebook and Snapchat-maker Snap, for example. But blocking companies from gathering private information from users could also be a more effective path to protecting Americans while maintaining an avenue for Chinese companies to participate in the global economy.

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