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WASHINGTON — Many House Republicans are furious with a band of far-right rebels who they say are holding the party hostage by repeatedly rejecting its nominee for speaker. The unwillingness of most House Republicans to cut a deal with Democrats to pick a speaker weakens their leverage in the showdown with a group of 20 right-wing lawmakers who want to defeat Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who is backed by 90% of the GOP caucus. As Bacon and other McCarthy allies dangle the possibility of a bipartisan speaker to secure the votes to make him speaker, the anti-McCarthy faction is calling their bluff. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who has voted against McCarthy all six times, said he doesn’t believe any Republicans would go around the House Freedom Caucus and team up with Democrats to pick a speaker. Democrats open door to consensus speakerSome Democrats say they’re open to negotiating a consensus speaker.

The last time the House failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot was in 1923, during a contest that took nine ballots to resolve. Possibilities include number two House Republican Steve Scalise and Representative Jim Jordan - who received 20 votes when nominated on Tuesday. But House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that Republicans have not reached out to discuss that option. Well, I am not going to surrender," Republican Representative Trent Kelly said at a news conference on Wednesday evening. Wednesday's three failed votes - following three failed votes on Tuesday - also served as a rebuke to Trump, who had urged Republicans to unite behind McCarthy.

☆ A top healthcare banker predicts some digital-health startups will be able to go public in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SVB Securities' Jon Swope thinks some digital-health startups will IPO in the second half of 2023. In 2021, 15 US-based digital-health companies went public via IPO, according to Rock Health. Only one digital-health company has gone public this year: Akili Interactive Labs, which went public in August in a SPAC deal. Seeing the writing on the wall, digital-health companies like Komodo Health that sought to IPO this year are now putting those plans on hold. But SVB Securities' Jon Swope said he thinks the IPO market will reopen for certain digital-health companies in the second half of 2023.

☆ 'The music stopped': 6 founders tell how they survived this year's bursting VC funding bubble, customers unwilling to spend, and a graveyard of fallen startup peers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

This year's economic caution marked a huge contrast to 2021's exuberance and record VC funding. Insider spoke with six founders about how they've handled the abrupt switch from market exuberance to economic caution. But at the same time, they said, they've sought to pounce on new opportunities created by the economic downturn. ElektraShifting landscapes, changing prioritiesAfter a year of record venture capital funding, the abrupt shift in investor sentiment hit hard in 2022, founders told Insider. Artificial intelligence startups are the latest beneficiary of VC hype, buoyed by breakthrough software tools such as DALL-E and ChatGPT.

The lawmakers are co-sponsors of the National Development Strategy and Coordination Act. That's why we've joined forces to jumpstart a national project to restore American manufacturing leadership. This committee would be charged with developing a National Development Strategy, recommending investments to improve national security, strengthen domestic manufacturing, create good-paying jobs and develop new technologies. Second, our proposal — the National Development Strategy and Coordination Act — would give this committee the authority to direct the Department of Treasury's Federal Financing Bank to achieve its goals. This would bring overdue strategic coordination to our federal loan system and inject much-needed long-term capital into critical industries.

Another was the requirement for companies to assess and disclose their impact and reliance on nature, despite the word "mandatory" being dropped from the final deal. While protecting nature comes at a cost, those companies that step up will attract more investors. "The big losers across the board will be 'business as usual'," said Eurasia Group senior analyst Franck Gbaguidi. A body representing some of the world's largest mining companies, including Glencore (GLEN.L) and Newcrest (NCM.AX), said disclosure would lead to a level playing field between sectors. The bill was ultimately calculated at $20 billion per year by 2025 and $30 billion per year by 2030.

☆ Rep. Ro Khanna says balancing regulation and ethics online is key to ensuring technology remains a force for good: 'We need technology to democratize voice in America'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"I think the trajectory of technology is still a force for good," he told Politico. Despite his concerns about Twitter, Khanna remains optimistic about the potential for technology companies to benefit society. "I think we need technology to solve climate," Khanna told Politico. We need technology to democratize voice in America. The office of Rep. Khanna did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Democrats criticize Elon Musk for suspending journalists covering Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Amanda Terkel | Amanda Is Senior Politics Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress had harsh words for Elon Musk on Thursday night after Twitter suddenly suspended a number of high-profile journalists who have been covering the company and Musk, its billionaire CEO. In November, shortly after he took over Twitter, Musk tweeted that he would not ban the account. Musk tweeted Thursday night. "Ro Khanna is great," Musk tweeted in response to one of some of the Twitter files. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., tweeted: "Twitter can suspend whoever it wants.

☆ Over 150,000 tech workers have lost their jobs in 2022 with education, health, and crypto sectors among the worst affected
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over 150,000 tech workers have lost their jobs in 2022, according to tracker site Layoffs.fyi. More than 150,000 tech workers have lost their jobs this year, according to data from tracker site Layoffs.fyi. Industries that grew rapidly during the pandemic — such as health tech, education tech, and crypto — have been the worst affected in 2022. The issue, he said, was that some investors in crypto, education tech, and health tech paid little heed to economic fundamentals. Amid recessions, B2B sub-sectors such as corporate education tech and employee coaching remain promising pockets within education tech, the investor added.

☆ Oil companies ‘could doom global efforts’ around climate change, House committee finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Lucas Thompson | Lucas Thompson Is A Content Producer For The Nbc News Climate Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The companies mentioned in the report did not return requests for comment. Internal documents also showed oil executives privately admitting that divesting, or moving around the accountability of emissions, will not have a meaningful impact on overall emissions levels. The report comes after Democrats lost control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections, and with it the ability to direct House Oversight investigations. Khanna said the millions of documents acquired by the committee will be handed over to those with more resources who can act on the information. “You can’t expect a House subcommittee to go up against oil companies that have been misleading American public for 40 years and all of a sudden have accountability.

☆ Big Oil has engaged in a long-running climate disinformation campaign while raking in record profits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( René Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Big Oil companies have engaged in a “long-running greenwashing campaign” while raking in “record profits at the expense of American consumers,” the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee has found after a year-long investigation into climate disinformation from the fossil fuel industry. The committee found the fossil fuel industry is “posturing on climate issues while avoiding real commitments” to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Lawmakers said it has sought to portray itself as part of the climate solution, even as internal industry documents reveal how companies have avoided making real commitments. Many of their requests for internal documents were heavily redacted by the companies, which did not specify reasons for withholding the information. “These companies know their climate pledges are inadequate but are prioritizing Big Oil’s record profits over the human costs of climate change,” Maloney said.

☆ Democratic lawmakers accuse big oil companies of 'greenwashing'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A pair of Democratic lawmakers on Friday accused the largest oil companies in the United States of "greenwashing" their public image and not doing enough to decarbonize fast enough to meet climate change targets. These efforts are particularly offensive, Maloney and Khanna said, because of the amount of money the biggest oil companies are making right now. Burning natural gas produces about 117 pounds of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units (a measure of heat). That's compared with 200 pounds for coal and 160 pounds for fuel oil. Equally critically, the production of natural gas results in leaks of methane all throughout the production process and methane is a greenhouse gas, too.

☆ Twitter is the modern public square and should not censor journalists, says Rep. Ro Khanna
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTwitter is the modern public square and should not censor journalists, says Rep. Ro KhannaRep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss the recent release of internal documents from Twitter, known as the "Twitter Files," that detail the inner workings of the social media company before Elon Musk's acquisition.

☆ Twitter’s Duty to Protect Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Ro Khanna | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Defending free speech is easy when it’s speech you agree with. Defending speech you dislike, or speech that doesn’t advance your interests, is more challenging. But it is in exactly those uncomfortable situations that American democratic principles call on us to protect the free exchange of ideas and freedom of the press. Free speech is a foundational value of our democracy. Attacks on public officials and candidates for office have continued.

☆ Rep. Ro Khanna urges Twitter to protect free speech online after 'Twitter Files'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRep. Ro Khanna urges Twitter to protect free speech online after 'Twitter Files'Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said in a new op-ed for The Wall Street Journal that Twitter went too far in censoring a news story about Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 election.

WASHINGTON — If it’s Monday ... It’s the last day of campaigning before tomorrow’s Georgia Senate runoff. ... NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard covers the closing messages by Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. And just looking at the campaigns, which get the biggest bang per advertising buck, it’s Warnock at $25.2 million, versus Walker at $10.1 million. But now it’s $11.8 million — behind Warnock’s $25 million and the $20.3 million from Georgia Honor, a Democratic Super PAC. Runoff watch: Walker accuser speaks to NBC NewsDays after she first revealed an allegation of domestic abuse against Georgia Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker, a former girlfriend of his sat down with NBC News to detail those allegations.

☆ Biden's 2024 primary calendar gives Kamala Harris an edge in a future White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's push to make South Carolina the first major battleground in Democratic presidential primaries has a second big beneficiary: Vice President Kamala Harris. "It's a good demographic mix of having to appeal to Black voters, White working-class voters and Latino and Asian American voters." “How many Black voters are persuaded that the Democratic Party cares about them because South Carolina goes first? South Carolina, one of the most Republican states in the country, isn't competitive at the presidential level in general elections. “South Carolina is also known to be kind to those who’ve been kind to her,” he said.

☆ Elon Musk promotes release of internal Twitter documents rehashing platform’s block of Hunter Biden story
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The controversy involving Twitter and Hunter Biden dates to October 2020, weeks before the presidential election between Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump. Taibbi wrote that he has seen no evidence that there was government involvement in Twitter’s move to block the New York Post story. Shortly after the New York Post published the article, Twitter pointed to concerns about hacked materials as the reason for blocking the story. Zuckerberg cited warnings from the FBI about election-related threats, though none about Hunter Biden in particular. Hunter Biden has said that federal prosecutors in Delaware are investigating his taxes.

☆ Twitter's clumsy handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story spurred enough bipartisan criticism to risk the existence of the internet as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Twitter's decision to throttle stories about Hunter Biden's laptop prompted bipartisan criticism. Some lawmakers have since called to repeal Section 230, a law "that created the internet." The criticism has since intensified a movement to repeal Section 230, which could change the Internet forever. Much of Taibbi's thread focused on Twitter's handling of the New York Post's October 2020 story about Hunter Biden's laptop, which the Post reported was left in a Delaware repair shop. Representatives for Khanna did not answer questions about the congressman's current position on whether or not to repeal Section 230.

☆ Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna reached out to Twitter as it suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story to voice concerns about violating free speech and press freedom principles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In October 2020, Twitter initially blocked users from sharing a New York Post story about Hunter Biden's laptop. Rep. Ro Khanna sent Twitter concerns about the decision, according to materials published Friday. Less than a month before the 2020 election, the Post published a story that claimed to contain emails retrieved from a laptop that belonged to President Joe Biden's son Hunter. Giving an example, Khanna said if materials uncovering a war crime were hacked and obtained by The New York Times, the Times should be able to publish them. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan established that public figures suing for defamation must establish "actual malice."

☆ Released Twitter emails show how employees debated how to handle 2020 New York Post Hunter Biden story
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It showed employees on Twitter’s legal, policy and communications teams debating – and at times disagreeing – over whether to restrict the article under the company’s hacked materials policy, weeks before the 2020 election, where Joe Biden, Hunter Biden’s father, ran against then-President Donald Trump. The Taibbi posts undercut a top claim by Musk and Republicans, who have accused the FBI of leaning on social media companies to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop stories. The tweet thread also highlighted how officials from both political parties routinely wrote to Twitter asking for specific tweets to be removed. A CNN review of those tweets on an archive site showed some purported photos of Hunter Biden, including nudity, that may have violated Twitter policy. He also did not say that Democrats requested that Twitter suppress the Post story, and his account did not suggest that the US government had ever pressured Twitter to suppress the story.

☆ Marco Rubio slams Biden shutting down a rail strike for workers who want more paid sick leave: 'I will not vote to impose a deal that doesn't have the support of the rail workers'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rail workers were threatening to strike over lack of paid leave, potentially devastating the economy. "But if Congress is forced to do it,I will not vote to impose a deal that doesn't have the support of the rail workers." Congress is able to vote to step in and impose a deal for rail workers, overruling the normal bargaining process. Workers wanted 15 paid sick days, according to Reuters, but railroad companies agreed to just one paid personal day in the tentative agreement. Michael Paul Lindsey, a locomotive engineer in Idaho and steering committee member for Railroad Workers United, told Insider it was a "blatant betrayal," but he wasn't surprised.

Authorities have identified the man whose foot was found floating in a Yellowstone National Park hot spring three months ago, the park said Thursday. His foot in a shoe was found floating in the hot spring in Wyoming on Aug. 16. No one is believed to have seen what happened, and how he died was not clear, the park service said. It is one of the deepest hot springs in the park, at more than 50 feet, according to the park’s website. Yellowstone National Park warns visitors to always stay on boardwalks and trails and to use extreme caution around the features.

☆ Democrats who want to 'stop Wall Street landlords' and rein in the $4.4 trillion single-family-rental industry will likely be foiled by Republicans who will soon run the House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A recently introduced bill promises to rein in corporate owners of single-family rental homes. They scooped up thousands more during the COVID-19 pandemic as interest rates dropped and demand for rental housing soared. The introduction of the Stop Wall Street Landlords Act marks the latest escalation. "Low- and middle-income families in my district and across the country are being pushed out because of profiteering and unfair practices by large corporate landlords." But the watchful eye of federal lawmakers is sparking concern among large SFR companies.

☆ Amazon is taking another shot at offering healthcare — and this time, it plays to the tech giant's key strengths
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Blake Dodge | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Amazon Clinic" plays to Amazon's strengths as an ecommerce behemoth. On Tuesday, Amazon announced "Amazon Clinic," a virtual care service that will treat patients' common conditions such as allergies and hair loss. The launch comes just a couple of months after the tech giant said it was shuttering Amazon Care, a telehealth service that provided care through people's employers. By contrast, Amazon Clinic could have more success doing what it knows best, especially if it can lure Prime members. Amazon Clinic.

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