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☆ FBI director boasts that applications are 'up over 100%' in Florida after Matt Gaetz says people trusted the FBI 'more when J. Edgar Hoover was running the place'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray bragged about the agency's recruitment when informed of its low popularity. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz claimed the bureau was trusted more under the notorious leadership of J. Edgar Hoover. Gaetz grew agitated with Wray after a series of aggressive questions about Hunter Biden and the FBI's January 6 investigation. "People trusted the FBI more when J. Edgar Hoover was running the place than when you are. "I certainly didn't perjure myself," Wray shot back Gaetz, who had accused him of lying to lawmakers.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Matt Gaetz, J, Edgar Hoover, Wray, Gaetz, Hunter Biden, it's, Hoover, Martin Luther King Jr, Wray volleyed, Hunter, Biden, Donald Trump, James Comey Organizations: Republican, Service, FBI, Florida Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Intelligence, Committee Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon

☆ Shreveport, Louisiana shooting: 3 dead, 6 injured in July 4 block party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Rebekah Riess | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Three people are dead and at least six are injured following a shooting just before midnight on Tuesday, according to information provided to CNN affiliate KSLA by Shreveport officials. It was difficult to get to the victims due to the amount of vehicles at the scene, according to information from police released to KSLA. The gathering “was a block party that is held every year on the Fourth of July,” Shreveport District A Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor told KSLA. Now we are the victims of a mass shooting in our community,” Taylor said. “It is trauma for those individuals that only wanted to have a very good time on this holiday.”CNN has reached out to Shreveport police about the shooting but have not received a response.

Persons: Van Wray, KSLA, Tabatha Taylor, ” Taylor, ” Organizations: CNN, KSLA, ” CNN Locations: Shreveport, ” Shreveport

☆ Top US Republican threatens impeachment probe of attorney general over Hunter Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Trump, who faces multiple investigations and a federal indictment, is running for re-election in 2024. McCarthy, who backs the effort to expunge Trump's record, has also leveled an impeachment threat against another Biden Cabinet member, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, over the administration's immigration policies. Hardline Republican conservative Representative Lauren Boebert tried to force the House to vote to impeach Biden over immigration and border security last week. Fellow hardline Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is also pressing for the impeachments of Biden, Garland, Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and a U.S. attorney prosecuting participants in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Hillary Clinton, Biden, Narendra Modi, Read, General Merrick Garland, Joe Biden's, Hunter, David Weiss, Donald Trump, Biden's, Merrick Garland's weaponization, McCarthy, Hunter Biden, Garland, Weiss, Trump, Ukraine's, expunge, Alejandro Mayorkas, Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mayorkas, Christopher Wray, David Morgan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: U.S, India's, Republican, U.S . House, Justice, Justice Department, DOJ, Revenue, Republicans, Trump, Capitol, Biden, Homeland, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S

CNN —Conservative retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig has called the Republican Party base “spineless” for its continued support of former President Donald Trump and submitted that the GOP is destroying itself. Nor ought it be saved,” Luttig said in a scathing New York Times op-ed published Sunday. Luttig, a former judge on the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, was a key witness at the January 6 committee hearings last year. He also name-checked prominent Republicans who have stopped short of throwing their political support to Trump but have attacked the Justice Department over its investigations into the former president. “Both Governor DeSantis and Mr. Pence pledged – in a new Republican litmus test – that on their first day in office they would fire the director of the F.B.I., the Trump appointee Christopher Wray, obviously for his turpitude in investigating Mr. Trump,” Luttig wrote.

Persons: J, Michael Luttig, Donald Trump, Mr, Trump, –, Biden, ” Luttig, Luttig, Clarence Thomas, Mike Pence’s, John Eastman, Pence, “, DeSantis, Christopher Wray, ” Organizations: CNN — Conservative, Republican Party, GOP, Espionage, New York Times, Trump, Republicans, Justice Department, Republican

☆ No direct evidence COVID started in Wuhan lab - US intelligence report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 23 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified on Friday said. "The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency remain unable to determine the precise origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both (natural and lab) hypotheses rely on significant assumptions or face challenges with conflicting reporting," the ODNI report said. The report said that while "extensive work" had been conducted on coronaviruses at the Wuhan institute (WIV), the agencies had not found evidence of a specific incident that could have caused the outbreak. U.S. President Joe Biden in March signed a bill declassifying information related to the origins of the pandemic. As of March 20, four other U.S. agencies still judged that COVID-19 was likely the result of natural transmission, while two were undecided.

Persons: WIV, Joe Biden, Biden, Christopher Wray, Dan Whitcomb, Rosalba O'Brien, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Wuhan, of Virology, National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, coronaviruses, Wall, U.S . Energy Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wuhan, United States, Beijing, China

☆ Newly declassified report shows U.S. intelligence community remains divided over likely origin of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(L-R) Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, Director of the National Security Agency Gen. Paul Nakasone, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, CIA Director William Burns and FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a House Select Committee on Intelligence hearing concerning worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill March 9, 2023 in Washington, DC. The leaders of the intelligence agencies testified on a wide range of issues, including China, Russia, Covid-19 origins, and TikTok. "All agencies continue to assess that both a natural and laboratory-associated origin remain plausible hypotheses to explain the first human infection," the 10-page declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. But "almost all" intelligence agencies agreed that the virus wasn't genetically engineered, and all agencies agreed that Covid was not manufactured as a biological weapon. The spokesman added that "getting to the bottom of the origins" of Covid remains a top priority for the president.

Persons: Scott Berrier, Paul Nakasone, National Intelligence Avril Haines, William Burns, Christopher Wray, Covid, Joe Biden Organizations: Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Intelligence, CIA, Capitol, Intelligence, National Intelligence Council, Department of Energy, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Wuhan Institute, Virology, White House National Security Council Locations: Washington ,, China, Russia, Covid, Wuhan, U.S

☆ US House Republicans seek to expunge Trump impeachments
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Trump was just the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House and is the only one in U.S. history to have been impeached twice. Georgetown University Law Professor Jonathan Turley, whose expert advice Republicans sometimes seek, noted that the U.S. Constitution contains no provision for expunging impeachments. Greene's two-page resolution would expunge the 2019 impeachment, saying he was "wrongfully accused of misconduct." That won't stop the Republicans from doing it, and it's just further placating Donald Trump," said Representative Dan Goldman, who was lead Democratic counsel in the 2019 impeachment. On Wednesday, House Republicans censured Democratic Representative Adam Schiff over his leading role in the 2019 Trump impeachment.

Persons: Elise Stefanik, Sarah Silbiger, Donald Trump's staunchest, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump, Jonathan Turley, Turley, expungement, it's, Donald Trump, Dan Goldman, Greene, Trump's, Joe Biden, Christopher Wray, Adam Schiff, Steve Scalise, Schiff, Lauren Boebert, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: GOP, Caucus, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Congress, Representatives Republican, Republicans, Democratic, Georgetown University, U.S . Constitution, Democrats, U.S . Capitol, Biden, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Ukraine, U.S ., New York, U.S

☆ U.S. House sidelines far-right Republican impeachment vote on Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans turned aside an attempt by hardline conservatives to force an impeachment vote against President Joe Biden on Thursday, in the first of what could prove to be a series of impeachment efforts by members of the far right. The House of Representatives voted 219-208 along party lines to refer a privileged resolution offered by firebrand Representative Lauren Boebert to two congressional committees. Under House rules, privileged resolutions pursued by Boebert and Greene must come up for a vote within two legislative days. McCarthy opposes such initiatives on impeachment, saying he expects ongoing House committee investigations to produce evidence against Biden and members of his administration that can be used to build impeachment cases. But Greene, who had previously introduced formal articles of impeachment against Biden and others, told reporters that privileged resolutions could be necessary because internal Republican divisions have prevented the House Judiciary Committee from acting on impeachment.

Persons: Lauren Boebert, Hunter Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Joe Biden, Boebert, Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Christopher Wray, Republican Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Greene, Wray, General Merrick Garland, Alejandro Mayorkas, Matthew Graves, McCarthy, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: House, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, . House Republicans, firebrand, U.S, Biden, U.S . Capitol, Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Boebert, House Homeland Security, Homeland, Thomson Locations: New York, Washington , U.S, Mexico, U.S, Ukraine

☆ U.S. Republican hardliners try to force Biden impeachment vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A privileged resolution to censure Democratic Representative Adam Schiff over his leading role in Trump's Ukraine impeachment came before the House for a second time on Wednesday. McCarthy said he opposed a one-off vote to impeach Biden while committee investigations into the president's family business dealings and his administration are still under way. Greene, who has already introduced formal articles of impeachment against Biden and the other officials, told reporters that internal division is preventing Republicans from approving impeachment bills in the House Judiciary Committee. Boebert introduced her proposal as a so-called privileged resolution, subject to a vote within two legislative days, and Greene said she would consider a similar move. Greene was one of the few Republicans who voiced open support for Boebert's impeachment resolution.

Persons: Joe Biden, JIM WATSON, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, Lauren Boebert, Republican Donald Trump, Trump, Adam Schiff, Schiff, Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Christopher Wray, McCarthy, Ian Sams, Greene, Boebert, Wray, General Merrick Garland, Alejandro Mayorkas, Matthew Graves, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: White, WASHINGTON, Republicans, U.S . House, Democratic, Republican, U.S, U.S . Capitol, Senate Republicans, Twitter, Biden, Homeland, Thomson Locations: Washington , DC, Mexico, Ukraine, U.S, House

☆ Inside China's spy war on American corporations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Top intelligence and law enforcement officials in Washington are issuing a stark warning to American companies: The Chinese government wants to replace you. Asked whether the Chinese government wants to compete with or eliminate American companies, FBI Director Christopher Wray told CNBC: "Well, their definition of competing, I think, involves embracing the idea of eliminating." The paid-in foreign investment reached 127.69 billion yuan, up 14.5% year on year. Foreign companies including US investors have been upbeat about the China market and plan to expand in China. Former GE engineer David Zheng and GE Aerospace also declined to comment.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Mark Warner, …, Warner, Xu Yanjun, Xu, James Olson, Xu Yanjun's, David Zheng, – CNBC's Katherine Liu, Bria Cousins, Laura Measher, Wally Griffith Organizations: CNBC, American, Democrat, World Trade, Ministry of State Security, GE, Boeing, Honeywell, GE Aviation, FBI, CIA, American Chamber of Commerce, Business Environment, US Department of Commerce, GE Aerospace Locations: Washington, America, U.S, China, Nanjing, Cincinnati, South China, reinvest

CNN —Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and struck a deal with federal prosecutors to resolve a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said Tuesday in court filings. Trump criticized the Hunter Biden plea deal on Truth Social. Hunter Biden’s legal team sought a meeting with the Justice Department in April, which Weiss attended, and where Hunter Biden’s lawyers gave a presentation detailing why they believe Hunter Biden shouldn’t be charged. Part of their argument included that Hunter Biden paid back taxes owed, including penalties. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to two tax charges and struck a deal to resolve the gun charge.

Persons: CNN — Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, David Weiss, Hunter, Christopher Clark, Department’s, “ Hunter, ” Clark, ” “, ”, Ian Sams, Hunter Biden’s, Weiss, Hunter Biden shouldn’t, Prosecutors, Clark, “, Garland, Justice Department wouldn’t, Christopher Wray, he’s, Beau . Hunter Biden, Melissa Cohen, Jake Tapper, –, He’s, ” Joe Biden, Department’s prosecutorial, “ I’m, I’m, Tapper, “ That’s, it’s, General Merrick Garland, Justice Department’s, CEFC, Obama Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Internal, Service, Trump, Government, House, Truth, Biden DOJ, Republican, Democratic, IRS, FBI, Department, people’s Justice Department, Hunter, Justice, CEFC China Energy, White, Yorker, State Department Locations: Delaware, Wilmington, China, Ukraine, United States

Trump has long accused it and the U.S. Justice Department of being out to get him. Trump's closest rival for the nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, decried the "weaponization" of federal bureaucracy after Trump's indictment. Haley said Trump had acted recklessly, although she also said the FBI and Justice Department had "lost all credibility with the American people." None of the Republican president campaigns responded to requests for comment about their criticism of federal law enforcement and calls for an overhaul. A spokesman for the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, declined to comment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Kyle Kondik, University of Virginia Center for Politics . Trump, Trump's, Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Clinton, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Biden, Christopher Wray, Timothy Naftali, Naftali, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson, Nikki Haley, Haley, Bill Bowen, Bowen, Tim Reid, Nathan Layne, Gram Slattery, Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell Organizations: Republicans, Republican, Trump, U.S . Justice Department of, University of Virginia Center for Politics ., Reuters, White, FBI, Justice Department, Democratic, Department, New, South Carolina, Republican National Committee, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: Russia, Florida, New Jersey, Arkansas, Portsmouth , New Hampshire

☆ Analysis: Trump documents case is a test for the justice system he wants to dismantle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

At the North Carolina State GOP Convention on Saturday, on his first campaign swing since news of the federal indictment, Trump escalated his assault on America’s system of justice. They’re trying to win the classified documents case in a court of public opinion – in a way that may influence a future jury – long before the ex-president faces a trial. Not to mention, the law does not require documents to be classified for a crime to have been committed. And many Democrats blamed ex-FBI Chief James Comey’s public statements in the case days before the 2016 election for helping to elect Trump. “(What) the Democrats are doing to Trump, it’s just too – it has nothing to do with running the country,” she said.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, ”, Richard Ben, Jake Tapper ”, William Barr, “, ” Barr, Jack Smith, he’s, Alvin Bragg’s, Joe Biden’s, Fani Willis, Ron DeSantis, Christopher Wray –, Republican –, Justice Department Trump, who’s, –, Jim Jordan, ” Jordan, Dana Bash, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, Barr –, Mueller, Russia –, I’ve, Pence, Clinton, Mike Pence, Hillary Clinton, James Comey’s, Bush, Alberto Gonzales, ” Gonzales, Tapper, Smith, it’s, Kim Bielenberg, CNN’s Kit Maher Organizations: CNN, White, “ Fox, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Justice Department, DOJ, America ”, Republican Party, FBI, Florida Gov, Republican, North Carolina, Convention, GOP, Trump, Department of Justice, ABC, CBS Locations: Miami, Mar, America, Manhattan, Georgia, Fulton County, New Jersey, “ State, Trump’s, Florida, Russia, “, Tulsa , Oklahoma

[1/3] Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Brian SnyderWASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The indictment of former President Donald Trump on multiple charges related to his handling of classified documents on Thursday has thrust the Justice Department back into the center of the Republican presidential primary campaign. In a video posted on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, he reiterated previous assertions that the Justice Department has been weaponized for political ends. But he has shied away from promoting more aggressive reforms at the Justice Department. In a statement on Thursday night, he lambasted the Justice Department, calling it part of a "federal police state."

Persons: Donald Trump, Brian Snyder WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, RON DESANTIS, Ron DeSantis, Christopher Wray, MIKE, Mike Pence, NIKKI HALEY Nikki Haley, Trump, Tim Scott, Wray, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Vivek Ramaswamy, Asa Hutchinson, Gram Slattery, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Justice Department, DOJ, Trump, Justice, UN, FBI, SCOTT South, Department of Justice, Fox News, ASA HUTCHINSON Former Arkansas, Thomson Locations: Manchester , New Hampshire, U.S, Florida, Washington, New York, RON DESANTIS Florida, SCOTT South Carolina

☆ House Republicans cancel vote to hold FBI director in contempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 7 (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have abandoned plans for a vote on Thursday to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress over agency documents related to an alleged "criminal bribery scheme" involving President Joe Biden. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee had been set to vote over accusations that Wray and his agency refused to provide an unclassified document being sought by the panel's Republicans. Committee Chairman James Comer has said the document relates to "a trusted, highly credible informant" with information that Biden was "involved in a criminal bribery scheme." The White House has said Biden has not committed any wrongdoing and has accused Comer of spreading "thin innuendo to try to damage the president politically." Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Rick Cowan; Editing by Eric Beech and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Joe Biden, Wray, James Comer, Biden, Comer, Dan Whitcomb, Rick Cowan, Eric Beech, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S . House, Republicans, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Comer Cancels Wray Contempt Vote as F.B.I. Agrees to Share Document
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

House Republicans late Wednesday canceled plans to begin contempt of Congress proceedings against Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, after the agency agreed to make available to all members of the Oversight Committee a document containing a years-old unsubstantiated allegation of bribery against President Biden. The decision was a rare dialing back of a concerted effort by House Republicans to target the federal law enforcement agency as they seek to push accusations of wrongdoing by Mr. Biden. Mr. Wray’s team allowed Representative James Comer, Republican of Kentucky and chairman of the Oversight Committee, and Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat, to view a redacted copy of the document in a secure area of the Capitol on Monday and briefed them on it for more than an hour. But the F.B.I.

Persons: Christopher A, Wray, Biden, Mr . Biden, Wray’s, James Comer, Jamie Raskin Organizations: Republicans, House Republicans, Republican, Maryland Locations: Kentucky

☆ U.S. House panel to pursue contempt of Congress proceedings against FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - The Republican head of a U.S. House of Representatives panel said he will seek to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress over what he said was a failure to hand over information on President Joe Biden's family dealings. "We will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings," James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement posted on Twitter. Comer said he was taking the action following a briefing given by FBI officials. "At the briefing, the FBI again refused to hand over the unclassified record to the custody of the House Oversight Committee," Comer said. Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Sarah N. Lynch and Richard Cowan in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Joe Biden's, James Comer, Comer, Kanishka Singh, Sarah N, Lynch, Richard Cowan, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Republican, . House, Twitter, FBI, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Republicans, Escalating Attacks on F.B.I., Vow to Hold Director in Contempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Luke Broadwater | Adam Goldman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

House Republicans said on Monday that they would move this week to hold the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, in contempt of Congress, escalating their attacks on the federal law enforcement agency as they grasp for evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden. Representative James R. Comer, the Kentucky Republican who is chairman of the Oversight Committee, made the announcement after summoning F.B.I. officials to Capitol Hill for a closed-door briefing on a document containing an unverified allegation of bribery against Mr. Biden when he was vice president. But Mr. Comer complained afterward that the agency, citing concern about protecting the identity of the informant, declined to allow other members of the committee to view it.

Persons: Christopher A, Wray, Biden, James R, Comer, F.B.I, Mr, Hunter Biden’s, “, Wray’s, Jamie Raskin Organizations: Republicans, Kentucky Republican, Capitol, Trump Justice Department, Maryland Locations: Ukraine

“Clean, clean, clean,” he told CNN in April, referencing the push for a clean debt ceiling resolution. He then later forced President Joe Biden to negotiate a debt limit suspension with spending cuts. “I think the Republican House caucus is willing to go to default,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat. A fired-up Buck, who opposed the debt limit deal, told reporters that he has received calls from constituents about removing McCarthy from the speakership. Now he says he would let us look at the document,” McCarthy told reporters.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, ”, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Joe Biden, Biden, “, ebullient McCarthy, underestimating, ” McCarthy, Schumer, we’ve, ” Schumer, Ted Lieu, Ken Buck, McCarthy “, Buck, McCarthy’s speakership, Chip Roy, Dan Bishop, Scott Perry, speakership –, he’s, Ralph Norman, what’s, “ We’ve, you’ve, Wray, James Comer, Comer, Alejandro Mayorkas, Marjorie Taylor Greene Organizations: CNN, GOP, House Republicans, White, Republican, California Democrat, Republicans, Texas Republican, North Carolina Republican, Caucus, Pennsylvania Republican, South Carolina Republican, FBI, Homeland Security, Rep, Georgia Republican Locations: California, Colorado, Pennsylvania

☆ FBI Director to Speak With Rep. James Comer on GOP’s Biden Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbis-chris-wray-to-speak-with-rep-james-comer-on-gops-biden-probe-23a4f2fb

Persons: Dow Jones, wray, james Organizations: biden

☆ Republicans Probing Bidens Step Up Threats Against FBI Chief Christopher Wray
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones, wray, james Organizations: biden

☆ Factbox: Why does the US want to ban TikTok? The allegations against it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Members of Congress in March complained that the Chinese government has a "golden share" in ByteDance, giving it power over TikTok. He asserted the TikTok platform could enable sweeping influence operations because TikTok could proactively influence users and could also "turn off the message." TikTok says it "does not permit any government to influence or change its recommendation model." -TikTok will hand American's data over to Chinese government officialsLawmakers have alleged that the Chinese government, under a 2017 National Intelligence law, can force ByteDance to share TikTok user data. "-TikTok spies on journalistsIn December, ByteDance said some employees improperly accessed TikTok user data of two journalists.

☆ Special counsel John Durham concludes FBI never should have launched full Trump-Russia probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Zachary Cohen Devan Cole Tierney Sneed Evan Perez Hannah Rabinowitz Jeremy Herb Marshall Cohen | Zachary Cohen | Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“Strzok, at a minimum, had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump,” Durham wrote, while quoting in a footnote previously known texts between Strzok and Lisa Page, then an FBI attorney. Witness testimony exposed the FBI’s overreliance on the dossier as it sought court approval to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016. Mixed results over 3+ yearsBarr tapped Durham in 2019 to review the origins of the Russia probe, and the scope of Durham’s work grew over the years. Former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which inherited the initial Russia probe, released a detailed accounting of Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 election. Mueller found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but investigators documented numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russians.

☆ Justice Department secures court order blocking Trump deposition in Strzok and Page lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In a win for the Justice Department, a federal judge on Friday blocked a May 24 deposition of former President Donald Trump in connection with a pair lawsuits filed by former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. "The Court is somewhat surprised to learn that since then, the parties have done nothing more than wrangle over the order of the two depositions," Berman Jackson wrote. "The Court's ruling was appropriate in light of all of the facts, including the former President's own public statements concerning his role in the firing of the plaintiff," Berman Jackson wrote. Attorneys for Strzok, Page and Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday night. Strzok's lawyers are seeking Trump's deposition to determine whether he met with and directly pressured FBI and Justice Department officials to terminate Strzok or told any White House staff members to do so.

☆ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2023 inductees are…
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their 2023 class of inductees. In the performer category the group includes Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners. DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray will be the recipients of the Musical Influence Award, while Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin have been selected to receive the Musical Excellence Award. The inductes into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are selected because the have “created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll,” according to the organization. Ticket sale information will be announced at a later date.

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