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☆ Fact Check-No evidence Sen. John Thune is holding DOJ nominees in response to Trump indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vance announced a hold of all Department of Justice (DOJ) nominees on June 13. 2 Republican John Thune is holding DOJ appointments in response to federal charges against former President Donald Trump. Republicans have condemned the Justice Department for the charges over Trump’s handling of classified documents, Reuters reported (here), (here). Ryan Wrasse, communications director for Thune, said the claim that Thune is holding DOJ nominees is “completely false.” Wrasse also addressed this in a June 13 tweet (here). There is no public evidence of Thune holding DOJ nominees in response to the Trump indictment, and Thune’s spokesperson has denied the claim.

Persons: J.D, Vance, Republican John Thune, Donald Trump, Trump, General Merrick Garland, Ryan Wrasse, Thune, ” Wrasse, Garland “, Joe Biden’s, ” Vance, “ Donald Trump, Merrick Garland, ” Merrick Garland, Vance’s, Biden’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump Jr, Read Organizations: Republican U.S, of Justice, Republican, Republicans, Justice Department, Reuters, Trump, DOJ, Department, Justice, Senate Locations: United States

☆ China e-commerce shipments would lose US tariff exemption under proposed law
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill would ban such shipments from China immediately upon enactment, sponsor Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said. Ecommerce sellers such as China-founded, Singapore-based Shein and Temu, a rival owned by PDD Holdings Inc (PDD.O) that operates the Chinese ecommerce site Pinduoduo, are big beneficiaries of the exemption. De minimis shipments have drawn attention at least since 2019, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported it struggled to catch unsafe imports because of the heavy volume of low-value packages. Such shipments rose to 685.5 million in 2022 compared with 410.5 million in 2018, U.S. customs data showed. Under the bill, countries other than China and Russia could keep the exemption by adopting the $800 threshold for their own tariff-free imports.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bill Cassidy, minimis, Temu, De, J.D, Vance, Tammy Baldwin, Earl Blumenauer, Katherine Masters, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, PDD Holdings, U.S . Consumer Product Safety, Democratic, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Singapore, Xingiang, Xinjiang, Russia

☆ China e-commerce shipments would lose U.S. tariff exemption under proposed law
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers planned to introduce a bill on Wednesday to eliminate a tariff exemption widely used by e-commerce sellers to send orders from China to U.S. shoppers, one of the sponsors said. The bill would ban such shipments from China immediately upon enactment, sponsor Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said. E-commerce sellers such as China-founded, Singapore-based Shein and Temu, a rival owned by PDD Holdings that operates the Chinese ecommerce site Pinduoduo, are big beneficiaries of the exemption. De minimis shipments have drawn attention at least since 2019, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported it struggled to catch unsafe imports because of the heavy volume of low-value packages. Under the bill, countries other than China and Russia could keep the exemption by adopting the $800 threshold for their own tariff-free imports.

Persons: Bill Cassidy, Temu, De, J.D, Vance, Tammy Baldwin, Earl Blumenauer Organizations: PDD Holdings, U.S . Consumer Product Safety, Democratic, FedEx, UPS, DHL Locations: Washington ,, U.S, China, Singapore, Xingiang, Xinjiang, Russia

☆ For companies, the stakes are high this Pride
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

New York CNN —Companies have long embraced Pride Month in June as an uncomplicated way to market to members of the LGBTQ+ community while telegraphing progressive values. Gavin Newsom called out Target’s CEO for “selling out the LGBTQ+ community to extremists.”The current landscape “is alarming,” Todd said. “That middle ground is going away.”So this year, companies that want to participate in Pride have to be prepared to take a real stance. Some of those lashing out have described a campaign against Pride itself, rather than Bud Light or Target (TGT) specifically. It won’t be worth whatever they think they’ll gain.”It’s no coincidence that the anti-trans assault comes as trans rights are under legal attack across the nation.

Persons: Bud Light, Bud Light’s Instagram, Bud, BUD, Eric Thayer, ”, Daniel Korschun, “, —, Jared Todd, Gavin Newsom, ” Todd, ” Korschun, Sen, J.D, Vance, J, Justin Sullivan, Anna Moneymaker, Matt Walsh, Sarah Kate Ellis, Ellis, Trevor, Seth Wenig, ” Ellis, Todd, It’s, didn’t, Colin Kaepernick, Drexel’s, Korschun, Jared Watson, ” Watson, Watson, Pattie Gonia, ’ ” Watson, ’ Organizations: New, New York CNN — Companies, Target, Bud Light, Anheuser, Busch, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Bloomberg, Getty, Drexel University, Wall Street, Foundation, Human Rights, HRC, California Gov, —, Pride, Twitter, HumanRights, UCLA School of Law, GLAAD, Morning, Nike, New York University, “ Locations: New York, Ohio, Target, California, America, New Jersey

☆ Sen. J.D. Vance on recent bank failures: FDIC 'changed the rules' in the middle of the game
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | 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 EmailSen. J.D. Vance on recent bank failures: FDIC 'changed the rules' in the middle of the gameSen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) joins 'Squawk Box' to preview the Senate Banking Committee's hearing on the failures of Silicon Valley and Signature Banks, his view on deposit guarantees, and more.

☆ These are the top Senate races to watch in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

They have reason to be hopeful: Democrats face a daunting 2024 Senate map that puts them on defense in 23 of the cycle's 34 races, including multiple seats considered ripe for GOP challenges. The grim outlook has some Senate Democrats considering retirement, even after the caucus expanded to a 51-49 majority following a better-than-expected showing in the midterms. Jim Justice, reportedly the state's richest man and one of its favored contenders for the Senate race. But the 2024 Senate race in Ohio is currently considered a toss-up, as Republicans have made significant gains in the state in the last two election cycles. Sabato's Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report both say the Michigan Senate race leans Democratic.

When Thiel spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention, he had more hope that the party would concentrate on economic issues, his business associate said. Four political sources also told Reuters that Thiel is taking a step back from U.S. politics. In 2012, Thiel backed libertarian lawmaker Ron Paul, and in 2016 he donated some $1.25 million to the campaign efforts of Trump, who is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination. In the 2022 election cycle, however, Thiel emerged as a potential Republican kingmaker, contributing more than $35 million to 16 federal-level Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets. The business associate said he was not aware of any special proviso for former employees.

☆ After school shooting, some trans Tennesseans face backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Mykul Coscia, who performs drag as Eazy Love at Play, a night club, poses for a portrait after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Even before the shooting, many transgender Tennesseans felt villainized by their state's efforts to regulate the lives of gay and trans people, and were increasingly fearful for their safety. Police identified the Nashville shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, and initially referred to Hale as female. Every time there is a school shooting, Story VanNess said she has sleepless nights: she was a special education teacher in a Knoxville school for several years before becoming the director of trans and non-binary programs at Knox Pride. "We've had another school shooting but, because this shooter was trans, that's taken a back seat so politicians can demonize trans people.

☆ Senators unveil new rail safety bill in wake of toxic Ohio derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

John Fetterman and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sherrod Brown of Ohio – would build on provisions of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act. Brown and his fellow senator from Ohio, Republican J.D. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw endorsed parts of the bipartisan bill. The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, released toxic chemicals into the environment. Shaw said Norfolk Southern would continue to support cleanup efforts in the area.

☆ Norfolk Southern CEO told that railroads' planned voluntary safety improvements aren't enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw returns to Capitol Hill Wednesday facing pressure to support rail safety legislation proposed in the wake of his railroad’s massive toxic spill from a February 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. “We support legislative efforts to enhance the safety of the freight rail industry,” was the only discussion of the legislation in his prepared remarks. Shaw said the railroad would support increasing fines and penalties for people found tampering with railroad facilities and safety equipment, without endorsing proposals for potential fines on railroads found guilty of safety violations. They said residents who live near freight rail tracks can’t depend on the railroad’s voluntary measures to improve safety. Vance said it is important to raise the maximum fine for rail safety violations from the current limit of $225,455.

☆ Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's ties to billionaire George Soros are not as close as Republicans claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg moves to bring an expected indictment against Donald Trump, Republicans lawmakers leaping to the former president's defense have fixated on what they call Bragg's ties to billionaire George Soros. There is also no indication the Open Society Policy Center's donation was directed toward an eventual Color of Change campaign to influence Bragg. The funding from Soros' nonprofit was not targeted toward the campaign to support McCarter, the Color of Change official told CNBC. Open Society's website says the group's donation was intended "to support [Color of Change]'s social welfare activities" over the course of five years. Months before Bragg won a 2021 Democratic primary on his way to becoming Manhattan DA, George Soros' son, Jonathan, and his wife, combined to donate $20,000 to Bragg's campaign, state records show.

☆ Norfolk Southern CEO says he supports parts of new rail safety bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Wednesday told senators that his railroad company supports parts of two bipartisan rail safety bills that came in the wake of a derailment last month of a train carrying toxic materials in Ohio. Shaw did not fully endorse the Railway Safety Act, which includes provisions calling for two-person crews on all railroad locomotives. "We're not aware of any data that links crew size with safety," Shaw said Wednesday. "There are significant opportunities for advanced technology to enhance rail safety, and we encourage Congress to consider additional research into on-board rail car defect detection technology." Ohio sued Norfolk Southern last week, seeking damages, civil penalties and a "declaratory judgement that Norfolk Southern is responsible," Attorney General Dave Yost said.

REUTERS/Gaelen MorseCompanies Norfolk Southern Corp FollowMarch 14 (Reuters) - The state of Ohio sued Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) Tuesday over the Feb. 3 derailment of a freight train that released over a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants into the environment around the town of East Palestine. Since the Ohio derailment caused cars carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals to spill and catch fire, Norfolk Southern has been under pressure over a number of train derailments. Last week, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was sharply questioned at a U.S. Senate hearing and will appear at another March 22 rail safety Senate hearing. Those suits claim Norfolk Southern was negligent and has created a nuisance for residents, among other claims for liability. Last week, Norfolk Southern agreed to create a new first responders training center and expand a training program in Ohio.

☆ Live updates: East Palestine, Ohio train derailment Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Chris Isidore | Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In the lead-up to a Senate committee hearing on the toxic train derailment that spilled chemicals in the Ohio town of East Palestine last month, a bipartisan group of senators is introducing a new bill aimed at shoring up rail safety. The Railway Safety Act of 2023 will be introduced by Republican Sens. Vance of Ohio, Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Democratic Sens. It has a provision requiring “well-trained, two-person crews aboard every train.” And it boosts the maximum fines for rail carriers for wrongdoing. Data compiled by the nonprofit OpenSecrets show that Norfolk Southern, the company involved in the Ohio derailment, spent $1.8 million on federal lobbying last year.

☆ Norfolk Southern CEO to tell senators how he plans to 'make it right' after Ohio derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw will tell a U.S. Senate panel Thursday how he plans to "make it right" after one of the company's trains derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, last month. Other committees in Congress are also investigating the East Palestine derailment. On Saturday, another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio, after which residents near Springfield were ordered to shelter in place. Hours after that derailment, internal emails obtained by CNBC indicated that Norfolk Southern was making broad safety adjustments to prevent future incidents.

☆ Despite East Palestine toxic train disaster, railroads still want single-person crews
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The rail safety legislation, introduced in Congress Wednesday with bipartisan support, would include a prohibition on single-person crews. There is no such existing law or federal regulation requiring both an engineer and a conductor to be on a train. The Association of American Railroads confirmed that its position in favor of one-person crews has not changed. “No data shows a two-person crew confined to a cab is safer, and train crew size should continue to be determined through collective bargaining,” a statement from UP. But it might have one or two provisions which are deal breakers for the unions, such as allowing single-person crews.

☆ Ohio Senators Lead Rail-Safety Push After East Palestine Train Derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Two Ohio senators are leading a bipartisan effort to respond to last month’s train derailment in their state, proposing legislation that would subject railroads to a series of new federal safety regulations and increase fines for wrongdoing. Vance of Ohio, along with Sens. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), Josh Hawley (R. ), Bob Casey (D., Pa.) and John Fetterman (D., Pa.), introduced legislation on Wednesday intended to prevent future train disasters like the Feb. 3 derailment of Norfolk Southern Corp. railcars near East Palestine, Ohio. The incident has raised concerns about the long-term health risks near and around the village of 4,700 people.

☆ Nikki Haley heads to fundraiser hosted by Wall Street executives
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nikki Haley, a Republican who jumped into the 2024 presidential race this month, is set to attend a fundraising event for her campaign hosted by Wall Street executives in New York on Tuesday, according to an invitation first reviewed by CNBC. The Tuesday fundraiser for Haley's campaign is one of her first trips to New York as a candidate for president. Morning Consult's GOP primary tracker shows Haley has 6% of support from potential Republican voters. Former President Donald Trump garners support from about 50% of GOP primary voters, according to Morning Consult. Finance executives have played key fundraising roles for political campaigns of both parties for well over a decade.

☆ Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says 'he'll do some thinking' on whether he should have visited East Palestine, Ohio sooner
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pete Buttigieg said he could have expressed concern "sooner" for East Palestine, Ohio, after a train derailed. He said he'll "do some thinking" on whether it was a mistake to wait to visit. Asked on Thursday whether it was a mistake to have held off on visiting the community, Buttigieg said he'll "do some thinking" on that. "I felt strongly about this and could have expressed that sooner," he said. Buttigieg acknowledged earlier in the week that he could have spoken out sooner about the derailment.

☆ U.S. senators question rail oversight after toxic Ohio derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Two Republican senators sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday questioning U.S. freight rail system oversight in the aftermath of a toxic train derailment in Ohio on Feb. 3. Vance questioned Buttigieg about railroad safety, saying "it is not unreasonable to ask whether a crew of two rail workers, plus one trainee, is able to effectively monitor 150 cars." The Department of Transportation (USDOT) did not immediately comment but Buttigieg addressed the criticism in a series of tweets. Buttigieg responded to Cruz on Twitter that "we could start by discussing immediate steps Congress could take to address rail safety & reduce constraints on USDOT in this area. After railroad crews drained and burned off a toxic chemical from five tanker cars, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Feb. 8 said that residents could return to their homes.

☆ Trump’s Best Foreign Policy? Not Starting Any Wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( J.D. Vance | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

A few days before America’s 2022 midterm elections, Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky accused Russia of firing a rocket into Poland. In making the accusation, Mr. Zelensky was pushing on the dominoes that could start the world’s first war between nuclear powers. The rocket attack, it turns out, came not from Vladimir Putin’s Russia but from Ukrainian air defenses. Even after NATO made that assessment and acknowledged that Russia hadn’t fired the rocket, Mr. Zelensky continued to deny Ukrainian responsibility. The story faded from the headlines, and Mr. Zelensky enjoyed a hero’s welcome in Washington in December.

CLEVELAND — Matt Dolan, who lost a raucous Republican Senate primary in Ohio last year, will run again in 2024, this time seeking to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Dolan will announce his candidacy this week, he told an Ohio GOP official in a voicemail Sunday that the official shared with NBC News on the condition of anonymity. Dolan, a state senator whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, would likely be the first candidate on the GOP side to officially declare. Other Republicans closely looking at the race include Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno, a businessman who briefly was a Senate candidate in 2022. Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, speaks in Cleveland, on April 28, 2022.

☆ How Trump’s legacy became ‘pure poison’ for independents
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Among female independents, Trump’s ratings were even worse: just 23% favorable and 72% unfavorable, according to previously unpublished exit poll results provided by the CNN polling unit. Trump’s unfavorable rating hit a comparable 69% among independents with at least a four-year college degree. That was a significantly smaller advantage than the double-digit lead among independents Democrats enjoyed in both the 2020 presidential race and the 2018 contest for the House. While Democrats held the presidency, Republicans won independents by double-digits in House elections in the midterms of 2014, 2010 and 1994. Gretchen Whitmer won 59% of the independents with degrees and 56% of women independents.

☆ Elon Musk may be luring Apple into a fight with Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Vance, both Republicans, made remarks about Apple's situation that show how Musk could put Apple in a tough spot. It's just one of a vast number of apps on the App Store, and it isn't a huge moneymaker for Apple through in-app purchases. He also accused Apple of threatening to pull the Twitter app from the App Store . Over the past week, Twitter owner Elon Musk has been poking Apple , the big bear of Silicon Valley, which controls app distribution to every iPhone. But Apple would be much more likely to pull the Twitter app if it tries to cut Apple out of its platform fees.

Another focus of the conference was “electability,” with many Republicans expressing increased interest in making sure that candidates who emerged from primaries were best positioned to win in November. Pete Ricketts, who just finished a term as RGA co-chair, suggested that the group could get more involved in primaries. The RGA did spend to defend incumbents facing primaries but now may consider spending in open races. “The idea that Trump would make an announcement yesterday — and I’ve been proven right, because it’s barely a story — it was just stupid,” he said. It’s clearly from a position of weakness, and for his own self-serving purposes, whatever they may be legal or otherwise.

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